How World Vision International contributes to poverty reduction

How World Vision International contributes to poverty reduction Scientific innovation and good international relations among countries have supported globalization. Globalization has received much advocacy as a lasting solution to world problems however; poverty remains the biggest problem in many developing countries; according to the United Nation definition. Poverty is the inability to achieve and enjoy, on a sustainable basis, the human basic necessities.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How World Vision International contributes to poverty reduction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The rise in globalization was thought to be a solution to world poverty problems however it has aggravated the state in some nations. Statistics released by FAO in October 2010 indicated that there are 925 million people living below the poverty line. The majority of this population (about 80%) lives in Asia, the pacific, and Africa. Nongovernmental organizations play a crucial role in pov erty reduction and development of sustainable mechanisms to eradicate poverty; such organizations include World Vision International. Social, economic, and political globalization is thought to have solution for the every challenging poverty problem in the world however some nations have continued to suffer. When countries are trading in the international markets, they do so using the frameworks of comparative and absolute advantage. Developing countries produce similar products which they hardly manufacture when selling to the international market. The primary products fetch low prices that are hardly beneficial to the countries; this aggravates poverty in such nations. On the other hand, globalization has assisted to reduce poverty in some countries, the main beneficiaries are developed countries that buy cheap low materials from developing countries and manufacture products that fetch good returns in the world market. This paper discusses how World Vision International contribute s to poverty reduction. World Poverty and globalization Poverty is the inability to achieve and enjoy, on a sustainable basis, the human basic necessities; it means that a person is not able to provide himself with human basic needs like food, shelter, housing, basic education, and health. Globalization has facilitated international trade and economic development among countries that is believed to trickle down to the less fortunate in the society, however the rate at which the benefits of globalization reach to the less fortunate is wanting.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to WFP, poor people are not able to get clean and safe drinking water, they lack sufficient nutritious, they are hungry, they lack energy for cooking food and lightening, have inadequate clothing and beddings, and their living conditions is wanting. The first agenda that the Unite d Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000 had was to eradicate poverty and hunger all over the world by 2015, although some efforts have been made, the success rate is wanting. According to UNICEF poverty report 2010, 2.5 billion people live below 2 dollars per day, of these population 1 billion are children who are deprived one or more essential services to survival; the report further illustrated that about half a million people die every year of conditions that relate to poverty (World Food Program Official Website, 2011). The alarming statistics brings the question of what are the cause if poverty; according to WFP, there are numerous factors that jointly or singularly contribute to poverty, they include lack of individual responsibility, unpredictable climatic conditions, bad government policy, wars, un-exploiting resources, exploitation by people, inequality, corruption, and businesses with power and influence, or some combination of these among others. Developing countries remain to the main culprits of poverty in the 21st century, people living in the countries can handle sustain a decent living standards which on the other hand exposes them to other social and health risks. It is with the understanding of the root causes of poverty that World Vision International, it enacts programs that address the root causes so that they remain sustainable in the future even after the withdraw of the project. World Vision International projects are community based and aim at mobilizing funds, resources, and manpower to get solutions on poverty in different parts (Michael, 2000). In 2008, World banks measure for poverty was changed from being those people living on the equivalent of 1 dollar to 1.25 dollars; with the revised poverty cut line, the organization estimated that there are approximately 1.4 billion people who live below the poverty line.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How World Vision International contribut es to poverty reduction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The figure was higher than the figure that had been recorded in 2004 of 984 million. The main reason that the organization had to raise the poverty line level is the fact that food and energy prices are skyrocketing every year (World Food Program Official Website, 2011). The image below shows the poverty trends over time: Chart 1: World Poverty levels over time In the chart above, it is evident that world poverty rate has been on he decrease when considering China; china has benefited from international trade and globalization as it manufactured different commodities for the world. When the effect of China has been removed, the rate at which world poverty reduces is wanting, in some years there has been an increase in the poverty rate while in others there has been a decrease. The reason why China was excluded is that it had a high reduction of poverty in the covered time frame from a bout 85% to 15.9%. Distribution of income among different communities and countries has been blamed as the main cause of poverty in developing countries which account for over 80% of the poor. When globalization is factored, the countries have been used as primary producers of raw materials and consumers of finished products from developed countries. When resources are not distributed equitably then wealth is concentrated with a small number of people while the rest live in poverty. The chart below shows income distributing among different continents:Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Chart 2: Income distribution among continents The graph above indicates that Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and Latin American have the highest inequality in the globe; apparently the continents/nations have the highest poverty rates. When income is not equally distributed, a country has some section of its population extremely poor while others are doing well. The poor are reduced to workers of the well to do in the community thus creating difficulty in eradicating poverty. World Vision International World Vision International is a Christian based nongovernmental organization founded in 1977 in the United States that works with local governments, community developments and other nongovernmental organizations to eradicate poverty and injustice. World Vision International aims at assisting poor people to develop programs that can enable them provide enough food and other basic wants to themselves and their children. The organization’s mission statement states â€Å"to follo w our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God, (World Vision 2011). The funding of World Vision comes from world governments, corporation and private donors; after receiving the funds, the organization is expected to address various programs in the best order according to need. When conducting its business, the organization is able to operate via collaboration with governmental institutions like USAID, DFID, EuropeAid, ECHO, Save the Children, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) among others (Julie, 1998). Poverty reduction programs undertaken by World Vision International in different countries When undertaking poverty eradication programs, World Vision engages in numerous activities that directly address poverty among the community. One main cause of poverty that has been quoted in different parts of the world is inefficient utilization of natural resources; when people are illiterate they fail to understand the need or how to maximize/optimize their resources. Education is one basic human need; at least primary education has become a necessity in modern globalizing world. World Vision has programs that motivate school going children to attend schools; for example in Kenya, an East African country, the international organization has a lunch program where it feed primary going children in the north eastern province of the country where poverty prevails. The strategy in Kenya seeks to break the traditional lifestyle of the north easterners who are nomadic pastoralists; when young girls and boy attend schools they are shown other income generating programs like crop farming. In Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), the world poorest county, World Vision has enacted programs that aim to increase school enrolment and attendance rates. Some of the programs that the organization has enacted include providing nutritious mid-morning snacks and take-home rations for girls and informal boarders; such programs motivate children to go to school as they are assured of a meal and also motivate parents to send their children to school. The program that the nongovernmental operates in Lao is named â€Å"Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD)† When choosing the location to enact a certain school feeding program in either Kenya or Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), World Vision uses vulnerability analysis and mapping (VAM), the programs focuses on remote areas and urban slums. In Cambodia, the organization has a program that seeks to stop the spread of sex tourism and child sexual exploitation, in 2009, the organization rescued 349 cases of child sexual exploitation; the program has the objective of ensuring that children remain in school and will contribute positively to the economic development of the country (World Food Program Official Website, 2011). In times of emergency, the organization has been called for fast rescue operations where it has intervened to improve the living standards of the people despite the situation, for instance in Battambang Province , the orgnaisation fed about 10000 people affected by flood in the country on 11-12th October 2011. Although World Vision seeks to address emergency food needs, after rescuing a situation, it works with the countries government to enact long lasting policies to reduce the poverty rate of the people. The program of micro-financing is operated through other organizations in the country where some soft loans are given to individuals and groups in communities to start income generating programs. The policy of micro financing as adopted by the organization take the form of Muhammad Yunus micro financing strategy. The aim of the microfinance approach is to alleviate poverty by financially empowering the less fortunate in the society. Women have be nefited from the scheme and are increasingly changing their traditional role; they can participate in decision making. One of the major reasons quoted why the poor have had a large number of children than the rich is because of lack of economic activities they can do. With microfinance they are empowered and thus they have economic things to do other than getting children. Secondly traditionally especially in developing countries the role of a woman has been to bear children. The role has changed since they can assess loans and participate equally in decision of whether to get children or not. They have opted to have few children. Some of the nations that have benefited from the programs include Uganda; in Uganda, World Vision operates in 37 of the countries 80 districts since 1986. Programs in Uganda are aimed at assisting Ugandan families attain and live more sustainable livelihoods; the organization offers loans to the country to come up with income generating programs like tree planting, substance and commercial farming, goat keeping, bee keeping, and cattle rearing. Such programs target the poor in the country and have played a crucial role in poverty eradication; to operate in Uganda the organization has 46 child-focused and community-based Area Development Programmes (ADPs). In Rwanda, World Vision has been in operation since 1976 where it engaged into partnership programs of poverty eradication and creating reunion of families. It has also partnered with UNDP to facilitate economic development in the region. programs by the two organizations was named Integrated Family Development Initiatives (IFDI); under the program, the organizations would offer funds to potential inventors train them on basic management skills and see them implement viable businesses In Philippines the organization has a program named â€Å"cash-for-work† project is targeted to those people who were affected by 2010 ‘s typhoon flooding, the nature of the project is tha t people are expected to work on the destroyed areas like buildings then they are paid using mobile phones money transfer. The program offers about US $6.00 (about 80 percent of the daily minimum wage), with the project, the organization has been able to assist in poverty reduction among the affected people and offer them hope to rebuild themselves. The program launched in September 2010 targets to reach about 2000 participants living in Manila; Manila was largely affected by Tropical Storms Parma and Ketsana in 2009 (World Food Program Official Website, 2011). Most poor countries are suffering from population that is infected or affected by H.I.V. AIDS; World Vision through the policy called social protection strategy addresses the negative effects of the epidemic. Nutrition is a key component in management of HIV/AIDS; the response of anti-retroviral drugs can only be positive if the patient feeds on a balanced budget. In poverty stricken countries patients hardly afford nutritiou s meals, this is the first point that World Vision intervenes; it gives patients nutritious food to boost their response. When patients are on drugs and good diet, they get strong fast and return to their respective working places to earn a decent living. In 2003, President’s Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) announced that the main problem cited by people living with HIV/AIDS was lack of food, he further emphasized that if the population can be correctly fed, then its effects can be manageable. In 2008, World Vision estimated to have assisted 2.4 million people affected by HIV/AIDS; the main assistance was through offering them balanced diet food that they can continue with their daily chore. Some other areas that World Vision has enacted HIV/AID programs include Afar, Benishangul Gumuz, Somali and Gambella; according to the international organization website, in 2010, the organization was able to support 2.5 million people in 47 countries through its HIV or TB program . The programs not only address the sick people when suffering but it also offers them financial support after their recovery; such efforts go a long way in reducing poverty (World Food Program Official Website, 2011). In most poor countries, agriculture is the main activity, however the economic practice is hampered by the way it is conducted in the country and unpredictable climatic condition experienced in the world today. With this realization World Vision has programs that educate farmers in poor countries on the most sustainable methods of farming and giving them farming inputs like seeds and fertilizers. In some nations, the organization has assumed the role of the buyer of produce; it buys them at a competitive price and stores them safely to cater for any emergency in the region. At Nicaragua, world second poorest country according to World Bank, WFP has a program termed â€Å"Purchase for Progress† (P4P), under this program the organization buys maize and other grai n foods from farmers; under the program, farmers are expected to get farm inputs like seeds and fertilizers from the organization then they will be deducted off the amount when they are being paid their dues. Under the program, those farmers who have land but are not able to raise capital to cultivate them for their food and for selling are able to earn a living as a result. As part of â€Å"Purchase for Progress† (P4P) farmers who have enrolled in the program get free training on management and post-harvest techniques, good manufacturing practices and cooperative systems; the program have seen the natives improve their farm produce and be able to feed their families and cater for other social needs (Gough, 2004). The program at Nicaragua was initiated after the realization that the main problem affecting small scale farmers in the country was lack of reliable market; WFP took the challenge and offered to buy produce from the farmers. â€Å"Purchase for Progress† (P4P) operates in six cooperatives which acts as maize collection points, according to the president of the cooperative, Luis Enrique Quezada, the program has assisted the participants earn an extra coin and reduced their rate of poverty. In Timor-Lest one of the poorest Asian country, WFP with the collaboration of the countries government, coffee exporters Timor-Global have established a food plant that produces supplements to the country’s population which previous had to be imported. According to the WFP Country Director Joan Fleuren, the program is expected to boost coffee farmers gains from their farming and also when exported the product is expected to be a foreign earner. With such moves, the farmers are likely to have an improved living condition and the country has an extra income derived from exports. One problem that has continued to increase poverty is the notion that women are not expected to be working; this myth prevails in most developing countries. Although itâ₠¬â„¢s difficult to change culture, World Vision has enacted educational and supportive programs that advise on the need for women to become economically empowered. Such programs involve calling stakeholders and letting them discuss on modalities that they can use to empower women (Gough, 2004). In Kyrgyz Republic World Vision works with the government to improve the living conditions of refugees and injured. It is estimated that there are 80,000 Uzbek refugee in the country; the program targets women-headed families and the vulnerable in the community. The program has resulted to an increased income to the countries target population; to manage the program the organization uses women groups which contain women whose husbands has left the country in search of jobs, widowed women, and women who find them single form situations like getting a child out of wedlock. In the Republic of Tanzania, World Vision has enacted women funding program where it offers soft loans to women groups to a ssist them start small businesses. When such loans have been offered, the organization sees to it that the women understand basic management skills and styles to assist them advance the business. Loans in Tanzania are disbursed via micro finance institutions which graduate women from groups and make them stand alone that they can get loans. Some of the programs that have been funded by the program include cattle rearing, poultry keeping, bee keeping, and salons (World Vision Official Website, 2011). The advocacy and other processes that World Vision International contributes to poverty reduction engages to make a contribution to policy To address poverty among communities, World Vision has direct and indirect programs; when using the approach for direct projects, the organization becomes a player where it trades and facilitates economic engagements directly. In the areas of direct intervention, the organization may operate with the collaboration of other NGO’s or the governme nt to establish the best way that it can reach the target population. Although ensuring that the world gets adequate and nutritious food is the main objective of the organization, direct programs aim at ensuring that the community targeted can feed itself in the future. The next approach used by World Vision to address poverty take the form of an indirect approach, under the strategy, the organization offers incentives and assistance to people in such a way that they will be able to become economically productive. Such programs include the HIV/AIDs program where the organization give nutritious food to victims in the efforts to make them stronger and look for their living, other programs include school feeding programs where children are motivated to attend school; in the future the children are expected to offer manpower and get decent jobs (World Vision Official Website, 2011). The effects of the World Vision International Programs The numerous World Vision programs aim at improvi ng target groups living standards; they are programs that have given people hope and offered them some foundations where they can start small businesses. World Vision programs address the root cause of issues facing a certain community but starts by providing them with basic human needs; before enacting policies that assist them earn a living on their own. When individuals are economically empowered, they are able to address their own problems and provide their families with basic human wants like food, shelter, and education (World Food Program Official Website, 2011). World Vision has numerous education programs targeting school-going children and others adults. Adult education programs are mostly on how they can earn extra income or how they can utilize their resources effectively. Such programs assist in efficient production and boosts productions thus reducing poverty. When address and motivating children to attend schools the organization has the future generation in mind. An educated generation is more likely to address their issues and enact poverty fighting mechanisms that best fits them; this is what the organization wants to see in the future. Looking at the children education programs from another angle, when people are educated investors are more likely to prefer such counties as the labor will be informed and easy to manage (Deacon, Hulse Stubbs, 1997). Conclusion The strategies adopted by the World Vision International to eradicate poverty are either direct or indirect; under the direct programs the organization engages directly in income generating programs to help the target population earn sustainable income. Some of the direct engagements include provision of farming inputs, provision of soft loans to community groups to start small businesses, educating people on business management skills, and buying produce from farmers who cite lack of market as their main hindrance to economical agriculture. Indirect project aims at creating better wor king environments that can facilitate development of economic activities currently or in the future. Such programs include education facilitation programs, food provision programs, medicine provision programs, and peace keeping mission. References Deacon, B., Hulse, M. Stubbs, P. (1997). Global social policy : international organizations and the future of welfare. London : Sage. Gough, I. (2004). Human Well-Being and Social Structures: Relating the Universal and the Local, Global Social Policy, 4(3), 289-312. Julie, F. (1998). Nongovernments : NGOs and the political development of the Third World. West Hartford: Kumarian Press. Michael, E. (2000). NGO Rights and Responsibilities : a New Deal for Global Governance. London : The Foreign Policy Centre. World Food Program Official Website. (2011). World Food Program. Retrieved from https://www1.wfp.org/ World Vision Official Website. (2011). World Vision International. Retrieved from https://www.wvi.org/

Introduction to Demand in Economics

Introduction to Demand in Economics In general, to demand means to ask for urgently. That said, the concept of demand takes on a very particular, and somewhat different, meaning in economics. Economically speaking, to demand something means to be willing, able and ready to purchase a good or service. Lets examine each of these requirements in turn: Willing to purchase- Being willing to purchase simply means that one likes an item enough to want to buy it, and this is usually what people think of when they encounter the concept of demand. However, its important to remember that, while its good to want things, desire to purchase is not the only requirement for economic demand.Able to purchase- Wanting to purchase an item doesnt mean a whole lot if one doesnt have the means to make the transaction happen. Therefore, the ability to purchase is another important factor in demand. Economists dont specify how an individual must be able to pay for an item- he can pay with cash, check, credit card, money borrowed from friends or taken from the piggy bank, etc.Ready to purchase- Demand is, by its nature, a current quantity, so an individual is only said to demand something if he is willing and able to purchase it now as opposed to some point in the future. Putting these three requirements together, it is reasonable to think of demand as answering the question If a seller were to show up right now with a whole truckload of the item in question, how much would an individual purchase? Demand is a pretty straightforward concept, but there are a few other things to keep in mind. Individual vs. Market Demand Not surprisingly, demand for any given item varies from person to person. Nonetheless, market demand can be constructed by adding together the individual demands of all of the buyers in a market. Implicit Time Units It doesn’t really make sense to describe demand without time units. For example, if someone asked â€Å"how many ice cream cones do you demand?† you would need more information in order to answer the question. Does demand mean demand today? This week? This year? All of these time units are going to result in different quantities demanded, so it’s important to specify which one you are talking about. Unfortunately, economists are often somewhat lax about mentioning the time units explicitly, but you should remember that they are always there.

Zara Research Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Zara Research Study - Essay Example Research has been made on customer service facilities offered by Zara and customers’ perceptions regarding this subject. Both primary and secondary data have been used for the study. Secondary data have been collected from different databases and existing literature published on past studies. Primary data have been collected by employing quantitative method of study. A sample population of 100 customers having shopping experience with Zara have been interviewed by distributing a structured questionnaire containing 5 close ended questions. The questions have been framed with the objective of understanding customer perceptions about customer service facilities provided by Zara. The secondary objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between age of customers and their perceptions. Responses of the participants have been measured in a five point Likert scale. The alternative hypothesis is that Zara provides satisfactory level of customer service. The responses are analysed using the t-statistic and the estimated value of t statistic is found to be sufficiently greater than the tabulated value. Therefore the alternative hypothesis is accepted. This establishes that customers have strong positive perception about customer service facility provided by Zara. It has also been found that compared to the youths, the middle aged population hold better perceptions about the company’s customer service. Zara is a famous international fashion brand. It is one of the eight store set ups of the Inditex Group, which is one amongst the largest retailers in the fashion industry in the world. The Inditex Group is an assimilation of approximately one hundred textile companies that conceptualize designs, manufactures fabrics and distributes them. The first shop of Zara was opened in the city of Coruà ±a in 1975 (Inditex, n.d.). Presently, the company has expanded its network to four hundred cities in eighty seven

Parents play an essential role in the development of their child's Essay

Parents play an essential role in the development of their child's language.Discuss - Essay Example As Gordon Wells (1986) indicates, the entire function of learning language and interacting socially is geared toward making connections with other people as well as to help the individual make sense of their experiences. â€Å"Language occurs through an interaction among genes (which hold innate tendencies to communicate and be sociable), environment, and the child’s own thinking abilities† (Genishi, 2006). But just how does this happen? How do children learn to use sounds to communicate and then to place those sounds in the correct order to make themselves understood? While much of this behavior can be attributed to imitation of the caregivers, there remain aspects to the development of language and communication that cannot be so easily explained. To provide a more complete understanding of how language and communication develop in the young child, it is necessary to understand not only the primary terms that are applied, but also the parts and components that make up language. This helps to inform the various theories that have been developed relating to language development which then begins to identify how environmental aspects of the child’s world may contribute to the development of language and identify those strategies that are used to encourage language development. There are several terms used in a discussion of language development that may not be quite as obvious as they might seem at first glance. Generally speaking, language is defined as a set of symbols, typically in the form of articulatory gestures and the creation of sounds, which are used to communicate or store information (Eccardt, 2003). â€Å"The symbols are words, and their meanings cover everything we humans deal with †¦ Generally, the above definition puts the label ‘language’ on English, Spanish, Chinese, etc. It also covers sign languages for deaf people† (Eccardt, 2003).

The Teacher as a Hero Essay Example for Free

The Teacher as a Hero Essay T here are heroes and heroes, national and local. Some of them are born, others are made. Many are still living while many others have long been gone. It is to the latter that monuments and museums were built to keep alive their memory in our hearts and mind. Public buildings, parks and plazas, streets and a few provinces have been named after them. Important dates and events are usually marked red in the calendar to remind us of their birth or death anniversary. During the celebration of these events, program speakers take turns extolling to high heavens whatever good they had done for the country. Sad enough the hero who is apparently taken for granted and therefore unsung is the poor teacher. Not having a pedigreed name, she has no influence, no power. She is regarded as belonging to the marginalized sector of society. Tactless people look down on her with contempt saying, â€Å"She’s only a teacher. † After all, unlike OFWs, teachers do not contribute to the national economy. What many do not seem to realize is that a teacher is truly a hero in her own way. For a teacher is not only about her lesson plans, her teaching methods, strategies and techniques. A teacher is also about her personal character, her values and her attitude. And more importantly a teacher is also about her missionary work which entails a great deal of sacrifice on her part and her family. Indeed, the pro-bono services that she renders involve numerous risks to life and limb. We have heard of teachers who were kidnapped for ransom, forced into marriage under pain of bodily harm, physically abused and the unfortunate, even beheaded. I remember a male teacher who reprimanded a student for provoking trouble in class. That afternoon the huffy father with fire in his eyes sought the teacher in school and mercilessly hacked him to death. I had a relative who was summoned to the Comelec office in Manila and made to explain her inadvertence to affix her signature on a pair of election forms. The financially distressed teacher was forced to take a long-term loan which she used to pay for her transportation fare, board and lodging while in Manila. In the meantime her family had to be sparing and frugal in order to tide them over until such period that the loan was fully paid. While other government employees are off after five, the teacher spends long hours of work at home writing lesson plans, checking test papers or preparing visual aids and similar teaching devices. Compared to those who work in the comfort of their office, thousands of our teachers go on long hours of journey to their far-flung stations over hill and dale, many times in harsh weather condition. It is no wonder that many of these teachers become decrepit long before their age or they get pitifully sick before retirement from the service. And yet their take-home pay is a mere pittance. Any increase in their starvation salary comes far apart and in trickles because this is dependent upon the members of Congress who remember the teachers only on election time. Come May of next year teachers will again be called upon to man the electoral ramparts of our democracy. They will be there to help safeguard the sanctity of the ballot, armed only with the nobility and integrity of their profession. Whatever people say to the contrary, the teacher as a hero is ready to lay down her life for the sake of country sans a loud flourish of trumpets. I salute our teachers as heroes, living or dead! ANTONIO A. MORAN of Camalig, Albay is a retired general education supervisor of the Department of Education.

Capital Punishment Essay: Death Penalty Maintains Justice

Death Penalty Maintains Justice It is no triumph that death sentences are routinely carried out, or even that such a device is necessary within our society. Yet the fact remains that society does require a death penalty, and to believe that the topic is one-sided or easily answered would be a fatal mistake. It is best to note the absolutes of the death penalty - first, that once it is carried out, there is no reversing the outcome. It seems an obvious point, but it is worth remembering, as it warns us that state-sanctioned executions must never be taken lightly. Just as firm is the fact that in most cases, the death penalty is a matter of justice and equality. With most crimes, the purposes of the punishment are to rehabilitate the convict and to send a warning to others who would commit similar crimes. In contrast, the death penalty intends neither to rehabilitate nor dissuade others from capital crimes. Certainly, the threat of the ultimate penalty may give pause to a small percentage, but most capital cases involve a defendant who is far from rational enough to weigh the costs and benefits of his action. Still, this misconception of the death penalty as a deterrent is one limp argument constantly trotted out against capital punishment. Many people ask, "If the death penalty is working, why isn't the murder rate falling?" The answer is that the death penalty is a matter of justice and societal preservation. Some crimes so abhorrent, the convict does not deserve to continue living. We do not live completely in the days of Hammurabi's "eye for an eye," but neither have we come close to a crime-free utopia which would allow the end of the death penalty. Instead, we compromise, reserving execution for the m... ...ild, or a merciless killer? Speaking relatively, of which the secular left is so fond, those right-wing zealots do seem to have reason and logic on their side. The fetal child we know is innocent; conversely, we can be certain that death row convicts have done something to get themselves into their current situation. Therefore, if someone has to die, it would seem that we would choose the guiltiest person. While no advocate of the death penalty enjoys the idea or triumphs in the latest execution, simply shrugging at the horror of some crimes makes a mockery of equal protection under the law, and more importantly, the primacy of justice within our community. The death penalty enjoys such strong support - 66 percent even after the recent stumbles in some states (www.gallup.com/poll/indicators/inddeath_pen.asp) - because most people recognize its important role.

Small Change

At the end of September, Malcolm Gladwell, a staff writer for the New Yorker magazine and author of The Tipping Point and Blink, published a piece, Small Change: Why the Revolution Will not be Tweeted, in that magazine making the argument that social media tools like Facebook and Twitter were overhyped as agents of social change at best and at worst, completely useless in helping move the kind of high-risk actions that are strong enough to bring down governments and change cultures. Using the wave of sit-ins that swept the South in 1960 during the Civil Rights Movement as his prime example, Gladwell rests his thesis upon two points.First, movements and high-risk socio-political actions are carried out by people who have strong ties to each other or a strong level of commitment to the movement itself and the actions they undertake serve to reinforce those ties. Second, the momentum and strategic direction of movements requires some level of hierarchy and organization so the energy has a chance of winning the kinds of change the participants want to see. Given these two requisites for large-scale social change, he says, there is no way that social networks will actually be able to play a role in amplifying or directing social change.This essay engendered a firestorm of criticism from activists who use Facebook and Twitter as part of their daily work in organizing for progressive social change in the America. Some of it was the usual triumphalism of the tech geek. Some of it was an interesting mix of â€Å"old guys don’t get it† and â€Å"it's not the 60’s anymore so don’t expect change to look like it did 50 years ago†. None of these responses dealt at all with the main points of his thesis, strong-ties and the primacy of closed, hierarchical organizations.However, an increasing number of responses have tackled those issues and done it from the point of view of activists and organizers working hard to change the public policy cl imate of the United States. These responses range from top-level examination of how Gladwell positions his understanding of Twitter and Facebook within his own thesis on ties and hierarchy to nuts-and-bolts examinations of how modern progressive organizations are fighting for and winning progressive change using organizing methodologies that deploy Twitter and Facebook as tools in a tactical arsenal that increasingly includes a dizzying array of options.

Kite Runner Essay Essay

â€Å"There are only really a few stories to tell in the end, and betrayal and the failure of love is one of those good stories to tell†- Sean Lennon. Khaled Hosseini’s ‘The Kite Runner’ is a story that really is quite relevant to this quote. People might say that it isn’t, but there betrayal in almost every nook and cranny of the story. Betrayal is simply defined as being disloyal to someone, yet it is so much more than that. Betrayal can cause the greatest sadness in life. It can cripple a man’s heart and could be the cause of one’s death. Amir’s betrayal towards Hassan; Baba’s betrayal towards Amir, Hassan and Ali; Rahim Khan’s betrayal towards Amir when he told him to get Sohrab and send him to John and Betty Caldwell. All of them terrible betrayals, but in the end, the reason for each and every person’s weaknesses, but more importantly, their strengths. These are probably what makes the book so interesting. â€Å"†¦The failure of love†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is also a main topic throughout the book, how characters repeatedly disappoint each other, creating hatred, anger, sadness, and eventually even loss. In this book betrayal is the main action, the dominant style and the prevalent idea. I suppose it makes it a lot like real life. The first betrayal mentioned in the book, and possibly the most important one is Amir’s betrayal towards Hassan when he silently watches as Hassan is raped. Throughout the book, Amir remembers, and reminds us of this betrayal towards Hassan and how it was his fault that Hassan was raped and eventually, how it was his fault Hassan was killed. In his letter, Rahim Khan says, â€Å"What you did was wrong, Amir jan, but do not forget that you were a boy when it happened. A troubled little boy. † He was right, it didn’t excuse the mistake Amir had made but it gave him a reason to feel just a tiny bit better about himself. But he didn’t, Amir blamed himself for Hassan’s death, and over time in helped him grow as a person and even become a lot like Baba. He regrets the deed he did and tried to make things right by adopting Hassan’s son and giving him a better life after Hassan was killed. Even then, he goes back on his promise to Sohrab, Hassan’s son, that he would never put him back in an orphanage, causing Sohrab to attempt committing suicide, probably the darkest scene in the entire story. After being discharged from the hospital, Sohrab and Amir go back to San Francisco and from then on Sohrab lives on the periphery of Amir and Soraya’s life. Then finally, Amir is given a chance at redemption at the afghan gathering at the Lake Elizabeth Park in Fremont, when he started flying a kite and Sohrab decides to join him. After cutting down the last kite, Amir asks Sohrab whether or not he wants him to run that kite for him, and Sohrab nods. Then Amir says,’ For you a thousand times over’, the last Hassan had said to Amir before he was raped. The second most important betrayal mentioned in the book, which we find out about near the end of the book is Baba’s betrayal towards Amir, Hassan and Ali. After learning about this Amir’s entire viewpoint of Baba changed. He no longer saw him as a towering figure of Pashtun might and began to see him as a thief, the very thing Baba had said to be the worst sin in the world. Baba’s betrayal had been that he was Hassan’s actual father, because Ali was actually sterile. Amir and Hassan had both grown up unaware of this and Hassan had even died unaware of this. This betrayal caused many unfortunate events. If Amir had known about them being brothers, he might not have let him get raped. If Hassan had known he might not have left with Ali and might not have died. And most importantly Sohrab wouldn’t have to be an orphan. This betrayal caused Amir to travel to Afghanistan and get beaten up greatly by Assef. It was probably the betrayal that caused the most pain to the characters in the book. But it was a necessary act. In Afghan society, honor was and important factor to one’s reputation, and if people had learnt that Hassan, the child of a Hazara woman, was the son of Baba, a greatly respected and highly reputed man, then he would most likely have lost all credibility in his community. Unfortunately the solution he had found for to let Ali think that he was the child’s father. This act took all of Ali’s nang and namoos, his pride and honor, without his even realizing it. The third and of the listed, probably the least important betrayal in the book was Rahim Khan’s betrayal towards Amir when he lied about John and Betty Caldwell saying that Sohrab would be in a safe place with them. After the trauma both Amir and Sohrab go through, it turns out that the Caldwell’s don’t even exist. This was the start of problems for Amir. After he no longer could send Sohrab to the Caldwell’s due to their lack of existence, he had no choice but to adopt him. When he asked, Sohrab didn’t answer just cried into Amir’s shirt. Later when Sohrab has to go to an orphanage so that Amir can complete the adoption process, Sohrab attempts suicide. Finally they make it back to San Francisco where Sohrab is always silent and eventually people begin thinking he is mute. Amir near-death experience and Sohrab’s attempt at suicide could both have been avoided had Rahim Khan not called Amir, but then Amir would never have solved his emotional crisis. So even though it was a betrayal, it was a betrayal that benefitted the people it betrayed. Betrayal and love are two factors that affect almost every emotional decision we make. The decision might benefit one while putting others at a disadvantage. Amir, Baba and Rahim Khan, three of the most influential characters in the story are the ones to tell the biggest lies and cause the most pain. Baba and Amir cause emotional and psychological pain while Rahim Khan’s lie causes Amir a great deal of physical pain as well. But in the end Amir’s lie hurt the people he loved, while Baba and Rahim Khan told lies that benefitted someone in one way or another. In Baba’s lie, Hassan had to make his identity into that of a hazara, causing him to face taunts all the time, but it made it easier for him to be accepted, as much as a hazara is accepted in Afghan society, and saved his own reputation. If he had accepted Hassan as his second son, he would have been ridiculed and they would have to face shame together. Rahim Khan’s lie, while it physically caused Amir a great deal of pain, eventually ended his psychological turmoil and gave Sohrab a new home in which he would be loved. But Amir’s lie only caused pain and suffering for both him and Hassan. Hassan eventually had to leave the house as Amir could no longer tolerate the consequences of what he had done and therefore tried to frame Hassan. After their leaving, every time Baba brought up the topic of Hassan, Amir felt a pang of jealousy and began to have trouble breathing. All in all, all the betrayals in the book, make it better in one way or another because after there are only a few good stories to tell, and the ones of betrayal and the failure of love are the best ones.

Tips to Connect Your Essay ideas and Sentences

Tips to Connect Your Essay ideas and Sentences How to Connect Ideas Properly in Essay Writing? Each paper should feature a logical connection between paragraphs and sentences. This is to establish a comprehensive coherence and guide your reader from one section to another preventing from getting lost in author’s thoughts. While research papers and simple types of essay do not require such connection, it appears to be vital for such academic assignments as an argumentative essay. Follow our useful writing tips and boost your academic progress. Tips on connecting sentences The only way to establish a proper sentence connection is to use special words. They typically include: And – the word can be transformed into more complicated links like furthermore, additionally, as well as and other constructions; But – the main mission here is to provide an alternative in a logical way. You may use such transformations as although, despite, in contrast, nonetheless, etc.; So – this word, as well as its alternative forms, is to provide a result or effect. For this reason, the water starts boiling. Therefore, greenhouse effect causes air pollution; Because – the word highlights the effect or the cause. It stresses the reason. The result of 1005 degrees is boiling water. Make sure you follow necessary grammar and punctuation rules when using those words to link sentences in your paper. Tips on connecting ideas This one is probably the toughest challenge for immature and amateur writers. Using the write sentence formation is vital. At the same time, each part of the paper should have logical links to guide readers from one thought to another. Here are some useful tips not to get lost: Simplify the issue – do not be afraid to explain your thought in a simpler manner using â€Å"in other words† or other forms; Stress Similarities – compare a complicated thought with a simple analog. â€Å"In the same way as†, â€Å"equally† and other collocations would come in handy; Provide the Examples – give simpler examples to more complicated issues; Display Emphasis – use words that will stress your emphasis. They may include such collocations as â€Å"more importantly†, â€Å"indeed† and others. Tips on connecting paragraphs After we have provided a proper link to sentences and ideas, it is high time we connected our paragraphs to make the paper look complete. Signal and pointing words appear to be extremely useful for this purpose: Use Signal Words – use collocations to signalize a reader about the end of the beginning of the paragraph. â€Å"Besides†, â€Å"even though† and other signal phrases are necessary; Time Signals – they have proved to be rather effective. They include strong words and phrases like â€Å"finally†, â€Å"meanwhile† and others. Final word Writing a good paper means not just expressing your knowledge of the topic. It is also about great writing style and skills. For this reason, you need to establish strong connections between thoughts and ideas, paragraphs and sentences. Never leave your reader lost in thoughts. You should guide him or her using signal words and other phrases to spread light on your major paper.

How To Say Might or May in Spanish

How To Say Might or May in Spanish Translating the English auxiliary verbs might and may to Spanish cant be done directly because Spanish doesnt have auxiliary verbs with those meanings. Instead, expressing those concepts in Spanish requires translating for meaning, and both of those auxiliary verbs, whose meanings overlap, have multiple meanings. In other words, you cant take a simple sentence such as I might leave and stick a word between yo (the pronoun for I) and salir (the verb for leave) to say what you want. In this case, you need to figure out that the sentence means something like Maybe I will leave and then translate that. When ‘May’ or ‘Might’ Suggests Possibility Often, maybe and might can be used more or less interchangeably to suggest that maybe something will happen. In these cases you can provide the meaning of maybe using words such as quizs (sometimes quiz), posiblemente, acaso, or talvez (sometimes tal vez); or phrases such as puede ser que, es posible que, or a lo mejor. The words and phrases are sometimes used with a verb in the subjunctive mood. Tal vez (yo) lea un libro. (I might read a book. I may read a book.)Posiblemente vamos a necesitar hogares temporales. (We may need temporary homes. We might need temporary homes.)Hoy posiblemente vaya a comprar mi celular. (Today I might buy my cellphone. Today I may buy my cellphone.)Acaso nieve en la segunda mitad del mes. (It might rain in the second half of the month. It may rain in the second half of the month.)Tal vez la luz sea un poco ms intensa. (The light might be a little more intense. The light may be a little more intense.)A lo mejor, resulta bien. (It may turn out fine. It might turn out fine.)Creo que es posible que Considerando lo anterior podrà ­amos concluir que la justicia es imposible. (Considering what just happened, we might as well conclude that justice is impossible.)en 10 aà ±os haya humanos en Marte. (I believe that in 10 years there may be humans on Mars. I believe that in 10 years there might be humans on Mars.)Es posible que lo leyera. (She may have re ad it. She might have read it.) Tal vez sea verdad. (It may be true. It might be true.)Es posible que se haya perdido.  (He might have got lost.) When ‘May’ Is Used for Asking Permission May (and, less commonly, might) is sometimes used to ask for approval or permission. Common ways of asking for permission are to use poder or permitir, although other ways are possible. Podrà ­a asistir a la escuela? Puedo asistir a la escuela? (May I attend the school?) ¿Me permites ver a tus padres hoy? (May I see your parents today?) ¿Podrà ­a beber una cerveza?  ¿Puedo beber una cerveza? (May I drink a beer?)Se prohibe fumar aquà ­. (You may not smoke here.)Pidià ³ permiso para comer. (He asked if he might eat.) You can translate might similarly when it is being used to offer a suggestion: Podrà ­as tomar una pastilla de dormir. (You might take a sleeping pill.Podrà ­as pensar en una mejor opcià ³n. (You might think of a better option.)Podrà ­amos caminar a la playa. (We might walk to the beach. Note that the English sentence standing alone is ambiguous. If the person is using might to suggest possibility, a different translation would be used.) Translating ‘May’ in Wishes Sentences beginning with may to express desires or wishes can be translated by starting a sentence with que and using the subjunctive mood.  ¡Que Dios te bendiga! (May God bless you!) Que todo el mundo vaya a votar. (May everyone go to vote.) Que encuentres felicidad en todo lo que hagas. (May you find happiness in everything you do.) Translating ‘Might As Well’ Theres no single translation that always works for might as well or the less common may as well. Check the context to see what nuance of meaning might work best. Me convendrà ­a estudiar. (I might as well study. Literally, it would suit me fine to study.)Serà ­a mejor si vinieras conmigo. (You might as well come with me. Literally, it would be better if you came with me.)Considerando lo anterior podrà ­amos concluir que la justicia es imposible. (Considering what just happened, we might as well conclude that justice is impossible. Literally, considering the previous, we could conclude that justice is impossible.) Key Takeaways Spanish does not have any auxiliary verbs that are the equivalent of may or might.When may or might suggest possibility, you can translate using words or phrases that mean maybe.Verbs of permission can be used for translating may or might when they are being used for seeking approval.

MOHG2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MOHG2 - Essay Example These analysis form an integral part of the financial statement analysis, especially from the investors point of view, who always strive to invest in countries having strengthen and stabilizing financial ratios and representing an upward trend. It is of great significance that the ratios must be benchmarked against a standard in order for them to possess a meaning. Keeping that into account, the comparison is usually conducted between companies portraying same business and financial risks, between industries and between different time periods of the same company. The company under consideration is Mandarin Oriental International Limited and in this report analysis of the financial performance of the company for the financial year 2011 with the financial year 2010 has been conducted in order to draw attention to various financial trends and significant changes over the period. The analysis is divided into three main categorize namely Profitability, Liquidity and Gearing. Profitability ratios identify how efficiently and effectively a company is utilizing its resources and how successful it has been in generating a desired rate of return for its shareholders and investors. Liquidity ratios measure the ability of the company to quickly convert its asset into liquid cash to settle its short term liabilities. Whereas, the Gearing ratios identifies the extent to which the company is financed through debt and to what degree the operations are being conducted from the finance raised through raising equity capital or otherwise. Mandarin Oriental International Limited is regarded as one of the prominent when it comes to luxurious hotels. As quoted from the annual report of Mandarin for the financial year 2011, â€Å"Mandarin Oriental International Limited is an international hotel investment and management group with deluxe and first class hotels, resorts and residences in sought-after destinations around the world. The group now operates, or under