How We Can Promote Peace And Unity in a Multiracial Country Like Malaysia?

All Malaysians must bear responsibility to help achieve stronger integration and a more robust national unity.Malaysians must do this by preserving and protecting its many divers religions festivals and customs.Preserving and protecting this is part and parcel of our shared broader goals of achieving integration and national unity.In attaining these goals,all Malaysians must bear a collective responsibility.The effective way in enhancing racial integration is to hold open house on festive season,carry out gotong royong and to hold a cultural fair.

As we know,open house are the feast or celebration that usually occurred during festive season.In Malaysia,there has many festive season such as Chinese New Year,Deepavali,Hari Raya Aidilfitri,Wesak Day and others.When open house had been organized and arranged,all of the races attend the celebration without doubt,anger, and anti-racial.Residents dined together in a spirit of neighbourliness.They will be closer the relationship of each other and they will know and become familiar with their neighbour,so it will enhance racial integration.

Besides that,gotong royong is one of the effective ways in enhancing racial integration.Gotong royong are activity that hold together all races such as cleaning housing area,cooking during the feast.This will show the spirit of unity when tehey carry out gotong royong together.The food has been cooked by many races base on their own way.This will allow the guast to taste many kind of food.Gotong royong could gather all residents so they will join and communicate.This will make them closer to each other.

On the other hand,to enhance racial integration we have to hold a cultural fair.The cultural fair could be organized to show cultural and trust of all races.As an examples,the cultural fair could be done in the open place such as Stadium Bukit Jalil so all citizens can watch the performance like cultural dance or cross-cultural performance in which Malay,Indian and Chinese dances were performed by childrens.This are able to see various cultural sensitivity and it is praiseworthy because all other races and culture are respected.The organized celebration of festive,we can know and understand other cultural and trust.Therefore,we can promote peace and unity in a multiracial country by holding a cultural fair.

In conclusion,peace and unity can be promoted by holding open house,carry out gotong royong and to hold a cultural fair.This activities could gather and unite all races in Malaysia so they can recognized each other.

Malaysia is known worldwide for its national unity and racial harmony. It is is one of the most plural and heterogeneous countries in the world, with three major ethnic groups — Malay, Chinese, and Indian — plus several other indigenous tribes. It has a checkered history, having been under four different colonial powers at one time or another since the 16th century. This ethnic and cultural diversity is reflected in the wide variety of languages spoken and religions practiced in Malaysia; even within the same ethnic group, various traditions prevail.

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  Modern Malaysia is increasingly forced to confront the tensions arising from this fount of diversity, and the politics of race and religion. Malaysia has been free of ethnic bloodshed, but there remains much room for Malaysians to understand one another and to see each other as equal parts of an indivisible nation.

National unity is a key target of government policy; the Department of National Unity is tasked with promoting greater integration amongst the country’s various communities. However, numerous government policies and laws differentiate between Malaysians on the basis of ethnic background, to the point that many feel they have been the target of discrimination, because of lack of education in the government policies and politosation. Alliance Foundation Malaysia act as catalysts to educate the masses on governments non-racial policies and imbibe belief in 1 Malaysia policy. 

Overall Malaysians are pleased with the progress the country has made in coming to terms with its plural and diverse nature. Yet, there is still significant room for improvement and ensuring that every Malaysian believes there is a place for them under the Malaysian sun

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points:-* cultural events* competitions* recreational activities

Hard Facts - Soft Skills is a licensed, certified, strengths-based, leadership development company that provides coaching, training, consulting, & workshop seminars to engage leaders, managers and staff members to positively impact company performance, profitability and organizational efficiency – by developing the hard facts about soft skills.

Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Hard Facts - Soft Skills delivers dynamic programs for building trust, identifying strengths, leading effectively and interacting productively for management and their teams. The company uses a portfolio of world-class training programs to achieve bottom line results for individuals and organization

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. Emotional intelligence impacts many different aspects of your daily life, such as the way you behave and the way you interact with others.

If you have high emotional intelligence you are able to recognize your own emotional state and the emotional states of others, and engage with people in a way that draws them to you. You can use this understanding of emotions to relate better to other people, form healthier relationships, achieve greater success at work, and lead a more fulfilling life.

Emotional intelligence consists of four attributes:

Self-awareness – You recognize your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behavior, know your strengths and weaknesses, and have self-confidence.

Self-management – You’re able to control impulsive feelings and behaviors, manage your emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing circumstances.

Social awareness – You can understand the emotions, needs, and concerns of other people, pick up on emotional cues, feel comfortable socially, and recognize the power dynamics in a group or organization.

Relationship management – You know how to develop and maintain good relationships, communicate clearly, inspire and influence others, work well in a team, and manage conflict.

Why is emotional intelligence (EQ) so important?

As we know, it’s not the smartest people that are the most successful or the most fulfilled in life. You probably know people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially inept and unsuccessful at work or in their personal relationships. Intellectual intelligence (IQ) isn’t enough on its own to be successful in life.

Yes, your IQ can help you get into college, but it’s your EQ that will help you manage the stress and emotions when facing your final exams.

Emotional intelligence affects:

Your performance at work. Emotional intelligence can help you navigate the social complexities of the workplace, lead and motivate others, and excel in your career. In fact, when it comes to gauging job candidates, many companies now view emotional intelligence as being as important as technical ability and require EQ testing before hiring.

Your physical health. If you’re unable to manage your stress levels, it can lead to serious health problems. Uncontrolled stress can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. The first step to improving emotional intelligence is to learn how to relieve stress.

Your mental health. Uncontrolled stress can also impact your mental health, making you vulnerable to anxiety and depression. If you are unable to understand and manage your emotions, you’ll also be open to mood swings, while an inability to form strong relationships can leave you feeling lonely and isolated.

Your relationships. By understanding your emotions and how to control them, you’re better able to express how you feel and understand how others are feeling. This allows you to communicate more effectively and forge stronger relationships, both at work and in your personal life.

How to raise your emotional intelligence

All information to the brain comes through our senses, and when this information is overwhelmingly stressful or emotional, instinct will take over and our ability to act will be limited to the flight, fight, or freeze response. Therefore, to have access to the wide range of choices and the ability to make good decisions, we need to be able to bring our emotions into balance at will.

Memory is also strongly linked to emotion. By learning to use the emotional part of your brain as well as the rational, you’ll not only expand your range of choices when it comes to responding to a new event, but you’ll also factor emotional memory into your decision-making process. This will help prevent you from continually repeating earlier mistakes.

To improve your emotional intelligence—and your decision-making abilities—you need to understand and control the emotional side of your brain. This is done by developing five key skills. By mastering the first two skills, you’ll find skills three, four, and five much easier to learn.

Developing emotional intelligence through five key skills:

Emotional intelligence (EQ) consists of five key skills, each building on the last:

The ability to quickly reduce stress The ability to recognize and manage your emotions The ability to connect with others using nonverbal communication The ability to use humor and play to deal with challenges The ability to resolve conflicts positively and with confidence

How to learn the five key skills of emotional intelligence

The five skills of emotional intelligence can be learned by anyone, at any time. There is a difference, however, between learning about emotional intelligence and applying that knowledge to your life. Just because you know you should do something doesn’t mean you will—especially when you become overwhelmed by stress, which can hijack your best intentions.

In order to permanently change behavior in ways that stand up under pressure, you need to learn how to take advantage of the powerful emotional parts of the brain that remain active and accessible even in times of stress. This means that you can’t simply read about emotional intelligence in order to master it. You have to experience and practice the skills in your everyday life.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 1: Rapidly reduce stress

High levels of stress can overwhelm the mind and body, getting in the way of your ability to accurately “read” a situation, hear what someone else is saying, be aware of your own feelings and needs, and communicate clearly.

Being able to quickly calm yourself down and relieve stress helps you stay balanced, focused, and in control—no matter what challenges you face or how stressful a situation becomes.

Stress busting: functioning well in the heat of the moment

Develop your stress-busting skills by working through the following three steps:

Realize when you’re stressed – The first step to reducing stress is recognizing what stress feels like. How does your body feel when you’re stressed? Are your muscles or stomach tight or sore? Are your hands clenched? Is your breath shallow? Being aware of your physical response to stress will help regulate tension when it occurs.

Identify your stress response – Everyone reacts differently to stress. If you tend to become angry or agitated under stress, you will respond best to stress-relieving activities that quiet you down. If you tend to become depressed or withdrawn, you will respond best to stress-relieving activities that are stimulating. If you tend to freeze—speeding up in some ways while slowing down in others—you need stress-relieving activities that provide both comfort and stimulation.

Discover the stress-busting techniques that work for you – The best way to reduce stress quickly is by engaging one or more of your senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Each person responds differently to sensory input, so you need to find things that are soothing and/or energizing to you. For example, if you’re a visual person you can relieve stress by surrounding yourself with uplifting images. If you respond more to sound, you may find a wind chime, a favorite piece of music, or the sound of a water fountain helps to quickly reduce your stress levels.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 2: Emotional awareness

Being able to connect to your emotions—having a moment-to-moment awareness of your emotions and how they influence your thoughts and actions—is the key to understanding yourself and others.

Many people are disconnected from their emotions—especially strong core emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, and joy. This may be the result of negative childhood experiences that taught you to try to shut off your feelings. But although we can distort, deny, or numb our feelings, we can’t eliminate them. They’re still there, whether we’re aware of them or not. Unfortunately, without emotional awareness, we are unable to fully understand our own motivations and needs, or to communicate effectively with others.

What kind of a relationship do you have with your emotions?

Do you experience feelings that flow, encountering one emotion after another as your experiences change from moment to moment?

Are your emotions accompanied by physical sensations that you experience in places like your stomach or chest?

Do you experience discrete feelings and emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, joy, each of which is evident in subtle facial expressions?

Can you experience intense feelings that are strong enough to capture both your attention and that of others?

Do you pay attention to your emotions? Do they factor into your decision making?

If any of these experiences are unfamiliar, your emotions may be turned down or turned off. In order to be emotionally healthy and emotionally intelligent, you must reconnect to your core emotions, accept them, and become comfortable with them.

Developing emotional awareness

Emotional awareness can be learned at any time of life. If you haven’t learned how to manage stress, it’s important to do so first. When you can manage stress, you’ll feel more comfortable reconnecting to strong or unpleasant emotions and changing the way you experience and respond to your feelings.

You can develop your emotional awareness by learning the mindfulness meditation in Helpguide’s free Bring Your Life into Balance toolkit that helps you to get in touch with difficult emotions and manage uncomfortable feelings.

Emotional intelligence skill (EQ) 3: Nonverbal communication

Being a good communicator requires more than just verbal skills. Often, what you say is less important than how you say it, or the other nonverbal signals you send out—the gestures you make, the way you sit, how fast or how loud you talk, how close you stand, or how much eye contact you make. In order to hold the attention of others and build connection and trust, you need to be aware of, and in control of, this body language. You also need to be able to accurately read and respond to the nonverbal cues that other people send you.

These messages don’t stop when someone stops speaking. Even when you’re silent, you’re still communicating nonverbally. Think about what you are transmitting as well, and if what you say matches what you feel. If you insist, “I’m fine," while clenching your teeth and looking away, your body is clearly signaling the opposite. Your nonverbal messages can produce a sense of interest, trust, excitement, and desire for connection—or they can generate fear, confusion, distrust, and disinterest.

Tips for improving nonverbal communication

Successful nonverbal communication depends on your ability to manage stress, recognize your own emotions, and understand the signals you’re sending and receiving. When communicating:

Focus on the other person. If you are planning what you’re going to say next, daydreaming, or thinking about something else, you are almost certain to miss nonverbal cues and other subtleties in the conversation.

Make eye contact. Eye contact can communicate interest, maintain the flow of a conversation, and help gauge the other person’s response.

Pay attention to nonverbal cues you’re sending and receiving, such as facial expression, tone of voice, posture and gestures, touch, and the timing and pace of the conversation.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 4: Use humor and play to deal with challenges

Humor, laughter, and play are natural antidotes to life’s difficulties; they lighten your burdens and help you keep things in perspective. A good hearty laugh reduces stress, elevates mood, and brings your nervous system back into balance.

Playful communication broadens your emotional intelligence and helps you:

Take hardships in stride. By allowing you to view your frustrations and disappointments from new perspectives, laughter and play enable you to survive annoyances, hard times, and setbacks.

Smooth over differences. Using gentle humor often helps you say things that might be otherwise difficult to express without creating a flap.

Simultaneously relax and energize yourself. Playful communication relieves fatigue and relaxes your body, which allows you to recharge and accomplish more.

Become more creative. When you loosen up, you free yourself of rigid ways of thinking and being, allowing you to get creative and see things in new ways.

How to develop playful communication:

It’s never too late to develop and embrace your playful, humorous side.

Try setting aside regular, quality playtime. The more you joke, play, and laugh—the easier it becomes.

Find enjoyable activities that loosen you up and help you embrace your playful nature. Practice by playing with animals, babies, young children, and outgoing people who appreciate

playful banter.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 5: Resolve conflict positively

Conflict and disagreements are inevitable in relationships. Two people can’t possibly have the same needs, opinions, and expectations at all times. However, that needn’t be a bad thing. Resolving conflict in healthy, constructive ways can strengthen trust between people. When conflict isn’t perceived as threatening or punishing, it fosters freedom, creativity, and safety in relationships.

The ability to manage conflicts in a positive, trust-building way is supported by the previous four skills of emotional intelligence. Once you know how to manage stress, stay emotionally present and aware, communicate nonverbally, and use humor and play, you’ll be better equipped to handle emotionally charged situations and catch and defuse many issues before they escalate.

Tips for resolving conflict in a trust-building way:

Stay focused in the present. When you are not holding on to old hurts and resentments, you can recognize the reality of a current situation and view it as a new opportunity for resolving old feelings about conflicts.

Choose your arguments. Arguments take time and energy, especially if you want to resolve them in a positive way. Consider what is worth arguing about and what is not.

Forgive. Other people’s hurtful behavior is in the past. To resolve conflict, you need to give up the urge to punish or seek revenge.

End conflicts that can't be resolved. It takes two people to keep an argument going. You can choose to disengage from a conflict, even if you still disagree.

Jim Symcox on the difference between IQ and EQ, your Emotional Quotient. Symcox is president of Hard Facts -- Soft Skills, a consulting, coaching and leadership development company.

Soft skills is a sociological term relating to a person's "EQ" (Emotional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other people.[1] Soft skills complement hard skills which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities.

Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which are about a person's skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills relate to a person's ability to interact effectively with coworkers and customers and are broadly applicable both in and outside the workplace.

A person's soft skill EQ is an important part of their individual contribution to the success of an organization. Particularly those organizations dealing with customers face-to-face are generally more successful, if they train their staff to use these skills. Screening or training for personal habits or traits such as dependability and conscientiousness can yield significant return on investment for an organization.[2] For this reason, soft skills are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard qualifications.

It has been suggested that in a number of professions, soft skills may be more important over the long term than occupational skills. The legal profession is one example where the ability to deal with people effectively and politely, more than their mere occupational skills, can determine the professional success of a lawyer.[3]

Soft Skills are behavioral competencies. Also known as Interpersonal Skills, or people skills, they include proficiencies such as communication skills, conflict resolution and negotiation, personal effectiveness, creative problem solving, strategic thinking, team building, influencing skills and selling skills, to name a few.

Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which tend to be specific to a certain type of task or activity, soft skills are broadly applicable. Soft Skills are behavioral competencies. Also known as Interpersonal Skills, or people skills, they include proficiencies such as communication skills, conflict resolution and negotiation, personal effectiveness, creative problem solving, strategic thinking, team building, influencing skills and selling skills, to name a few.Soft skills are sometimes broken down into personal attributes, such as:

optimism common sense responsibility a sense of humor integrity time-management motivation.

and interpersonal abilities, such as:

empathy leadership communication good manners sociability the ability to teach.

 We can say that hard skills will get you an interview but you need soft skills to get and keep the job.

Soft skills is a sociological term relating to a person's "EQ" (Emotional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other people.[ Soft skills complement hard skills (part of a person's IQ), which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities.

A person's soft skill EQ is an important part of their individual contribution to the success of an organization. Particularly those organizations dealing with customers face-to-face are generally more successful, if they train their staff to use these skills. Screening or training for personal habits or traits such as dependability and conscientiousness can yield significant return on investment for an organization. For this reason, soft skills are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard qualifications.

All children should be required to study history up to the age of 16 amid fears that too many pupils are leaving school lacking a proper understanding of the past, a Government adviser has warned.

History should stand alongside English and maths by becoming a compulsory subject throughout secondary education, it was claimed.

Steven Mastin said Britain was currently one of the few European countries – alongside Albania – to allow pupils to drop history before the end of school.

He also criticised an over-reliance on British history in the National Curriculum at the expense of an appreciation of the “great civilisations” of the world.

The comments – in a Telegraph.co.uk podcast – come amid continuing debate over the teaching of history in schools.

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Currently, pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are allowed to drop history at 14 as part of their GCSE options.

Just 30 per cent of 16-year-olds now take GCSEs in the subject and overall take-up has dropped by around a fifth since the late 90s.

Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, is attempting to drive numbers up by introducing the English Baccalaureate – a school leaving certificate that rewards pupils gaining good grades in a range of academic subjects including history or geography.

Speaking today, Mr Mastin, head of history at Sawston Village College in Cambridgeshire, said it was “quite a positive thing” that a third of pupils studied the subject at GCSE but insisted it was "certainly not enough".

He said history was still perceived a difficult qualification by many pupils because of the emphasis on essay writing and interpretation of sources.

The Government should go further to drive up numbers by making the subject compulsory up to the age of 16, he suggested.

Mr Mastin, who has advised the Department for Education on a new history curriculum, said: “I share Michael Gove’s concern that more and more pupils should be opting for history or that schools should be encouraging children to opt for history.

“He’s hoping that the English Baccalaureate is going to help turn that around; I would like to see history become compulsory at 16 like it is in every single other European country other than Albania.”

Mr Mastin said all pupils should be required to learn a chronology of British history.

“I don’t think that’s very debatable,” he said. “However, I don’t want their history education to be solely British history.

“I think that would be to do them a great disservice because I think they should be taught about great civilisations; they should be taught world history and about how Britain’s place in the world has changed over the years.

History lessons should be compulsory'

History should be a compulsory subject up to GCSE because too many pupils leave school lacking a proper understanding of the past, warns a Government adviser.

Moral Values

Time Saving Truth From Falsehood And Envy

Source: Thanks to Wikipedia

Why Teach Moral Values

When most people talk about a school curriculum, they think about math, science, social studies, and language courses. Seldom do I hear or read about moral values as being part of the curriculum. The problem is that the neglect of teaching moral values in schools is hurting our students and causing problems in society. If a person has never learned any moral values, how is she or he able to discern the difference between right and wrong? That is basically the essence of moral values education.

Why Moral Values for Students?

As parents and educators, we should all advocate the teaching of moral values in our schools for the following reasons:

1. Preparing Our Children For Future Roles In Society:

Knowledge gained in school is only one goal of education. The primary goals of education should be enabling students to gain knowledge and moral values. Our kids will need both in preparing themselves to be good parents and citizens in society.

2. Many Parents Aren't Teaching Moral Values:

If all parents were teaching their children moral values in the home, it would not be necessary for the schools to do this work, The sad fact is that a lot of kids are not learning from their parents the difference between right and wrong. This is because most mothers and fathers in their busy work days spend only a few hours with their children. In many families there is only one parent and no other role models for kids to follow.

3. There is Too Much Violence and Dishonesty in Society:

Every day students are exposed to violence, dishonesty, and other social problems in the media and the real world. How many times have we heard about school shootings? What about other times when students are caught cheating on exams? Then, too, we read about bullying in school and fights between gangs. If moral values were taught in schools, we would have fewer of these problems.

4. To Counter Bad Influences in Society:

Unfortunately, many of the role models of young people are setting bad examples. These bad examples range from sexual promiscuity, degrading of women, advocacy of violence, and the condoning of dishonesty in order to succeed.

5. Moral Values Will Stick With You For Life:

It's amazing the amount of math and science knowledge I have forgotten since my school days. I haven't, however, forgotten moral value lessons learned in school. One of these moral lessons was learned while I was a varsity football player. Our team had just lost a tough game, because the referee had ruled we were stopped inches away from scoring a touchdown. When our school principal had heard a lot of my teammates complaining about how the officiating had caused us to lose the game, he came on the team bus after the game and said that in life the referee never beats you.

Conscience is a precursor that determines one's acts. The question if conscience is a more powerful motivator than money, fame or power is always left unanswered. Many people are still dubious if conscience is deemed as a more powerful motivator in addition to the increasing global issues threatening world peace.

The cruelty and ruthlessness in Adolf Hitler, who came to power in Germany in 1933, epitomizes the dominance of power over conscience. Adolf Hitler, the infamous killer, is known to have executed approximately six million Jews, almost entirely effacing the Jewish population. Hitler had the Nazis to imprison the Jews, perform mass murders and enact Hitler's prominent murder method, which involved burning the Jews' bodies in crematoriums. The merciless deeds of Hitler have proven that the hunger for power and fame would sacrifice innocent lives. Conscience would no longer be justifiable if cupidity is to take place.

On the contrary, Mother Teresa's benevolence through her missionary work has portrayed the true meaning of conscience. It is her conscience that strongly motivated her to sacrifice her own welfare for a charitable cause that involved diminishing poverty. In fact, her dedication in eradicating indigence has earned her a Nobel Prize award for World Peace. Mother Teresa was once asked on how to create world peace and she answered, "Go home and love your family." Her remarkable response has opened the eyes of every individual worldwide and encouraged great conscience in everyone.

Conscience upholds a string of moral values in life. Without conscience, the world would be in havoc as everyone would be easily influenced by hatred and jealousy. Furthermore, in the contemporary world, where fame, money and power are regarded as the desires of life, strong conscience is definitely important to preclude people from these deceptive temptations.

Therefore, for conscience to be a more powerful motivator than money, fame or power, one cannot afford to show indifference in current global issues and historical pasts because the past and the present remind us of the imminent danger that would befall us if we lose our conscience. Literally, negligience of fame, power or money is sometimes a virtue that is worth possessing.

Q: When a country develops its technology, the traditional skills and ways of life die out. It is pointless to try and keep them alive. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Over the last half century, modern technology has developed dramatically world wide and many people have been facinated this trend. On the other hand, it is a significant fact that traditional skills and a way of life have been faded rapidly. this phenomenon has also brought several issues in modern societies. In my opinion, the importance of traditional skills and customs shoud be recognized by individuals. This essay will examine three aspects of advantages of preserving the traditional skills and customs.

fist of all, traditional practices often increase a sense of community and a social cohesion. For instance, national festivals have a significant meaning in terms of clutural and historical education. As people realize the importance of their heritage through the festival, they can improve their patriotism and sympathy with a social bonding.

Secondly, the inheritance of traditional methods and social customs have a profond impact on next generations. For example, folklore, historical stories and songs can be the best way to teach children how to learn a moral and wisdoms to live in societies. These children will be able to interact with other people when they grow up and start working in the community. In addition, these children who learned a moral and wisdoms through the education of traditional skills and knowledge will contribute to next generations.

furthermore, following conventional skills play a vital role not only to social cohesion but also to preserve environment. Convention skills such as walking towards a distination and using handmade products are all easy on environment because these practices are often harmless the nature due to saving petrol and redusing wastes. Thus these conventional practices enable peolpe to learn how to protect environment.

By comparison, technology has brought unpleasant problems world wide. Peolpe who are addicted to the Internet have a tendency of a lack of communication skills and sympathies with orther people. Hence some sociologists are apprehensive that crimes among young people have been increasing due to the prevalence of the technological development.

In conclusion, people should realize the importance of trafditional customs and skills because these practices have great advantages and it contributes positive influence to people in societies and the future.

When a country develops its technology, the traditional skills and ways of life die out. It is pointless to try and keep them alive.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Nowadays, technological advances and their rapid and wide applications are having a significant impact on a nation’s traditional skills and ways of life. Some argue that such impact is so extraordinary that it would make conventional skills and life styles obsolete. However, I believe they would continue to thrive by providing alternatives to modern ways of life, and innovative ideas for modern technologies.

First of all, traditional skills and ways of life are becoming an alternative solution to the problems caused by “mainstreamed” ways of life which are greatly influenced by modern technologies. For instance, a cozy restaurant where traditional, home-brewed beer is served, offers another experience to people who are bored with branded beers that have the same flavor and come out of mass production with new technologies. It is in such a venue where traditional skills are preserved, people become relaxed and educated. Providing diversity and thus enriching modern ways of life, such traditional skills and ways of life would continue to have their place.

Furthermore, conventional skills provide innovative ideas to the development of modern technologies. For example, sparkled by how the word “Love” is traditionally knitted into a sweater by some ethnic minority women in some parts of Asia, some business managers from textile industry have developed some production lines by applying the traditional skills to Computer-Aided Designs (CAD). The products have

boosted the companies’ sales which in turn have increased their investment in preserving traditional skills for further developing their technologies.

To conclude, traditional skills and life styles are increasingly becoming a useful alternative to the homogeneity brought by global applications of modern technologies. However, the evolution of technologies is a selection process, whereby some would become obsolete, but there is no doubt that some would thrive when their roles are appreciated