Female Juvenile Delinquency Essay - 2679 Words

Female juvenile delinquency: What went wrong with â€Å"Sugar and Spice and all things nice†? Ariana Kalaitzaki S2760178 Griffith University Abstract This review addresses major questions around female juvenile delinquency, around which much contemporary research is oriented. These involve which factors are contributing to female juvenile delinquency and what causes female juveniles to display criminal behaviour in the first place. Theories and risk factors will be identified. Although research in the past decade has yielded considerable information about these questions, issues that need further investigation are also presented. Female juvenile delinquency: What went wrong with â€Å"Sugar and Spice and all things nice†? Until recently,†¦show more content†¦Cyril Burt attributed female delinquency to menstruation. William Healy and Augusta Bronner attributed female delinquency to abnormally masculine weight and Raffaele Garofaldo believed that a combination of biological, social and organic factors lead a person to commit crime (Siegel amp; Senna, 1997). After time, this biological view became scrutinised due to a lack of proper methodology (Siegel amp; Senna, 1997). Psychological Determinism. Psychological determinism focuses on the psychological traits that lead to delinquency such as mental and emotional disturbances. There are 3 common perspectives. The first is the psychoanalytic theory. Sigmund Freud proposed 3 dimensions of the human personality including the id, ego and superego. The id is the unrestrained, pleasure seeking component. The superegos purpose is to restrain the id using morals and the ego finds a balance between the id and superego (Siegel amp; Senna, 1997). Freud believed that an imbalance of these components led to a damaged personality, and in women, their deviance resulted from sexual maladjustment, gender conflict and neuroses (Gora, 1982). The second perspective is the behavioural theory whereby personality is developed through interactions with others (Siegel amp; Senna, 1997). Behaviourism is concerned with measurable events, such as the reaction a minor gets as a result of their behaviour. If behaviour is reinforced , the minor will be more likely to repeat the behaviour. TheShow MoreRelatedComparing Male And Female Juvenile Delinquency874 Words   |  4 PagesComparing and Contrasting Male and Female Juvenile Delinquents The article titled Profile of Incarcerated Juveniles: Comparison of Male and Female Offenders (Martin et al., 2008), effective methods of identifying potential juvenile offenders are discovered and reviewed. The discoveries made will help develop prevention programs at the state and national levels. The juveniles examined are offenders in a large juvenile justice system. The participants are of multiple races and live in a MidwesternRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency Is An Increasing Problem Within The United States995 Words   |  4 Pages Juvenile delinquency has become an increasing problem within the United States. According to Siegel and Welsh (2012), more than 1.1 million youth are being arrested each year for various crimes ranging from loitering to murder. There are numerous reasons why there should be programs to help deter delinquency. One of which, Greenwood (2008), states that juvenile delinquency has started to take it’s toll on tax payers. The cost of arresting, incarcerating, prosecuting, and treating offenders has beganRead MoreThe General Strain Theory Of Female Delinquency1253 Words   |  6 PagesA major theory used to explain female delinquency is the general strain theory (GST). According to Bartollas, â€Å"GST explains female delinquency by contending that many females experience harsh discipline, parental rejection, peer abuse, negative secondary school experience, homelessness, and a strong need for money;† these strains can cause females to cope through delinquent behavior (73). The social learning theory also explains female delinquency as â€Å"some females tend to associate with others whoRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency Is A Problem1508 Words   |  7 PagesJuvenile Delinquency When looking into the history of United States and elsewhere juvenile delinquency is a problem and has been one for over a century. Like other systems in place, the system involving juvenile delinquents has gone through many stages. In the case of the juvenile delinquency, it has gone through four stages, with us presently in the fourth. The causes behind juvenile delinquency are still unknown even today. Some blame it on the current culture, the over-exposure to violenceRead MoreGender Roles : The Juvenile Justice System1244 Words   |  5 PagesGender Roles in the Juvenile Justice System What role does gender play at the various stages of the juvenile justice system? Gender plays an enormous role in the juvenile justice system; both boys and girls have their fair share of run-ins with the Juvenile Justice System, but now more so than ever, females crime rates have increased. In some instances within the juvenile justice system, it may appear that boys and girls are comparable; however there are differences, even though they are subtle.Read MoreFemale Youth And The Juvenile System Essay903 Words   |  4 PagesFemales in the Juvenile System In beginning my research on females in the juvenile justice system, I was shocked to see how many of the new female juvenile statistics had increased and were gradually catching up on the juvenile male statistics. The numbers have been growing every year, and may soon surpass the numbers the boys have held for so many years. It makes me sit back and wonder what in the world is going on with our female youth in today’s society to cause such a slight, in some casesRead MoreJuvenile Crime And Juvenile Delinquency1322 Words   |  6 PagesVersion). Juvenile crime, in law, term denoting various offense committed by children or youth under the age of 18. U.S. official crime reported that in the mid-1900’s â€Å"about one-fifth of all persons arrested for crimes were under the age of 18† (Funk Wagnalls, 2014). Such acts are sometimes referred to as juvenile delinquency (Funk Wagnalls, 2014. Offering constructive programs reduces juvenile delinquency and reduces recidivism. â€Å"From the beginning, the principal consideration of the juvenile courtsRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency : The United States1458 Words   |  6 Pages Juvenile Delinquency in the United States We live in a world where there is a great deal of investment allotted to our children and our culture tend to be overprotective of our youth. Rightfully so, our younger citizens are considered the building blocks of our nation and the carriers of our legacy in the future. But in spite of stringent laws that seem to protect our youth, other factors such as race, poverty, and environment are catalysts for delinquent youth behavior. Juvenile crime isRead MoreIs Gender Responsive Training?1469 Words   |  6 Pagesfor girls has been steadily increasing and gender responsive training is crucial step to address the problem. There is a higher probability of delinquency during adolescence for females. The list below describes the risk factors of girls and young women to be put into the criminal justice system. In the book called, In Guiding Principles for Promising Female Programming: An Inventory of Best Practices (1988): â€Å"she’s poor and has grown up in a neighborhood with a high crime rate†¦been a victim of physicalRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency Is An Integral Part Of Criminology1559 Words   |  7 Pagescurb delinquency in juveniles. Children are expected to be obedient, respectful and imbibe virtues and good quality in them. Due to various reasons children do not follow settled social and legal dictum. Juvenile delinquency, as a legal concept is of recent origin. Juvenile delinquency is an integral part of criminology. The two cannot be separated since one of the reasons for crime and its continuance into adult life is the ineffective control and treatment of juveniles. Juvenile delinquency is a

The California Osteoporosis Prevention And Education Act

Every year, about one third of everyone over the age of 65 falls, and do not report it to their doctors. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in older people (Falls Among Older Adults). Falls become more common as people age because their bones become more brittle and their muscle mass decreases. In society today, the baby boomers are aging, which means falls will continue to increase in frequency. When a person falls, it doesn’t just affect the victim; it affects everyone. In 2012, approximately $30 billion went towards medical costs that were associated with falls (Falls Among Older Adults). To prevent more people being injured and more money being spent, there has to be a change. In 2010, the California Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Act was established. This acts’ intent is to spread public awareness of osteoporosis, how it can be prevented, and to improve the way osteoporosis is treated. Half of all older women and 15 percent of older m en will suffer a fracture related to osteoporosis (Stone). Not only would it spread awareness of the disease with the older generation, but also with physicians and other medical personal to educate them on how it can be treated. Along with the California Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Act, there is Welfare and Institutions Code Section 9450-9454. Theses sections focus on people and the idea of â€Å"aging in place†, and how adjustments to the home can make it safer for people. Section 9451’s intent isShow MoreRelatedThe National Lunch Program1342 Words   |  6 Pagesportion sizes, and healthy calorie amounts. The National School Lunch Program was created in 1946 to make lunches available for students who may not have the money to bring lunch from home or who are malnourished (Harris 310). The National School Lunch Act states the program was started â€Å"‘as a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation’s children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food’† (qtd. in School MealsRead MoreEthics Paper - Childhood Obesity and Nutrition4662 Words   |  19 PagesAbstract Schools may have an ethical obligation to help in the prevention of the increasing propensity toward childhood obesity. School programs can be implemented to improve the nutritional quality of students’ diets. Students spend approximately one third of their day in school and consume one to two meals there per day, therefore justifying the importance of the responsibility to advise dietary behaviors and influence healthy decisions. In consideration of these logical methods, the ethicalRead MoreAmerica s War On Drugs3748 Words   |  15 Pagesof narcotics causes illnesses which are putting people in danger of dying at an earlier age. Since 1992, federal surveys indicated an increase in adolescent drug use. The D.A.R.E. Drug Abuse Resistance Education program administers a school based substance abuse, gang, and violence prevention program in 75% of United States school districts and in 48 countries (as of 2013), (Dare, 2014). There are some pros and cons as to the effectiveness of D.A.R.E. The following shows the efforts that the programRead MoreImpact of Radio and Television Advertising on Consumer Behaviour Special Referance on Consumer Durable Goods5906 Words   |  24 Pagesespecially among the French, Australians, Californians, and Chileans. Cabernet Sauvignon pairs perfectly with meat dishes. Types of White Wine White wine is made from white gapes, produced in Europe, and numerous other places such as Australia, California, New Zealand, South Africa and so on. The great varieties of white grapes are deliciously combined with citrus and spicy flavors, and make a great pair for seafood and Italian dishes. * Sauvignon Blanc  -  Sauvignon Blanc stands out with itsRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography: Plagiarism39529 Words   |  158 Pagesplagiarism and university practice. Vaccine, 30(50): 7131-7133. Abstract This article examines a case of academic plagiarism and the subsequent treatment of the issues across several academic institutions. It calls for academic leaders in universities to act on what constitutes a serious breach of standards, engendered in part by broader institutional norms and values promoting the need for publications in a publish or perish environment. While universities often promote high-sounding ideals and wouldRead MoreGsk Annual Report 2010135604 Words   |  543 Pagesfollows is our report to shareholders for 2010. Progress we have made in the year can also be seen by visiting our website: www.gsk.com/corporatereporting Notice regarding limitations on Director Liability under English Law Under the UK Companies Act 2006, a safe harbour limits the liability of Directors in respect of statements in and omissions from the Report of the Directors contained on pages 8 to 101. Under English law the Directors would be liable to the company, but not to any third party

A letter of advice for Isla-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Questions: 1.Prepare a letter of advice for Outback Medical outlining all the requirements to sponsor and nominate Isla for a Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa. 2.Prepare a letter of advice for Isla outlining the requirements for her to be granted a Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa. Answers: 1.A letter of advice for Outback Medical outlining all the requirements to sponsor and nominate Isla for a Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa. The Authority of Outback Medical Queensland DD/MM/YYYY Dear Sir Sub: A letter of Advice for Sponsor for Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa It is notify to you that as Isla has not renewed the Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa, which has expired two weeks ago, she needs to apply for the renew of the visa. Now, according to current situation she might take to her homeland Ireland due to the expiry of the visa. In present days she is working in your organization, which is a nursing home, named Outback Medical where she work as a nurse and she is interested also to continue her profession in the organization. Therefore, Under the Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visas it is required to have a sponsor for renew the visa for mandatory purposes where she will get the permission to work for temporary. Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP the Prime Minister of Australia and the Hon Peter Dutton MP, Minister were first introduced the Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa where they intended for the establishes the terms for abolishing the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa which should become the genuine skills shortage under to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Under the terms of the visa, it allows the extension of works for 4 years under the Australian Government along with the approved sponsor. It is necessary that the applicant must have an approved sponsor where he or she could be volunteered under those particular organizations. It is necessary that with the conditions of the 457-visa process, the sponsor must approve for the actual position of sponsor and he or she should be capable to provide the sponsorship of the applicant. After the permission of the sponsor position, the sponsor might apply for the application where the approved sponsor can able to get the sponsorship under the 457 visa nominations. According to the terms of the Immigration, the 457 visa holders has the rights only work under the actual nominated occupation along with the sponsored by approved sponsor. The date when the nomination will provided, the applicant is required to have the transition for the permanent residency and if they are consists of two years of employment where the employer has sponsored the applicant must approved with full-time position in the 457-visa holder's under the nominated occupation. The provided sponsorship only applicable for the 457-visa process and he or she should consists or holds a standard business sponsor. Now it is necessary for the nominated sponsor where he or she must has the capability to meet and satisfy the qualification of an appropriate sponsor for the 457-visa applicant. The terms which are necessary for the sponsor are: The applicant sponsor must hold or runs a lawfully operating business in Australia. The applicant sponsor should mention the numbers of the workers where the visa holders will sponsored for the 457-visa process. The applicant sponsor also consists of appropriate IN numbers along with the process, applicant sponsor is required to complete the terms of the prescribed training benchmark and if it must have the trading for last 12 months then the actual criteria are also require to meet the capability. Under the IN number the visa plan need to fulfill with the prescribe benchmark for the trading of more than 12 months or less. The applicant sponsor should declare the sponsorship in written documents, which should stated strong commitment to employing under Australia and it must not discriminate the way of recruitments. If any training is required to fulfill the position of the sponsor then it is also need to complete such issues. If the applicant sponsor is running the business outside of Australia then the person must have a clear intention to sponsor a 457 worker to establish a new business in Australia with connections to an overseas business. if the applicant sponsor is running the business outside of Australia then the person is also require to sponsor the 457-visa holder worker for satisfying the contractual obligations the employer has in Australia. The applicant sponsor must not have adverse information, which has pertaining for the workers. The applicant sponsor not required to take any actions or involve with any activities where a third party pay the costs, which is related to the employer for becoming a sponsor or recruiting a 457 worker. Therefore according to the fact of the case, as your organization Outback Medical want to sponsor Isla for her renew of her Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa. Therefore is requiring following all the above consequences to complete the process of sponsorship for being the sponsor for Isla. As Islas Temporary Business Entry (Class UC), subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa has already expired two weeks ago therefore she need to renew the process along with the sponsor under the Outback Medical nursing home where she can get the job of nursing and along with the permission of the temporary residency in Australia. The sponsor also looks for every criminal record and collects the character certificate from her whether she has any relation with the acts. According to the adverse terms it should includes the information where unlawful activity under Commonwealth, state or territory law, including being subject to administrative action that falls short of a criminal convictionshould not considered. The applicant is not must investigate for any illegal activities under Commonwealth, state or territory law. The applicant must not have the insolvency under the subsections 5(2) and (3) of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 and section 95A of the Corporations Act 2001. As per the adverse information the illegal activities has been described such as: discrimination, immigration, industrial relations, occupational health and safety, people smuggling and related offences, slavery, sexual servitude and deceptive recruiting, taxation, terrorism and trafficking in persons and debt bondage. Therefore it is also notify to you that you must collect all the required documents from Isla before stat to the renew process for the Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa. Yours sincerely XYZ Migration Agent 2.A letter of advice for Isla outlining the requirements for her to be granted a Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa. Isla McCormik Queensland DD/MM/YYYY Dear Isla Sub: A letter for outlining the requirements to be granted a Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa It is notify to you that as visa has not renewed the Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa, which has expired two weeks ago, you needs to apply for the renew of the visa. Now, according to current situation you may go back to your homeland Ireland due to the expiry of the visa. In present days, you are working in your organization, which is a nursing home, named Outback Medical where you work as a nurse and interested to continue the profession in the organization. Therefore, Under the Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa it is required to have a sponsor for renew the visa for mandatory purposes where you will get the permission to work for temporary. Under the 457-visa process the applicant is requires to completing online application 1066 Employer Sponsored Workers (e457). Along with such documentation the applicant is also requires fulfilling other requirements. Those are: For the documentation which has been conducted for the registered training organisation which must approved by the Trades Recognition Australia. If the applicant is nominated under the occupation, project and Program Administrator or Specialist Managerthen it will be helpful for the Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa applicant. The applicant also requires having the qualification certificate, which includes the professional and educational. The name and contact details of the registration or licensing authority. the employee must fulfill the relevant skill levelunder the ANZSCO code and it must includes the personal details, position of the services, old employment records, the detail information of the sponsor. The applicant is requiring completing the IELTS test, OET test where it must meet the requirement of the English language. The applicant is also requires to passed scores in those tests. The applicant must submit the personal documents, which includes the current passports, travel documents, persona details, and photos. If the applicant is require to include their family members then it is necessary to submit the details documents of the family members. For the spouse the marriage certificate is needed to submit under the Immigration Authority. For the de-facto relationship, partners documents need to submit to the Immigration Authority. the documents of health insurance is also requires to submit under the documentation process for the Temporary Business Entry (Class UC) subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled) visa applicant. Along with the health, certificates the applicant should submit the health certificate that she is not consist of any chronicle diseased. The applicant is requiring having the character certificate from the government where she lives. The applicant must not have any criminal records and consists of good character under the Ireland government. Therefore, it is notifying you that you must follow the entire requirement, which has mentioned the letter. Yours sincerely XYZ Migration Agent References Migration Act 1958 Migration Agents Code of Conduct Migration Agents Regulations 1998 Migration Regulations 1994

Philosophy Essays (1635 words) - Ancient Greek Philosophers

Philosophy When I was born, I did not know the difference between right and wrong. Now, I do. The word philosophy means the love of knowledge. One type of knowledge is propter quid, which ask the question why or how. In this paper, I will demonstrate how Socrates, Hume and Aristotle, three well known philosophers, would explain how I acquired this knowledge in relation to the principles of right and wrong. Socrates is the first philosopher, I will discuss. Since Socrates did not write anything down, Socrates thinking is told through his student, Plato, who wrote his teachers' thoughts. Socrates is an idealist who believes that things are in born. Therefor he believed that before we are born our soul knows everything, but when we are born our mind is a tabular rasa (blank slate). As we grow day by day, we recollect the knowledge from our soul. ? the soul, that is, the human mind, before it is united with the body, is aquatinted with the intelligible world or the world of Forms. In this prior existence, the true knowledge. After its union with a human body, a person's mind contains its knowledge deep in its memory. True knowledge in this world consists of remembering, in reminiscence or recollection. What the mind or soul once knew is raised to present awareness by a process of recollection aided by the technique of dialect or the Socratic method. (Stumpf 260) This is known as the theory of recollection. The theory of recollection is told through Plato in the Phaedo and the Meno. In the theory of recollection "Socrates' answer to the paradox is that knowledge is recollection. This thesis allows a man to have ideas of which he later becomes conscious by recollection; thereby overcoming the sharp division between not-knowing and knowing, and justifying inquiry." (Sternfeld, 35) Socrates states in the Meno " A man cannot inquire about what he knows, because he knows it, and in that case he is in no need of inquiry, nor again can he inquire about what he does not know, since he does not know what he is to inquire." (Plato 80E) This theory of recollection may explain why we often say that we had certain knowledge before we leaned it or heard it for the first time. It is often said that we are born with concepts and it is these concepts that structure our minds, beliefs, and actions. "In his dialogue entitled the Meno, Plato illustrates how Socrates is able to show that even a young uneducated slave boy knows some truths of geometry not because somebody taught him that subject but because be naturally knows the relationship of various ideas to each other." (Stumpf 260) This quote illustrates how Socrates thought that the uneducated boy knew geometry. He recollected it from his soul. In the Meno, Socrates states that the boy is "recovering by oneself knowledge within oneself." (Plato 85D) Knowledge in the Meno is perceived as having an acquaintance with the object, but not knowing how it functions. Socrates states here that true knowledge is that is learned. Once learned, we remember that knowledge and apply it when needed. This can be done through recollection or memory. As an occasion arises that requires the use of this knowledge, we can use the abilities of our mind and recollect the knowledge for the circumstance. I interpret Socrates to mean that I was born with a knowledge of right and wrong, but I needed to experience situations where I needed to recall this knowledge. He makes reference to the initial knowledge being in the soul. Hume is the second philosopher I will discuss. Hume's beliefs are different from Socrates. Hume believes that we were born knowing nothing, and everything is learned. He feels that as we grow, we learn the difference between right and wrong from our experiences. The present comes from the senses and the past is in our memory. Hume shows how knowledge begins form the experiences we encounter through our five senses. It is said of Hume "?it is the use he makes of the principle or the association of ideas, which enters into most of his philosophy. The principle of association

Migration between European countries and their former colonies

Free Essays on Women In Poetry

Throughout history, the treatment of women has been an ever-changing issue. Othello, by William Shakespeare, is a story in which the female characters are treated in the unfair way that women of the time of the story were treated. This makes the story a great model for comparison of the treatment of women in the present time and in the past time when the story takes place. In order to make this comparison, one must first examine the way that the characters of Bianca, Emelia, and Desdemona are treated. Everyone including her husband, Cassio, treats the character of Bianca unfairly. This is because Bianca is really in love with Cassio, however he can only see the relationship as being a physical one. Due to this, Cassio has no problem making fun of Bianca behind her back when she leaves, and then wooing her when she returns again. The character of Emelia is an even harder one to evaluate. This is because she is the smartest woman character, but nonetheless men still seem to find a way to treat her poorly. When Emilia goes out of her way to help her husband Iago do evil, he barely even thanks her. Desdemona is the last of the characters to evaluate, however she is also the most important. Desdemona is treated very unfairly because she is a faithful wife, who loves her husband very much. However, through the help of Iago, her husband, and Othello suspects Desdemona is cheating on him. This is not true, but still Othello believes his friend long before he would listen to the woman who loves him. Othello then, instead of treating Desdemona fairly in return for her love, argues with and makes fun of her. Othello is a great model to be used to compare the treatment of women then and now because by reading it, one could see how much worse the treatment of women was then than it is now.... Free Essays on Women In Poetry Free Essays on Women In Poetry Throughout history, the treatment of women has been an ever-changing issue. Othello, by William Shakespeare, is a story in which the female characters are treated in the unfair way that women of the time of the story were treated. This makes the story a great model for comparison of the treatment of women in the present time and in the past time when the story takes place. In order to make this comparison, one must first examine the way that the characters of Bianca, Emelia, and Desdemona are treated. Everyone including her husband, Cassio, treats the character of Bianca unfairly. This is because Bianca is really in love with Cassio, however he can only see the relationship as being a physical one. Due to this, Cassio has no problem making fun of Bianca behind her back when she leaves, and then wooing her when she returns again. The character of Emelia is an even harder one to evaluate. This is because she is the smartest woman character, but nonetheless men still seem to find a way to treat her poorly. When Emilia goes out of her way to help her husband Iago do evil, he barely even thanks her. Desdemona is the last of the characters to evaluate, however she is also the most important. Desdemona is treated very unfairly because she is a faithful wife, who loves her husband very much. However, through the help of Iago, her husband, and Othello suspects Desdemona is cheating on him. This is not true, but still Othello believes his friend long before he would listen to the woman who loves him. Othello then, instead of treating Desdemona fairly in return for her love, argues with and makes fun of her. Othello is a great model to be used to compare the treatment of women then and now because by reading it, one could see how much worse the treatment of women was then than it is now....

Cultural theory and images Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural theory and images - Essay Example This view is all the more plausible considering the visibility of only four fingers and the lack of symmetry between the two sides of the face – features that are characteristic of leprosy. The cultural background of the viewer will also bear on the impression gathered, for leprosy as a deadly disease is more common in tropical and sub-tropical climes. So, for a European-Caucasian viewer, the painting might speak of acute and terminal stages of tuberculosis. Equally credible is the interpretation that the depiction is that of a survivor in war, with his countenance damaged by a bomb blast. The picture titled Duck/Rabbit, 1899 is quite interesting. For those now aware of the title, the first impression might be either that of a duck or a rabbit but not both. The observer, upon identifying the duck, might go on to study the finer details of the image, in terms of the size and shape of the brush strokes used. He/she might also look at the black and white contrast effectively employed by the painter. The same is applicable to the viewer who sees the rabbit first. But only upon disclosure of the title Duck/Rabbit would the viewer be pressed to find the other animal embedded within. The cultural background of the viewer is bound to have a negligible effect on perception, for the subject is relatively simple and straightforward. The genius of the painter lay not so much in cultural sensibilities as in the clever imaginative conception of the mirror effect between the two animals. The image Weegee, Their First Murder, 1941 is quite complex, in that, each individual in the photo gives a different expression. Some flinch as if in pain, while other show a hint of a smile, and some others just show curiosity, making singular interpretation a arduous task. The only adult in the image is the elegantly dressed lady, other are boys and girls of varying ages. But based on the dressing and

Sculpture Across the Paliolithic to 300BCE have the same hair Essay

Sculpture Across the Paliolithic to 300BCE have the same hair - Essay Example This idea enables a viewer like me to identify social statuses of Greek models. I believe that the long, symmetric and curly hairstyles imply ancient Greek tradition and culture. Four sculptures from Ancient Greece captured my interest. These sculptures are important works of art, and they are displayed in famous museums. The first is the Statue of a Youth from Paul Getty Museum. This statue is also featured in Janson’s History of Art textbook. The second one is called Head of Hades from the Online Metropolitan Museum of Art. The third is called Statue of a Kouros, which is displayed at J. Paul Getty Villa Museum located in Malibu, California, and the fourth is the Kore, located in Akropolis Museum in Athens and is also featured in Janson’s History of Art. While I was gazing at these works of art, one aspect caught my attention: the similarity in hairstyles of ancient Greek sculptures. I noted that all sculptures have symmetrical braids or curls that cover the forehead. The first sculpture is called Statue of a Youth. It is located at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, California under â€Å"Sicily: Art and Invention between Greece and Rome Exhibit.† The sculpture dates back to 470-460 BC from ancient Greece. It is made of marble and measures 181 cm. tall. The sculpture presents a young man, a charioteer from Mozia in Sicily. On one hand, his small face and well-built body form emphasizes his youth and strength. On the other, his hairstyle, which according to the caption, â€Å"ends in ringlets,† may seem feminine to modern viewers. Many would think that his hair is fashionable, some would wonder who styled it; others might take interest in the cultural background of the hairstyle. These reflections could lead to the inkling as to why the charioteer has ringed braids. Was this the fad in Ancient Greece or did social status have anything to do with the hairstyle? The caption states, â€Å"The Mozia youth's capped hair ends in ringle ts, an untypical feature, and symmetrical.† This caption acknowledges the fact that the artist employed symmetry in his art, despite the half-twisted gaze of the young man. It also declares that the hairstyle is untypical or uncommon; hence it is important to consider tracing back the history of braiding among CVbnm,.charioteers and the whole society of ancient Greece to know the relevance of the hairstyle in display. Nevertheless, I will reserve my findings in the latter part of this paper. Statue of a Youth (the Mozia Charioteer, detail), 460 B.C., Sikeliote (Sicilian Greek). Marble, h: 181 cm. J. Paul Getty Museum The statue is placed in the middle of the room, making it the center of attraction. From this location, viewers can note the importance of this piece of art in Greek art and culture. The sculpture is not within a glass case. Made of marble, I suppose it can stand heat and cold, and will not tarnish easily. Nevertheless, some features are missing, such as the arms (and hands), nose, and one shoulder, which could help give more information to the viewer. I am not sure if these are intended or the sculpture was actually damaged at some point in its existence. According to the book, the sculpture was damaged when Carthaginian forces seized the artworks from Sicily. The figure, which displays the features or a charioteer from

Critically explore the term postfeminism in relation to any aspect of Essay

Critically explore the term postfeminism in relation to any aspect of contemporary culture in a national context of your choice - Essay Example Others such as Lotz argue that post-feminism is a part of third wave feminism (2001). According to Lotz, post-feminism includes poststructuralism and women-of-colour feminism influenced by poststructuralist, postmodern and postcolonial ideologies. In another representation of post-feminism, Rachel Moseley, a media critic sees post-feminism as a â€Å"re-evaluation of the tension which was often thought to exist between feminism and femininity† (Richardson 2006, p. 163). By this, she implies that post-feminism puts feminity (such as glamour and sexual objectification of women) back into feminist politics that originally are against feminity. 6 Some critics such as Tania Modleski take an opposite stance and argue that post-feminism is in fact discarding the achievements of second wave feminists by â€Å"delivering us back to a prefeminist world† (Richardson 2006, p. 164). Thus, there are paradoxical and opposing representations of the term ‘post-feminism’ and this contradiction is also reflected in the characters played in contemporary media. 6 The first use of the term ‘post-feminism’ was in 1920s press when it stated that feminist activism was not needed any longer and that a post-feminist era had dawned (Lotz 2001). The term’s critical academic use was in the post-second-wave era when it was defined as an emerging ideology and culture which incorporated, depoliticized and revised a large number of fundamental issues put forth by second-wave feminism (Lotz 2001). Faludi later on used the term to state that women no longer cared about feminism (McRobbie 2004). 6 Authors have debated post-feminism in terms of gender politics in popular magazines such as Time and People. However, there is no shared understanding of this term and its theoretical explorations are very expansive and unclear. Earlier representations of women in media, such as Mary Richards in The Mary Tyler Moore Show during the 1980s and 90s

The role of accounting information on business strategy formulation

The role of accounting information on business strategy formulation Abstract Although strategy development in large corporations has been well documented, the process of strategy deployment in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has not been extensively investigated by academic researchers. This study tries to provide new empirical evidence and the practical realities on the nature and practice of strategic planning in Greek companies. Its primary target is to examine the formulation of strategic planning in Greek SMEs and also the role of accounting information on the business strategy of SMEs in Greece. The results of the research indicate a positive relationship between strategic planning implementation and accounting information received by accountants and used by SMEs and no relationship with other sources of advice such as government agencies or bank advisors. The importance that is given to sales, costs and profits signifies a business planning rather than a strategic planning orientation of Greek SMEs Keywords: strategic planning, strategic activities, external advisors, accounting information Introduction Academic literature in strategic management of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has been very limited. Although the nature of strategic planning processes has been shown to have an important effect on the performance of firms [1], the field of strategic planning in SMEs is still in the early stages of its development. Its adolescence, relative to other more established areas of business and management theory, is evidenced by inconsistent and conflicting viewpoints [2] and only a few researchers have addressed the strategy-making processes of SMEs [3]. Limited research can also be observed on the usage of information from SMEs when strategically planning. Drury and Tayles [4] suggested that there is a need for more research that explores in much greater depth how managers use financial and non financial information. Recent research has shown that most SMEs are unable to utilize accounting and financial information. Owner-managers of SMEs may be expected to be fully aware of the product/service markets that their business are based in, but they may not be trained or proficient in accounting or financial management [5].The aim of this study is to add to the developing literature on strategic planning implementation in SMEs in Greece. Specifically the objectives of the study are to explore the extent of strategic planning of SMEs, to investigate the activities that owner/managers plan in advance and to identify internal and external advisors that help SMEs to strategically plan. Strategic Management and Strategic Planning Strategy is a term that is widely used by senior and middle managers. But the term seems to have multiple of meanings. There is no commonly accepted and universal meaning of strategy [6]. Due to this fact the definition of strategy has been the subject of extensive research since the 1960s. It has been described as the process of determining the long-term goals and objectives of an organization, by adopting a specific course of action and by allocating sufficient resources [7]. This traditional and rational definition was later challenged by Mintzberg contention that strategy was more a pattern of action resulting from intended or unintended strategies. Mintzberg claimed that strategy could be something more than an explicit plan of action. His five strategy dimensions that he recognized were: strategy as plan, strategy as pattern,strategy as ploy, strategy as perspective and strategy as position. These have been the basis for opening up the definition of strategy to a wider context of use [8]. Strategic planning concentrates on the setting of long-term organizational objectives, and the implementation of plans designed to achieve them. A suitable definition of strategic planning can be the devising and formulation of organizational level plans which set the broad and flexible objectives, strategies and policies of a business, driving the organization towards its vision of the future [2]. Porter [9] noted that further work was needed to enable business to understand strategic planning by arguing that while there has been considerable progress in developing frameworks that explain differing competitive success, at any given point in time, our understanding of the dynamic process by which firms perceive and ultimately attain superior market positions is far less developed. The SMEs literature Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial part for the economic growth of a country. SMEs contribute to outputs and employment and also affect the competitive ability of the large organizations [10]. SMEs can influence the competitiveness of large organizations by providing high quality inputs [11]. The importance of small and medium size businesses for future economic development has been reflected in a number of policy papers which have focused attention on the role of entrepreneurship, owner-managers and the small firm sector [12]. 3.1 The SMEs sector in Greece The contribution of the SMEs in the development, the employment and social coherence in Greece is substantial. In Greece, enterprises that have fewer than 50 employees form about 99.5 per cent of the total number of enterprises and employ the 74 per cent of the work force of the private sector. It should also be noted that Greek SMEs provide 70% of the new employment, reinforce the regional development and financial balance of the regions and make part of a cohesive financial and social link in Greek society. The role of SMEs in the national economy and employment is vital, since the main business model in Greece is and it will remain the micro enterprise which employs less than 10 persons. According to the criteria set by the European Commission, Greece has more than 733.000 qualified SMEs, from which more than half, 394.000 or the 53.7 per cent does not employ any salaried workers and they employ 11 people on average. [13] 3.2 Strategy in SMEs Academic research has been conducted on several broad fronts in order to define strategy in SMEs, from planning processes, to the individual personality of the owner-manager and the growth of a wide range of available advisory services providing information on strategic choice. Perry et al [14] argued that strategy should be examined in the everyday operating environment of the small firm. The formulation of strategy in SMEs has been the theme of many academic researchers. Some studies [15] examined the link between planning and performance in SMEs, while others [16] explored the difficulty of defining planning and strategic planning, and its dimensions, such as planning formality and performance in the small firm context. The definition of strategy in SMEs is often perceived as person centred rather than process driven. The performance of small firms is linked with the leadership style of the owner. Nahavandi and Malekzedah [17] in 1993 argued that the style and personality of the manager is central to the strategy definition process. Noble [18] after a series of exploratory interviews with the managing directors of SMEs, suggests that strategic deployment often fails as a result of SMEs inability to forecast and overcome implementation barriers. ORegan and Ghobadian [3] indicated a number of general barriers relating to the constraint of strategic planning implementation such as communication was inadequate, implementation took longer than expected, a shortfall in employee skills, objectives of strategy were not clearly understood by the staff, ineffective co-ordination of implementation, crises distracted attention from implementation, unexpected external problems arose and external factors impacted on implementation. Research Design This research applies the quantitative method to examine the implementation of strategic planning in SMEs in Greece. The central aim of the research is to provide empirical evidence on how SMEs use strategic planning and what kind of advice they use to aid them. Data were gathered by means of a survey questionnaire, all questions used a five-point Likert type scale; with a response of 1 indicating that an item received not agree and 5 indicating an item received agree. The sample consists of small and medium enterprises that are located in the Greek capital Athens and belong to the service and manufacturing sector. Questionnaires were distributed to a whole sample of 546 owner managers of small and medium sized enterprises. A postal questionnaire was used instead of sending e-mails, in order and to protect the participants anonymity and because some owner-managers were not familiar with the use of e-mails. From a total of 546 questionnaires mailed, 178 were returned, representing a 32 per cent response rate. Out of these 19 were found to have missing data and were deemed void. Therefore, data was collected from a total of 159 sets, representing a satisfactory response rate of approximately 29 per cent. The questionnaire consisted of 4 sections, covering the following aspects: Strategic planning implementation in SMEs Strategic planning activities Advisors that affect strategic planning Accounting information used for strategic planning Prior to distributing the questionnaire to the sample, a pilot study was conducted to discover any errors, ambiguities, inadequate answers, or highlight any confusing questions. Enterprises that participated in the pilot study were excluded from the main study. Research Questions of the study Question 1: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the Total Strategic Planning Activities? Question 2: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the use of internal advisors? Question 3: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the use of external advisors? Question 4: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the use of accounting information? Findings and Discussion The findings of the present research are contradictory in certain respects. Despite a sizeable majority of respondents indicating that their companies undertake strategic planning, there is limited evidence of practical strategic planning in the sense of setting long-term business objectives. Research by Stonehouse and Pemberton [2] that was conducted for British SMEs had the similar results. In their research the 92 per cent of the companies indicated that they undertake strategic planning, either highly structured or of a general nature. They have found that most of these organizations were concentrated on short-term sales, cost and profit targets rather than longer-term goals. 6.1 Strategic planning implementation and strategic planning activities Question 1 examined the relationship between strategic planning implementation and strategic planning activities In order to answer the above question relating with the strategic planning implementation and the strategic planning objectives, correlation tests and T-tests were employed. First the researchers with the use of factor analysis divided the strategic planning activities (objectives) into three categories. In the first category were sales, costs, profits, production/service procedure and customer service. In the second category were staff training, staff appraisal, staff recruitment and advertising and in the third category were the market share, the expansion of the size of the enterprise and the mission of the company. With the use of Pearsons and Spearmans correlation it was found that strong relationship between strategic planning implementation and strategic activities exists only for sale targets, cost targets, profit targets, production outcome targets and for the improvement of quality service. Greek owner managers of SMEs in their great majority when strategically planning, neglect activities such as staff appraisal, training and recruitment, advertising, mission fulfillment and market share targets. The above results are in line with the findings reported by Stonehouse and Pemberton [2]. They found that contradictions between strategic planning implementation and strategic planning activities could be explained in terms of a difference in perception between managers and academics on the nature of strategic planning. Furthermore, most Greek companies refer to strategic planning, but in practice they are more concerned with short-term objectives and what would be regarded by academic researchers as business planning. 6.2 Strategic planning and internal advice and assistance Question 2 examined the relationship between strategic planning implementation and human resources capital and internal advisors employed for strategic planning in Greek SMEs. Pearson Correlation and Spearman Correlation tests were used in order the research question to be answered. The study on Greek SMEs has not found a significant relationship between strategic planning and human resources capital employed. Most owner managers surveyed did not share the belief that the personnel have the skills or the experience to assist in the deployment of strategic plans. This result can be confirmed by the findings of research question 1, that owner managers do not have long-term plans for their staff recruitment, training and appraisal The above results are in contradiction with a research on Spanish SMEs by Aragon-Sanchez and Sanchez-Marin [19] who revealed that owner managers focus their attention on human resources as a key element that allows them to achieve a sustainable advantage. They noted that the competitiveness of SMEs is based on internal elements supported by resources such as personnel and their skills. But other studies had similar results with what was found about the Greek SMEs. ORegan and Ghobadian [3] identified a number of general barriers relating to the constraint of strategic planning implementation. Their pilot study confirmed eight main barriers with the shortfall in employee skills being one of them. The research by Hall and Young [20] on 182 failed small enterprises indicated that the most important cause for the failure of these companies were shortages in working capital (51.4 per cent). 6.3 The necessity of external advice Question 3 examines the relationship between strategic planning implementation and the use of external advice by the owner managers. Pearson Correlation and Spearman Correlation tests were used for the analysis of this question. The results of this research suggest that SMEs in Greece receive valuable external advise in order to plan strategically mainly from accountants. Government agencies and bank advisors are not contributing as beneficial advisors for the owner managers and only a minority of the respondents state that they receive useful advices for strategic planning. Pearsons correlation test has shown that there is a significant relationship between strategic planning implementation and the use of accountants, while there is not a significant relationship between other external advisors (government agencies and bank advisors) and strategic planning implementation. These results are in line with previous studies which have investigated the association of strategy formulation and external advice. Berry, Sweeting and Goto [21] conducted a research on SMEs located in Manchester and found that most of the business advisers had limited use by the owner managers. Only accountants had a key role in the processes of the SMEs but mostly on statutory work. They have also identified that accountants made a significant effort to shift into the value-adding areas of the SMEs; at it was perceived by the owner managers in the sample. Alattar [22] found that the use of an accountant to be responsible for the accounting function in the enterprise resulted in a provision of more information which was useful for maintaining better planning and control. Deakins et al [12] study indicates that an important task for accountants is to act as a consultant to the owner managers and that this involves supplying advice on internal planning, decision-making and control. Gooderham et al [23] stated that in many countries, smaller business accountants play an important role as business advisers in addition to providing accounting services. 6.4 Accounting Information used as tools for strategic planning implementation Question 4 examined the relationship between strategic planning implementation and accounting information used as a tool by owner managers for strategic planning in SMEs using Pearson Correlation and Spearman Correlation. This research has shown that owner managers of Greek SMEs take under serious consideration the accounting information they receive from external advice and they apply them as tools when they implement their strategic plans. This finding was consistent with what should have been expected as accounting information have been identified as crucial elements of strategic planning Stonehouse and Pemberton [2] noted that there is little evidence of usage of the tools of strategic analysis with the most common tool relating to internal financial analysis. Collis and Jarvis [5] identified the three main resources of information used in the management of small companies; management accounts; cash flow information and bank statements. They have found that most SMEs use accounting information such as profit and loss account, balance sheet, cash flow statement and forecast and ratio analysis in order to monitor the profitability and for planning and controlling. Hall and Youngs research [20] showed that poor use of accounting information was one of the main reasons that led into failure the 38 per cent of the 21 small enterprises surveyed. Randal and Horsman [24] found that the lack and misuse of accounting information contributed to small enterprise failure. Holmes and Nicholls [25] suggested that the quality of accounting information utilised within small enterpris es had a positive relationship with their performance. Conclusion This study has tried to examine from the respondents perspective the extent to which Greek SMEs use strategic planning and the influence of accounting information in the design and deployment of these plans. This paper has tried to identify relationships and differences, among the SMEs surveyed, between strategic planning implementation and (1) strategic planning activities of the firm; (2) the human resource capital; (3) external advice from, government agencies, banks and accountants; (4) accounting information such as profit and loss accounts, cost accounts, sales accounts, accounting ratios from the balance sheet and sales forecasts. The results of the analysis have shown that owner managers when strategically plan emphasise on activities such as profits, sales, costs, production outcomes and costumer service. The importance that is given to short-term financial objectives (sales, costs, profits) confirms a predisposition towards business planning rather than strategic planning. Other business objectives, that are closer related to strategic planning such as the companys mission, human resource training, market share targets and enterprise size targets are completely left out from strategic planning by the majority of the owner managers. The use of accounting information and advice received from accountants were, according to the owner managers, the most significant factors that facilitated them during the design and implementation of their strategic plans. In the contrary, it was found that the human resources of the SMEs and external advice from government agencies and banks did not have an important role in strategic planning implementation.

Childrens Books and Popular Myths about the First Wave of Feminism :: Essays Papers

Children's Books and Popular Myths about the First Wave of Feminism What is the First Wave (1) of Feminism? How is it portrayed as a â€Å"suffrage† movement? Does the average study of First Wave feminism look at issues outside of suffrage: consent laws, marital rape, education, women’s right to own property, divorce rights, and so on? I wanted to look at the portrayal of the â€Å"heroes† of the first wave – Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony – as well the movement itself, through books aimed at children. Children’s books seem like an obvious way to look at how the movement is popularly seen and understood. If we set aside condescending ideas of needing to â€Å"dumb down† ideas to introduce them to children, or needing figures to be purely heroic. Then, we assume that most people, who do not actively pursue it later in life, receive the bulk of their information on the First Wave of feminism from kindergarten through high school history education. The Book Choosing Process The sources cover a variety of age ranges and publishers. There was no science in the selection, they were simply the easiest to find at the downtown public library in Syracuse, New York (2), which to me indicates they are the most likely to be picked up by a student doing a report or reading for enjoyment. The sources are not supposed to represent the â€Å"worst† by any standards – they are children's history books, all of which do in depth studies of suffrage. These are not coloring books or propaganda, which, perhaps, is why the information is so dangerous. Brill, Marlene Targ. Let Women Vote! Brookfield: Millbrook, 1996. (aimed at ages 9-12), Davis, Lucille. Susan B. Anthony. Mankato: Bridgestone, 1998. (aimed at ages 4-8), Nash, Carol Rust. The Fight For Women’s Right To Vote in American History. Springfield: Enslow, 1998. (aimed at ages 9-12) Parker, Barbara Keevil. Susan B. Anthony: Daring to Vote. Brookfield: Millbrook, 1998. (aimed at ages 4-8) Five Major Questionable Facts About the First Wave in Children’s History Books 1. Women Asked For Rights. â€Å"This cartoon shows Elizabeth [Cady Stanton] speaking to the New York legislature. She asked [emphasis added] legislators to give women equal rights.† (Davis) 2. Susan B. Anthony Is the First Wave of Feminism. â€Å"Susan had prepared other women to work for women’s rights. They took up the fight. In 1920, the 19th amendment was passed. Many people called this law the Susan B.

Econ 256 Final

2. Why do economists generally regard median income as a better measure of a typical American's well-being than mean income? Dfiodifaje 3. Why do the United States, and many other counties, have antitrust laws on the books? What's so harmful about oligopoly that warrants an entire body of law? The United States and many other countries have antitrust laws on the books to protect their consumers in their different markets. Having the abilities to both raise and lower prices are the reasons that oligopolies are so harmful. . Two consumers go to the insurance company to purchase some life insurance. James is a smoker and a police officer who races motorcycles in his spare time. Kathy is a nonsmoker and a librarian who likes to make quilts in her spare time. The insurance company knows that both consumers are 40 years old, but the company has no information about occupations or hobbies. How does the private information in this situation create an adverse-selection problem? How could the insurance company lessen this problem? Without knowing the background information on the potential clients, insurance companies are without the ability to see that while James is risking his life as a police officer, he is also a smoker and racer. He’s putting his life on the line and still increasing the risk of injuries. The insurance should have a line on their application that asks for applicants for their occupation, whether they are smokers or if they drink, and lastly what they enjoy doing in their spare time. With having this information, the company can see what each of the individuals really needs insurance-wise. 6. Jane works part-time and earns $12,000 per year. Because she is below the poverty line, she also earns $4,000 in various welfare benefits. Suppose she is offered a new job that would pay her $15,000 and would bring her earnings high enough so that she no longer qualified for any welfare benefits. This is what is known as a â€Å"notch†. Explain what is happening with Jane and how could we modify the system to eliminate the notch.

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. His father, Edward Fitzgerald, owned a family business that was selling furniture in St. Paul. When the company went out of business in 1898, his father picked up his family and moved out to Syracuse, New York where his sister was born Annabel Fitzgerald. Two years later his father moves the family to Buffalo, New York in turn for accepting a job offer as a salesman.When hi father lost his job in buffalo, he returned to St. Paul and entered the St. Paul Academy in September of 1908. In 1913 he entered Princeton University with the class of 1917. He drops out his junior year to take a year off and graduates with the class of 1918. He then is commissioned as infantry 2nd lieutenant while he is on academic probation. The Army sends him to Camp Sheridan in Montgomery, Alabama where he meets Zelda at a country club dance.Zelda

Free Essays on Gullivers Travels

In the fictitous work of Johnathan Swift in Gulliver’s Travel, here he describes and imitates the lives of very different beings. We come to know and experience the lives of the Houyhnhnms, the Yahoos, Human Beings in the European world, and Gulliver. The way each being lives is uniquely different and yet similar to each other in a way. For the Houyhnhnms in their country is similar the Humans in Europe. Yet at the same time, the Humans are similar the Yahoos. Gulliver, in all circumstances, plays a part of all the beings from his ways and behaviors of his past to his ways and behaviors of his present situation. The Houyhnhnms are seen by Gulliver to be the utmost, perfect society of creatures in a beautiful world. The perfect society according to Gulliver. These Houyhnhnms live a world where there is nothing but honesty and nothing can be false. The Houyhnhnms live in a world where there is no lying, cheating, stealing, greed, or hostility among each other. This place is a perfect world where there is harmony. The Houyhnhnms place is where reason is the backbone of everything. For if you live by reason and go by reason, then how cans anything is judged or wrong. Where everything is not questioned and everyone goes along with what is ordered, for instance his or her hierarchy of classes. Where the white, sorrel, and gray coat Houyhnhnms are to be â€Å"naturally† inferior of the bay, black, and dapple-gray coat Houyhnhnms. Yet with all this, these Houyhnhnms are losing something that Humans have. They miss out entirely of the conditions of emotions which the Houyhnhnms have n one. Also, that no one can actually have a mind of their own, even though they are to be so intellectual. No Houyhnhnms can have an opinion or say that they hate being a servant and want more out of life or want to succeed. The Houyhnhnms society may have seen as the perfect world, but the inhabitors of this world are missing out on things, whic... Free Essays on Gulliver's Travels Free Essays on Gulliver's Travels In the fictitous work of Johnathan Swift in Gulliver’s Travel, here he describes and imitates the lives of very different beings. We come to know and experience the lives of the Houyhnhnms, the Yahoos, Human Beings in the European world, and Gulliver. The way each being lives is uniquely different and yet similar to each other in a way. For the Houyhnhnms in their country is similar the Humans in Europe. Yet at the same time, the Humans are similar the Yahoos. Gulliver, in all circumstances, plays a part of all the beings from his ways and behaviors of his past to his ways and behaviors of his present situation. The Houyhnhnms are seen by Gulliver to be the utmost, perfect society of creatures in a beautiful world. The perfect society according to Gulliver. These Houyhnhnms live a world where there is nothing but honesty and nothing can be false. The Houyhnhnms live in a world where there is no lying, cheating, stealing, greed, or hostility among each other. This place is a perfect world where there is harmony. The Houyhnhnms place is where reason is the backbone of everything. For if you live by reason and go by reason, then how cans anything is judged or wrong. Where everything is not questioned and everyone goes along with what is ordered, for instance his or her hierarchy of classes. Where the white, sorrel, and gray coat Houyhnhnms are to be â€Å"naturally† inferior of the bay, black, and dapple-gray coat Houyhnhnms. Yet with all this, these Houyhnhnms are losing something that Humans have. They miss out entirely of the conditions of emotions which the Houyhnhnms have n one. Also, that no one can actually have a mind of their own, even though they are to be so intellectual. No Houyhnhnms can have an opinion or say that they hate being a servant and want more out of life or want to succeed. The Houyhnhnms society may have seen as the perfect world, but the inhabitors of this world are missing out on things, whic...

At least four general characteristics of materials handling contribute Essay

At least four general characteristics of materials handling contribute to its intrinsic hazard potential. Name and explain four such characteristics - Essay Example In general lack of operational control may increase the scope of intrinsic hazards as it may cause either cause damage either to the operator, the fellow workers or the environment in varied combinations and extremities. Non-Identification of Hazardous Materials: The proper identification and description of the extent of the risk posed by a hazardous material must be well aware to the person handling it. Any lacuna in this would proportionally increase the intrinsic hazard potential of the material. Handling procedures including details on the hazard levels and risks posed must be studied in detail before handling the material Continued exposure of Hazardous materials: If hazardous materials with are not isolated and demarcated, it may lead to uncontrolled exposure of the same to the people handling it which would contribute to the increase of its potential risk. Thus such materials must be isolated and made to be handled by trained persons Personal Safety Equipments: The proper use of Personal Safety Equipments like gloves, goggles, safety shoes, work coat, sunscreen is very important to avert the risk posed by hazardous materials. Improper use of these or not using these while handling a hazardous material increases the intrinsic hazard potential of the

Solve A Propblem Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Solve A Propblem - Research Paper Example There is a lot of hue and cry on global warming because warming brings climate changes in the form of drought or torrential rains in some part of Earth, melts glaciers, lengthens seasons, develops cyclones and large scale disruption in variety of ways. Global warming is entirely a human creation and it needs to be resolved accordingly. If Earth keeps getting warmer, it is quite likely that about 25 percent of our plants and species on Earth could go extinct by end of this century. Our ecosystem is in danger because each plant or species acts as a predator, a source of food, a source of shelter or a pollinator and loosing even one of them affects whole chain in ecosystem. Causes of Global Warming While going into the root cause or causes of global warming, the pertinent question arises how and why does global warming take place? Scientists state that it occurs because humans have begun burning fossil fuels in large quantities in last one hundred year or so and the burning goes on in i ndustries, power stations, and vehicles uninterruptedly. Burning generates carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide gases that go to atmosphere. Oceans do absorb greenhouse gases and maintain a delicate balance; however, load of emissions are now so high that nature cannot clear them on its own. Can Clean Energy Stop Global Warming? Energy is the most crucial and strategic resource necessary for economic development and more than 80 percent of the current energy needs are met with fossil fuels. The moot question is can we replace fossil fuels with some other sources of energy that are clean in nature and do not generate any harmful emissions? Certainly, there are clean sources of energy such as wind, solar, hydro, biofuel, hydrogen and many more that can be used to generate electricity to meet our requirement. Let us, time being, assume that all these technologies have reached to a level where it is feasible to replace fossil fuels completely and now there is no release of greenhouse gases any more – then, does this mean that world will become free from the global warming completely? Apparently, it may seem so but that is far from truth! It has been established that pre-industrial carbon dioxide concentration was 280 parts per million (PPM) that has gone past 380 PPM in 2010 – a rise of over 30 percent after the process of industrialization that began in 1850. Unless carbon dioxide level falls back to the pre-industrial level of 280 PPM, global warming will continue on this planet (Effects of Changing the Carbon Cycle, 2013). Why? It is worth noting that about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide that humans have emitted into the atmosphere has been taken away by the ocean. In the process of dissolving carbon dioxide in the ocean water forms carbonic acid reducing pH (the measure of acidity) of the water by 0.1 – almost 30 percent increase in acidity of the ocean water. Experts state that ‘coral reefs’ that provide habitat to fish a nd other creatures in the ocean will get vanished in increased ocean acidity (Global Climate Change, 2013). Its impact will be severely felt in coming years in terms of lost food web that joins all oceanic creatures. Moreover, warmer oceans, due to greenhouse effect, would have impact on the growth of phytoplankton and sea grasses because they grow better in cool waters. This eventually reduces the

The Presence of Homosexual Characters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Presence of Homosexual Characters - Essay Example Similar sitcoms, such as Brothers and Sisters followed in the wake of the success of Will and Grace. Today, there is a liberal offering of sitcoms that feature gays in lead roles, have gay themes, or present gay minor characters. Because of the number of shows available, the portrayal of the gay lifestyle reflects the diversity we might see in real life. There are lesbians that would defy recognition if we met them on the street, and there are outrageous gay men whose sexual preference can be detected from across a parking lot. While mainstream America is sometimes shocked by the outrageous portrayals of some of these characters, they have benefited the viewers by exposing them to a valid world of authentic diversity and reduced discrimination against gays. The portrayal of homosexual characters on television is positive because it gradually makes people accept homosexuality. Prior to mid 1990s, homosexuals were rarely accepted in the society, and kept as a 'dirty little secret'. Homosexuality at that time was considered deviant behavior and not as an acceptable norm. America was uncomfortable with gays and uncomfortable with itself. ... During this period, the media had been passively introducing gay characters and homosexual themes to the television viewers. The trend started during the 1970s in an ABC sitcom called Soap with a gay character named Billy Crystal. Twenty years later, in 1996, people were becoming more accepting of homosexuality and seeing their characters on television. Though there were many sitcoms that had supporting characters who were homosexuals, NBC's 1998 sitcom, Will and Grace had successfully included a main character who is homosexual in a show that had homosexuality as a main theme. Homosexuality had been gradually introduced over a period of 3 decades, and the public was ready for the character, Will. He was a conservative, well mannered male that did not stereotype the homosexual lifestyle. NBC was able to pull the audience a little farther into the gay world by introducing Will's friend Jack, who was more outgoing and substantially more physically demonstrative. Jack was able to exhibi t mannerisms and say lines that the public was not yet ready to see in a lead role. However, this highly successful sitcom was instrumental in introducing a gay couple in a gay setting on a regular basis. The viewers benefited from the gradual exposure to homosexuality as a realistic, alternative lifestyle. Homosexuality has become less monstrous to the cultural mainstream and instead has become a cultural curiosity. As a result, homosexuals can be open about themselves to society and as well as feel normal about themselves. The increasing acceptance of homosexuals in the television sitcom has helped to dispel 'gay panic', an unwarranted and exaggerated fear of homosexuality. Gay panic has been the cause of violence towards gays, as well as a legal defense for assaults on gays. The

Integrated Conservation Development Projects Essay Example for Free

Integrated Conservation Development Projects Essay Integrated Conservation Development Projects (ICDP) look into how the socio-economic goals of a people may be achieved without compromising the ecological balance of the environment. At the same time, ICDP, more importantly, is directed at using socio-economic investments to keep the biodiversity intact despite the influx of human activities. ICDPs require an assessment of the dynamics of the project area so as to be able to determine the appropriate approach and the needed intervention, and monitoring and evaluation in the target community. The following are experiences of the implementation of some ICDPs: English Title: Conservation and development projects in the Brazilian Amazon: lessons from the community initiative program in Rondonia. Personal Authors: Browder, J. O. Author Affiliation: Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. Document Title: Environmental Management, 2002 (Vol. 29) (No. 6) 750-762 Publisher: Springer-Verlag NewYork Inc. Abstract: This ICDP takes on community-based conservation and development as a foundation of sustainable economic development. Although there is a growing debate on the effectiveness and replicability of ICDPs, the central elements of the concept of integrated conservation and development are examined through a description of the Community Initiative Program (CIP), a pilot program of the Rondonia Natural Resources Management project in the western Brazilian Amazon state of Rondonia. The CIP apply the principles of ICDP to the regional scale in different communities at the same time. Conservation impacts of the program and lessons learned are presented here. Author: Asian Development Bank Year: 1998 Paper Title: Central Sulawesi Integrated Area Development and Conservation Project Abstract: This ICDP focuses on Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi Integrated Development Conservation Project. The goals of the Project are poverty reduction and sustainable development achieved through acceleration and sustained growth of the agricultural sector. It also has a policy component that aims to develop a policy framework and institutional reform measures to increase agricultural productivity. The expected outputs and outcomes of the Project are hoped to bring about socio-economic as well as environmental benefits. The benefits shall have a positive impact on both the poor and the indigenous cultural communities in the area. Author: The World Bank Documents Reports Year: 2007 Paper Title: Request for the secretary of states approval to designate Bolong Fenyo as Gunjar community wildlife reserve Journal Title: Gambia Integrated Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Management Project Volume: 2 of 2 Abstract: Gambia’s critical ecological areas may be protected with The Integrated Coastal and Marine Biodiversity (ICAM) project. A number of expected project impacts and mitigation measures may regulate activities through the establishment of resource utilization zones within the core park area and buffer zones but these are aimed to obtain positive effects and impact both in the short-term and in the long run. A new set of rules will also have to be drafted by the DPWM and the communities so that permitted activities especially in the reserve area such as fishing and oystering may be agreed upon. Other alternative options are being explored in view of the limitations presented. References Cab Abstracts. (2007). Conservation and development projects in the Brazilian Amazon: lessons from the community initiative program in Rondonia. Retrieved October 8, 2007, from Cab Abstracts Web site: https://www.adb.org/

It’s Time to Tell the True History of Texas :: Personal Narrative

It’s Time to Tell the True History of Texas When the Bob Bullock Texas State History museum opened in March 2001, it advertised itself as â€Å"The Story of Texas.† It still calls itself the story of Texas in letters chiseled into the top of the building, on its Web site, on signs directing visitors to the museum, and even on the refrigerator magnets you can buy in the gift shop. When I first saw the slogan, I wondered how there could be â€Å"the† story of Texas, since Texas has been culturally diverse throughout its history as a part of Mexico that became a separate nation and later a state. Shortly Texas will have no one group as a majority. I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, where the great majority of the population, like me, is Mexican American. How was this new museum going to present my story? I had to go and find out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I first walked into the lobby, I noticed the large mosaic on the floor but I couldn’t figure out what it depicted. I just saw a campfire and a bunch of wiggly figures. Someone next to me told their kids that they’d be able to see the entire mosaic from the third floor. I decided to wait and do the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first exhibit I saw was the â€Å"It Ain’t Braggin’ if it’s True† (one of my friends told me I had to see the shrine to Lance Armstrong and the rhinestone car). The name of the exhibit didn’t make much sense to me though; aren’t all museum exhibits, especially ones about history, supposed to be true? The big banner in the middle of the room didn’t help much either. It simply said â€Å"Vision† and had a quote about how only those with great vision can see opportunity where others see empty space. Maybe those who have this type of vision get the braggin’ rights?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Texas was never a big empty space. The Spaniards and later the French who came here discovered cultures that were centuries old. But history, and the museum itself, begins with European colonization. The history of Texas, one of the signs says, was shaped by the way the different groups of people who came to Texas responded to the land and to each other. So land, and interaction between different groups of people, would be used a lot in the telling of this story of Texas, I assumed.

Presence of Exim Bank in Saarc Region

History of SAARC The concept of setting up a regional co-operational in the South Asian Region was first mooted by the late President of Bangladesh, Ziaur-Rahman on May 2, 1980. Before this, the idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was discussed in conferences of Asian Regional conference, New Delhi in April 1947, the Baguio Conference in Philippines in May 1950, and the Colombo Power Conference in April 1954. urther in the late 70s, SAARC nations agreed to create a trade bloc consisting of South Asian countries. The idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was again mooted in May 1980as a result, the foreign secretaries of the seven countries met for the first time in Colombo in April 1981. The Committee of the Whole, which met in Colombo in August 1985, identified five broad areas for regional cooperation.New areas of cooperation were added in the following years. Hence the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was created in 1985 with eight member countri es in SAARC namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It also has nine observers, namely China, EU, Iran, Republic of Korea, Australia, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar and USA.The objectives of the Association as defined in the Charter are: * to promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to improve their quality of life; * to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potential; * to promote and strengthen selective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia; * to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another's problems; * to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields; * to strengthen cooperation with other developing countries; * to strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interest; and * to cooperate with international and regional organisations with similar aims and purposes. The principles of SAARC are: * Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, political equality and independence of all members states * Non-interference in the internal matters is one of its objectives * Cooperation for mutual benefit * All decisions to be taken unanimously and need a quorum of all eight members * All bilateral issues to be kept aside and only multilateral(involving many countries) issues to be discussed without being prejudiced by bilateral issues Economic Agenda of SAARC The main economic agenda of SAARC include: ) SAARC Preferential Trading Agreement (SAPTA) The Agreement on SAPTA was signed on 11 April 1993 and entered into force on 7 December 1995. The Agreement envisaged promoting and sustaining mutual trade and economic cooperation within the SAARC region through exchange of concessions. b) South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) The Ag reement on SAFTA was signed on 6 January 2004 during the Twelfth SAARC Summit in Islamabad. The Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2006. c) South Asian Economic Union The Eleventh Summit (Kathmandu, 4-6 January 2002) provided further impetus to the regional economic cooperation to give effect to the shared aspirations for a more prosperous South Asia.At the Summit, the leaders agreed to accelerate cooperation in the core areas of trade, finance and investment to realise the goal of an integrated South Asian economy in a step-by-step manner. They also agreed to the vision of a phased and planned process eventually leading to a South Asian Economic Union. Economic Profile of the SAARC Member Countries In Afghanistan, real domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have reached 13. 9% in FY2007, owing to a strong recovery in agricultural production. Industry and services recorded dynamic growth of 13. 3% and 12. 4%, respectively. Construction was the main driver of industrial growth . In Bangladesh, GDP growth in FY2007 (ended June 2007) stood at 6. % underpinned by steady expansion in manufacturing and continued buoyancy in services, on the base of rising domestic and external demand. Secretariat of SAARC The Secretariat of SAARC is located in Kathmandu has been established on 16 January 1987 inaugurated by Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal headed by a Secretary General. The Secretary General is appointed by the Council of Ministers from Member Countries in alphabetical order for a term of three-years assisted by the Professional and the General Services Staff, and also an appropriate number of functional units called Divisions assigned to Directors on deputation from Member States.The Secretariat has been entrusted with the function of coordination and monitoring the implementation of activities, arranging for meetings, and serveing as a channel of communication between the Association and its Member States as well as other regional organizations. T he setting up of SAARC Secretariat involved inking a Memorandum of Understanding between the Foreign Ministers of member countries on 17 November 1986 at Bangalore, India which contained various clauses concerning the role, structure and administration of the SAARC Secretariat as well as the powers of the Secretary-General. Regional Centres of SAARC There are various regional centres established by SAARC Secretariat in member states so as to ensure smooth working of the SAARC functions.The regional Centres covering Agriculture, Tuberculosis, Documentation, Meteorological research, and Human Resource Development have been established in different SAARC capitals: SAIC (Dhaka, 1998) STC (Kathmandu, 1992) SDC (New Delhi, 1994) SMRC (Dhaka, 1995) SHRDC (Islamabad, 1999) SCC (Kandy, 2004) SCZMC (Male, 2004) and SIC (Kathmandu, 2004). In addition, three new regional centres covering Culture, Coastal Zones Management, and Information are being established. India- SAARC Relationship The coun tries of South Asia were compelled to forge a regional grouping due to universal realization among the third world countries. – india with her experience of initial efforts to organize the Asian community ; the conflicts in the region welcomed the initiative of Bangladesh in 1980. for an association of south Asian namely India, Pakistan, Sri lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives. SAARC provides a platform for the peoples of south asia to work together in a spirit of friendship , trust ; understanding . – it aims to accelerated the process of economic ; social development in member states. – the initial years of SAARC were marked by significant political developments in the world culminating in the demise of cold war ; the disremberment of the soviet union. – therefore, when the proposal for the regional co-operation was made by bangladesh india could not reject the proposal. – as this regional cooperation could play a useful role in india's ow n regional policy. – india is the biggest with sharing the borders with all 6 countries of the region. – from politicla to economic level, india & its neighbors have many disputes. inida is also having the stable democracy, has a strong military machine, a large scientific & technical manpower & a vast industries infrastructure makes it different from other countries. – the end of cold war has provided greater leeway to india to promote her perception of south Africa regionalism through SAARC. – india has become the heart of saarc & in fact constitutes the major source of both GDP, trade & capital flows within saarc/region. – the reluctance of india & other south asian countries to turn saarc into forum for resolving major regional disputes hampers saarc ability to deal with many of the south asia's economic ; political problems. Mekong-Ganga Cooperation : it was established on nov 10 2000 at vientiane in the 1st MGC ministerial-meeting. – i t comprises of 6 members countries namely, thailand, myanmar,cambodia, lao PDR, vietnam ; india. – they emphses on 4 areas of cooperation , which are : tourism, culture, education , transportation linkages in order to be solid foundation for future trade ; investment cooperation in the region. Cooperation Mechanisms : – the working mechanism for MGC consists of the annual ministrial meeting, the senior official's meeting, 5 working group namely : * working group on tourism (thailand) * working group on education , HRD (india) * working group on culture (cambodia) working group on communication & transportation (lao PDR) * working group on paln of actions (vietnam). – with his cooperation india has extended its footprints in asean region under the geostartegic back drop. – india has added powerful cultural dimension to its economic diplomacy by encouraging business contacts between the people residing on the banks Summits Summits which are the highest auth ority in SAARC, are supposed to be held annually. The country hosting the Summit also holds the Chair of the Association. Bangladesh hosted the Thirteenth Summit in November 2005 at Dhaka as the Chairperson of the Association. India will host the Fourteenth SAARC Summit in 2007 as its Chairman.South Asia’s regional cooperation, international political and economic environment, poverty alleviation, advancing economic cooperation, funding mechanisms, security of small states, combating, terrorism, social, natural disasters and environmental challenges as an agenda for third decade of SAARC was also discussed in the Thirteenth Summit. Enhancing people-to-people contact and cultural cooperation, political cooperation and external linkages of SAARC was also discussed. SAARC member states welcomed the request by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for membership and invited Afghanistan as a member, subject to the completion of formalities.SAARC member states also agreed in principl e with the desire of the People’s Republic of China and Japan to be associated as observers. The Agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters Establishment of SAARC Arbitration Council, and the Limited 136 Pakistan Journal of History & Culture, Vol. XXVII/2 (2006) Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters were signed during the thirteenth SAARC Summit The Council of Ministers comprising Foreign Ministers, meets at least twice a year. Its functions include formulating policy, reviewing progress of regional cooperation, identifying new areas of cooperation and establishing additional mechanisms that may be necessary.The Standing Committee comprising Foreign Secretaries, monitors and coordinates SAARC programmes of cooperation, approves projects including their financing and mobilizes regional and external resources. It meets as often as necessary and reports to the Council of Ministers. The Association also convenes meetings at Ministerial Level on specialized themes. The Committee on Economic Cooperation consisting of Secretaries of Commerce oversees regional cooperation in the economic field. During the Twelfth Summit in Islamabad, the SAARC Social Charter was signed in order to address social issues such as population stabilization, empowerment of women, youth mobilization, human resource development, promotion of health and nutrition, and protection of children, which are keys to the welfare and well-being of all South Asians.South Asian States have adopted Conventions on the Suppression of Terrorism (including Additional Protocol signed in January 2004 in Islamabad), Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, Trafficking in Women and Children, and Child Welfare in South Asia. An Agreement on Food Security Reserve is also in place. During the 12th SAARC summit held in Islamabad the leaders of South Asia reiterated their commitment to form South Asian Economic Union (SAEU). If for med, it will pave the way for more ambitious — but entirely achievable — goals such as a Free Trade Area, an Economic Union, open borders, and a common currency for the region. As President Pervez Musharraf said, â€Å"we must expand SAARC charter to discuss bilateral issues at the regional level. There can be no development in the absence of peace.There can be no peace, so long as political issues and disputes continue to fester. †The Twelfth Summit renewed the urgency to deal with poverty in the region. For this purpose, the Summit directed the Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation (ISACPA) to submit to the next Summit a comprehensive and realistic blueprint setting out SAARC 14 President Pervez Musharraf’s statement reported by M. Aftab, â€Å"Can Safta lead to South Asian Economic Union? † The News, 19 January, 2004. SAARC: Origin, Growth, Potential and Achievements 137 Development Goals for the next five years in the areas of poverty alleviation, education, health and environment.The Governors of the Central Banks of member states under the auspices of SAARCFINANCE meet regularly to consider cooperation in financial matters. For strengthening cooperation in information and media related activities of the Association, the Heads of National Television and Radio Organizations of member countries meet annually. Similarly, the SAARC Audio-Visual Exchange (SAVE) Committee disseminates information both on SAARC and its Member States through regular Radio and TV Programmes. In the field of education, the Member States cooperate through the forums of SACODiL (SAARC Consortium on Open and Distance Learning) and Heads of Universities Grants Commission/Equivalent Bodies.Memoranda of Understanding have been signed to promotecollaboration with UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), UNESCAP (United Nati ons Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific), UNDCP (United Nations Drug Control Programme), ITU (International Telecommunications Union), APT (Asia Pacific Telecommunity), WHO (World Health Organization), UNIFEM (Untied Nations Fund for Women), CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency), EC (European Commission), PTB (German Metrology Institute), WB (World Bank), ADB (Asian Development Bank), UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) and SACEP (South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme). Regular dialogues with other Regional Organizations such as ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations), ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) and PIFS (Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat) are held with a view to promoting cooperation among sub-regional organizations.The Association promotes interaction on multilateral issues of common concern to its members and has identified areas in which collective positions could be projected at international forums. These i nclude trade, finance, environment, agriculture, women and children, information and telecommunications. Beyond official linkages, SAARC also encourages and facilitates cooperation in private sector through the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), which is a SAARC Apex Body. Other such bodies are SAARCLAW and South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA). In addition, the status of SAARC Recognized Bodies has been accorded to professional groups in South Asia including Architects, Management 138 http://www. nihcr. edu. pk Pakistan Journal of History & Culture, Vol.XXVII/2 (2006) Development Institutions, University Women, Town Planners, Cardiologists, Dermatologists, Teachers, Writers, Insurance Organizations, Diploma Engineers, Radiological and Surgical Care Societies. The Association of Speakers and Parliamentarians enjoy special recognition by the Heads of State or Government. Achievements Several factors such as political, economic, security and potentiality of mutual e conomic benefit through regionalism seem to have influenced President Ziaur Rahman’s thinking about establishing a regional organization in South Asia. 15 SAARC’s existence, however, has enabled South Asian political leaders to meet regularly and carry on informal discussions to address their mutual problems.This is no mean achievement given South Asia’s past history and low level of interaction among South Asian countries since their independence. Informal talks among the leaders at regularly held SAARC meetings have led to inter-elite reconciliation on many sensitive issues, producing some noteworthy results in South Asia. The informal talks between the Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers at the second SAARC Summit meeting at Bangalore in November 1986 led to the diffusion of tension between the two countries on the issue of India’s military exercise, Operation Brasstacks, on the Indo-Pakistan border, and the India-Sri Lanka talks at the 1987 SAARC for eign ministers’ meeting led to their accord on the Tamil problem.As a result of an informal meeting and discussion between Prime Minister of India and Pakistan, Narasimha Rao and Nawaz Sharif, at Davos (Switzerland), in 1992, the Pakistani government took action to prevent the move of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) to cross the ceasefire line in Kashmir later that year. The Davos meeting was possible because of an earlier informal agreement between the two leaders at the sixth SAARC Summit meeting at Colombo in December 1991. Given this utility of SAARC, can the organization grow or expand its role in the coming decades? The Heads of State or Government during the Ninth SAARC Summit agreed for the first time that a process of informal political consultations would prove useful in promoting peace, stability, amity and accelerated socio-economic cooperation in the region. The leaders reiterated this intent during their Tenth and Eleventh Summits in Colombo and Ka thmandu respectively also.The Agreement on SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) was signed in 1993 and four rounds of trade negotiations have been concluded. With the objective of moving towards a South Asian Economic Union (SAEU), the Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) was signed during the Twelfth Summit in Islamabad in January 2004. SAFTA may enter into force by the end of the year 2006. The Association has carried out Regional Studies on trade, manufactures and services, environment and poverty alleviation, SAFTA and Customs matters. Since its inception in 1984 there have also been serious differences among member countries over the aims and functioning of SAARC. 6 Such differences have been pronounced in verbal bickerings in several SAARC meetings. This is in the face of the fact that closer social, economic and cultural ties (the espoused ideals of SAARC) are considered the one and only hope for building regional cooperation efforts in South Asia in the coming years. Indeed, increasing rationalization of world trade and the fluidity of the emerging global system has increased trade within each trade bloc and those countries that do not belong to any trade blocs are likely to be the losers. 17 This also provides a strong rationale for sustaining the SAARC vis-a-vis future trade prospects of South Asia.The assumption that peace can be achieved through SAARC without addressing the political problems of the region has neither een able to cultivate peace nor to invigorate the SAARC process successfully. Though since its very inception it has been regularly able to hold Summit meetings yet there have been interruptions in 16 The main point of debate hinges on the Charter of SAARC which does not allow bilateral issues to be discussed at the regional level summit diplomacy. 17 B. S. Shreekantaradhya, â€Å"Globalisation of Indian Economy: Strategies and Constraints,† S. Murty, The Changing Indian Economic Order (New Delhi: Indus Ec onomic Profile of the SAARC Member Countries In Afghanistan, real domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have reached 13. % in FY2007, owing to a strong recovery in agricultural production. Industry and services recorded dynamic growth of 13. 3% and 12. 4%, respectively. Construction was the main driver of industrial growth. In Bangladesh, GDP growth in FY2007 (ended June 2007) stood at 6. 5% underpinned by steady expansion in manufacturing and continued buoyancy in services, on the base of rising domestic and external demand (Figure 1). Figure 1: Economic Growth in SAARC Region – 2007 (percent) Source: Asian Development Outlook 2008, ADB Source: Direction of Trade Statistics Year Book 2007, IMF. Bhutan’s real GDP in FY2007 (ended June 2007) is estimated to have grown by 17. %. This was driven by growth in power sector (with a GDP share of 11. 3% in FY2006) resulting from the commissioning of the 1,020 megawatt (MW) Tala hydropower station, which has been phased in sin ce July 2006. In India, the impressive economic performance of the past few years continued with real GDP growth at 9. 0% in 2007-08, as compared to 9. 6% in the previous year. The real GDP of Maldives grew by 6. 6% in 2007, reverting to its historical growth path after the post-tsunami contraction in 2005. Tourism, the leading sector with around one-third share of GDP, grew by 10. 0%. Real GDP growth of Nepal moderated to 2. 3% in FY2007 (endedmidJuly 2007) from 3. 1% in FY2006, resulting from subdued performances of agriculture and industry. Real GDP growth of Pakistan continued to remain strong for the fourth consecutive year registering a growth of 7. 0% in FY2007 (ended June 2007). During 2007, Sri Lanka continued to register strong real GDP growth of 6. 7%, as compared to 7. 7% in 2006. Trend in Foreign Trade and Trade Policies SAARC’s Global Trade During the year 2000 to 2006, the total exports of SAARC countries have increased from US$ 63. 5 billion to US$ 161. 4 bill ion. The total imports of SAARC countries also have increased from US$ 79. 5 billion in 2000 to US$ 255. 3 billion in 2006.Among the SAARC countries, India led both in terms of exports and imports, followed by Pakistan and Bangladesh. Intra-SAARC Trade Total intra-SAARC exports have increased from US$ 2. 8 billion in 2000 to US$ 10. 8 billion in 2006, registering nearly a four-fold rise during the period. As a result, intra-SAARC exports, as a proportion of SAARC global exports, have risen from 4. 5% in 2000 to 6. 7% in 2006. Intra-exports of the SAARC countries were dominated by India, followed by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The total intra-SAARC imports have also increased more than three-fold from US$ 3. 0 billion in 2000 to US$ 9. 6 billion in 2006. Intra-SAARC imports ere dominated by Sri Lanka, followed by India. Figure 2 depicts the trend in intra-SAARC trade (exports plus imports) vis-a-vis trend in SAARC’s global trade. A comparison of the trends would highlight the buoy ancy in intra- SAARC trade especially after 2003, as compared to SAARC’s global trade. Trade Policies Trade liberalisation in South Asia started with a series of sweeping reforms in Sri Lanka in 1977/78. For the rest of South Asia, the 1980s and 1990s saw substantial reductions of tariffs and phasing out of quantitative restrictions (QRs), along with liberalisation of the exchange regimes. Developments in SAARC Trade Integration SAARC Preferential Trade Agreement SAPTA) was signed at the seventh SAARC summit in 1993, in Dhaka. The agreement provides a framework and institutional base for trade liberalisation and economic cooperation between the seven SAARC member countries. The agreement provides for the exchange of concessions between SAPTA members on tariffs, para-tariff and non-tariff barriers. It envisages four basic approaches to the exchange of trade preferences: (1) product-by-product; (2) across- the-board; (3) sectoral; and (4) â€Å"direct trade† measures. So uth Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) extends the scope of SAPTA to include trade facilitation elements and switches the tariff liberalisation rocess from a positive to a negative list approach. Foreign Direct Investment in the SAARC Region Private capital flows to South Asia was largely driven by India, which received the majority of capital flows to the region. The total FDI inflows into the SAARC region have increased from US$ 5. 6 billion in 2000 to US$ 22. 3 billion in 2006. FDI outflows from the SAARC region have increased from US$ 350 mn in 2000 to US$ 9. 8 billion in 2006. India’s Trade and Investment Relations with SAARC Trade Relations India’s exports to the SAARC region increased from US$ 2. 8 billion in 2002-03 to US$ 6. 5 billion in 2006-07 (Figure 3). Amongst the SAARC members, Sri Lanka is the largest arket, accounting for 35% of India’s Blue Magenta Black Blue Magenta Black Brief on New Publications SAARC: An Emerging Trade Bloc Exim Bank : Rese arch Brief No. 38, June 2008 3 Figure 3: Trend in India’s Trade in SAARC Region (US$ mn) Source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GOI total exports in the SAARC region during 2006-07, followed by Bangladesh (25%), Pakistan (21%) and Nepal (14%). An analysis of the trend in India’s exports to the SAARC region during the period 2002-03 to 2006-07 reveals that, while exports to all the SAARC members have registered a rise, India’s exports to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal have exhibited distinct buoyancy. While India’s exports toPakistan registered a six-fold rise during the five-year period, exports to Afghanistan and to Nepal also rose three-fold and two and half-fold, respectively, during the period. India’s imports from the SAARC region have also risen from US$ 531. 5 mn in 2002-03 to US$ 1. 5 billion in 2006-07, depicting almost a three-fold rise during the period. Sri Lanka is again the leading partner, accounting for 31% of India’s to tal imports from the region during 2006-07, followed by Pakistan (21%), Nepal (20%), Bangladesh (15%) and Bhutan (9%). The robust rise in India’s total imports from the SAARC during the period 2002-03 to 2006-07 has been underpinned by the sharp ncrease in imports from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Bangladesh. India generally maintains a positive trade balance with the other SAARC member countries, and the trade surplus have risen from US$ 2. 3 billion in 2002-03 to US$ 5. 0 billion in 2006-07. Investment Relations The total foreign direct investments (approved) from India to other SAARC countries amounted to US$ 312. 8 mn during April 1996 to December 2007. Among the SAARC countries, Sri Lanka (US$ 153. 1 mn) was the major destination of Indian investment followed by Nepal (US$ 87. 2 mn). During January 2005 to December 2007, 33 joint ventures (JVs) and 42 wholly owned subsidiaries (WOSs) have been pproved in the SAARC countries. Out of this, 1 JV was approved in Afghanist an, 7 JVs and 8 WOSs were approved in Bangladesh, 2 JVs in Maldives, 2 JVs and 6 WOSs in Nepal, 1 JV in Bhutan, and 20 JVs and 28 WOSs in Sri Lanka. Areas of investment approved include engineering goods, electrical equipments, pesticides, readymade garments, cables and wires, plastic & plastic products, rubber products and textiles. Total investments of SAARC countries to India have amounted to US$ 11. 7 mn during April 2000 to February 2008. Among all the SAARC countries, Sri Lanka was the largest source of FDI with US$ 8. 5 mn during the period, followed by Maldives (US$ 3. 1 mn).The investment flows between India and Sri Lanka have increased mainly after the implementation of India Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISLFTA). Exim Bank in the SAARC Region Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) operates a comprehensive range of financing, advisory and support programmes to promote and facilitate India’s trade and investment relations with the SAARC region. In the SAARC region , the Bank has supported several Indian project exporters to execute contracts in countries such as: _ Hydroelectric project (Tala project), tunnel house, and dam construction in Bhutan; _ Road improvement projects, railway construction and maintenance, gas turbine power plant project, lectrical substations, cement plant project, transmission line project, and conveyor belt project in Bangladesh; _ Steel, local telephone network, transmission lines, sub-stations, out door LED video system for cricket matches, and diesel fired power project in Sri Lanka; _ Transmission lines and substations, optic fibre cable project, hydro electric projects, and irrigation projects in Nepal, and _ Air-conditioning & electro mechanical work at Male Airport in Maldives. The Bank, in order to help Indian companies in their internationalisation efforts, provides term loans to them, both for equity investment in their ventures overseas. Besides, Exim Bank lso undertakes direct equity stake in Indian vent ures abroad, to enable Indian companies to supplement their equity with Exim Bank’s contribution. To facilitate Indian presence in the SAARC region, the Bank has supported joint ventures by Indian companies in several sectors, including: _ Pharmaceuticals, steel and glass sectors in Sri Lanka; _ Electrical sector in Bangladesh, and _ Engineering goods and textile sectors in Nepal. Exim Bank extends Lines of Credit (LOCs) to overseas financial institutions, foreign governments and their agencies, enabling them to finance EXIM BANK ORGANISES SEMINAR ON REGIONAL ECONOMIC & FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN ASIAExim Bank of India organised a Seminar on ‘Regional Economic and Financial Cooperation in Asia' on October 5, 2005 as a curtain raiser for the 11th Annual Meeting of Asian Exim Banks being held from October 5-7, 2005 in Goa. The Forum of Asian Exim Banks comprises 9 Asian countries, viz. India, Japan, China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Australia with Asian Development Bank, Manila, the multilateral financing institution as a permanent invitee. The Forum has an Annual Meeting hosted by a member country by rotation. The Forum was conceived and initiated by Exim Bank of India in 1996. After a decade, Exim Banks of India is again hosting the Annual Meeting. Hon'ble Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Pratapsingh Raoji Rane was the Chief Guest and inaugurated the Seminar. Other dignitaries who spoke at the Seminar included Mr. T. C.Venkat Subramanian, Chairman ; Managing Director, Exim Bank of India, Dr. Ashok Lahiri, Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Director General, Research and Information System, New Delhi, Mr. Werner Liepach, Principal Director, Asian Development Bank, Manila and Mr. Lamon Rutten, Chief, Commodity Finance ; Risk Management, UNCTAD Geneva. The seminar was attended by the members of the Asian Exim Banks Forum at the highest level, special invitees, a cross-section of the industry and the academia. In his welcome address, Mr. Subramanian highlighted the growing importance of the Asian region in global trade and investment with Asia accounting for 27% of world trade.He, observed that intra-Asian trade at US$ 625 bn (42% of total exports of Asian countries) was not commensurate with the potential that exists for trade flows among the Asian economies and is much lower than intra-EU and intra-NAFTA trade. Mr. Subramanian also highlighted the sharp rise in Indo-China trade in the past few years catapulting China to become India's largest source of imports and 3rd largest export destination. Giving the theme address, Dr. Nagesh Kumar underscored the significance of regional cooperation among the economies of Asia, particularly considering that the region is home to the fastest emerging economies of the world. Besides sub-regional initiatives in the framework of ASEAN, SAARC and others, broader economic integration initiatives are under way.He argued that there is a strong case for ASEAN, Japan, China, India and Korea working together to realise the Asian dream. Congratulating Exim Bank of India for initiating a decade back, a Forum of Asian Exim Banks to forge stronger regional economic cooperation among the Asian countries, Dr. Ashok Lahiri in his keynote address noted with interest the wide range of issues to be covered at the 11th Annual Asian Exim Banks meeting. While underlining the importance of regional cooperation, Dr. Lahiri cited the example of ADB's initiative of the Greater Mekong Subregion in which six countries entered into a programme of subregional economic cooperation to enhance economic relations among themselves. Dr.Lahiri also explained the Government of India's initiatives, particularly the ‘Look East' policy, to forge stronger ties with the Asian economies for promoting trade and investment. Commending the Asian Exim Banks community for creating a forum for economic cooperation and sharing of knowledge, S hri Pratapsingh Rane, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Goa hoped that the Forum would suggest policies that would provide fillip to states/regional level, economic growth in the larger context of intra-Asian economic cooperation. Highlighting the investor-friendly economic environment of Goa, Mr. Rane emphasised the emergence of the state as a major destination for foreign investment and outlined the various measures taken by his Government.