A Non-Violent Revolution essays

A Non-Violent Revolution essays Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, later to be known as, Mahatma Gandhi, or great soul, was born in 1869, a time of political struggle and British rule, to a high caste Indian family. In 1888, at the mere age of 19, Gandhi set sail for England, where he had decided to pursue a career in law (www.sscnet.ucla.edu). After a year of unsuccessful law practice, Gandhi traveled to South Africa to join a legal company. Gandhi was shocked when he encountered first hand the extent of the European racism towards the Indians when he was thrown out of a first-class train compartment, because of his skin color, though he had, in his possession, a first-class ticket.( This incident only fueled his strive for independence and respect for the Indian people. Later, Gandhi would come to be known as one of the most influential men of all time, inspiring not only his own people, but also changing politics and international relations forever. Gandhis influence and struggles based on revolutionary ideas of non -violent protests and resistance not only changed Indias, as well as many other countrys, policies and standard treatment towards lower-class citizens, but also influenced countless people to come. Gandhi first began using non violent resistance in South Africa and soon emerged as great the leader of the South African Indian community. His theories and practice of peaceful resistance (Satygraha) were revolutionary and soon had an enormous following. (www.sscnet.ucla.edu) Although Gandhis disciples mainly included oppressed Indians, tired of their treatment from the British, whom at the time controlled much of the prosperous country, their power would not be denied. At the time, Indians could not own land, engage in trade, and were forced to pay high taxes to live in their native land. In many places, Indians werent even allowed to vote. In 1915, Gandhi returned from South Africa to his homeland, India. At t...

Essay on Robotic Surgery Essay Example

Essay on Robotic Surgery Essay Example Essay on Robotic Surgery Essay Essay on Robotic Surgery Essay Surgery techniques are advancing with developing technology. Robotic surgery is getting more common day by day. Robotic surgery is a technique in which a surgeon performs surgery using a computer that remotely controls very small instrument attached to a robot. Even though it could be claimed that robotic surgery is a expensive to start-up and perform maintenance, is a longer surgery method that manual surgery, which reduces the sense of touch, in fact it contains better technique and faster healing in surgery, also, bleeding is reduced, scars are smaller and hospital stays are shorter. Although it could be argued that robotic surgery is a very expensive method, but using this technique makes easier the surgery procedure for patients. At this early stage in technology, the robotic systems are very expensive. With improvements in technology, the system will become more complicated and the cost will rise. Also, to start-up the system is highly expensive. Another issue with cost is the problem with regarding the system as they improve. The absolute cost for robotic operations was higher, the major part of the increased cost was attributed to the initial cost of purchasing the robot and yearly maintenance. However, there are various advantages of robotic surgery. Robotic arms maket he procedure easier for surgeon. Different kind of instruments can be attached to robotic arms according to procedure to be performed. Robotic techniques are also associated with reduce duration of hospital stays and pain medication. While it could be asserted that robotic is a longer surgery method than manual surgery, nevertheless, in surgery, patients feel less pain and their scars are smaller. Robotic assisted heart surgery can take nearly twice the amount of time that a typical heart surgery takes, but this is variable depending on the surgeon’s expertise and practice with the equipment. In a longer surgery, the patient is under anaesthesia for longer and it costs more to staff the procedure. On the other hand, the most significant advantages of robotic surgery to the patient is the decrease in pain and scarring. The procedure is less painful and is associated with a quicker recovery. Since the incision required are small, it does not leave a larger surgical scar when the wound heals. Although it might be contended that in a robotic surgery, the operator can not sense the surgery area, however, bleeding is reduced patient can heal faster. Some of the other drawbacks are related to its use. The surgeons lack the tactile or haptic sensetaion while using this device. This has been considered by few surgeons as hindering factor as the natural feeling of operating is lost. Otherwise, surgical technology optimizes chances of experiences quicker recovery time opposed to surgical operation. The smaller incision required to manuever the operating arms heal much faster. Because of smaller incision in surgeries, the blood loss of patients reduced. Thanks to reduced bleeding, patients recover faster. In conclusion, it is obvious that robotic surgery is the only way to safe operation. Because of better technieques and faster healing, robotic surgery should be more common.

Administrative Justice - Proposal for the Parliamentary Commissioner Essay

Administrative Justice - Proposal for the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 2010 - Essay Example The Parliamentary Commissioner Act was authorized to deal with matters of mal-administration. But the Act failed even to provide a definition for the term mal-administration. It has also been said under the Parliamentary Commissioner Act of 1967 that the complaints have to be made through a Member of the Parliament. In most of the cases, the Member of Parliament himself tries to solve the dispute and does not send it to the Parliamentary Commissioner. This restriction is illogical and it cannot be seen to it that that the grievances of the citizens would be served without bias in such circumstances. The trust and confidence of the people cannot be gained when there is such a limitation in any legislation. â€Å"It is sometimes further argued that if the PCA appears too demanding and, a fortiori, if he were afforded coercive powers, he might exacerbate the very problems he is expected to solve. Administrators may be reluctant to take bold decisions for fear of the consequences; †˜defensive administration’ might be undertaken: time-wasting procedures designed not to further administrative efficiency but to deflect criticism.† (Fenwick & Philipson 2003, p. 240). According to this Act, the Ombudsman looks into complaints in which that information illegally suspended by the government authorities, but no lawful solution has been offered to them in the cases of breach of the Code by the authorities. This Act has not given much wider powers to the Ombudsman when compared to other nations but it has been argued that the act implied gives various powers. â€Å"Under s 5(1) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act of 1967, the Ombudsman can take up a complaint only if the citizen has suffered injustice as a result of maladministration; both maladministration and injustice must be shown and there must be a casual link between them.† (Fenwick 2002,

Recidivism in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Recidivism in America - Research Paper Example Despite all these suggestions as the reason for the crimes, there still is an escalating prison system with no relief in sight (Clear, Resig & Cole, 2010, p4) Recidivism A 2002 study survey showed that among 275,000 prisoners that were set free in 1994, 67.5% were arrested within the next 3 years, and 51.8% were back in prison (Langan el at, 2002, p 26). The study found no evidence that spending more time in the prison raises the recidivism rate and those that serve the longest time had a slightly lower rate of arrest than every other category of prisoners (Clear, Resig & Cole, 2006, p 3). This is likely explained by the older average age of those released with the longest sentences. The study shows a strong negative correlation between recidivism and age upon release. Recidivism is, for that reason, a culture of both the young and the old. The prisoners commit the same offenses after their release because the causes of their arrest ignored before they are set free from the prisons o r they lack proper rehabilitation while they are in prison. Comparison Of Recidivism In America With Other Countries The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world (743 per 100,000 populations). Russia takes the second position with a high rate of (577 per 100,000); followed by Rwanda (561 per 100,000). By comparison; the incarceration rate in England and Wales; October 2011 was 155 people imprisoned per 100,000 residents. The rate for Norway in May 2010 was 71 inmates per 100,000; Netherlands in April 2010 was 94 per 100,000; Australia in June 2010 was 133 per 100,000 and New Zealand in October 2010 was 203 per 100,000 (New York Times section A, 2008, p 1). Comparisons give a reduction according to the countries listing above. Still it is the length of sentences that truly distinguishes American prison policy, the mere number of sentences imposed would not place the United States at the top of the incarceration lists. If the lists were compiled based o n annual admissions to prison per capita, several European countries would outpace the United States (New York Times section A, 2008, p 1). Causes Of Recidivism In America, the rate of incarceration has increased dramatically. Prisons have been full to capacity with deplorable conditions and long lasting side effects of inmates, their families and communities in New York. In many prisons, the crimes continue on the inside and further affect outside crimes related activities. The main reasons for this increment include social environment, peer pressure, family structure, state-level policies and lack of employment opportunities (Scott 2010, p 4). However, other things that need to be relied are the individual’s circumstances before incarceration, things that happen before they are incarcerated and the period after they are released from prison. Both immediate and long-term considerations will put poverty and difficulties as the main reason for the causes of recidivism. Drug Ab use Treatment And Recidivism The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between drug use and recidivism among criminals and to consider how generalized drug treatment participation and completion further affect this relationship. Among researchers and policy makers, a consensus reveals drug use as linked to criminal behavior and recidivism. Further, drug treatment reduces the chances of recidivism (Mackenzie, 1997). On average, 65% of individuals who

Doctrine of the Supremacy of Parliament in the Modern United Kingdom Essay

Doctrine of the Supremacy of Parliament in the Modern United Kingdom - Essay Example Though, the judiciary was not isolated institutionally from the Parliament, but, the judiciary was and is considered as having been employing or employed a sizeable magnitude of independence from that of Parliament. When the Bill of Rights introduced in 1689, it attempted to regulate the association between the Parliament and the Queen in a legitimate dominion, and it has been custom of the court to give due recognition to the pre-eminence of an Act enacted by the Parliament1. By the enactment of Bill of Rights, in 1689 can be said that it recognised the customary view that the supremacy of the Parliament as it stated that in Chapter 02-1, that the â€Å"pretended authority to enact or annul laws by so-called regal authority without approval of the parliament is not legally valid, and this had made the Parliament’s law enacting authority above that of monarchy. Before the passing of the Bill of Rights, it could be claimed by the judiciary that the common law ( judge made laws or verdicts given by judges) regulated statutes thereby making them invalid if an Act is said to be against common reason or right or not possible to be implemented as held in Dr Bonham’s case2. As per Wade3, the concept that the Parliament is independent since the judge recognises Parliament’s political and legal supremacy. ... However, Dicey’s5 strict elucidation that the parliamentary sovereignty is the supreme is not free from criticism as in recent times, there has been judicial rejuvenation as corroborated by judicial verdicts that the courts in UK consider themselves as preserving some residual privileges to refute the authority of legislation. Lord Woolf6 viewed that "â€Å"finally there are even restrictions on the domination of parliament which it is the UK’s court absolute power to recognise and endorse7. In Jackson v Attorney General8, Lord Steyn, viewed scepticism whether the Diceyan view that parliament sovereignty was still holds good9: â€Å"The typical description made by Dicey on the â€Å"doctrine of dominance of the Parliament is absolute and pure, as it had been, can now be regarded as gone out of practice in the modern era of UK. Nonetheless, the domination of Parliament is yet regarded as the general principle of UK’s constitution. It is a notion that has been b uilt upon the common law. Judicial rejuvenation can be explained as judge made laws. In such scenarios, it is not preposterous that scenarios could occur where the courts may have to hold good a principle formulated on a varied theory of constitutionalism10.† While finding the proposition of the HRA (Human Rights Act) for parliamentary sovereignty , Alison Young11 was of the view that the courts should interpret and offer impact to the laws so that it becomes in line with the rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights , 1950(ECHR). In case , if it is impossible to locate a convention well-matched with elucidation of a statue , then some courts are toothed with the authority to hold non-binding Declarations of Incompatibility

Adapting Business to the Environment

Adapting Business to the Environment Success of every business depends on adapting itself to the environment within which it runs on. For e.g. if there is any change in government policies an organization has to change its internal policies accordingly that could be wages, taxes, working hours and so on. Changes in technology have replaced type writers to computers. All these external factors are beyond the control of a business, so all business organization have to adapt themselves to change in order to succeed. Hence understanding of various factors of Business environment is necessary. Business environment is categorized by two categories i.e. Micro Environment and Macro environment, Micro environment factors deals with internal factors like employees, Suppliers, Customers, Stakeholders, Media. Macro environment factors deals with external factors like technological (PESTEL forces), Economical, Political, Social, Legal and Environmental (Palmer and Hartley 2006). The above factors have direct or indirect influence on an organization. For e.g. Change in environmental norms have forced car manufacturers to come with a new technology which will keep pollution under control. Due to increased work stress some governments have eased working hours from nine to eight hours which in turn increases cost. Due to increased crimes on women new laws have been added for safety of women, women working in call center in night shifts needs to escort to her home by a security guard which means added cost to a business. If the value of domestic currency increases it will be difficult for export houses to match the prices with international competitor as the prices of raw material overseas might not have changed with the forex change. Change management is a structured approach to moving individuals, teams, and organisations from a current state to a desired future state. Change Management includes both organizational change management processes and individual change management models, which together are used to manage the people side of change. Stated simply, change management is a process for managing the people-side of change. (Referencing) Survival of fittest is not the criteria, it is one who adapts to change quickly is successful, before taking products or services to an end user it is imperative that an organization should have or must do their home work on existing business environment based on above factor, by doing so it will help an organization to formulate corporate strategy, marketing strategy sales strategy HR strategy, product development strategy and help the organization to be a part of value chain. Research conducted by McKinsey (LaClair, 2002) and by Prosci (Best Practices in Change Management report, 2007) has demonstrated a direct correlation between achieving the business objectives of a change and effectively managing the people side of that change. Proscis research with nearly 400 organizations showed that a project had five times the probability of meeting objectives if they implemented very good or excellent change management practices. Based on the PESTEL theory and Change management we will be discussing various challenges faced by an organisation. The company selected as a matter of this study is Barclays. In last five years Barclays had to deal with economic, social, legal and environmental challenges. It had to deal with Change management Organisation Description and Background Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail banking, credit cards, corporate banking, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employsÂÂ  more thanÂÂ  144,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for more than 48 million customers and clients worldwide (www.barclays.com). http://group.barclays.com Challenges faced by Barclays towards it Stakeholders Mainly in last 3 years Barclays faced lot of challenges due to recession. Barclays share value had dipped to the lowest which became a major concern for all stake holders. Last year, Barclays restructured its business model by merging corporate and investment banking together and leave retail and small business customers with the global retail bank. This made Barclays to focus more on retail banking. http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/barclays-shares-jump-as-investors-chew-over-idea-of-a-break-up-tele-5ad293816f03.html?x=0 Barclays always believes in its stakeholders by listening, responding and working in partnership which is also one of the main reason that the share price of Barclays grew at fast rate in spite of economic slowdown. Share prices of Barclays for last five years (guardian.co.uk) http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/barclay Credit risk impacts of a changing climate Change in weather may influence the business in more possible ways than imaginable. Hence, due consideration is given when assessing the credit risk while issuing credit to a business. Physical risks such as damage to fixed assets arising from storm, seismic activities; Supply chain deficits arising from scarcity of natural resources like water, changing patterns of customer needs due to change in extremes of temperatures. The annual average of Global surface temperature would inevitably rise by 2-4 degree centigrade by year 2100 (Source IPCC 2007) All these factors but not limited to effect the companys balance sheet in various ways like increase in costs, scarce raw materials etc, changes the business operations practices and conditions, Or may reduce or stimulate the demand of the product or services of the company in question. To redress the challenge Barclays developed collaboration with Acclimatize experts in the field of Climate Risk Management. The primary sector identified most affected by the changing climate were businesses that are dependent on massive fixed assets, such as energy, and sectors like chemical fertilizer, Pharmaceutical and tourism among many others. Hence it was imperative for Barclays to include Climate change as part of mainstream business planning and risk management. As audiences of these reports were from a non technical background, these reports were developed accordingly for different geographys and time horizons. This also helped Barclays to identify the opportunity presented by the climate change, like change in demands of product and services and early mover advantage, in addition to mitigating risks associated. This also helps understand and monitor the interests and needs of external stakeholders including Government regulators, insurance companies, and investors and competitor suppliers. This helped Barclays to reduce and at times eliminated the adaptation lag, in turn giving an edge over competitors, and better understanding of rapidly changing stakeholders position. Climate Proof projects at the inception phase by incorporating the adaptation measures that are robust in the face of climate change. Challenges on build internal capacity on adaptation This was achieved by raising awareness, developing a corporate understanding of climate risks, assigning responsibility for adaptation to staff and adopting a consistent approach. Involving and taking inputs from the staff for more acceptance and ownership. Some Geographical Locations are more vulnerable than others. E.g. Places that are already having very high temperature or very low temperatures (Permanent Frost Inhabitable) are at higher risks. Cities exhibiting Urban Heat Island effect (Frequent building of pool of hot air) exuberate high temperatures. Mean sea level rise, increased storms surge heights, wave heights, coastal flooding and erosion. Decreased seasonal precipitation, increased risks of drought, subsidence and wildfire. Water resources dependent on glaciers (those areas dependent on glacier melt are probably observing increases in water resources in the short term, as glaciers melt faster, but over time, the loss of glaciers will lead to decreases in water resource availability),Subsidence-prone soils. Regions with high rainfall, floodplains, Landslides and contaminated Environment land and water Areas at risk from tropical storms. Project Vietnam Barclays with partnership with CARE is implementing Change microfinance. The objective of the project is to establish a community managed savings and loan association. Target of this project is to help young people in urban and semi urban areas Despite of the economic boom in last 15 years there has been a very big population of disadvantaged youth in southern Vietnam, which suffers from the underlying cause of poverty and with high rate of rural-urban mobility there is lack of employment and opportunities, and poverty is prevailing on large scale. CARE and Barclays approach to the problem is to increase the understanding for significance of saving and improve their skill in managing household finance. This is aimed to benefit and reduce poverty among 10,000 venerable people, at least 50% of which are women and migrants through Group Savings and Loans. To appeal to the masses of the targeted populations the program is called Group saving and Loans GSLs. Other Key objectives To establish at least 500 GSLs to develop a culture of saving and community management and support To provide guidance for group members to aid them in developing business plans and making loan applications. These in use by International Labour Organization, German sustainable development agency GTZ and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry To build the capacity of the local partners, the Youth Union and the Womens Union, to encourage financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills among group members by providing training on business planning and household finance management. Manage and expand Group Savings and Loans. Support is also being provided to help to develop new financial products tailored to the needs of the groups, such as savings, loans and micro-insurance. Enhanced economic security through an improvement in financial inclusion. The promotion of entrepreneurship and support for livelihood opportunities for young people and their families. This is to be achieved through the development of a culture of savings, an increase in financial literacy and an improvement in entrepreneurial skills and general confidence in public, This has also helped CAREs local partners from an increased capacity in managing community-based microfinance. In addition, they are gaining experience in establishing microfinance services for young people and providing business and entrepreneurial training. Change management One of the examples of change management Barclays did was on communications, biggest challenge was how to communicate its restructuring plan to 45,000 employees, cause if the restructuring was not communicated in effective way it could lead to chaos and also lead to attrition. So Barclays came with a plane which included following, but to start off they adopted top three elements. Involve audience by engaging them To simplify the message to employees by informing what was important for the business Ensure all information was attributed to brand values and organizational priorities To Ensure face to face delivery plays a vital role Using appropriate communication channel Involving audience by engaging them If top level managers wanted to share information they used a newsletter format, but if there was any information which was very important they used a video or presentation on their internal website. To inculcate change successfully, Barclays involved its employees by taking their opinion by having open communication Simplifying the message Important challenges were communicating the most important objective of the business. Thorough understanding of the stuff which they are working on Work as team Giving high priority to customer, just the way we wanted to treat. Performance based promotions. Focus on Face-to-Face Delivery To share financial results CEO went on road show in which he asked questions and also addressed concerns that employees had. This presentation reiterated that change had been made and the communication between CEO and front line employees was progresses in smooth way. By following this change management in communication new leadership team joined hand together and concluded on one agenda, Employees were given the priority of tasks and number of miscommunication going across was reduced drastically, objectives got cleared. Merger and Acquisition In 2008 Barclays acquired core assets of Lehman brothers which are fourth largest investment bank in US which filed for bankruptcy. By acquiring this Barclays made its strong presence in US in Investment banking and trading business. This also added value to Barclays financial capital. Initially employees were scared about their job loss. Though profit was down by 24% but there was asset inflow. After acquiring Lehman Brothers now Barclays is facing court trials. Lehman is filling a case against Barclays for allegedly ripping it off to the tune of $11bn over the deal. In this deal Barclays took over 10,000 employees and made a strong presence on Wall Street. Barclays is accused of negotiating some discounts on assets with co-operation of Lehman top executives who were offered better and more pay.( http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jun/21/barclays-lehman-brothers-court-case 30/07/2010 guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 June 2010 21.21 BST In 2005 Barclays acquired Absa, and in 2007 this acquisition was criticized from the governor of the South African Reserve Bank saying that it will expose bank to greater risks in economy than acceptable. Whereas it over came all the criticism by offering better products and services to customers. In 2008 Barclays became the first bank in South Africa to reach one million internet users. Sustainability of Barclays Faith and level of confidence was brought down in this year, share prices almost went down drastically. Many banks which had good financial assets were acquired by competitors. Barclays was not an exception even it had to undergo financial challenges which was brought by credit crunch. They had to raise capital to meet the new laws introduced across the banking sector. Barclays had to raise capital in way that it did not take much preventive measure. This caused lot of turbulence amongst stakeholders. To overcome the above challenge Barclays started diversifying business and making it presence in market and sectors which were growing rapidly. Banks strength lies on diversification in terms of Business, Geography and products. Barclays made strategic move by acquiring Lehman Brother, The UK Goldfish Credit card business, Expobank in Russia, The Italian residential mortgage business of Macquaire Bank limited and PT Bank Akita in Indonesia Introduction on new products and innovation In 2008, Barclays introduced Mobile banking, now customer can pay their bill just by sending SMS, they can check balance in their account. Barclays also launched Al-Safi Investment platform, which is Islamic Finance equal to Shariah format for both conventional equity strategies and also a prospect to gain from falling prices. Barclays also launched new investment products to help investors diversify their portfolio when market is uncertain or volatile and it was called Commodity investment index. Barclays focuses on new innovation to help clients for e.g. Contribution Pension plans offers wide diversification and bestows solutions on income. By understanding this Barclays developed a product called SponsorMatch

Perfection in Ursula LeGuins The Lathe of Heaven Essay -- Ursula LeGu

Perfection in Ursula LeGuin's The Lathe of Heaven Is there such a place where ideal perfection exists? Can our views on social, political, and moral issues ever concur with one another? The answer to these questions is simple - no. The world we live in today is full of social, political, and moral imperfections that hinder our ability to live a life free of evil. In Ursula LeGuin's The Lathe of Heaven, this imperfect lifestyle is the foundation on which the desire for a utopian society sits. The American Heritage Dictionary defines reality as the totality of all things possessing actuality, existence, or essence . For George Orr, the protagonist in the novel, his dreams actually become reality. Through his gift of effective dreaming, Orr can alter elements in the "real world" and is terrified because of it. In Orr's view, "This gift has been given to a fool, a passive nothing of a man" (LeGuin 121). With this gift comes the ability to change what is real, create things that never existed, and in turn, eliminate things that did. In other words, George Orr was given a gift to play God and does not want the responsibility. In order to save himself and the rest of society, Orr confides in Dr. Haber, his psychiatrist as well as the antagonist in the novel. Taking advantage of his gift, Dr. Haber forces Orr to dream in search of the elusive Utopia. For Dr. Haber, "there was no end to his determination to improve the world (LeGuin 128). His sole mission is to gain power and do all he can to create the perfect world. In attempts to create a place of ideal perfection, a world of pain, oppression, and terror eventually ensues. This search for eventual perfection brings forth the realization that such a Utopian society is not only i... ...nce our perceptions on reality and the concept of a utopian society. The connection between our own society and elements of the novel enable readers to recognize that although a literal utopian society is not possible, the closest we can come to perfection is to find a balance between what is and what we can imagine. Works Cited The American Heritage Dictionary: 2nd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, MA, 1985. Copland, Neil. "Main Concepts of Taoism: Yin and Yang." Taoism and the Taoist Arts. April 2002. http://www.taoistarts.net/main.html#yin LeGuin, Ursula K. The Lathe of Heaven. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 2000. Robinson, B.A. "History of Taoism." Taoism. March 21, 2002. http://religioustolerance.org/taoism.html Velasquez, Manuel. Philosophy: A Text With Readings. 8th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002.

A Long Way Gone Essay

Abby Leavengood HWL P. 5 9-26-12 A Long Way Gone Essay In Ismael Beah’s A Long Way Gone, violence and child soldier’s struggles is a major and common point. These passages were heart wrenching and difficult to get through. Beah went through a lot of hard times but he survived and pulled through with incredible strength and courage, even when that was not an easy thing to even think about doing. I believe that even though violence is an awful thing that no child should have to endure, I learned a lot through Beah’s awful experiences including war’s injustices and the importance of hope and courage.Ishmael Beah discovered that the only way he could continue on and stay remotely strong was through the use of drugs. I was able to understand that well not through my own experiences of course, but because I cannot imagine any other way of making it through those situations. Taking some form of drug to change your state of mind and allow you to zone out from your surroundings seems like a somewhat logical solution to enduring war as a 15 year old boy. I also learned how impossible it would be to not be addicted to these drugs and how painful the recovery process would be.Through Beah’s book, I also learned that the recovery process of some traumatic experiences can be a living hell. Breaking his drug addiction, learning to trust people again and stopping his persistent nightmares were not easy tasks. I am thankful for people like Ester and the other nurses for having a strong heart and will to help young people with these conditions. Child rehabilitation centers are truly amazing facilities. Dealing with children who have suffered severe, life altering, mental damage must be heart breaking and challenging.I admire the staff and especially Ishmael Beah for their persistence to not give up and their amazing courage. Finally, through Beah’s memoir, I learned that hope and courage can always shine through even the most challenging situations. Beah, who did not want to fight, held his courage throughout the war and never gave up hope, even when it seemed impossible to find anything positive. Ishmael continued on throughout his daily and impeccably challenging life. Yet, hope was there. It shines though all evil and hardships. I truly admire his courage. A Long Way Gone was an enormously inspirational novel.All of Beah’s violent experiences taught his readers about the effects of harsh war, injustice, the world outside of our own happy towns and most importantly the true power of hope and courage. He spoke eloquently and told the truth without sheltering his readers. I think my own personal gain from this book is quite amazing. Wars in small countries like Sierra Leone are not often talked about in the United States. So learning about them is an eye opening and valuable experience. Beah’s book teaches many prized lessons and shares exceptional insight into the world around us.

One of the more stressful and perhaps more challenging of difficulties Essays

One of the more stressful and perhaps more challenging of difficulties Essays One of the more stressful and perhaps more challenging of difficulties Essay One of the more stressful and perhaps more challenging of difficulties Essay One of the more stressful and perhaps more challenging of difficulties that I face in my everyday life is the language barrier. Being from a non-English speaking country, life becomes much more difficult for me here because of the preconceived notion that all Asians do not speak English very well. While I do not experience the same difficulties when writing in English, the experience is much more difficult when I am interacting and speaking with others because of all the idioms and slang that is used.A perfect example is when I try to interact with people from the support group. What would be a simple matter for some becomes a very difficult task for me. I oftentimes find myself waving my hands trying to explain my point while the others stare idly at me as if I am some kind of crazy person. It is not only stressful but humiliating as well.Another problem that I experience because of this language barrier is the fact that I often find it difficult to find people to talk to just to allow me to de-stress, so to speak. While other stress related problems can easily be addressed by communicating with others, my problem does not provide me with such an alternative and emotionally, such a problem can be very draining. The few times that I do find the confidence to communicate with others also leads to be fruitless because of the biases that certain people have against people of my race and our English speaking abilities.While I am part of a support group that should theoretically allow me to vent my frustration on this matter, this language barrier makes it even m ore difficult and stressful. I understand that the members of the group would like to reach out and help me but the added stress they are exposed to when communicating with me makes it difficult. I cannot simply assume that I am the only one with difficulties and given my shy nature, I would never be the one to impose even if such were the case.It therefore came as a pleasant surprise that I was able to find a person in the group who made it easier for me to gain social support. The conversations were awkward at first as both of us struggled to grasp what the problem of each was. There was a certain uncertainty that followed on how to address the problem. The emotional strings attached made it difficult to tiptoe around the language barrier, initially, but soon enough progress was made.I guess that the reason the exchange went well was because of the mutual respect that we had for one another. Unlike the other people that I previously dealt with, my social support partner tool pains in understanding the handicaps that I was dealing with. Instead of ridiculing me or criticizing me outright, she tried to encourage me to speak up without fear of reprisal or humiliation. I must admit that this made me feel more confident about my problem and in doing so also allowed me to reach out and help with her problem. The wonderful intercourse that we were able to have did a lot to ease the tension. Though we started out as being distant from each other, over time that gap was bridged through steady and effective communication.As mentioned in the tips for the exercise, even the smallest problems can provide stress. I definitely feel that my problem is not that small but I realize that in the grander scheme of things, it probably is. Be that as it may, this experience was very helpful for me. While I may not have tried out my new found and developed confidence in my English speaking skills, I can confidently state that I am one step closer to overcoming my problem.I could ha ve never gained such confidence if it were not for the help of the social support partner. Being in a foreign country can be a very difficult and challenging experience. The new cultures and languages and the fact that I am not as proficient in them as I would like make adjustment very hard. Thanks to my social support partner, however, I have taken a major step toward my stressful problem. I do not think that there is any more that I could ask from the help that was given. The opportunity to be able to reach one to somebody while someone was also able to reach out to me was a wonderful one.

Free sample - Freedom of Speech in China. translation missing

Freedom of Speech in China. Freedom of Speech in ChinaAbstract The paper seeks to examine the freedom of speech for the people of Republic of China. The paper seeks to do this, by examining the way the government of China has treated the media. This is because the paper believes that the media is central to the freedom of expression in any country. The paper also briefly examines how the Chinese government responds to those who activate for political freedom in China. Introduction The recent tussles between the government of China and the search engine Google show that China has gagged the media. This is because the Internet is the most modern means of communication (Cohn, 2007). It is also the media that can make most people express themselves freely. For freedom of expression to exist, there must be a free media .This is because people can only be heard through the media. Only last year, Liu, a renowned journalist was sent to prison. This was because of an email he had written. The charges against him were that he called for peaceful political demonstrations. Many ordinary Chinese have been jailed for candid political expression. The People’s Republic of China continues to be a country that restricts the freedom of expression. This has seen many people leave the country. It has always managed to restrict freedom of expression by censoring the media. Since its formation in 1949, china has gagged the media. This has been due to the fact that the media is state run. Only a small number of media houses are not state run. They include CCTV, The People’s Daily and Xinhua. Where the media are not censored they encounter stiff government regulations. The media here is taken to mean television, Radio, newapapers, magazines and more recently the Internet. Some of the regulations that the media faces are as follows; for one, it is forbidden to report or question the legitimacy of the communist party. This, in Chinese media is a taboo subject that can get one jailed. The media cannot also report on the government of Tibet. Tibet is a secessionist state it has seceded from China although China maintains that it is part of China. The Chinese media cannot also report on the religious movement Falun Gong. The past few years have seen the loosening of some of the government rules that restrict the media. This has been through the commercialization of the media. Also, the emergency of independent media houses has seen to participate in the loosening of the media restrictions (Esarey, 2005). Historical background For purposes of integrity, let the paper state that the Chinese media reports on social issues. The freedom that has been curtailed is the political expression. Political expression constitutes freedom of expression. The curtailing of the freedom of expression began way back in 1949. This was the year that saw the birth of the People’s Republic of China. The government established regulations to make sure that the media does not report certain topics. These regulations have always been passed by the socialist party which is the governing party. The parliament of China has also been involved in the passing of laws that gag the media (Yuezhi, 1998). In 1993, the Chinese government moved to censor the newest form of communication.  Ã‚   This was the Internet and the World Wide Web. Thus, the Internet has been censored in China since its inception. Since then there have been continuous fights between the Chinese government and management of search engines such as Google and Yahoo. The fight between the Chinese government and management of the mentioned search engines is about the freedom of expression. This is because the Chinese government has realized the potential of the Internet to be used as a means of communication. The government does not want the citizens to have any avenue where they can express themselves freely (Yuezhi, 1998). Crack on Activists The Chinese government has established a system that ensures that those who speak against the government are arrested.   These are the people who dare question the government on the taboo subject of freedom of expression. The other category includes those who fight for the rights of the citizens. These are the people who protest against police brutality. The police have been active in ensuring that those who speak against the government do not escape. They get arrested and charged on charges of defamation. Others go missing for months until they appear in court under false charges. Activists, when arrested, face long prison charges to discourage others from following in their suit. The government has also established a well trained police force to track down anyone who disobeys its regulations on censorship. Every kind of media is closely watched to ensure that they comply with the rules and regulations set in place to silence the citizenry. The one media that have been heavily cen sored in the recent past is the Internet. Internet censorship As the paper earlier documented, the censorship of the Internet began in 1993. This was when the central government passed three regulations that curtail the freedom of speech through the Internet. The first of these regulations state that individuals and private organizations are not allowed to have direct internet, international connection. This regulation was formally announced by the government in 1996, and it was updated in 1997(Collins, 2002). This regulation requires all Internet connection to go through the official government machinery such as CERNET, ChinaNET and GBNET among other government regulatory agencies (Amnesty International, 2002). The second regulation gave the ministry of public security authority to monitor the Internet provision in the country. The ministry was to inspect, supervise and guide the work of maintaining security in the country. In regard to the Internet, it was to prosecute criminal cases brought through the Internet. Reading the fine script, one can see that there is ambiguity in the powers of the ministry. This is to ensure that the ministry can get along with the suppression of the freedom of expression (Amnesty International, 2002). The government in regard to Internet censorship has been enacting new regulations. People who break these regulations face jail terms or fines. In other instances, they face both. The charges that are brought against the people who violate these Internet regulations are various. For one, they are charged with performing acts that split the nation. Defamation is also another popular charge that is brought against these people. Leaking government secrets is another charge that those people who violate Internet censorship laws get. Sites that are found to violate the state laws get blocked. Several sites have been blocked like New York Times site was blocked in 2000 though it was later unblocked. The sites for the Washington Post, CBN and CBS have also been blocked, but they were unblocked in 2000 (Abbott, 2004). According to the ministry of public security, the following is what makes a site be closed. According to the said ministry, if an Internet site is provoking division and promoting sentiment that is harmful to the national security, then it is to be closed. Injuring the image of state organizations is another crime that can get a site closed. Working to overthrow the Chinese government or the socialist set up is also termed as sedition and can get a site closed.   All this is propaganda aimed at stifling the freedom of expression. This is because it is the state ministry that determines what sedition is and what isn’t. The state ministry of security thus uses propaganda to censor freedom of speech in China. Because it cannot be overly brutal, it has come up with laws and regulations that push its’ agenda to harm the freedom of expression. Other media have also been stifled in the drive to control the freedom of speech in China. One such media is television (Abbott, 200 4). Television The people’s republic of China (PRC) is technology savvy. It has invested widely in the television industry. 35% of the population has access to television. The television industry is heavily watched by the central government. TV stations are not independent in the country. That is they cannot air what they like. Like the Internet, they are censored by the government. This is because the government allows them to carry as much social material as they want. But when it comes to political communication they are curtailed. The television networks cannot report on police brutality. Also, they cannot report on unrests in the country (Benjamin, 2005). The leading television network is the CCTV. It is a state owned corporation and employs about 10,000 people. It cannot air foreign programs. The contents of the TV broadcasts are examined by state officials on a regular basis. The TV station is closely watched by the propaganda department. It is under the scrutiny from the state department of the administration of Radio, Film and television. The chairman of the TV station is a deputy minister in the ministry of the administration of Radio, film and television. Thus, the TV industry is closely watched so that it cannot air anything that can advance the freedom of expression in the country. The other media like newspapers cannot also be used to advance the freedom of speech and expression (Benjamin, 2005). Radio Radio talk shows are slowly and systematically transforming the freedom of expression and speech in China. Most Radio stations have become liberal and are reporting on subjects that are considered taboo by the other media. Radio talk shows have become the ground on which millions of people talk back to the government. This is because the country has seen the proliferation of Radio stations in the last one decade. The Radio stations have become an avenue through which the people can at least have a measure of political freedom of expression. The other media are used by the state machinery to talk to the people. Radio provides a platform on which people talk back to the government. This does not mean that radio has a free hand to air what it wants. Freedom of expression continues to be suppressed in China on a day to day basis. China is one country that has consistently refused to grant a platform for the expression of fair speech (Guan, 1995). Newspapers Newspapers in China have not been able to cut through government restrictions. They are still under gags that make it impossible for them to report on anything that is politically sensitive. The dominant newspapers are socialist party papers that report more on social issues than on political matters. This is because to report on political issues is suicidal to a newspaper in China. Today there are 2200 daily papers in China. State agencies have authority to edit and censor news from foreign newspapers (Guan, 1995). Western media The western media are heavily censored in mainland China. This is in an attempt to stifle the freedom of speech. This is because the Chinese government understands the power of the media in opening up countries formerly locked in suppression of the freedom of speech. For example, the western media have been instrumental in opening up Burma to the international community. In China western journalists are restricted from entering the country. If they manage to enter the country, they meet severe restrictions. China is determined to continue the suppression of the freedom of speech .One of the most effective ways of doing this is the restriction of the western media in the country (Collins, 2002). Conclusion China has the longest record on the suppression of the freedom of speech. The paper has gone into details about how the government of China has stifled the media. This is because people cannot have freedom of speech when what they say cannot be reported in the media. The Chinese government has also censored the Internet. The Internet is the most efficient way of communicating globally. The Chinese government understands this, and that is why it cannot allow search engines like Google to operate freely in the country (Cohn, 2007). The freedom of speech is essential to the development of any country. Most countries that used to curtail the freedom of speech have changed and are now allowing the said freedom. The media have been liberalized in most parts of the country. One of the most conservative countries has given in to a free and independent media that are central to freedom of speech. This is none other than Russia. Other countries have followed suit. Thus, there is no reason why the world’s largest nation can continue to stifle the freedom of expression (Yuezhi, 1998). The governments of the world should rise and challenge China to give political space to its citizens. They should pressurize China to give freedom of speech to its citizens. This is because China is a signatory to international charter on freedom of speech. China also sits on the security council of the UN.Being a nation thus esteemed; it must also esteem its citizens by giving them the freedom of speech. Only in this way will it be able to prove to the world that it is worthy to sit on the security council of the UN.It will prove to all and sundry that it is serious when signing   international treaties. References Amnesty International (27 February 2002). People's Republic of China: State control of the Internet. New York: Amnesty International. Abbott, P.   (2004). The Political Economy of the Internet in Asia and the Pacific Digital Divides, Economic Competitiveness, and Security Challenges. New York: Praeger. Benjamin, L. (2005). "Watchdog or Demagogue? The Media in the Chinese Legal System." Columbia Law Review, 105(1). Cohn, W. (2007). "Yahoo's China Defense." New Presence: The Prague Journal of European Affairs, 10(2). Collins, D. (3 December 2002). China's Internet Censorship, CBS. Esarey, A. (2005), "Cornering the Market: State Strategies for Controlling China's Commercial Media." Asian Perspective, 29(2). Guan, S. (1995). Intercultural communication (in Chinese). Beijing: Beijing University Press. Yuezhi, Z. (1998), Media, Market, and Democracy in China. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults brochure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults brochure - Essay Example An analysis using a thematic approach on literature indicates six important areas that help in contributing to the development of the attitudes that are defined as being positive or being negative towards the type of people who are known to do self-harm. Lack of training and education was the main link of negative experience and attitudes. In addition, it was also associated with the impact as a result of perception differences of the roles of healthcare professionals and the influence due to clinical culture as well as how people do perceive self-harm as a health need. Greater understanding of self-harm experiences and improved training were linked to positive attitudes. Despite this, the nature of the care reported by the consumer of the services indicates that significant improvement are still needed to the health care attitudes in the health settings ensure high-quality services are being provided to the consumers. The issue of self-harm is significant within the services regarded as contemporary. Several people who do self-harm in many times do manage their wounds at home; however, certain occasions where injuries caused by self-harm need to be seen in the settings of hospital. Several of the consumers of the services that have been receiving health care services in hospitals have reported dissatisfaction and bad experience with the kind of services being rendered. The experiences of the services by the consumers have greatly contributed to the development and survivor groups’ actions. Several authors have described the word survivor in relation to this circumstance as an aspect of surviving the services of psychiatry in addition to other experiences lived. This is a clear show that the provision of service that was intended to help the people who are victims of self-harm has been reported as being traumatic for several number of healthcare service

IMMIGRATION REFORM Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

IMMIGRATION REFORM - Coursework Example Those employers who do not fulfill the requirements outlined by the Act may experience a fine of $100 to $1000 for each employee whose documents are not complete. If the employer does not comply with the Act while knowing about the law, he/she may faced a penalty between $200 to $2000 for her first mistake and for the next mistakes the fines are elevated to $200 to $5000 (Malpert, 2000). If the employer does not pay the sanctions that the employer can experience imprisonment for a maximum tenure of six months along with a fine of $3000 for each unauthorized employee he/she has hired. These sanctions are completely justified because it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that they are not hiring illegal employees. Secondly, employers may get involved in hiring illegal employees in order to decrease their cost which is again against the law. While hiring employees, Patricia should perform a background check in which she should obtain the necessary documents from the appli cants to ensure that he/she is authorized to work in United States. Patricia does not need all the documents and she just needs one single document for verification and that document can be the US