Breaking the Barriers of Information Dissemination

Communication which is a process of sending and receiving messages has a starting point. This point is not the actual sending, but deals with something which occurs in the sender before he initiates the acts of sending the message. There is the stimulation which comes first – that thing which propels or moves one to take an action. It is the reason for a communication encounter, and it takes place in the sensory nerve of an individual known as the Source.

The Source is that individual or group, which initiates a message. The source is the encoder or sender of the message – the one who receives the stimuli from inside of him and then decides on the means of transmitting the conceived message to the receiver. Because processes are involved in communication, the Source faces so many problems in achieving communication. Before information or opinion is passed to the receiver, the Source makes a move that shows that he wants to pass a message across. This move or initiative could be through speaking, gesturing, writing, or whatever means he feels is appropriate to transmit the message. In communication process, this move is known as an ACTION.

After taking an action, what follows is a REACTION, which is the result of the action taken by the sender or the communicator. It is the response to an action, which may come in form of a reply, answer, rejoinder, retort, acknowledgment or defense. The one chosen determines the next line of action by both parties, and to complete the process, the parties INTERACT. Interaction could be between two or more people showing that the message was duly communicated.

There are so many information messages going around the globe today, as well as counter behaviors of people. These show that not all messages that are sent across got to those they were meant for. So many factors are responsible for this. Skills used in communicating to people are more or less not considered by the communicator. It is his duty to however, ensure that he has a good grasp of the means he chooses to communicate. This will enable him reach his target audience effectively.

The message to be transmitted must be known to the communicator. If he does not have a good knowledge of the message, chances are that he will not be able to win the attention of his audience, appear important with the message or deliver it confidently. Effective communication can also depend on to a large extent on the knowledge of the environment in which the communication is to take place. The diversities that exist in different communities or areas help in forcing the Source approach on location and target audience. In Nigeria, for instance, consideration is given to age, status, social class, seniority, etc, quite different from what is obtainable elsewhere in the world. However, apart from this socio-cultural context, there is another important factor that bothers on attitude. The attitude of the Source of communication towards himself by way of displaying confidence in the message is very important to the successful transmission of his message. It should be noted that time after time people continuously are sending out messages to their various receivers, yet the level of ignorance exhibited by those to which these messages are meant for are alarming. Research has shown that the current method of information dissemination is not ideal hence the introduction of information repackaging.

This implies translation of the information in the language of the people; adopting the right medium familiar to the people and providing the right environment that would generate the required interest from the targeted group. Though this involves training and re-training, yet adopting the techniques of information repackaging would assist in redesigning the information meant to address the needs of the people, especially the rural dwellers. This may involve the transformation of printed information into oral form, using community information centers, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), radio jingles, television programmes, and focal group discussions, among others.

Transforming printed information into oral form: – The level of illiteracy in rural areas of does not support reading and writing. Therefore, oral information delivery is the most suitable means of reaching out to the people. Much of the existing information that people receive today appear mainly in print formats and often through medium that is not easily accessible to the rural dwellers. This is why people who are trained in the skills of information storage, retrieval and dissemination should be used in sourcing the required information and disseminating them to the rural dwellers.

Use of focal group discussions – Another good method of repackaging information is the use of focal group discussion. Information can be repackaged in form of stories, songs and drama, and presented to a particular target group.

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Translation of existing information to local languages – Another approach in information repackaging is the translation of existing information which appears in foreign languages into local languages. The intention here is to ensure that such useful information is disseminated to the target audience with ease. The information professionals and other related organizations and agencies should be involved in this translation project.

Use of posters/handbills – The technique here is to transform information on which is not accessible to the rural dwellers into posters and handbills to meet the information needs of the rural people. Such posters and handbills should be designed in such a way that it will attract the attention of the people. They should also be posted in strategic locations such as village squares, churches, hospitals and other public places. Most often information professionals may take some time to explain some of the posters and handbills for them to understand the message clearly.

Radio programmes and jingles – The radio remains a medium which permeates every location. A major advantage of repackaging information through the radio is the depth of its penetration and affordability of radios by so many families. Besides this, it is very easy and cheap to power the radios. Therefore, much of the needed information in print and online resources would be repackaged in local languages and disseminated through the radios. Programme designers in the radio stations should equally use these repackaged information in radio jingles to create more awareness. The dominance of certain strange languages like the English language in programme presentations should be de-emphasized in local radio stations so as to improve on the listening audience in the rural areas. There are many programmes in both the radio and television that are meant to educative and inform which should be repackaged and presented in local languages for wider reach. Presenters of programmes should equally consider the time of their presentation. Since rural areas are dominated by farmers, the timing should be seriously considered. Evening period is the most adequate, for many families would have come back from their farm works.

Television/home videos – The use of motion pictures creates a near real life situation and therefore, deepens the penetration of the message. The popularity of home videos and other television programmes on the people’s viewing culture is no longer in doubt. The availability of electricity in many rural areas, even though it is still very epileptic, has created opportunities for many families to enjoy films in their houses.

The use of community information centers – There are community information centers already existing in most rural communities. These centers are hospitals, churches, schools, village squares, civic centers, markets, etc, which are heavily depended on for effective information dissemination in rural areas. This makes it easier for information to be translated in local languages and disseminated through staff of these centers. For instance the teachers should be involved in enlightenment campaigns through the pupils and students. The Church, as another powerful institution in information dissemination, should be involved in the public enlightenment campaigns, using the repackaged information. In the same vane, enlightenment campaigns should be organized in markets and village square, where it is very obvious that the rural dwellers would have time to listen.

Community Based Organisations (CBOs) – Community Based Organizations (CBOs) have been recognized as very useful in reaching out to the rural dwellers with useful information. They are vital in promoting healthy living and socio-economic development of rural areas. Among these organizations are the age-grades, social clubs, women groups, town unions, co-operative societies, youth movements, etc. Since these organizations are closer to the people, information professionals armed with the repackaged information should reach out to these groups. However, the language of the people should be used and rendered orally.

Women groups – Women form one of the most formidable groups anywhere in the world. Their opinions on important issues of public interest are respected; therefore, it is imperative that focusing enlightenment campaigns on them would generate positive results. Existing information on major, but important matters should be repackaged to suit them. In most parts of the world, women groups exist. In Nigeria, for instance, women in the South Eastern areas are noted for their ability to organize themselves in groups and unions. The idea is to advice the communities on crucial matters that may bother on security, social life, family and education. The annual gathering of these women together with the mass return of those in urban areas to their various communities for this very important meeting, popularly referred to as “August Meeting” is now an integral part of Nigeria’s social life. Information professionals could as well avail themselves of such opportunities in using such meetings as a means of informing and educating these rural women on issues of public interest. In most cases, this can be done through talk shows, film-shows, seminars, etc, in their native languages.

Community leaders – Rural development activities have been usually propelled through the community leaders. This group of people include political leaders, religious leaders, village heads, school heads and other people in the community that command high degree of respect and follower-ship. Community leaders form the bedrock of information in the rural areas. Being the light of the society, they are strategically placed in obtaining the right and timely information. They often serve as intermediary between the sources of information and the people. As enlightened members of the society they are often involved in repackaging the information obtained for the general public. Information professionals should therefore, exploit the roles of these leaders to get their subjects informed on various matters of public interest. The approach here is to organize meetings with this group and then use the forum to train them on how to use the repackaged information to pass important messages across.

Background Information On Labiaplasty

Labiaplasty is a form of surgery that involves reducing the size of the flaps of skins that are found on either side of your lady parts. The reasons behind having this surgery are mostly cosmetic, with some women being uncomfortable with their size, or some hating the way they look. If you are considering having it done, you should be aware that it is perfectly normal for most women to have these extra folds of skin. It is nothing to be ashamed of.

In terms of costs, it costs more than most cosmetic procedures. This is because of the amount of risks that are involved with the procedure. Before booking an appointment with any surgeon, it is important that you go over the risks with your doctor because he / she may be in a better position to inform you on whether or not undergoing the surgery will be the best decision for you. If there is nothing wrong, you may want to consider talking to a counselor before you commit yourself to surgery.

Cost

Depending on the size of your lady parts, and whether there are other complications involved, the cost of having surgery done varies from patient to patient. On average, it can cost anywhere between $ 2000 and $ 9000. There may be other costs such as follow up appointments or initial consultations that may not be included in the figure quoted. Always ask for information on any additional costs you may incur before committing to the surgery. The NHS may cover some of your costs only if they feel that your lady parts are abnormal or pose a threat to your health. Other than that, you would be responsible for funding the surgery.

Choosing a Clinic

With the number of cosmetic surgery clinics, it can seem almost next to impossible to find the one that would suit your needs. You could narrow it down by looking at certain factors. One of them is the kind of qualifications they have. If possible, ask whether they are a part of a recognized association such as the Australian Society of Plastic surgeons. They have to be certified to be legally allowed to practice. You also need to ask concerning the number of successful surgeries they have conducted over the course of three years. This will help you gauge whether they have the right skills to perform the surgery on you.

During the Procedure

The surgery involves reshaping or shortening of your lady parts. Either general or local anesthetic may be administered. The whole surgery can be done in less than 2 hours. The unwanted parts will be shortened using either a scalpel or a laser.

Recovery

You will require several weeks or a couple of months to recover fully. You may need to take some time off work. During this healing process, you are required to keep the area clean to prevent infection. Avoid wearing tight clothes that may constrict movement and prevent air flow. Avoid any intimacy with your partner for a couple of weeks.

What Information Cook County Public Records Provide and How You Can Access It

What are Cook County public records? These records are a set of documents or information filed in the local or federal government. The County government maintains, updates, and stores records for public access with some limitations set by federal, state, and local laws. The records include criminal records, arrest records, court records, birth records, marriage records, divorce records, death records, immigration records, real estate records, and many others. Even information regarding newspaper and magazine subscriptions can be considered records that are open for public use.

With over five million residents and 130 municipalities, Cook County of Illinois is the second most populous county in America next to Los Angeles County. In the County, residents enjoy access to public records not only out of privilege but also due to necessity. The most common purpose for obtaining Cook County public records is doing background check on people, and this has benefited a lot of companies, agencies, and employers. Of course, one does not want to take chances when hiring someone to whom they will give complete trust. For example, you might want to check the background information of your new nanny at home. You can even check on your daughter’s new suitor or your new client or business contact. Doing so gives you an assurance that the person you are checking on is trustworthy and has no bad record. These records are thus meant to provide key information that people need.

The government of Cook County keeps its public records in a physical file format and makes it available online and through other sources. While Cook County public records can be accessed by the public, the Constitution of the United States requires the consent of the owner of the information before it can be viewed by other people.

Over the Internet, you can find several reputable websites that help people find public information and give access to millions of records involving people in the County. If you need certain information, here is what you have to do: fill out pertinent details on a data form and in just a few seconds, the records you need will flash right into your screen. Usually, websites offer search tools that make it easy for you to get the information and scrutinize the finished report. Certainly, you can find the information you need since the Cook County public records are collected from different public and private sources.

Why Reading City Guides and Information Brochures Before Traveling Matters

Visiting a local or foreign destination can be both educational and exciting. One will see a new place, learn a new culture, and obtain a new experience. However, it can also be overwhelming, especially if he is not oriented with the desired place to travel to.

This article will discuss the various reasons why travelers must read and understand city guides and information brochures before their next big adventures.

Budget and Package Tours

Today's economic situation calls for people to think twice before spending their money. Before heading straight to a vacation destination, it is important to read online articles and calculate how much the whole travel would cost. This includes transportation, lodging, food, tour guide, and other miscellaneous fees. Additionally, city guides and information brochures include how much a person is expected to spend when visiting a specific landmark. If the budget is limited, some of these guides list down cheaper alternatives.

Moreover, several tour agencies offer package tours which include all the must-haves so travelers will not have to worry about them anymore. Comparing packages and services offered by different agencies online is a good start.

Culture and Law Recognition / Familiarization

It is also important to recognize the culture and the law of the people living in the tourist destination. What is a common practice in the United States might be an unusual or unlawful one in other places. It is important to familiarize with how the local people behave or respond to several activities. Additionally, there are places with several laws which do not exempt tourists so accessing information about these is a must.

Firsthand experience with different cultures is unique. In fact, many people travel across the world just to taste international dishes, to converse with local people, to learn about foreign languages ​​and music, and many more. However, travelers are recommended to know just a bit of the background of the country or city's culture so they can anticipate what might come during their stay.

Experience Maximization

It is advisable for travelers to know the most famous places within the city so the adventure experience is maximized. Many people prefer being surprised, but is it not more satisfying to create a checklist of famous landmarks and tick them all after a short period of time? Information about the places that tourists must visit when going to a specific country is already accessible online. Moreover, information brochures list down several less popular attractions in case travelers decide to cut down those famous landmarks from their lists.

Additionally, planning ahead also saves money and time. Instead of worrying where to go next, travelers can savor the enjoyable, priceless moments without the stress.

Wandering to new places can increase the mental well-being of a person. It can also provide new experiences and can develop the inner travel-loving self in a person. However, it pays to know several things before wandering in a new city or country. These small details can be found on city guides and information brochures and must not be taken for granted.

The Essence of Information Dissemination in Audit Service in Sierra Leone

Introduction

Information at the heart of everything we do as humans. We generate it, we consume it, we share it and we sell it. The careful managing of information is therefore the key to success in business. An introduction to information dissemination in a business provides a solid overview of the role of information dissemination. It gives guidelines on collecting the right information to the right people to support the firms. 'strategic objectives and "oil" the everyday operations of the business.

Definition

Dilman 1978, defined dissemination of information is the active and targeted distribution of information or intervention via determined channels using planned strategies to a specific public or audience.

Dissemination is a formal planned process with the intent of spreading knowledge and enhance the integration of the evidence, information, intervention or combinations of these into routine practice. Information dissemination has been characterized as a necessary and sufficient antecedent of adoption and implementation of organizational policies (Dilman, 1978).

Importance of Information Dissemination in Service Delivery

Before assessing the various approaches used to disseminate information, it is worth revisiting the reasons for disseminating information. There are usually good reasons why organizations decide to disseminate information. These reasons are not necessarily independent of one another but can nonetheless be categorized to emphasis the motivation of an organization when initiating dissemination. The reasons are usually to increase the value of one or more of the following attributes of the enterprise shareholders. The following among others are the reasons for information dissemination in organizations:

To Create Awareness: Information is often disseminated in order to educate, explain or promote a concept, process or principle. For example, technical specifications explaining system capabilities, instruction about alternatives to avoid congested transport routes and guidelines for the completion of work in order to ensure consistent appearance of project deliverables are all ways in which information is disseminated to generally encourage recipients to comply with a procedure in the belief of organizational or enterprise improvements.

To Enhance the Response of Customers: Sometimes information is disseminated solely in the hope it will cause some feedback that might require further information to be generated or be used to validate something. Examples include advertising, questionnaires, market surveys frequently asked question list and testimonials.

To allow Collaboration: Information is often disseminated in order for a group of individuals to share knowledge and routes of communication. Examples include workflow systems to support the flow of information between system entities in order to achieve a common purpose, mailing lists where like minded individuals can listen to and discuss common issues, libraries where people can access information, and control system where probes might detect and transmit warnings about certain event (Fink, 1983).

Background of Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL)

Audit Services Sierra Leone is the supreme audit institution of Sierra Leone section 119 of the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone provides for the establishment of the offices and functions of the Auditor General. It started with establishment of the Audit Act of 1962. It was later called the Auditor General's Department then the office was moved from the Audit General's Department to Audit service Sierra Leone due to the Audit service Act 1998 which was implemented in 2004. The Act also created an Audit Service Board (ASB) an Advisory Board which has the power to appoint persons, other than the Auditor General to hold or act in offices as member of the Audit service and to exercise disciplinary control over such persons.

The Audit Service Sierra Leone is headed by the Auditor General who is assisted by four deputies. Its headquarters is at Lotto Building in Freetown with other offices in Freetown, Bo, Makeni and Kenema. Also, the Auditor Generals Mandate is specified in section 119 sub sections "2" of the 1991 constitution. It provides for the Auditor General to audit all government ministries, department, agencies, educational institutions and any other statutory body set up partly or wholly out of public funds. This mandate now includes the 39 aligned ministries and departments' 19 council's one hundred and forty-nine chiefdom authorities, 64 statutory bodies and donor funded projects.

Methods of Information Dissemination at the Audit Service Sierra Leone

This organization uses both manual and electronic for Information dissemination:

Manual means of Information Delivery Dissemination.

The manual means of information dissemination in the Audit Service Sierra Leone are as follow:
• Printed copy of the Auditor General report and other document.
• Disseminate of copy of the Auditor General report and other report to various people.
• Disseminating of the Audit Services newsletter internally and externally to various takes holder.
• Organizing meetings with civil society group.
• Awareness raising programs in various schools, groups and universities.

Electronic means of Information Delivery Dissemination.

The electronic means of information dissemination in the Audit Service Sierra Leone are as follow:
• Publishing the Auditor General (AG) report on the Audit Services web-site.
• Airing of the Audit Service juggle of various radio service.
• Disseminating of information through social media eg. Facebook, Whatsapp and Tango etc.
• Organizing radio discussions or programs on various radio stations. During the radio programs, listeners were given the opportunity to respond to issues discussed by making phone calls and sending text messages to numbers that were announced to them. The panelists responded adequately to the questions and comments during the radio programs.
• Radio jingle-As part of the awareness raising programs, the communication division produced a radio jingle in English and it was later translate in four local languages ​​(Mende, Temne, Krio and Limba). The jingles are aired on various radio stations in the country.

Users of Information at the Audit Service Sierra Leone

A user of information is a person or an organization using the information created by another institution or organization. In using the information the users are most often identifiable in advance. They use information on a daily basis because of certain work, assignment or work tasks. The following are the Information service of Audit Service Sierra Leone:

Administrative Personnel

Employees of an organization and staff of the HRM department to be specific can access records about their operational and organization maintenance to make correct decision and solve administrative problems. Directors within the HRM will also obtain information from the record department for taking decisions pertaining promotion, recruitment, transfer and payment of retirement benefits.

Researcher / External user

Audit services are research oriented as a matter of fact, researchers use their information to gain knowledge of the department or the civil service researching on the activities and initiatives of the government. The outcome of these research activities is normally for academic purposes which will help the researcher to gain an in depth knowledge about the ways staff or civil servants, are recruited, promoted, and terminated.

Journalists

The other important users of the information generated at the Audit service office are journalist who may want to investigate claims pertaining poor recruitment and appointment of personnel in the various departments.

Types of Information Acquired at the Audit Service Sierra Leone

Operation Audit Information

A Future- oriented, systematic and independent evaluation of organization activities. Financial data may be used, but the primary sources of evidence are the operational policies and achievements related to organizational objectives. Internal controls and efficiencies may be evaluated during this types of information review.

Financial Information Audit

A historically oriented, independent evaluation performed for the purpose of attesting to the fairness, accuracy, and reliability of financial data. External auditors need this type of information.

Department Information Review
A current period analysis of administration functions to evaluate the adequacy of controls, safeguarding of assets, efficient use of resources, compliance with related laws, regulations and universal policy and integrity of financial information.

Investigative Information Audit

This types of information takes place as a result of a report of unusual or suspicious activity on the part of an individual or a department. It is usually focused on specific aspects of the work of a department or individual. All members of the community are invited to report suspicions of improper activity to the Director of Internal Auditing Services on a confidential basis.

Follow up Information Audit

These are information conducted approximately six months after an internal or external audit report has been issued. They are designed to evaluate corrective action that has been taken on the audit issues reported in the original report when these follow up audits information are done an external auditors reports, the results of the follow up may be reported to those external auditors.

Integrated Information Audit

This is a combination of an operational audit, department review, and its audit application controls review. This type of review allows for a functional operation within the institution (Silver, 2010).

Challenges faced in Information Dissemination at the Audit Service Sierra Leone

Some problems that Audit service encounters with audit information are highlighted as follows:

Finance Problem

One problem that is affecting the institution's information delivery is finance, and for any organization to survive or sustain thorough development these should be some amount of finance. The organization faces financial serious challenges in their information service delivery.

Poor Planning of Information Service

The information service is not well effective in the audit service because the people responsible for that are not professionally trained. Only few of them have the capability to do the work in the audit department because of the fact that the information is not received at the right time in line with the needs of the users. The committee does not meet regularly to discuss issues on that.

Lack of Adequate Staff

The challenge of inadequate and untrained staffing situation poses a serious problem for the smooth running of the organization. The issue of inappropriate staffing can hamper the smooth handling and delivery of information.

In conclusion, information delivery of audit information plays a vital crucial role in the effective management of staff, in any organization. Information is at the heart of any organization or institution that performs the activities related to learning, teaching, research and generation of new knowledge. The goal of information delivery at audit service is to attract and retain a workforce that will enable the institution or organization to achieve its purpose and objectives. However, this work has considered some of the more common pitfalls that hamper effective in Information dissemination which auditors should avoid during the source of their work.

Information About Carnivores and Bears

Also known as the grizzly, Kodiak, and Kamchatkan bear, the brown bear Ursus arctos, with a head and body length of 2 to 3 meters (6½ to 10 feet) and weight 110 to 450 kilograms (240 to 990 pounds), is one of the largest ursids. Along with the Asian black bear Ursus thibetanus and American black bear Ursus americanus, they feed on tubers, berries, fish, and carrion. Polar bears live in an extremely harsh environment without such food resources, and they are adapted to feed almost exclusively on marine mammals, especially seals.

Polar bears have large, long heads, and their skulls closely resemble those of their neared relatives, the eared seals. They range in length from 2.5 to 3 meters (8 to 10 feet), and in weight from 175 to 650 kilograms (375 to 1,430 pounds). Polar bears may travel on ice floes as much as 65 to 80 kilometers (40 to 50 miles) in a day in search of seals. The females do not breed until they reach five years of age. When pregnant they isolate themselves in a den to have the young.

A carnivore is an animal that eats principally meat, but the word is most often used as a general term to refer to the members of the Carnivora. Being carnivorous means that an animal specializes in eating meat as a principal part of its diet; this is a food habit of some, but not all, of the members of the carnivora.

Throughout their common evolutionary history, members of the Carnivora have acquired some unique features that distinguish them from other orders of mammals.
These features relate to the basic eating habits of the early members of the order and can be grouped under these modifications. In order to survive by eating other animals, carnivores must not only be able to eat them efficiently, but must first be able to catch them. Modifications to find the animal they feed on, such as acute eyesight, hearing, or smelling, allow them to locate prey before it locates them.

Second speed and dexterity are essential, and modifications have allowed carnivores to catch prey quickly without undue expenditure of energy. Third, once the prey is caught, a carnivore must be able to kill and digest the animal efficiently and derive all its essential food requirements from it. And fourth, the carnivore must be smarter than the animal it is trying to catch!

The most widely accepted theory about the relationships among carnivore families is based primarily on modifications in the ear region and the sensitivity to hearing particular frequencies. Carnivores have a highly developed ear region, often with more than one inner ear chamber, which increases the sensitivity to certain frequencies and makes it easier to locate prey that makes those particular sounds. Skulls from each of the families of carnivores can be identified from their unique ear region alone. Insect-eating Carnivora have small teeth with small shearing surfaces that can pierce the exoskeleton of insects and get to the food inside.

Immigration to Germany: Important Information One Must Know

Introduction

In a stark contrast to some other European nations, Germany supports immigration of skilled workers and since 2005, it has made permanent residency application to all highly-skilled workers rather than offering them a five-year initial visa as was the case previously. In fact, The German Immigration Act, the supervisory rule of law was changed in 2005 to address the talent shortage of highly skilled workers, the ones who are in IT or in scientific research, in the sprawling nation.

Family Members of German residents having a visa and skilled highly enough can apply for work permit legally. This is applicable to close family members who later want to join their families in Germany, too.

Foreign graduate students passing from a German university can stay 18 months in the country after their graduation. Students having degrees considered valid from universities out of Germany can stay up to 6 months on a Jobseeker's Visa.

Businessmen who could invest roughly about EUR 250,000 and create job opportunities through their initiatives can also apply for permanent settlement visas in Germany.

Additionally, Germany being a member of the Schengen Agreement, people having a Schengen Visa can stay and roam in Germany freely. However, this is applicable to countries that are a member of this agreement.

The Entrepreneur Visa

The Entrepreneur Visa is granted to people the experience and services of who is in high demand in Germany. If your investment can create a positive impact on the German economy, or you have sufficient funds (a minimum of EUR 250,000) to establish a business, then there are very good chances of obtaining an entrepreneur visa.

The Entrepreneur Visa holders have equal rights as any other German citizens. No German associate or guarantor has to be named or proved to get this visa. There is a gestation period of three years after establishing the business in Germany, and once the business is established for these three years, the founder can get unlimited residence permits allowing him / her to stay or enter in Germany anytime wished.

Visa for Spouses and Children

People who marry German citizens get equal rights as that of the permanent citizen whom he / she has married, meaning that if the spouse is permitted to work, the foreign national who married him / her could also stay and work in the country.

Children below the age of 16 can go to stay in Germany if both parents (and the parent having custody of the children) have a permanent residence permit. 16+ minors can also join their parents in Germany provided they speak German. This is also applicable to children moving into Germany whose both parents or a parent having the custody have permanent residency in the country.

The same-sex community has same rights as those of straight individuals in Germany and they are treated similarly to married couples in Germany.

Germany van der Elst Visas

The 'van der Elst' ruling states that a European Economic Area (EEA) company does not need to obtain additional work permits in Europe. While many EEA countries do not allow this ruling to be effective; Germany does accept it.

Additionally, any non-EEA employee residing in the EEA under an employer or service provider for more than 12 months need not obtain additional work permits provided they apply for the 'van der Elst visas.

Permanent Residence in Germany

To stay and work in Germany, separate residence and work visas are not required. The employees should only apply for resident visas and they are automatically granted work permits for working in the country.

Legal residents of the US, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and other designated nations mentioned in the 2005 immigration Act can apply for their residence and work permit while being visitors in Germany. Residents of other countries must apply to the German Embassy or Consulate before entering Germany.

The Application Procedure for Immigration to Germany

Stage 1: The potential immigrant must fill up the residence permit application providing access to the labor market as well. It should be received by the German embassy in the home country of the probable immigrant.

Stage 2: The Embassy send this application to the immigration office known as the Auslaenderbehoerde in the location of a job for the potential immigrant. The immigration office now checks the application along with the employment office called the Arbeitsamt of the selected location by the potential immigrant and makes a decision.

Stage 3: Once the application is approved, the Embassy offers an entry visa to the candidate.

Stage 4: The immigrant and their family members can apply for work and residence permits after arrival in the country at the local foreign national authority.

The Student Applicant Visa

1. The basic requirement for student applicant visa is to gain admission to a German university. Student Applicant Visas allow prospective students to enter Germany to take admissions tests and go through numerous other requirements related to the university application process. Preliminary student application visas are granted for 3 months, but these can be extended in case of a valid and applicable requirement.

2. Students can apply for student visas to the German Embassy in their own country once they are accepted onto a course at a German university. The verification certificate offered by a registered and valid German university must also be attached to the application.

3. The German Embassy will then take an opinion to the foreigners' authority in the given town or city of the university.

4. If the foreigners' authority approved the application, the German Embassy will issue the visa for entry into Germany.

Holidaymakers who wish to Work in Germany

German working holiday visas are offered to young people between 18 and 30 from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. These visa holders can stay up to 12 months in Germany and seek holiday jobs lasting not more than 90 days to get help to finance the trip. Working holiday visas can be obtained via the local German Embassy.

The Necessity of Information Governance and Data Classification for Complying With the GDPR

Approaching the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective from May 2018, companies based in Europe or having personal data of people residing in Europe, are struggling to find their most valuable assets in the organization – their sensitive data.

The new regulation requires organizations to prevent any data breach of personally identifiable information (PII) and to delete any data if some individual requests to do so. After removing all PII data, the companies will need to prove that it has been entirely removed to that person and to the authorities.

Most companies today understand their obligation to demonstrate accountability and compliance, and therefore started preparing for the new regulation.

There is so much information out there about ways to protect your sensitive data, so much that one can be overwhelmed and start pointing into different directions, hoping to accurately strike the target. If you plan your data governance ahead, you can still reach the deadline and avoid penalties.

Some organizations, mostly banks, insurance companies and manufacturers possess an enormous amount of data, as they are producing data at an accelerated pace, by changing, saving and sharing files, thus creating terabytes and even petabytes of data. The difficulty for these type of firms is finding their sensitive data in millions of files, in structured and unstructured data, which is unfortunately in most cases, an impossible mission to do.

The following personal identification data, is classified as PII under the definition used by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST):

o Full name

o Home address

o Email address

o National identification number

o Passport number

o IP address (when linked, but not PII by itself in US)

o Vehicle registration plate number

o Driver’s license number

o Face, fingerprints, or handwriting

o Credit card numbers

o Digital identity

o Date of birth

o Birthplace

o Genetic information

o Telephone number

o Login name, screen name, nickname, or handle

Most organizations who possess PII of European citizens, require detecting and protecting against any PII data breaches, and deleting PII (often referred to as the right to be forgotten) from the company’s data. The Official Journal of the European Union: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 Of the European parliament and of the council of 27 April 2016 has stated:

“The supervisory authorities should monitor the application of the provisions pursuant to this regulation and contribute to its consistent application throughout the Union, in order to protect natural persons in relation to the processing of their personal data and to facilitate the free flow of personal data within the internal market. “

In order to enable the companies who possess PII of European citizens to facilitate a free flow of PII within the European market, they need to be able to identify their data and categorize it according to the sensitivity level of their organizational policy.

They define the flow of data and the markets challenges as follows:

“Rapid technological developments and globalization have brought new challenges for the protection of personal data. The scale of the collection and sharing of personal data has increased significantly. Technology allows both private companies and public authorities to make use of personal data on an unprecedented scale in order to pursue their activities. Natural persons increasingly make personal information available publicly and globally. Technology has transformed both the economy and social life, and should further facilitate the free flow of personal data within the Union and the transfer to third countries and international organizations, while ensuring a high level of the protection of personal data.”

Phase 1 – Data Detection

So, the first step that needs to be taken is creating a data lineage which will enable to understand where their PII data is thrown across the organization, and will help the decision makers to detect specific types of data. The EU recommends obtaining an automated technology that can handle large amounts of data, by automatically scanning it. No matter how large your team is, this is not a project that can be handled manually when facing millions of different types of files hidden I various areas: in the cloud, storages and on premises desktops.

The main concern for these types of organizations is that if they are not able to prevent data breaches, they will not be compliant with the new EU GDPR regulation and may face heavy penalties.

They need to appoint specific employees that will be responsible for the entire process such as a Data Protection Officer (DPO) who mainly handles the technological solutions, a Chief Information Governance Officer (CIGO), usually it’s a lawyer who is responsible for the compliance, and/or a Compliance Risk Officer (CRO). This person needs to be able to control the entire process from end to end, and to be able to provide the management and the authorities with complete transparency.

“The controller should give particular consideration to the nature of the personal data, the purpose and duration of the proposed processing operation or operations, as well as the situation in the country of origin, the third country and the country of final destination, and should provide suitable safeguards to protect fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons with regard to the processing of their personal data.”

The PII data can be found in all types of files, not only in PDF’s and text documents, but it can also be found in image documents- for example a scanned check, a CAD/CAM file which can contain the IP of a product, a confidential sketch, code or binary file etc.’. The common technologies today can extract data out of files which makes the data hidden in text, easy to be found, but the rest of the files which in some organizations such as manufacturing may possess most of the sensitive data in image files. These types of files can’t be accurately detected, and without the right technology that is able to detect PII data in other file formats than text, one can easily miss this important information and cause the organization an substantial damage.

Phase 2 – Data Categorization

This stage consists of data mining actions behind the scenes, created by an automated system. The DPO/controller or the information security decision maker needs to decide if to track a certain data, block the data, or send alerts of a data breach. In order to perform these actions, he needs to view his data in separate categories.

Categorizing structured and unstructured data, requires full identification of the data while maintaining scalability – effectively scanning all database without “boiling the ocean”.

The DPO is also required to maintain data visibility across multiple sources, and to quickly present all files related to a certain person according to specific entities such as: name, D.O.B., credit card number, social security number, telephone, email address etc.

In case of a data breach, the DPO shall directly report to the highest management level of the controller or the processor, or to the Information security officer which will be responsible to report this breach to the relevant authorities.

The EU GDPR article 33, requires reporting this breach to the authorities within 72 hours.

Once the DPO identifies the data, he’s next step should be labeling/tagging the files according to the sensitivity level defined by the organization.

As part of meeting regulatory compliance, the organizations files need to be accurately tagged so that these files can be tracked on premises and even when shared outside the organization.

Phase 3 – Knowledge

Once the data is tagged, you can map personal information across networks and systems, both structured and unstructured and it can easily be tracked, allowing organizations to protect their sensitive data and enable their end users to safely use and share files, thus enhancing data loss prevention.

Another aspect that needs to be considered, is protecting sensitive information from insider threats – employees that try to steal sensitive data such as credit cards, contact lists etc. or manipulate the data to gain some benefit. These types of actions are hard to detect on time without an automated tracking.

These time-consuming tasks apply to most organizations, arousing them to search for efficient ways to gain insights from their enterprise data so that they can base their decisions upon.

The ability to analyze intrinsic data patterns, helps organization get a better vision of their enterprise data and to point out to specific threats.

Integrating an encryption technology enables the controller to effectively track and monitor data, and by implementing internal physical segregation system, he can create a data geo-fencing through personal data segregation definitions, cross geo’s / domains, and reports on sharing violation once that rule breaks. Using this combination of technologies, the controller can enable the employees to securely send messages across the organization, between the right departments and out of the organization without being over blocked.

Phase 4 – Artificial Intelligence (AI)

After scanning the data, tagging and tracking it, a higher value for the organization is the ability to automatically screen outlier behavior of sensitive data and trigger protection measures in order to prevent these events to evolve into a data breach incident. This advanced technology is known as “Artificial Intelligence” (AI). Here the AI function is usually comprised of strong pattern recognition component and learning mechanism in order to enable the machine to take these decisions or at least recommend the data protection officer on preferred course of action. This intelligence is measured by its ability to get wiser from every scan and user input or changes in data cartography. Eventually, the AI function build the organizations’ digital footprint that becomes the essential layer between the raw data and the business flows around data protection, compliance and data management.

How To Get Better Insider Information When Negotiating – Negotiation Tip of the Week

When negotiating, insider information is a valuable commodity. Getting better insider information when negotiating is even better!

Consider using the following strategies to acquire insider information in your negotiations.

  • Time:

Depending on the time you have to gather information, consider how you'll pose questions to yourself and stakeholders that will be beneficial to your negotiation efforts (Note: Keep in mind that the questions you ask will determine the answers you receive; that in turn will determine the strategies you adopt.If you pose the wrong questions, you'll start upon a path in the negotiation that might be less beneficial). Asking the right questions entails knowing the outcome you seek, how you might achieve it, the roadblocks you may encounter, and what alternative strategies you'll employ to overcome impediments that would preclude you from achieving your goals. Also, keep in mind that the quality of the answers you receive will depend on when you pose questions. If someone is hurried, less rested, or filled with angst, they may be prone to disclosing insider information simply because they're not as guarded as they might otherwise be.

  • Assumptive Questions:

In your assessment of what questions you'll utilize to maximize your negotiation efforts, consider how you'll employ assumptive questions; in a negotiation, assumptive questions are questions that give the façade that the questioner knows more about the situation that he's inquiring about (eg 'You've given discounts to other buyers in the past, correct?' The implication being that you're aware , right or wrong, that discounts have been granted in the past).

Assumptive questions are excellent ways to gather information. Even if the responder states that your assumption is wrong you will have gathered additional information / insight.

  • Body Language / Nonverbal Clues:

When in person, observe to what degree the person leans closer or further away when pondering an answer to your question (s); this will give insight as to whether they're embracing or putting distance between you and their answer. Leaning away can indicate that they don't wish to engage, which can imply that they don't want to disclose the answer to your question. Leaning forward can imply that they're willing to engage. Note how and when they lean.

If you're on the phone, listen for intonations, pauses, and emotions displayed. Take note of the words that emphases are placed on, too. Such will bear noting for the possible hidden messages contained in them.

To practice and increase your listening skills, close your eyes while speaking with someone on the phone. Toss a question that's not generic to the conversation and listen to the response. In particular, take note of how long the other person pauses before responding, their intonation, voice quality (ie puzzled), and the follow-up question (s) they raise as to the timing of your question. Then, ask for the thoughts they had when you asked the question. Over time, you'll become better at deciphering the thoughts and thought processes of others.

To acquire insider information that can be used to your benefit in a negotiation, know what questions to ask, the best time to ask them, and how to validate the responses you receive. By implementing the strategy of gathering and using insider information in your negotiations you'll increase your negotiation win rate … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you're always negotiating!

#HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #InsiderInformation

Surprising Information In Dreams

The information you find in your dreams doesn't let you believe that you are a reasonable person. Unfortunately, the fact that you have inherited a huge satanic anti-conscience and your conscience is deficient and underdeveloped means that no matter how reasonable you may believe you are, you ignore what exists into the biggest part of your brain.

You can see only the content of your conscience, but the biggest part of your brain is absurd and evil because it remains in a primitive condition, since it doesn't want to evolve.

You can see that the dream messages protect your conscience and help you become more intelligent and sensitive because they show you the absurdity existent in your thoughts and in your behavior when you are influenced or controlled by your evil self.

Most dreams contain warnings because you make many mistakes. Your dreams help you see your mistakes and understand how to stop making them, so that you may stop suffering because of their bad consequences.

You cannot be indifferent to the fact that there is a demon in your brain. You must learn how to eliminate the demon and develop your human side. You have to become a brilliant human being and attain sanctity.

This is another surprise for the human race. We not only discovered that we are in fact demons; we also discovered that we must attain sanctity during our lives in order to avoid going to hell.

This information proves that God speaks in dreams, and it confirms what we learned in various religious lessons. As I already told you many times, all religions can save you, and all religions give you the same basic lessons because they were created by God. They were not invented by human beings.

The satanic origin of your conscience is a tragedy, but you can evolve. You can become an admirable human being, even though this is a difficult matter. You need God's guidance in your dreams and in your religion.

You have to stop following the atheistic and materialistic mindset of the modern civilization. God shows you the meaning of life and the meaning of death in your dreams. He helps you predict what will happen in the future and get prepared for future challenges.

God gives you many lessons. Your dreams contain scientific explanations that help you understand the meaning of your religion.

These lessons obviously have a specific meaning. You can learn the dream language and translate the meaning of your dreams yourself, without depending on a dream translator, and verify that these translations are specific. They are not invented by the dream translator.

This is a simple matter today because I simplified Carl Jung's complicated and obscure method of dream interpretation. You can learn in a few months what I could completely understand only after 19 years of research and therapies through dream translation.

All your dreams have a specific meaning and are about you. All your dreams are about your mental health and your life. Some dreams are about what happened in the past. Other dreams are about what will happen in the future. You will easily verify that dream predictions come true.

You will see many things predicted in your dreams happening in your life, or you will see that you could avoid facing various bad situations that were predicted in your dreams because you obeyed God's guidance in the dream messages.

In the future you surely verify that your obedience to God's guidance protected you from something, even if you couldn't see the danger that was threatening you when you followed His guidance in your dreams.

The fact that we have a terrible anti-conscience is tragic, but the fact that God is alive and He can eliminate the demon is a blessing. Our human side can win the battle against the monster that lives into the biggest part of our brain when we do what God shows us in our dreams and we respect our religion.

All religions teach you that you must become a better person and purify your spirit. You must follow your religion, your parents' religion, or another religion you like. Religion cures and protects your human side.

You must prefer to follow your first religion or your parents' religion and their traditions because this is easier for you and all religions give you the spiritual help you need.

Your dreams give you more information. They cure invincible mental disorders and they help you become a wise and sensitive human being. You understand why you have to respect God's commandments.

God shows you in your dreams what is happening in your brain and in the cruel world. Your vision stops being limited by the rudimentary knowledge of your barbarous historical time.

God helps you clearly understand the real meaning of goodness, the meaning of peace, and the meaning of love.

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