Activities Affecting the Environment Essay Example

Activities Affecting the Environment Paper Other gettable will also be identified for coastal slums with saline soil. Participants will be encouraged to prepare organically based growth media to produce vegetables not suited to these conditions. Other types Of vegetables will be introduced and used, especially those that have already proven to be well suited to Haitian climates. Positive Environmental Impacts: This activity will enhance the value of spaces and backyards that are generally underused. Growing vegetables in containers will create spaces for agricultural production. The gardens will make it possible to establish more favorable micromanages. They will also conserve local types of vegetables. Cultivation in the ground, in backyards, and on slopes will help to reduce surface run-off. The inclusion of organic matter will help water infiltration. Adverse Environmental Impacts: The following will be monitored: the use of unsuitable soil, poor-quality organic fertilizers, and dirty irrigation water. Small-Scale Livestock Breeding Included in the initiative at the participants request, this activity will involve producing poultry, rabbits, and Guiana pigs. The breeding of these types of livestock is known. However, it is not widespread, due to a lack of means and chemical supervision. Setting up these breeding units also aims to ensure food security and generate income for families, to improve their quality of life. Two uses are planned for the livestock: to be eaten at home and to be sold. These animals will be bred in cages, which can be stacked vertically or lined up horizontally. Production sites will be backyards or other spaces used for this purpose. The designated spaces are already available and adapted to the Haitian context. Some producers live in urban areas. We will write a custom essay sample on Activities Affecting the Environment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Activities Affecting the Environment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Activities Affecting the Environment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Livestock will be fed with residues from food and market crops. Feed will also include domestic kitchen waste. Supplemental feed will be purchased from local feed suppliers to intensify livestock production, especially for poultry. Hillside slum dwellers will be encouraged to use small spaces on slopes to produce fodder for rabbits and Guiana pigs. These types of crops will also play a role in protecting slopes. Positive Environmental Impacts: This activity will produce manure to fertilize urban gardens. Some slaughterhouse waste will be used, such as dried blood in compost, or skins in crafts from re-usable materials. Breeding livestock in pens also has the advantage of eliminating risks of the animals destroying or deteriorating the environment. Adverse Environmental Impacts: The following adverse effects will be averted through monitoring. Diseases and parasites can spread in poorly run breeding units and can also affect human health. Other adverse effects are the poor management of livestock wastes, and poor management of fodder crops. Fruit-Tree Seedling and Ornamental Plant Nurseries The nurseries will be developed in backyards or other spaces developed for this purpose. This activity aims to enable families to increase their income by selling seedlings or produce from fruit trees. This activity also aims to enhance the environment by restoring wooded and eroded areas, and by developing green spaces. Nurseries will occupy small spaces. Participants will be encouraged to grow seedlings in re-used or recycled plastic containers, in an organic growth medium prepared with manure or compost. Species will be mainly local, and will be chosen in consultation with the participants. Other already introduced and adapted species will be chosen. Vegetative reproductive techniques such as cutting, layering, and grafting will be used to add value to the plants produced, but also to enable production in shorter mainframes. These nurseries will focus mainly on producing fruit and ornamental plants. However, small forest production will not be ruled out if demand or interest exists. The planting of trees will be conducted by individuals with plants of their choice or by local community organizations involved in environmental improvement activities. These organizations will provide survival control for the area planted. On government lands, local organizations will develop action plans with local authorities. Positive Environmental Impacts: These include the restoration of vegetation over, soil protection (especially on slopes), as well as the conservation and multiplication of local species. Adverse Environmental Impacts: The adverse effects to be monitored will be the same as for vegetable gardens, though the impact is less critical for this activity. Composting of Household Wastes This activity will be carried out by families and neighborhoods, and will reduce random waste disposal on streets, in ravines and on vacant lots. Organic wastes will be recycled as compost, and some non-organic wastes will be used for craft activities. Families are expected to generate income by ailing compost and craft products. Families will manage wastes by selective sorting of wastes produced at home and in the immediate neighborhood. Organic wastes will be used to produce compost, in containers designed for this purpose in urban areas. Participants may dispose of non-organic wastes at waste collection points. At the neighborhood level, waste management will be promoted by local organizations involved in raising community awareness of, and involvement in, selective sorting of household wastes. Compost produced will be used in vegetable gardens, in nurseries, and for other plants. Compost will also be sold on the local market for this purpose. Positive Environmental Impacts: This activity will improve the sanitation of the areas of intervention, and thus of the cities of intervention. Communities will change their habits, once they become aware of, and effectively involved in, improving the urban environment. Groundwater, soil, and coastal pollution will greatly decrease. The production of compost will play a definite role in soil improvement and the improvement of agricultural production. Adverse Environmental Impacts: This activity will be monitored to ensure that he composting process produces compost that is contaminant-free. Environmental nuisances must also be prevented in installing the neighborhood composting unit. Small Recycled-Craft Workshops This activity will use iron, glass, plastic, and paper to make decorative craft items, handy household items, or Haitian art (e. G. Paper-mchi masks and fruits, paintings, pottery, toys). These products will be sold, creating jobs and generating household income. Positive Environmental Impacts: Less Nan-organic waste will be disposed at dump sites and this waste will be valued more. This will make recycling easier n communities, and therefore in urban areas. Adverse Environmental Impacts: Monitoring will be related to the work methods and techniques for producing craft items in small workshops. These methods must protect the health of participants and avoid pollution. Workshops for Processing Agricultural Produce This activity will process mainly fruits and vegetables bought on the market during the harvesting season. These will be sun-dried or cooked on improved kerosene stoves, or energy-efficient charcoal stoves. The resulting products will be sold on the local market to generate household income. Organic sates will be recycled in composting units, or in small-scale livestock breeding units. The water used to wash fruit and vegetables will be recycled to irrigate vegetable gardens. Positive Environmental Impacts: This activity will enhance the value of highly perishable agricultural produce (fruit and vegetables). Organic wastes will be recycled to produce compost, or feed for small livestock. Wastewater will be recycled to produce plants. Methods and techniques for processing produce in workshops. These methods must protect the health of participants and consumers. They must also prevent pollution. Pick Top of Page D) Measures to Mitigate and Monitor Adverse Environmental Impacts For vegetable gardens, the use of unsuitable soil, poor-quality organic fertilizers, and dirty irrigation water must be monitored. Training for participants includes sessions covering these issues. Participants can then control these issues themselves. The various themes that will be discussed include soil selection criteria for vegetable production in the ground and in containers, production of contaminant-free compost and manure, and the selection of water to irrigate vegetables safely. In the latter case, wastewater cycling and rainwater harvesting will be discussed to avoid any misuse. Prerequisites are defined for setting up vegetable gardens and will be checked with all participants for the particular space they plan to cultivate. Staff will visit and accept sites before providing equipment to begin setting up the garden. Prerequisites defined include prior land use (for in-ground production), soil source for container gardens, and water source and availability. Hands-on training in composting will enable participants to gain an understanding of how to produce compost. Furthermore, for this activity, artisans will sort household wastes at home and thus bring the waste needed to practice composting. These measures are already being practices through the Pilot Urban Gardening Initiative. For small-scale livestock breeding units, breeding units must be well run and monitored to ensure that diseases and parasites do not spread and negatively affect human health. Monitoring will also help to ensure the proper management of wastes produced by these units and the sound management of fodder crops. Participants will be trained to manage the breeding units they have chosen to start up, and to produce and use fodder crops. Planned prerequisites for developing a breeding unit include access to water (availability, source) and availability of space. The size of herds, flocks or colonies will be based on the breeding guidelines of the selected species and on the producers means (space, access to water, access to feed, availability of labor). The design of the breeding units will take into account the management of the wastes produced. Droppings will be collected and transformed into manure, or incorporated in the production of compost. There will not be much slaughterhouse Waste, considering Haitian patterns Of DOD preparation and consumption (e. G. Internal organs are eaten, as is skin, after singeing and scraping off hair). Blood may be collected in the case where many animals are slaughtered and then used for food (such as blood pudding) or to prepare dried blood. Where available, some slaughterhouse wastes (such as rabbit or Guiana pig skins) may be used in other production chains, if the producer does not scrape them for food. Poultry feathers may be used in making crafts. Diseases and parasites will be controlled by training parasitic pants to manage the breeding of selected types of livestock (through tertiary care and hygienic slaughter methods). They will also be controlled through access to health prevention and veterinary treatment services. This will be done in collaboration with the Animal Production Services Of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and other agencies working in this field, such as VITRIFIED, a non-governmental organization, or the Inter- American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IAC). For fruit-tree seedling and ornamental plant nurseries, and for the planting of trees, the same measures will be applied as for vegetable gardens. For household waste composting, monitoring of the composting process must ensure that the resulting product is contaminant-free and prevent environmental nuisances when neighborhood composting units are installed. The composting training developed in the Pilot urban Gardening Initiative focuses on the importance of sorting household wastes and proposes practices in this regard. This will continue in the urban Agriculture Initiative. Production methods will be discussed with participants. For neighborhood composting, which involves production on a larger scale, the coal organizations will have access to coaching in setting up small production units. This coaching will consider the selection of the composting site and production methods. In this regard, a consultants services will be needed to evaluate production sites proposed by local organizations. The Pilot urban Gardening Initiative has already referred to the services of a sanitary engineering consultant to study the feasibility of this activity for four local organizations. The Urban Agriculture Initiative will follow the same approach. Compost produced will be quality-controlled on a regular basis. Laboratory analyses will track and quantify the presence of contaminants. The Algebra Gardening Initiative has already used the services of the Centre De Recherchà © Industrially du Quabeck (CRIB) [Quebec industrial research centre] for this purpose. The Urban Agriculture Initiative will do likewise, until Haitian laboratories are set up for this type of analysis. The Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (FAME) and the Faculty of Sciences are working on this. The FAME of university Squeaky (UNIQUE), and the Agricultural Research and Documentation Centre (CARD), are expected to provide support in carrying Out applied research in compost production. For small recycled-craft workshops, the adverse environmental impacts to be monitored are related to the work methods and techniques for producing craft items in small workshops. These methods must protect the health of participants and avoid pollution. Attention will focus primarily on the protective equipment needed to work safely in a healthy, well-aired environment. The choice of production techniques will also be based on work already done by the National Office for Handicrafts (NARRATOR). For workshops processing agricultural produce, monitoring will relate to the rook methods and techniques for processing produce in workshops. These also prevent pollution. Participants will be trained in environmentally friendly processing techniques and practices, hygiene in preparing produce, and the nutritional value of produce used. Attention will focus on equipping workshops to ensure product health and quality. Contacts will be made with local organizations that have developed several traditional fruit and vegetable processing techniques in Haiti. They include the Congoaction des Petites Frees et Sours De Saints-TherSE, the Former des Recoils and the Papaya Centre in the Central Plateau. In Port-AU-Prince, the key environmental risks associated with natural disasters that may influence the Urban Agriculture Initiatives activities are surface run-off and landslides in periods Of heavy rain and hurricanes. However, when hurricane Georges struck, minimal damage was reported to the Urban Gardening Initiatives activities. In Connives, flooding is mostly of concern during rainy, stormy, or hurricane seasons. Participants in the Urban Gardening Initiative in these areas got around this problem by developing their gardens mainly on piles and hard roofs. Apart from the initiative discussed here, drainage works in some neighborhoods have diminished the effect of this problem. Pick] E) Conclusion After reviewing the proposed activities, staff are convinced that the implementation of this initiative would have no adverse effects on the biophysical and human environment in the areas of intervention. On the contrary, the initiative was designed with the participation of slum community representatives to gain a good understanding of how to improve the living conditions of families in these slums. Environmental management of Waits urban areas is not simply an objective of the Urban Agriculture Initi ative. It is also a basic guideline in planning the initiative. Controlling and monitoring environmental effects, as well as the effectiveness of the Urban Agriculture Initiatives mitigation measures, will form an integral part of the system for monitoring and evaluating the activities to be promoted. The initiatives progress and evaluation reports will systematically discuss these elements. Zoning Ordinances and Regulations Zoning ordinances and regulations are laws that define and restrict how you can use your property. Cities, counties, townships, and other local govern aments adopt zoning plans in order to set development standards to assure that land is used for the common good. Why Zoning Is Such a Big Issue Zoning laws come into play on every single real estate development, regardless of how big or small, so if you are thinking about buying property or making improvements to property you already own, youd better be sure you understand the zoning restrictions before you commit to anything. One zoning use is typically not compatible with another. For example, a commercial building usually cannot be constructed on property thats zoned or residential uses. If you buy open ground to build your dream house that is in an agricultural zone, you may not be able to build it without a change in the zoning. Getting the zoning changed on property is a very difficult process. It requires a process of giving public notice and then having a variance approved by government agencies that oversee enforcement of the zoning plan. Opposition to zoning changes by neighbors and other interested parties can be fierce. You can find out how property is zoned by calling your local planning department. They can also explain what you would need to do to get a arrange. Before getting too involved in a zoning issue, it would no doubt be in your best interests to hire a local land use attorney to help you through the process. Zoning Restrictions use requirements refer to how property can be used. Typical zonings categories include: ; Residential Commercial Industrial Agricultural Recreational These categories usually break down into further subcategories. For example, there are subcategories for single-family (I. E. , residences) and multiple-family (e. G. , apartments or condominiums) residential use. Zoning laws will set forth many use restrictions, such as: The height and overall size of buildings; ; Their proximity to one another; What percentage of the area of a building lot may contain structures; What particular kinds of facilities must be included with certain kinds of uses. Zoning ordinances will typically limit the number of stories and total height Of a building, require a certain number Of parking spaces for a commercial building, and require a driveway and garage on a suburban residential property. The bulk requirements of a zoning ordinance refer to: The height and size restrictions on buildings including the number of stories in a building; ; The sq rare feet of space which a building provides; The percentage of area it covers on a building lot; ; The minimum lot size requirements, if any. The setback and side-yard requirements of a zoning ordinance refer to the distance between the front and back property lines and from the side property lines Stage 1: the hack team TO fully understand the process and be able to identify all likely hazards and Caps, it is important that the HACK team is made up of people from a wide range of disciplines. There are a number of functions that the team must cover: ; There must be a chairman to convene the group and to direct the rook of the team ensuring that the concept is properly applied. This person must be familiar with the technique, be a good listener and allow all participants to contribute. ; Someone with a detailed knowledge of the production processes (a production specialist) is required to draw up the initial flow diagrams. ; Several specialists may be involved in the team, each with an understanding of particular hazards and associated risks, e. . A microbiologist, a chemist, a SQ manager, a process engineer. ; People, such as packaging specialists, raw material buyers, distribution staff or production Taft who are involved with the process, and have working knowledge of it, may be brought into the team temporarily in order to provide relevant expertise. ; The teams progress and results of the analysis should be recorded by a technical secretary. If any changes are made to composition or operational procedures, it may be necessary to alter the Caps or change methods of monitoring. .. Stage 2: describe the product A full description of the product should be prepared. This should include information relevant to safety information, e. G. Composition, physical/ chemical structures of the raw materials and the final product, the amount of eater available for microbial growth (away), the amount of acid or alkali in the product (pH); any treatments that will eliminate or reduce the level of micro- organisms such as heating, cooling, freezing, brining , smoking. Information regarding how the product is to be packaged, stored and transported should also be considered together with facts regarding its shelf life and recommended storage temperatures. Where appropriate labeling information and an example of the label should be included. An example of a form that can be used by the team is included in Appendix Ill. . Stage 3: ; identify the products intended use How the product is intended to be used is an important consideration, I. E. Is it to be cooked before eating? Consumers like to experiment with food so it is possible for food to be consumed raw, even when the manufacturer recommends cooking before consumption. All eventualities should be considered at this stage. Target groups in the population should be identified to whom the product may present a higher risk, e. G. The young, elderly, immune-compromised, or pregnant women. .. Stage 4: the process flow diagram The first function of the team is to draw up a detailed flow diagram of the process. The expertise of the production specialist is important at this stage. Processes will differ in detail in different plants, and an accurate flow diagram depends on detailed knowledge of the process. An example of a process flow diagram for Cirri sausage is included in Appendix IV. .. Stage 5: on site verification of flow diagram Upon completion of the process flow diagram (PDF), members of the team should visit the manufacturing area to compare what information is present on the PDF compared to what actually happens during production. This is known as walking the line, a step by step practice to check that all information regarding materials, equipment, controls etc. Eave been taken into consideration by the team during the preparation of the process flow diagram. Aspects such as time of production, deviations caused by different shift patterns, Startup, shut down, cleaning and especially night shifts should be monitored. .. Stage 6: identification of hazards and consider any measures required to control the identified hazards Effective hazard identif ication and risk assessment are the keys to a successful HACK. All real or potential hazards that may occur in each ingredient and at each stage of production would be considered.

The War Against Drugs essays

The War Against Drugs essays Naufel Tajudeen Crimes, Drugs and Policy The War Against Drugs In this country, we are locked in war we simply cannot win. We strive to protect over 10,000 miles of border, against enemies who are driven by the lure of an obscene profit. We have fought this a version of this war before, and have lost. All that has really resulted from this war is the overcrowding of prisons, the expansion of law enforcement's ability to encroach on the personal lives of ordinary citizens, and paranoia and distrust. I am referring to the war on drugs. As time goes on, it becomes more and more evident that the war on drugs is as useless as prohibition was almost 80 years ago. Now it has become a point of pride for our elected officials, who use the war as a re-election tool. To most people the fiscal reasons for ending the war are the most convincing. For example, it costs over $30,000 per year to house a prisoner - this does not include processing and legal fees, only the actual prison costs - food, w ater, electricity and guards. There are over 1.5 million non-violent drug law offenders in prison right now, and this number is increasing daily. That means we are spending a minimum of $45 billion per year keeping former tax-paying citizens, most of whom had jobs and were contributing to the economy in some way, locked up with murderers and rapists. When these people get out of jail, they will have criminal records, which will make it nearly impossible to get a decent job and a grudge against the government and society in general. In addition, we spend $37 billion per year funding the police efforts and interdiction, and recent evidence suggests the CIA have been involved in drug-trafficking to fund its own private wars. Currently there is over $150 billion worth of drug traffic that remains untaxed. If one figures a tax rate of 15%, that is a total of $22.5 billion of taxes that America doesn't see. The bottom-line? The U.S. Treasury estimates America was...

Design user interface of interactive systems Essay - 1

Design user interface of interactive systems - Essay Example Keeping in view the stakeholders and the requirements of the proposed system, the first idea for the dashboard design is to consolidate and arrange the required information in a way that it would be displayed on a single screen to inform the user regarding the desired weather conditions. In the first idea it is proposed that the widgets including daily and weekly temperature along with seven days of the week would be shown at the left side bar on the dashboard screen, whereas, the images (sunny, cloudy, rainy) along with location screen would be displayed at the middle and right below corner of the dashboard. And the remaining widgets including the date and location (user input) for determining the weather forecast would be placed horizontally at the top of the screen. In the second idea, it is proposed that all the information would be displayed on the weather forecast image i-e sunny, cloudy or rainy. The information includes: the minimum and maximum temperature of daily and weekly along with each of the upcoming week. Moreover, the user input would also be taken from the same screen of the dashboard. After the brainstorming session and keeping in view the stakeholders and requirements of the system, it has been decided to select the first idea of the dashboard design for developing the Wireframe. The justification for selecting the first idea over the second idea is the simplicity, easy to use (usability), all the contents are separated by sections to differentiate between the user input as well as the output. Whereas, the second idea would contain all the information on the image, therefore, it might cause to confuse the users. The conceptual design tools have helped me out to determine the contents of the design along with their placement. The brainstorming sessions, card sort, semantic networks, and cognitive walk-through tools assist me to determine new widgets for the weather forecast system

Are states the driving force behind globalisation, or its victims Essay

Are states the driving force behind globalisation, or its victims - Essay Example It is for this reason that arguments and counterarguments have been advanced, concerning states as the driving forces in international relations, or victims of the same. A clear analysis of international relations and politics reveals that states are the main actors or the driving force in international relations, as shall be seen in the discussion that ensues forthwith. That states are the main actors behind globalisation, is a matter that is well underscored by the events that surrounded and succeeded Cold War. Although globalisation can be said to have started towards the end of the 16th century AD as feudalism was being replaced by capitalism in Western Europe, yet states played a pivotal role in triggering the advent of globalisation. The role of the state in globalisation is underscored by the fact that the pace in which globalisation takes place has mainly been commensurate with interests and input of the major powers in international relations. This is in complete consistence with all the theoretical frameworks that make attempt at explaining international relations. This is to say that if states have the might to hinder globalisation, then they also have the wherewithal to catalyse globalisation (Peet, 2009, 105). Scholte (2005, 125) is poignant that the role that states play in international relations is even more pronounced when international relations is viewed through the prism of realism. Realism has it that the world of politics is driven by self-interests which are highly competitive in nature. Realism continues that the very international system wherein states compete is anarchic. By this, it is not meant that international system is inherently chaotic, but that there is no higher power that can hinder aggression or make arbitrations on disputes. Because of this, this anarchical system forces states to arm themselves in

The Benefits of Training Hotel Employees Research Paper

The Benefits of Training Hotel Employees - Research Paper Example As a function of this, the need to train and change with the determinants that define the current model of business becomes clearly manifest. Moreover, for purposes of this brief analysis, the author will seek to integrate an understanding and appreciation for the means by which training within the realm of the hospitality industry is both necessary and intimately linked to the future performance of whatever organization or team integrates with a productive source of training. As a means of integrating an appreciation and understanding of the importance of training within the hospitality industry, this analysis will consider and discuss the means by which training can improve the key skills, conflict resolution capabilities, and client retention rates that an entity might seek to engage. Finally, a list of concerns that a given entity or organization should consider prior to engaging in training will also be enumerated and elaborated upon as a function of allowing the reader to see s ome of the common pitfalls that many within the field of business development fall prey to. One of the primary factors that comes to the mind of the reader when they hear the term training or seek to explain the importance that such a construct can bring to a given entity or organization, one of the primary thoughts that is entertained has to do with the level to which training can seek to impart a new skill set within the shareholders of the organization/entity. This is very much true with the hospitality industry as well. For instance, whereas basic consumer relations, phone etiquette, and best practices can be instilled within the culture of the organization and passed down from employee to employee in something of a seemingly unbroken line, these are virtues and factors of the company’s culture that are somewhat immutable (Sobaih, 2011). On the topic of

Healthcare Costs in Canada: An Analysis

Healthcare Costs in Canada: An Analysis Canada is one of the most advanced economies in the world. It is a member of the G8[1], the group of the richest nations on earth. It is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations[2], which historically is a group of nations that were under the former British Empire. It also has one of the best universal health care practices in the world. Lately however there has been a noted rise in the cost of universal health care. It was also noted that these rise in the cost will eventually be a bane in the government as it will hamper the government’s ability to provide adequate service to other important service of the government like education, transportation and pension benefits, which are all equally important as health care. The Canadian Medical Association therefore got a poll among Canadians to determine and rather get their opinion on how the government can prevent skyrocketing cost in health care without sacrificing the quality that is currently being enjoyed by the citizenry. This particular poll showed that most citizens that have been asked are in favor of fixing the system or looking for ways to maintain the quality of their health system. According to the poll, nearly half of the respondents favored an increase in taxes provided it goes to improving the health care and nearly half also agreed that a portion of the bill should be footed by the patient. A portion of those polled suggested that those who are living unhealthy lives should be penalized and those with good healthy lifestyles will be rewarded. The biggest surprise in the poll showed that 69% suggested that a contribution based system much like the pension system is developed and almost the same no of people suggested that it be patterned after the retirement system. Overall though most Canadians would rather not raise their taxes but rather have these two types of systems be applied to the health care system to address the skyrocketing costs of health care which seems unsustainable in the lo ng term. This poll was taken to determine whether Canadians were open to the idea of helping the government curb the unsustainable rise in health care cost and what would be their ideas on how the government should deal with this problem. This also shows the government is proactive and that it is determined to maintain the highest standards of health care for its populace. More importantly it shows that the people are willing to take part in shouldering the expense of the government when it comes to health care and this is proven in this poll in that nearly 70% of those polled have ideas on how to make the health care system be as functional and as efficient as possible. This finding would enable the government to formulate policies that would sustain their universal health coverage at the highest quality levels of care and sustaining it and containing the skyrocketing costs of health care. Once this policy is adopted other countries which have universal health care supported by the governmen t with similar problems of skyrocketing costs may adopt this system and modify it to suit the needs of their constituents. One of the options that came out of the poll conducted by the Canadian Medical Association on how to fund health care spending is the development of a savings system similar to the pension facility that it has in place. This will serve as a buffer fund for those medicines and laboratory tests and other services that are not covered by the health care system. It is one way of encouraging people to shoulder some of the expenses of their health bill without burdening them with the high costs as this will be gradually deducted from the income that they make and it can be deducted either on a monthly basis or a quarterly basis whichever would be more convenient to the patient. This would be much better than raising taxes as raising taxes usually denote a negative impression on the populace. This scheme would encourage the populace to save as they know it is something that they can use in the event that they get sick and it won’t be a burden to their pockets as they know it is for a good cause. Furthermore, it would help the government maintain the high quality of care for the patients without sacrificing the other services that would be affected by increasing the funding for health care. It is because if the government were to shoulder all the costs for health care, one of the ways is to either increase taxes which is unpopular or decrease the budget of other sectors and pour it into health care which is also unpopular among the populace so either way the constituents will suffer. Coming up with this idea would be meeting the government halfway and that the populace will also be an active part in maintaining the quality of health services. Likewise the amount that the patient will be giving will be predetermined by the government and that it would not appear that the patient will be shouldering a big bulk of health care costs. It should also be bracketed as to which cost will the patient shoulder or it can be a universal one, meaning the patient will shoulder whatever is not covered by the health system. This would help maintain the high standard of care to the patient without burdening the patient and without additional cost to the government and no other service need be sacrificed. All in all it would be good for everybody, all that are involved in health care. One of the measures that the government can use to encourage people to shell out a little extra money for health care is giving them tax benefits instead of increasing their taxes. How will this be done? For every amount that the patient gives to his/her health fund, this will be deducted from their taxes that are due to the government. This way it is certain that the money they spend is for their future use in health care. Another way of tax benefits are for healthcare facilities like clinics and hospitals be given tax incentives if they invest in new technology and purchase new equipments for better health care services. This would encourage clinics and hospital alike to invest in newer technology without thinking of passing the burden of recovering costs to the consumers. The first thing that comes to mind in buying newer equipment and technology for better health care is the cost and how long it would take to recover the investment. One of things that would help the price of newe r equipment is taxes and once these taxes are turned to incentives it would be cheaper for the investor to buy these equipment and it would not be a burden to the consumer the cost of this newer technology. Another way of containing the skyrocketing cost of health care is to regulate payments to caregivers. Regulating means setting a uniform set of charges or fee for a particular service being rendered to the client. One of the reasons costs of health care is skyrocketing is because most caregivers demand a higher compensation which is unregulated. These costs are passed on to the consumers thereby making the cost of health care services to rise. The most common reason for the demand of these caregivers for increased fees is that they are not paid commensurate to the services that they offer or give. This can be remedied if the government and the service providers come to and agreement on what is the proper amount that the service provider is given without degrading their capacity and without burdening the consumer with high costs. In short, they should meet halfway after all they have the common goal of giving the best care to the patient without necessarily coming at a high cost. Furt hermore, these caregivers are also future patients themselves and it would a big irony that they would be complaining of the high cost of services that they once demanded. Hence, it is but practical that the cost of payments to the caregiver be regulated by the government at an amount agreed by all parties involved. With the growing cost of health care and the prospect that the client will eventually shoulder part of the expenses it is but logical that the clients income should also be increased. This may come in varied forms like tax incentives, performance incentives or it may come in other non cash forms like allowances or other means possible that will enable the client to have more money to spend other than health care. Incentives on healthy lifestyle were one of those mentioned in the poll conducted by the CMA and penalties for those who are not living healthy lifestyles. Although only a small percent agreed to this it is noteworthy that some of the respondents agreed to this. If this scheme can be properly though of and all affected parties be allowed to air their side. An agreement will be made and this will be one form of additional income for the client. Those who will be having healthy lifestyles will be given incentives and those who are not will be penalized. It will also encourage people to live healthy lifestyles. But then again if improperly implemented people may think of it as an authoritarian form of enforcing health policies. Aside from these incentives, other forms of income supplements should be studied so as to keep the health system in good condition, meaning service are not affected and the client are not burdened by the increasing costs of health care. [1] The CIA World Fact Book. (www.cia.gov/library/publications) [2] Annex b: Territories forming part of the commonwealth her majesties civil service 1911 (www.civilservice.gov.uk)

Anthropology and Gender Essay -- Feminist Anthropology

Though women have played an integral part in the history of the discipline of anthropology, it was not until the early 1970’s that the field of anthropology and gender, or feminist anthropology emerged. Sex and gender roles have always been a vital part of any ethnographic study, but the contributors of this theory began to address the androcentric nature of anthropology itself. The substantial gap in information concerning the study of women was perceived as a male bias, a prejudice made more apparent because what little women-centered fieldwork was done received insufficient attention from the academic community. While anthropology was considered one of the more egalitarian fields of study, it was dominated by white, Western males who focused primarily on the study of men within a society. The women seen in fieldwork were merely identified in regard to their gender specific roles, something these feminist anthropologists hoped to rectify. Those women deserved to be accuratel y portrayed for the part they played in the human experience. The 1960’s and 70’s belonged to a tumultuous period in American history, characterized by an array of social and political movements including anti-Vietnam war activism, the origination of a â€Å"counterculture† which strove for societal liberation, the civil rights movement, and the rise of feminism (McGee & Warms 2011: 396). Women began to question the limitations of their gender, rallying to promote their own rights and interests. Women’s liberation became encompassed within a variety of disciplines, including anthropology, exploring themes found cross-culturally such as patriarchy, discrimination, and objectification. In addition to the cultural anthropological focus on gender inequality, feminis... ... and views of studied societies. Basic anthropological assumptions were questioned when it became evident that the male-centered field had neglected to document women and gender as important aspects of social life. While it is clear that several feminist anthropologists sought to correct the imbalance of knowledge by focusing solely on women and their significant impact upon the development of humankind, the theory has evolved to focus on gender as it relates to power, class, societal construction, and sexuality among others. Works Cited Kuklick, Henrika. 2008 Women in the Field in the Twentieth Century: Revolution, Involution, Devolution? A New History of Anthropology. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Pub. 277-292 McGee, R. Jon, and Richard L. Warms. 2011 Culture and Personality. Anthropological Theory: an Introductory History. New York: McGraw-Hill. 396-436

Dickens & education in Hard Times Essay

In Hard times we see two versions of the world of education. The first view is that of Thomas Gradgrind’s and his â€Å"model school†. A place where facts are valued and imagination is regarded as unimportant. This is the utilitarian view. The second view is contrasted with the utilitarian view and is that of Mr Sleary’s circus. This is a place with much knowledge valuing both imagination and education. A place without the wealth of the Gradgrind’s but much in humanity. This is the â€Å"fanciful† world. I think Dickens is telling us that there are many different ways of bringing up and educating children. It is about getting the right balance between education and imagination. For example Sissy was brought up by her father and didn’t go to school but was quite well educated as she â€Å"used to read to him,† but her father let her use her imagination as she read the â€Å"wrong books† from Gradgrind’s point of view. Which were about â€Å"Fairies †¦ and the Hunchback and the Genies. † But when she went to Gradgrind’s house to live there she was cut off from having an imagination, as so was struggling to learn facts. The reader knows this as Sissy says, † I am – O so stupid! † when really she isn’t stupid at all, it is just that she has been forced to be brought up the utilitarian way, which is the wrong way for her, as she is used to having a balance between education and imagination but Gradgrind hasn’t allowed it. She â€Å"became low – spirited, but no wiser. † This is because she has an emotional memory and so she can’t learn the facts because she is being taught with a utilitarian view and so she can’t attach a feeling to what she is being taught. This is how Dickens implies that different people learn different ways and at different rates. For Gradgrind it could be argued that it was the right way for him as he was educated by his father the utilitarian way. He became a model pupil and owned a school. The reader knows that he was a model pupil as Dickens tells us â€Å"five young Gradgrinds †¦ were models everyone. † And â€Å"They had been lectured at from their tenderest years. † And in Gradgrind’s eyes this had worked so â€Å"He intended every child to be a model†. But what Gradgrind doesn’t realise is that all children are different and need to be brought up different ways, which is what Dickens is suggesting to the reader.

Muslim Women Rights

Muslim Women Rights The human right awareness in the world has taken a quite interesting shape in the attempt to achieve sisterhood and recognize women rights as human rights. This has been a subject of debate and extensive criticism as it is perceived as having potential to â€Å"homogenizing the issues that might be different to different women. There is also the risk of universalizing feminist ideas that are practiced in the western countries and use them to solve the problems facing all women around the globe. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Muslim Women Rights specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Societal development and political maturity of a society is currently appraised by the extent the women rights are being enforced. In my opinion, is support that women problems should not at all be homogenized or feminist ideas universalized because the problems of women are not similar around the world and different women take different cou rse in addressing their problems. The issue of women rights has brought about hot debates in the world especially regarding veil put by Muslim women and other issues like polygamy. As presented in this essay, the issue of veil which is a discursive issue in the world is discussed as described by Leila Ahmed. Leila Ahmed tries to seek the discourse about women and gender in the Islamic has emerged and exploring what is the root cause of such debates in current worlds. She seeks from the debate whether the Islamic culture and societies are really oppressive to women. Te center of her concern was the discourse of veil where women in the Islamic societies were required to appear in veils and other clothing that are connected to the Islamic traditions. The mail question that lingered in her mind is whether the issue of veil and the traditional clothing was meant to boost pure Islam favoring both sexes or otherwise. Ahmed first focuses on the gender pattern in the Middle East prior to th e emergence of the Islam in order to gain ground to describe the Islamic doctrine on women that were practiced in the past. She describes how the Arab societies propagated the debates about women and gender within the Islamic societies that have become so prevalent in the world today. She explores the issue of women and gender both in Islamic contexts, social and also the historical background. She conducts an extensive study of debates and ideologies about women within the Islamic societies and demonstrates how the debate is so prevalent in the current world. She advocated tat unveiling women could be a great step to transforming the social status of the Islamic societies. His survey acted as a strong onset of the feminism within the Arab culture. According to Ahmed (23), Muslim men and women have expended a lot of effort in the attempt to discard the veil from their culture but others believe that the veil is important for feminist struggle. She demonstrates that the veil was a w ay used by the colonizers in order to promote their cultures in other territories forcing them to undermine their native culture. It is among other things a strategy of colonial domination in an area.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some Muslim women in different part of the world demand it as their right to be allowed to choose whether to veil or not. The concept explored by Leila Ahmed is very vital and closely connected to the Inderpal Grewal’s â€Å"the regime of human rights†? According to Grewal (1), similar to Ahmed argument, oppression of women by global feminism comes in form of universalization and generalization of women issues and approaches. This is oppressive because the women issues are not the same in all places in the world. There is very high correlation between the issues presented by Ahmed and that by Grewal because they both discuss issues r elated to women rights. They both argue that human rights are based on western notion that is generalized. The international organization present the western women as superior and they spill over their feminism notions to their third world counterparts without considering the cultural differences. To achieve â€Å"a radical complexity in the practice of feminist politics† as termed by Grewal, women should be allowed to pursue their demand for women rights their own way depending on their culture. Homogenization and universalizing women problems deprives some women the right to deal with their issues the best way they can by forcing them to adopt the western culture. Women oppression should not be homogenized or universalized because women in different countries differ in culture, politics or have social system that only suits their own problems. According to Ahmed, these are strategies to achieve western domination and erode the culture of women in minority communities. Ahme d, Leila. â€Å"The Discourse of the Veil†. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992. Grewal, Inderpal. Women’s Rights as Human Right: Feminist Practices, Global Feminism and Human Rights Regimes in Trans-nationality. (PDF) Citizenship Studies 3, no. 3 (1999): 337–54

Prohibiton essays

Prohibiton essays Prohibition, which was also known as The Noble Experiment, lasted in America from 1920 until 1933. There are quite a few results of this experiment: innocent people suffered; organized crime grew into an empire; the police, courts, and politicians became increasingly corrupt; disrespect for the law grew; and the per capita consumption of the prohibited substance-alcohol-increased dramatically, year by year. These results increased each of the thirteen years of this Noble Experiment, and they never returned to the levels that existed before 1920. Prohibition did not happen instantly, it settled on the country gradually, community by community, town by town, and eventually state by state for almost a century. The onset of National Prohibition in 1920 was merely the final blow. The first of the laws, such as the one in Virginia in 1619, through New Hampshire's law of 1719 were against drunkenness, not against drinking. The first law that limited liquor sales was implemented because of the religious beliefs of citizens. This particular law was passed in New York in 1697; it ordered that all public drinking establishments be closed on Sunday because, on the Lord's day, people should be worshiping the Bible not the bottle. In 1735, the religious had a prohibition law enacted for the entire state of Georgia. The law was a complete failure and was abandoned in 1742. For the most part, however, during the 1700s and early 1800s, those opposing liquor on religious grounds used sermons and persuasion rather than politics and laws to make their point. These persuasive efforts were known as the Temperance Movement, and its goal was to get everyone to voluntarily temper use of spirits. Maine went completely dry in 1851 and, by 1855, so had New Hampshire, Vermont, Delaware, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York Alabama passed a Prohibition law in 1907 which became effective on January 1,...

Movie report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Movie report - Essay Example The sacrifices of the Jesuits in the movie closely mirror the life that Jesus lived in the Bible. â€Å"The Mission† is a movie written by Robert Bolt and directed by Roland Joffe. Produced by Fernando Ghia and David Puttnam, it stars Jeremy Irons as Father Gabriel, the head of the Jesuit mission, Robert de Niro as a former Spanish slaver who becomes a Jesuit, Liam Neeson as a young Jesuit, Ray McAnally as the Spanish cardinal sent by the Catholic Pope to look into the Jesuit missions, and Chuck Low as the Spanish Governor Cabeza who led the Spanish troops to attack the Guaranis. The setting of the story is in the 1970s. The movie’s historical background suggests that under the Treaty of Madrid, the Portuguese were given the power to take over the Guarani community, which at that time was run by Jesuit missionaries. The natives themselves resisted and many died including the Jesuit missionaries headed by Father Gabriel. The introduction presents an example of how the Je suits risk their lives in their mission to convert non-Christians. The scene in which one priest is salvaged by tying him to a cross and letting him run down through the Iguazu falls depicts how cruel the Guaranis could be towards the missionaries. In fact, history recounts Jesuit missionaries in different countries who died for their belief. Martinez (73) reports the death of eight missionary Jesuit priests in an attack in Mexico. Tylenda (372), Butler (68) and Molinari (26) also report the sacrifices of the Jesuit missionaries in different parts of the world especially in Japan, China and Southern America. The scene in which Fr. Gabriel plays his oboe in a river illustrates the courage and determination that Jesuits should possess in order to enter the mission. This is despite the death of the other missionary priest in the falls. Fr. Gabriel plays his instrument to capture the hearts of the Guaranis. Soaked in the river, he positions himself on a rock and plays his oboe until the Guaranis pay attention to him and ask him to come with them. Fr. Gabriel uses music to communicate and bring peace to the people because that is the only way to communicate with them. In sending his disciples, Jesus did not mention the use of music but he equipped them with different languages in order to spread the Word. On the part of the Jesuits, music serves as the way to capture the hearts of the people. In the latter part, we see the people singing in harmony, a scene that touches even the heart of Cardinal Altamirano. This shows the strategy of the Jesuits in converting non-believers. The music of Fr. Gabriel communicates peace and harmony with the people. Until now, Jesuits are known for the beautiful music they make, which one can hear from mass in Catholic churches. The movie also sets the example on how the Jesuit missionaries deny themselves of material pleasures in life. Mendoza, the Spanish slaver, leaves his armor and other personal belongings behind when he follows Fr. Gabriel. The scene is momentous because leaving his sack signifies Mendoza’s preparedness to enter the mission by denying his personal needs and embracing the missionary life. It is also in this scene that the Jesuits and the Guaranis welcome him as their brother. Based on his reaction, Mendoza experiences true happiness and finds relief from the pain caused by his

An Exploration of Beethoven and Haydn Music Careers Essay

An Exploration of Beethoven and Haydn Music Careers - Essay Example Beethoven was born in a place then called Cologne which is the Germany at present. During his youth Beethoven moved to Vienna and stayed there. It is in this phase of his youth that he met another influential icon Joseph Haydn. Beethoven experienced a meteoric rise in his career as a virtuoso pianist although his youth was later plagued by the deterioration of his hearing capabilities. The predicament did not annihilate his career as he continued conducting and performing even when he had gone totally deaf. While Joseph Haydn developed his music career as an isolated musician a condition which as he put it, â€Å"forced him to be original†, Beethoven on the other end stemmed from a musically endowed pedigree. He was named after His grandfather Ludwig by his mother Ludwig Maria. Davies, Peter J, states that,†His grandfather was a musician at Roman Catholic Flemish lineage and was at some point Kapellmeister at the court of Roman Clemens August of Bavaria.† Beethoven’s father was Johann van Beethoven who lived from 1740-1792. Beethoven got his initial orientations into music from his father who was a natural tenor singer at the electoral court at Bonn. The development of Beethoven's music career was later supervised by Tobias Pfeiffer, a friend to Beethoven's father Johann. Like Haydn' Beethoven's music endowments were noted when he was of a tender age and this is well illustrated by the fact that by 1778 the youngster was already learning the organ and the viola upon his piano mastering endeavors. Haydn parents noted that Haydn had a musical endowment and reckoned that he would not get proper training in the place they were living in then Rohrau thus they accepted the offered by a relative Johann Matthias Franck to have Haydn trained as a musician by Franck from his home in Hainburg. On Beethoven's part, one of the most noted mentors of Beethoven was Christian Gottlob Neefe, the court organist. Neefe is particularly remembered for helping Beethoven make inroads into the classical music pedestal by assisting him to get his first compositions published. The compositions were an assortment of some keyboard melodies and variations. Musicians like other artists are custodians of a society's culture and history. This is so owing to the undeniable sensitivity of artists to the influence of various factors that charcterise their place and time settings. Traces of cultural, political, economic and social influences can be identified in an artists work and Beethoven's works are not an exception. A close exploration of His music indicates illuminant influences of values of Enlightenment and the surge of Romanticism which dominated the European society in his time. As Davies, Peter J, (Opcit) concurs this is glowingly illustrated by the composition and dedication of his music piece the Eroica which is Italian term for 'heroic" to the Leader Napoleon whom the musician had admired for his ideals of democracy and republicanism values of the French Revolution. Haydn's mettle in his isolated music career development earned him the label of "father of Symphony' and also father of "String Quartet". Haydn and Beethoven shared similar inclinations to the values of enlightenment in music. Beethoven later retracted the dedication to Napoleon when the Leader shifted into embracing imperial ambitions