Biography Joe Slovo, anti-Apartheid Activist

Joe Slovo, the anti-Apartheid activist, was one of the founders of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the armed wing of the ANC, and was general secretary of the South African Communist Party during the 1980s. Early Life Joe Slovo was born in a small Lithuanian village, Obelai, on 23 May 1926, to parents Woolf and Ann. When Slovo was nine years old the family moved to Johannesburg in South Africa, primarily to escape the increasing threat of anti-Semitism which gripped the Baltic States. He attended various schools until 1940, including the Jewish Government School, when he achieved Standard 6 (equivalent to American grade 8). Slovo first encountered socialism in South Africa through his school-leaving job as a clerk for a pharmaceutical wholesaler. He joined the National Union of Distributive Workers and had soon worked his way up to the position of shop steward, where he was responsible for organizing at least one mass action. He joined the Communist Party of South Africa in 1942 and served on its central committee from 1953 (the same year its name was changed to the South African Communist Party, SACP). Avidly watching the news of the Allied front (especially the way in which Britain was working with Russia) against Hitler, Slovo volunteered for active duty and served with South African forces in Egypt and Italy. Political Influence In 1946 Slovo enrolled at the University of Witwatersrand to study law, graduating in 1950 with a Bachelor of Law, LLB. During his time as a student, Slovo became more active in politics and met his first wife, Ruth First, the daughter of the Communist Party of South Africas treasurer, Julius First. Joe and Ruth were married in 1949. After college Slovo worked towards becoming an advocate and defense lawyer. In 1950 both Slovo and Ruth First were banned under the Suppression of Communism Act - they were banned from attending public meetings and could not be quoted in the press. They both, however, continued to work for the Communist Party and various anti-Apartheid groups. As a founder member of the Congress of Democrats (formed in 1953) Slovo went on to serve on the national consultative committee of Congress Alliance and helped draft the Freedom Charter. As a result of Slovo, along with 155 others, was arrested and charged with high treason. Slovo was released with a number of others only two months after the start of the Treason Trial. The charges against him were officially dropped in 1958. He was arrested and detained for six months during the State of Emergency which followed the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, and later represented Nelson Mandela on charges of incitement. The following year Slovo was one of the founders of Umkhonto weSizwe, MK (Spear of the Nation) the armed wing of the ANC. In 1963, just before the Rivonia arrests, on instructions from the SAPC and ANC, Slovo fled South Africa. He spent twenty-seven years in exile in London, Maputo (Mozambique), Lusaka (Zambia), and various camps in Angola. In 1966 Slovo attended the London School of Economics and gained his Master of Law, LLM. In 1969 Slovo was appointed to the ANCs revolutionary council (a position he held until 1983 when it was dissolved). He helped draft strategy documents and was considered the ANCs main theoretician. In 1977 Slovo moved to Maputo, Mozambique, where he created a new ANC headquarters and from where he masterminded a large number of MK operations in South Africa. Whilst there Slovo recruited a young couple, Helena Dolny, an agricultural economist, and her husband Ed Wethli, who had been working in Mozambique since 1976. They were encouraged to travel into South Africa to undertake mappings or reconnaissance trips. In 1982 Ruth First was killed by a parcel bomb. Slovo was accused in the press of complicity in his wife death - an allegation which was eventually proved unfounded and Slovo was awarded damages. In 1984 Slovo married Helena Dolny - her marriage to Ed Wethli had ended. (Helena was in the same building when Ruth First was killed by a parcel bomb). That same year Slovo was asked by the Mozambican government to leave the country, in accordance with its signing of the Nkomati Accord with South Africa. In Lusaka, Zambia, in 1985 Joe Slovo became a first white member of the ANC national executive council, he was appointed general-secretary of South African Communist Party in 1986, and chief-of-staff of the MK in 1987. Following the remarkable announcement by President FW de Klerk, in February 1990, of the unbanning of the ANC and SACP, Joe Slovo returned to South Africa. He was a key negotiator between various anti-Apartheid groups and the ruling National Party and was personally responsible for a sunset clause which led to the power-sharing Government of National Unity, GNU. Following a bout of ill health in 1991, he stepped down as general-secretary of SACP, only elected as SAPC chairperson in December 1991 (Chris Hani replaced him as general-secretary). In South Africas first multi-racial elections in April 1994, Joe Slovo gained a seat through the ANC. He was awarded the post of Minister for Housing in the GNU, a position he served under until his death form Leukaemia on 6 January 1995. At his funeral nine days later, President Nelson Mandela gave a public eulogy praising Joe Slovo for all he had achieved in the struggle for democracy in South Africa. Ruth First and Joe Slovo had three daughters: Shawn, Gillian, and Robyn. Shawns written account of her childhood, A World Apart, has been produced as a film.

Hedda Gabler By Henrik Ibsen - 926 Words

Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler is a play written by Henrik Ibsen about a daring woman and her relationship with those around her. Ibsen portrays the way the pressures of society affect a person and how Hedda Gabler personally deals with it. Hedda is indeed a complex and fascinating character and the audience’s opinion can differ as many see Hedda as a selfish coward while others can see her as a brave, independent person. In the play, she is faced with these two judgements: she can show an act of bravery by breaking out of society’s limitation which results in her suicide or she can continue living in a world that forces her to suffer with society’s confinement. Hedda Gabler should be seen as a brave and independent person because she takes extreme and courageous measures in order to finally break out of the pressures and expectations from society. In Hedda Gabler the main character, Hedda, struggles with the manner in which society pressures her and expects her to be as a person. As the play progresses, it is evident that Hedda feels suffocated by the expectations of society to be a woman and a housewife to her newlywed husband, Tesman. Because of her suffocation, she feels the desire for power and in Act II, she says: â€Å"For once in my life I want to feel that I control a human destiny† (Ibsen 226). As she is a surprisingly intelligent and brave individual, this desire for control and power drives her throughout the whole play and she takes extreme measures to fulfill thisShow MoreRelatedHedda Gabler By Henrik Ibsen1325 Words   |  6 Pagesand so much more. However, women of today s day and age don t hold a candle next to the Victorian Era’s Hedda in the play Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen. Hedda Gabler, although a heinous person at heart, is an extremely powerful woman who uses that power to mask her own fears. So why is it that Hedda Gabler displays herself in such a manner? Within this essay the reader will learn how Hedda acts, the for ms in which she controls those around her, in what ways she gets exactly it is that she wantsRead MoreHedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen906 Words   |  4 Pages The play â€Å"Hedda Gabler† revolves around the life of a socially deprived woman living in the late 1800s. Hedda Gabbler’s crippled emotionally draining life is the epicenter of the entire body of work. As Ibsen wrote of Hedda’s emotional state and life he revealed the distinct role women played in the late nineteenth century. Manipulation and the reputation of the protagonist, Hedda Gabler reveals the message Henrik Ibsen was trying to send out. Hedda Gabler lived in a world of repressed feelingsRead MoreHenrik Ibsen s Hedda Gabler Essay2029 Words   |  9 PagesPAPER: HENRIK IBSEN’S â€Å"HEDDA GABLER† Part 1: Henrik Ibsen Henrik Ibsen was born on March 20th, 1828 and grew up in a Norwegian coastal town of Skien, as the oldest of five children. His Father, Knud, was a successful merchant providing a plentiful life for his family, while his mother, Marichen, played the piano and loved theater. Ibsen showed little interest in theater as a child until his family went into bankruptcy and eventually into poverty. That tragic event in his life made Ibsen put hisRead MoreAnalysis Of Hedda Gabler By Henrik Ibsen914 Words   |  4 Pagesis shown in many works of literature. For example, Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen shows the ways of character moral ambiguity and its way in deceiving others; this is shown through the character Judge Brack. Judge Brack is portrayed to be a good friend of George Tesman and Hedda Gabler Tesman, a psychological trickster and manipulator who is ultimately revealed to be a morally ambiguous character. Judge Brack is introduced into Hedda Gabler as a man of authority, which allows him to able toRead MoreHedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen652 Words   |  3 Pageshalf empty or half full. Your choice will determine how you look at things. In Hedda Gabler, I think that her approach to living life was looking at the glass as half empty. She was negative about everything and she was also a very manipulating, ungrateful, crazy woman. I wish I got to go on a 6 month honeymoon like she did!! She didn’t seem to appreciate her long honeymoon. Not many people get a 6 month honeymoon. Hedda looked at suicide as a beautiful thing and that is not having a positive lookRead MoreHedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen556 Words   |  2 Pagesmay say that Hedda Gabler is a perfect example of twisted femininity because she despartely wanted to be in control and was an asset to Lovborg’s death. She despised being Tesman’s wife and manipulated people for no apparent reason except for her own per sonal gain. Undermining her husband with her coldness, denying her pregnancy, destroying Theas life-work, burning Lovborgs manuscript, and committing suicide are all the attempts she made to try and satisfy her thrist for life. Hedda was not theRead MoreHenrik Ibsen s Hedda Gabler902 Words   |  4 PagesTrue Narcissist in Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler Within Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler the protagonist pushes the boundaries of what people are able to do and get away with. Some may consider Hedda to be a true romantic longing for a little excitement but beneath the mask behind which she hides, lies a truly selfish and arrogant woman. Hedda Tesman’s dark personallity can be easily observed within her interactions with her husband George Tesman and his aunt Juliana Tesman. Hedda treats her husbandRead MoreHedda Gabler, by Henrik Ibsen and Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert742 Words   |  3 Pagesand the limitations society holds on its residents. In the two literary works, Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler and Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, they share a common portrayal: the main heroine faces the complications of societal restraints. The novella by Ibsen and Flaubert’s novel emphasize upon women that struggle with what can and cannot be done in their society. The protagonists Hedda Gabler in Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler and Emma Bovary of Flaubert’s Madame Bovary are estranged individuals thwarted by societyRead More Freud and Hedda Gabler: The Wolf Behind the Protagonist1369 Words   |  6 Pageslupus’ form of instinct suggest a more aggressive side of humans with the tendencies of not interacting with people but merely using people. Henrik Ibsen, through his use of the character Hedda Gabler, illustrates Sigmund Freud’s homo homini lupus form of instinct and uses that as a means of drawing out of the flaws of civilization at large. Henrik Ibsen always had the persistent theme of placing that one character within the setting that did not fit into the natural societal confines. This wasRead MoreHedda Gablers Character Analysis Essays1550 Words   |  7 PagesHedda Is Not a Housewife The reflection of women in literature during the late eighteen-hundreds often features a submissive and less complex character than the usual male counterpart, however Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler features a women who confines herself to the conformities that women were to endure during that time period but separates herself from other female characters by using her intelligence and overall deviousness to manipulate the men in her life and take a dominant presence throughout

The Case of Physician Disclosure of Information Free Essays

Any medical information especially those which are involved in the practice itself or in the process of medical operations are just as important, or shall we say critical, as the information needed in an investigation by the police or the testimonials needed by lawyers in court or just any kind of information the human’s inquisitive minds require in understanding things. The on-going debate regarding the disclosure of physicians’ information which includes disciplinary records, hospital privileges and most especially the disclosure of medical errors, has yet to come to a close. Scholars and experts from different universities and institutions have been reviewing a lot of published related literature with the goal of coming up with the right decision regarding the case (University of Iowa, 2006). We will write a custom essay sample on The Case of Physician Disclosure of Information or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to Science Daily (2009), although a lot of physicians have gone to protest, still some have been participating in the investigation by joining surveys and focus group discussions that would contribute to the study’s progress. It is the right of the physicians to disagree with what the study is proposing. At one point, records of errors which possibly may not be caused solely by the practitioner, is not enough for clients to use as judgment for the physician’s capability. In addition to this a study has shown that the lack of feedback when sending to report systems is one of the main reasons why doctors are not motivated to disclose their errors (bio-medicine. org, 2006). Given the fact that the experts who are primarily involved in the situation have already expressed thoughts regarding the case, it is still anybody’s responsibility to reveal important information especially the ones needed in the process of investigating what went wrong. According to Lauris Kaldjian, M. D. , Ph. D. , associate professor of internal medicine in the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, â€Å"The patient should be the main fous of the physician, but when a medical error has occurred, the professional involved is also to be considered† (bio-medicine. org, 2006). The physicians themselves as well as the hospitals, through disclosing information, should inform their clients well to be able to work closely with them in providing medical care. The Hillsboro Area Hospital could be an example as the details and affiliations of each physician can be accessed by clients through their website (. hillsboroareahospital. org, 2008). References: University of Iowa (2006, August 3). Studies Examine Physician Disclosure Of Medical Errors. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 9, 2009. http://www.hillsboroareahospital.org/physiciandisclosure.php How to cite The Case of Physician Disclosure of Information, Papers

Financial Reporting Telstra Corporation Limited

Question: Describe about the Financial Reporting for Telstra Corporation Limited. Answer: Introduction Telstra Corporation Limited is the largest telecommunication company in Australia. Incorporated as early as 1901, Telstra has a long history. By 1990s the deregulation of telecommunications industry in Australia opened up new opportunities and with Telstras marketing strategy, it has remained on the top leaving its competitors Optus and Vodafone far behind. It has consistently performed well and has ensured dividends and earnings growth. As it is operating in a dynamic environment, customer is the top priority as the company caters to the ever changing customer demands and satisfaction. Technological advancement is also dynamic and competitive transforming the world we live in. Financial Analysis As the assignment requires the analysis from the view point of a lending institution, the basic principles to be touched upon are relevance, reliability and faithful representation. Though there are a lot of items on the financial statements, the analysis has been narrowed down to three areas of potential importance. The financial statements are general purpose financial statements prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Corporations Act, 2001, the applicable Accounting Standards and the various other pronouncements of the AASB. Property, Plant Equipments (point no ii) Property, plant and equipment is recorded at its cost and depreciated over straight line basis over the estimated service life of the asset. All costs incurred in the construction of the asset and bringing it to its location and to a condition necessary for the operation of the asset are also included in the cost of the asset (Graham Smart, 2011). Management judgment and estimation is required in determining the costs that are to be capitalized in case of constructed assets and internally generated assets. This is a significant point of audit as the management might for its own benefit and for the benefit of the company, chooses to capitalize a few such unreasonable costs. So the audit should be conducted to rule out the possibility of such instances. A suitable comparison with a similar transaction with an outside party can potentially reveal the arms length price of the transaction and the profits hidden in the same. The assessment of costs directly attributable to the construction requires more vigilant supervision. This would satisfy the quality of relevance and reliability of the financial statements. The various assets are reviewed on an annual basis and this is to ensure that the assets are still in a good form and capable of completing the projects on hand. This is a reasonable proposition as technological advancements are making assets redundant earlier. The resultant loss arising from any such write offs is accounted under impairment gains and losses account (Laux, 2014). Deprecation is charged on the asset when it is installed and ready for use. Depreciation is on a straight line basis over the service life of the asset. This service life of the asset is the management estimation and the service lives are reviewed every year to ensure that the required changes in the lives of the assets are incorporated and applied accordingly (Laux, 2014). The management does this assessment by comparison with the international trends and this helps in determination of when the asset can become obsolete or supersede the technology. The residual value of the assets is also reviewed by the management every year. There are specific standards and tests to be satisfied to be classified as a leased asset and these requirements are in line with the requirements of the Accounting Standards (Palepu et. al, 2007). Thus these are the measures used to determine the value of Property, plant and equipment on the financial statements. These measures are reasonable and it is also valid to add the items. The Total amount displayed under the head Property, plant and equipment is interpreted as the Acquisition Cost of the Asset less accumulated depreciation till the balance sheet date and this is tested against the residual value or the net realizable value for accounting of impairment (Telstra, 2015). In short, this figure depicts the true and fair value of the assets adjusted for all the additions and deletions on the balance sheet date. Intangible Assets (point iv) Intangible assets are those which cannot be seen or touched but carry a value. Hence the recognition of the same is required and for this reason it should either be separable or arise from a contractual or legal contract or obligation. The most popular intangible assets are goodwill, softwares, internally generated assets, acquired intangible assets and deferred revenue expenditure (Whittington, 2008). The company has set out the criteria for the recognition of these assets and these tests are applied for recognition, measurement and valuation of the intangible assets. Goodwill is usually recognized when an acquisition or a joint venture takes place and the amount paid as the acquisition price is more than the fair value of the assets acquired and so this difference is accounted and recognized as Goodwill. Goodwill is not amortized but tested for impairment on an annual basis. Internally generated intangible assets are usually the research costs and development costs and the management judgment is required for the assessment and measurement of the same. Software assets are for use by the company and so this is amortized on a straight line basis over the finite useful life of the software (Telstra, 2015). The acquired intangible assets are recorded at their fair values on the date of acquisition and management judgment is applied in determination of the fair values of the assets. The intangible assets that have a finite life are amortized on straight line basis over the service life of the assets whereas the intangible assets that have indefinite lives are tested annually for impairment (Gibson, 2008). Conservatism requires that the company should account for all the impairment losses but not book gains on the same until there is virtual certainty regarding the realization of the same. This principle is suitably followed which is a good practice (Brigham Ehrhardt, 2011). The expensing off the intangible assets values to the income statement is a principle that is in line with the accounting standards and enables the shareholders to know the real profit. The financial statements should portray a true and fair view of the business and hence this impairment accounting and expensing off the expenses helps in the decision making for the shareholders (Gibson, 2008). This will not lead to the misevaluation of the shares selected but rather is more useful in forming an opinion. The company has followed the usual disclosure policy for providing information about the intangibles and provided explanations regarding the same in Notes to Financial Statements. Cash Flow Statement Analysis (point vi) Typically, according to the requirements of the AASB 107/IAS7, Telstra has prepared the Cash Flow Statement under three major heads namely Operating activities, investing activities and financing activities. As the Income Statement is a combination and mixture of all types of expenses, it becomes necessary to segregate the expenses into operating, financing and investing activities to know the performance of the respective segments and see which of these areas have a negative cash flow. The increase or decrease in the balance of Cash and Bank is more effectively understood by the relative movements of these items in the Cash Flow Statement (Hitchner, 2013). In a business organization, these are the three significant activities and operating activities depict a picture of the operations of the company for the current year, investing activities are usually indicative of a long term business decision taken by the company whereas financing activates can be either trading related activities or non trading activities (Telstra, 2015). This break down is required as the investors can have an in-depth view as for instance how a single sale of Unit has shot up the cash balance or a similar such acquisition has wiped out the entire cash balance (Telstra, 2015). The source and utilization of the funds can be better understood and interpreted by the cash flow statement. The rationale behind the management decisions is also portrayed by the various items on the cash flow statement. The Notes to Financial Statements should contain details and explanations about the cash realized from the disposals and cash spent on the various acquisitions. If a share buyback has taken place, then the details of the same have to be disclosed. Thus disclosures are decided upon the veracity, volume and significance of the items on the cash flow statement. It is usually seen that businesses follow credit policy and accrual basis of accounting. The Sales made is not necessarily equivalent to the Cash and Bank Balance of the company as the realization of the sales takes tie. The same is the case with expenses which depicts that some expenses might be deferred while a few others might be prepaid. The accounting of the incomes and expenses has to be done on an accrual basis ( Maines Wahlen, 2014). This gap between the accounting and realization is captured by this reconciliation between the accounting profit and net cash flow from operations. It helps in the decision making for the users in a way that the users get an idea about the non cash expenditures, the composition of the same and the relative proportion of the items. References Brigham, E.F. Ehrhardt, M.C. (2011). Financial Management: Theory and Practice (13th ed.). USA: Cengage Learning. Gibson, C.H. (2008). Financial Reporting and Analysis (11th ed.). USA: Cengage Learning. Graham, J. Smart, S. (2011). Introduction to Corporate Finance: What Companies Do (3rd ed.). USA: Cengage Learning. Hitchner, J.R. (2013). Financial Valuation: Applications and Models. USA: John Wiley Sons. Laux, B. (2014). Discussion of The role of revenue recognition in performance reporting. Accounting and Business Research, 44(4), 380-382. Maines, L. Wahlen, J. (2006). The Nature of Accounting Information Reliability: Inferences from Archival and Experimental Research. Accounting Horizons, 20(4), 389-425. Palepu, K.G., Healy, P.M., Peek, E. Bernard, V.L. (2007). Business Analysis and Valuation: Text and Cases. UK: Cengage Learning EMEA. Telstra (2015). Telstra Our company. Accessed October 28, 2016 from https://www.telstra.com.au/aboutus/our-company/ Whittington, G. (2008). Harmonization or Discord? The critical role of the IASB conceptual framework review. Journal of Accounting Public Policy, 27(6), 44-56

The Failures Of Affirmative Action Essays (124 words) -

The Failures of Affirmative Action Once upon a time, there were two people who went to an interview for only one job position at the same company. The first person attended a prestigious and highly academic university, had years of work experience in the field and, in the mind of the employer, had the potential to make a positive impact on the company's performance. The second person was just starting out in the field and seemed to lack the ambition that was visible in his opponent. ?Who was chosen for the job you ask. Well, if the story took place before 1964, the answer would be obvious. However, with the somewhat recent adoption of the social policy known as affirmative action, the answer becomes unclear.

Free Essays on Legalizing Euthanasia

Legalizing Euthanasia In early 1970’s Jean and Derek Humphry found themselves in a dilemma. Jean had cancer, and at the slightest sudden movement her bones would crack. Jean was in agonizing pain, which she could no longer endure. One night while Jean and Derek were in bed, she begged of Derek, â€Å"Find a doctor who will give us a lethal overdose that I can take.† After many restless nights Derek agreed and began his search for a doctor. He considered three doctors to nurse Jean back to health but was rejected. This was because the doctor would be subjecting himself to prosecution in court. The other doctor would suffer from malpractice in court and could not afford to lose his license in medicine. After being rejected, Derek asked a young doctor that he met years ago, who went under the name of â€Å"Dr. Joe†. Derek, Jean, and â€Å"Dr. Joe† met and discussed what would happen and exactly how Jean would want to die. Jean decided on taking capsules. Jean died in 1975 as she wished. Jean died a calm and peaceful death. She did not have to suffer for as long as a year. Jean ended her suffering with in an hour and Derek was happy knowing she would not be suffering. Several years later Derek met a woman by the name of Ann Wickett. The two of them fell madly in love and got married. Derek explained the situation that he and his ex-wife had gone through. Together they formed Hemlock Society and with that explained the proponents of euthanasia. In this case euthanasia was humane. It was humane because not only was it Derek’s choice but most importantly it was Jean’s choice too. Euthanasia gave Jean a final rest from all her misery since she found out she had cancer. Most importantly, it expedited a slow and inevitable death for Jean. Euthanasia should be legalized, because contrary to common belief euthanasia is a humane act. There are two types of euthanasia. Those two types are passive and active. Passive ... Free Essays on Legalizing Euthanasia Free Essays on Legalizing Euthanasia Legalizing Euthanasia In early 1970’s Jean and Derek Humphry found themselves in a dilemma. Jean had cancer, and at the slightest sudden movement her bones would crack. Jean was in agonizing pain, which she could no longer endure. One night while Jean and Derek were in bed, she begged of Derek, â€Å"Find a doctor who will give us a lethal overdose that I can take.† After many restless nights Derek agreed and began his search for a doctor. He considered three doctors to nurse Jean back to health but was rejected. This was because the doctor would be subjecting himself to prosecution in court. The other doctor would suffer from malpractice in court and could not afford to lose his license in medicine. After being rejected, Derek asked a young doctor that he met years ago, who went under the name of â€Å"Dr. Joe†. Derek, Jean, and â€Å"Dr. Joe† met and discussed what would happen and exactly how Jean would want to die. Jean decided on taking capsules. Jean died in 1975 as she wished. Jean died a calm and peaceful death. She did not have to suffer for as long as a year. Jean ended her suffering with in an hour and Derek was happy knowing she would not be suffering. Several years later Derek met a woman by the name of Ann Wickett. The two of them fell madly in love and got married. Derek explained the situation that he and his ex-wife had gone through. Together they formed Hemlock Society and with that explained the proponents of euthanasia. In this case euthanasia was humane. It was humane because not only was it Derek’s choice but most importantly it was Jean’s choice too. Euthanasia gave Jean a final rest from all her misery since she found out she had cancer. Most importantly, it expedited a slow and inevitable death for Jean. Euthanasia should be legalized, because contrary to common belief euthanasia is a humane act. There are two types of euthanasia. Those two types are passive and active. Passive ...

Public Relations (Case Study) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Public Relations (Case Study) - Essay Example The village is currently barren; this makes it viable for any business opportunity ranging from tourism to manufacturing plants owing to the readily available resources. By exploiting such, the stakeholders can easily revamp the economy of the township. However, among the vital weaknesses in the structure of are the low population which also makes it a poor market and may probably discourage investment since labor is costlier in the less populated village. The current state of the village presents it with various investment opportunities key among which is tourism. The stakeholders can position the village as a tourist destination in the state and therefore attract both domestic and foreign tourists. The village’s rich cultural and political history coupled with various contemporary developments may position the village as the most favorable tourist destination in the state by attracting city residents who require a peaceful environment. The greatest threat to the development of the village is its social structure. The local authorities records accounts of drug abuse and rising crime rates in the village. Such trends would stifle the efforts to develop the village into a tourist destination in the state. ... The economic factors that affect the growth of the village include the lack of investment opportunities in the village. The rising crime rates and the abuse of drugs constitute specific social factors that affect the development of the village. Additionally, technological factors will equally affect the development of the country; the villagers must assume the new communication features and ways of doing business in other parts of the country (Davis, 2007). Legal factors such are consumer laws and employment laws apply in the country just as in any other part of the country. Environmentally, the village is a barren opportunity with desirable flora and fauna. Stakeholders map The individuals who are likely to influence any development plan in the Luddenden Village include the locals. The category includes the old people who have witnessed the growth of the village and the young people who seek to foster the development plan. Additionally, the involvement of the government is equally v ital. This occurs sequentially with the involvement of the local leaders who relay the plans to the central government. The entire national population will also affect the development of the village. With the identification of the stakeholders in the village development project, stakeholders map provides for ways of reconciling conflicts among such and therefore determining an appropriate management system (Blackshaw, 2008). The rising crime rate and drug abuse among the youth is an eminent impairment in the cohesive generational transition. The villagers must therefore use every means possible including the incorporation of the local authorities in order to curb such since they are capable of thwarting

Personal Leadership Analysis and Action Plan Term Paper

Personal Leadership Analysis and Action Plan - Term Paper Example They did things together as a family including shopping. John would pay the bills showing good examples to the children that when they become men they would want to be like John. I mean john was everything to us, working with the government; he took them to the best schools in town he taught them how to do basic things that a child needs to know including discipline and manners, he was their source of encouragement as he encouraged them to take up challenges in life. Sophia was heaven on earth; she helped the children with school work, made our food, sung and even played with them. Meal time was celebration time; Sophia would make the meal with her hands that had the touch of class. He baking was top class as no bakery in town would compare to it. She made cakes for the children as if they were daily bread, and the daily bread that she made was as if every day was an occasion. Whenever food was served it never mattered what was on the table, it was always taken with joy. This was uto pia in real life. Then John quit his job, and he was greatly compensated. This simply meant that he had more money that before, they went from being a middle class to a rich family. He ventured into businesses that had great returns, John was rich. He was a successful man in every rite of business he ventured into; but true as they say, more money more problems. The family started seeing less of John more day by day; he would go on trips that involved business. Days grew into weeks and weeks became months. This was followed by both Sophia and john beginning to doubt each other, each alleging the other of cheating. John claimed Sophia was seeing another man and Sophia said John had been sported severally with another woman. Finally the day came when the truth came to light. John came in and called the family together, and in his eloquence he said he had come to a decision to leave Sophia and had found another woman that he would marry. Now this

Analysis of options and recommendations for action Assignment

Analysis of options and recommendations for action - Assignment Example This change in tourism trend could be attributed to uncertain economic conditions, stagnant salaries, rising inflation, and growing threat of terror attacks. Therefore many of the UK citizens think that it is better to visit domestic tourist destinations that are in close proximity to them so as to maintain a good balance between their income and expenses. Evidently, such an adverse trend change in the tourism sector would negatively affect the travel business. This report will examine how the travel agency could respond to this change and suggest specific strategies to boost sales in the context of the change. The declining trend of outbound tourism in UK poses great threats to travel and tourism businesses that increasingly rely on people visiting overseas countries (Travel Mole, 2014). The recent global financial crisis together with rising daily living expenses significantly contributed to this trend because people strongly believed that outbound tourism would cause them to incur huge costs. In addition, there has been a trend of decrease in the ownership of overseas holiday homes in UK over the last few years. The English people think that visiting domestic tourist destinations is a better way to cut down huge expenses associated with outbound tourism and save for the future. The growing threat of terror attacks across the world also discourages UK citizens to enjoy overseas holidays or to own overseas holiday homes (Page, 2011, p.75). A SWOT analysis is a better tool to analyse the internal and external environments of the travel and tourism sectors. While analysing the internal strengths of the UK travel industry, it seems that the country has a well developed infrastructure that support travel and tourism businesses. High cost of operations is a major weakness of these sectors as this issue negatively affects people’s overseas holiday

The Evolution Of The Mauritian Economy Information Technology Essay

The Evolution Of The Mauritian Economy Information Technology Essay In the past two decades, the world scenario has considerably changed with one of the pioneering factors leading such changes as globalisation being information technology (IT). The pervasiveness of information and communications technologies (ICTs), may it be at home, within offices, or at schools cannot be denied today. The phenomenal growth of ICTs worldwide has had economic, social, political, and legal implications. For instance, businesses operate in more competitive environments today while others have closed down due to unforeseen pressures. ICTs have also been the foundation blocks for globalisation. Global network systems are today considered as being the new basis for power. The core elements propelling developing and developed economies to surface have been free trade, unrestricted investment, deregulation, balanced budgets, low inflation, privatisation of state owned institutions and infrastructure among others (APC, 2003). Few multinationals are dominating a large part of the market share in the majority of countries. ICTs have been contributing largely to such encroachment in the social and economic conditions of states. With the advent of ICTs instantaneous, global and electronic information is widely available to all. Today, a world without ICT cannot be fathomed. Increased dependence on the new forms of information has marked the whole world: financial markets, competition, research and development, educations and innovation are all sustained by the recent developments in ICT. According to Castells (2000) ICTs are the equivalent to the importance of electricity in the Industrial Era. Various other authors have appraised ICTs as being the tool to leapfrog economic growth through modernisation of production systems and increase competitiveness. Economies ignoring the developments in technology will only remain poor, marginalised and cast aside while those taking advantage of it will simply gain further by going beyond the traditional restrictions of space and time (ITU, 2004). The Mauritian Economy has not been left unscathed by phenomenal changes brought about by globalisation. Reduction in trade barriers and the erosion of trade preferences enforced by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has exposed the economy to diverse hazards on the world market. Fiscal measures are currently being tightened with a view to sustain the economy in the long-term; increased dependence on local quality products is being encouraged. Consultancy services are being sought from knowledgeable persons with a view to identifying means as to how the economy can survive the impact of globalisation. Among the long-term strategies put forward, lies the development and progress of the Mauritian ICT sector as a means of reducing reliance on other pillars. The ability of ICTs to counter the effect of globalisation has been proven by countries such as Singapore as a reliable path towards sustaining competitiveness in the world market. Indeed, several years have elapsed since Mauritius has engaged itself in a new vision of transforming the country into a cyber-island. As such, numerous changes and developments have been achieved taking from infrastructure to the legislative framework for ICTs. Contribution of established pillars to economic progress Agriculture Manufacturing Tourism Financial and Services The ICT Sector Contribution to the economy Given the lack of figures for GDP contribution, the main emphasis has been on the level of employment generated in the ICT sector to describe its growth. However, in 1997, the ICT sector has been reported to have generated 3.3% of total sales to the economy and by 2002 this figure had grown to a total of Rs.4.1 Billion (2.9% of the Gross National Income). The Mauritius IT Industry Association (MITIA) estimated the ICT sectors turnover to be around $70 Million for the 2001/2002 period. The telecommunications sector has been accredited with bringing in the major contribution from the ICT sector to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). This result is due to approximately 300 companies operating in the ICT sector, involved in a wide range of activities including software development, call centre, Business Process Outsourcing, IT Enabled Services (ITES), training, hardware assembly and sales, networking and other support services. World leaders such as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, HP, Infosys, Accenture, Hinduja Group have started operations on the island. ITES-BPO so far is the strongest segment of the local ICT industry, experiencing a robust growth recently. These ITES-BPO companies have already invested some MUR 727 M and were employing around 5513 people at the end of September 2006. This figure includes an increase of 27.2% from January 2006 to September of the same year. Call centres contributes most to ICT sector employment in Mauritius with 42% of the workforce pooled into their activities (2338 persons). A remarkable increase of 158% should also be noted with regard to software development where employment incre ased from 277 to 716 lately, indicative of a rise in demand for software developers as well (BOI, 2008). Furthermore, with respect to encouraging small local entrepreneurs to invest in ICT, some 18 start-ups have benefited from the National Computer Board (NCB) Incubator Centre. These start-ups have in turn contributed towards the creation of 86 jobs and an investment of MUR 12.75 M. When it comes to IT Export, companies like Blanche Birger, DCDM Consulting, State Informatics Limited and Mauritius Telecom have extended their operations to the regional market (NCB, 2006). Investment The Mauritian government has realised the huge potential of ICT, in boosting the economy. It wants ICT to offer efficient, effective and citizen-focused public services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (ITU, 2004). Mauritius is presently ranked 32nd worldwide as an easy and attractive location for business (BOI, 2008). Foreign investment being constantly sought; the government offers a range of facilities and incentives aimed at creating a favourable climate for FDI; for both the Individual and Corporate Investor. At the international level the government maximises on its political, economic and diplomatic endeavour to secure market access and investment guarantees (NCB, 2006). Mauritius has been a leader in Africa in making tax concessions and giving other investment incentives, dating from 1970. All of these benefits have now been extended to the ICT sector. It is now emphasising a targeted promotion project instead of an incentive driven approach. The government has, in that respect, given many facilities regarding FDI. The package of incentives as listed in the ICT Incentive Regime is as follows: low corporate tax of 15% instead of 25% VAT at 15%, refundable No capital gain tax 100% foreign ownership Free repatriation of profits, dividends and capital No minimum foreign capital required 50% annual allowance on declining balance for the purchase of electronic and computer equipment Streaming of all administrative procedures exemption of customs and excise duties on the import of materials and equipment exemption from tax on dividends FDI is governed by the Non-Citizen (property restriction) Act of 1975. This investment regulation is in line with WTOs agreement on TRIMS. A World Bank study conducted in collaboration with the Board of Investment (BOI) indicated that delays in the issue of business licenses and operating permits severely and negatively affect investment. Consequently, recent developments have led to the creation of business within three days. Most activities in the ICT sector are undertaken by a few big groups and governmental entities. The latter fare fairly well, as compared to other regional countries. Most of our investment in 2005 has been obtained from Indian companies with the objective of using the island as a channel to the African market. For example Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Limited (MTML) has started operation in July 2005 with international long distance telephone services. As from this year, it has launched fixed phone services and will soon be offering cellular phone services. It was estimated in 2005 that MTML would have invested $25 million in its network. Many European companies are also reported to have entered into joint ventures with Mauritian organisations in the ICT sector. The potential for BPO, call centre services and offshoring is increasing. Many foreign-owned call centres have invested in Mauritius, such as V-Lines from France, and Infinity; joint venture between French and Mauritian organ isations. As such, the potential for BPO, call centre services and offshoring in particular are increasing. In fact, BPO is the most thriving activity at the moment. Investment in BPO activities has increased by 38.3% (to the number of 148) over seven months (January 2006 to September 2006). Following Mauritius, France brings the most funds in the sector (forecasts indicate a figure of MUR 529 million). India is the next big investor in BPO, with a forecasted investment of MUR 440 million (BOI, 2006). The ITES-BPO sector is actually intended to bring investment of MUR 1.94 billion in the island. So far, MUR 1.01 billion has already been pooled in the economy. By September 2006, ITES-BPO activities were distributed as follows: Figure 1: ITES/BPO Activity in Mauritius (In Numbers) Many foreign-owned call centres have invested in Mauritius such as V-Lines from France, and Infinity; joint venture between French Mauritian organisations. Software Development companies are coming in larger numbers, with a 43% growth rate, followed by BPO (40%) and Multimedia Companies (33%). By end September 2006, the BOI has approved of 29 ITES/BPO investment projects. 24% of these come from call centres and 21% from Software Developers. The main target markets of investing companies are France, United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), and India. Legislations Given the increasing growth of the ICT sector, there has been a shift in the paradigm of regulation during the last decade. The development of the ICT sector is not solely dependent on the technological advancements but also on a strong and supportive regulatory and legislative environment. The ICT Authority (ICTA) has identified seven major market segments where regulation is deemed to be imperative. The market segments are as follows: 1. Fixed telephony a. Local b. International i. Conventional ii. Internet Telephony 2. Mobile telephony 3. Services related to fixed and mobile telephony 4. Dial-up Internet 5. Broadband Internet 6. Wholesale 7. Sale of Equipment Mauritius has been accredited with having a sound and an impartial legal system based on the Napoleonic Codes and the British Common Law. Intellectual Property rights have been strengthened by recent trademark, patent and industrial design laws which comply with the WTOs TRIPS agreement. Furthermore, Mauritius is also a member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and party to the Paris and Bern conventions for the protection of industrial property and the Universal Copyright Convention (Bank of Mauritius, 2006). Over the past decade, the Government of Mauritius (GOM) has taken a proactive role in the regulation of the ICT Sector and has passed five laws to deal with issues such as recognition of digital signatures, protection of copyrights and combating cyber-crime. A brief description of each act is provided below: Table 1: Overview of Main Legislations for the ICT Sector Regulation Law Description Date Passed The Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Bill Provides for repression of criminal activities perpetrated through computer systems and protection against computer misuse and new forms of Cybercrime May 2003 Information and Communication Technologies Act Provides for the establishment, management, regulation and promotion of ICT sector December 2001 Electronic Transaction Act (ETA) Covers electronic records and electronic signatures and the security thereof. (ICT Sector in Mauritius, ICT Authority, 2004) July 2000 Information Technology (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Deals with admissibility of electronics documents as evidence in court cases; data protection and security, computer misuse and patenting of software. December 1998 Copyright Act Pertains to the protection of software and electronic databases. September 1997 Data Protection Act 2010 As per the provisions of the ICT Act, a number of institutions, namely the ICTA, the ICT Appeal Tribunal, the ICT Advisory Council and the Internet Management Committee have already been set up. This regulatory framework has encouraged and allowed international ICT players such as Microsoft, Infosys and so on to successfully conduct their business from Mauritius while allowing the state to meet its social and economic goals. The GOM has also proposed one more bill, entitled the Data Protection Act, which is planned to reassure the ITES companies and their customers on the safety of their data (BOI, 2008). This bill has been in the pipeline for the past 2 years now. Liberalisation There has been a marked difference in the ICT sector structure as from 2000 to 2004. The international long distance and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have changed from having a monopolistic structure to a highly competitive one. The mobile operators have also drifted into full competition, as compared to a previous situation characterised by partial competition (World Bank, 2004). As per the WTO agreement, in 1997, to liberalise the telecommunications sector, the ICT Act was laid as a foundation for proper legal framework governing and enabling liberalisation to take place (ICTA, 2001). It was agreed that all state monopolies and exclusivity rights in domestic and international services would be terminated by 2004. This date was however advanced to the 1st January 2003 as the legislative environment was then deemed insufficient to meet the development of the ICT Sector as regards to foreign investment. Prior to 2003, Mauritius Telecom (MT) held exclusive rights on most national and international services. However, with liberalisation, the Mauritian population has seen the emergence of several new entrants in the sector to their benefit. In 2001, the ICTA replaced the MT Authority as per the ICT Act of 2001. It oversaw the full liberalisation of the telecommunications sector and in its first year it granted several licenses. The liberalisation of the telecommunications services since 1st January 2003 has given a major impetus to the ICT sector (African Economic Outlook, 2006). Exclusive rights of ownership of the SAFE cable have been given to MT however. The mobile market on the other hand, involves two major competing firms: Emtel and Cellplus, and a third likely in the near future: MTML. Current State of Information Technology in Mauritius People Mauritius is a highly erudite economy with 88% literacy rate (BOI, 2006). The island is on the go towards increasing its IT literacy rate. For this purpose, it has started at the ground level i.e. from schools. Another project launched in 2001, was the School Information Technology project, where primary and secondary schools will have computers, with at least one computer lab. In 2002, 100% of schools in Mauritius had a computer but only 18.7% of these had access to the internet (ITU, 2005). All the universities have LANs and high speed internet access. In 2004, 48% of the secondary schools and 4% of the primary schools had internet access (BOI, 2006). With regard to the distribution of the educational level in Mauritius, in the year 2005, there were a total of 11,814 school leavers in S.C. and 5555 school leavers in H.S.C. Only 4444 tertiary students enrolled in Mauritian institutions of which 2,020 enrolled for IT Courses taking from Diploma to Master degrees (BOI, 2006). Adding to the tally of developing IT skilled professionals is the high number of students who are returning to Mauritius each year with degrees from leading universities in Europe, Australia, India, Canada and South Africa. There are five main institutions offering courses leading to certificates, diplomas and degrees in IT. These include the University of Mauritius (UOM), Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Swami Dayanand Polytechnique, De Chazal Du Mee Business School (DCDM) and University of Technology Mauritius (UTM). Other institutions include Formation, Recruitement et Conseil en Informatique, State Informatics Limited and NIIT Computer Education and Training Centre (NCB, 2006). However, the Mauritius College of Air (MCA), which is the countrys leading public distance learning institution, has very few Computer Science courses and in the year 2002 only 3.6% were enrolled in the Computer Science field. Nevertheless, there are many other international universities which provide distance learning courses. Distance learning accounted for the largest share of tertiary Computer Science students with a total of 1,962 students in 2002 (ITU, 2004). The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) and the Task Force on E-Education and Training projected the number of graduates to join the ICT labour market up to 2005 at around 4000 (NCB, 2006). The following diagram illustrates this distribution by the type of institution: Figure 2: Enrolment in Tertiary Computer Science Courses by Institutions (2001) [Adapted from ITU (2004)] However, the forecasted demand of IT workers and/or IT specialists far exceeds the forecasted supply. It was forecasted, in 2003, that if GOM accelerated training accompanied with a low demand for IT professionals, Mauritius will just meet the demand for IT professionals in 2006. If the contrary was to be true, then Mauritius would face an acute shortage of capable labour which was forecasted to be around 8000 IT professionals. In the year 2000, there were approximately 1,900 IT Professionals according to a survey carried out by the NCB. Three years later that figure had increased to 3,200 professionals. Furthermore, an annual growth rate of 15% per annum of newly trained IT graduates is estimated by the TEC. However, as stated earlier, it would prove to be grossly inadequate to meet the demand if there is the expected and the desired growth of the ICT sector. The GOM is providing incentives to attract internationally renowned institutions and universities to set off-campus branches in Mauritius (ITU, 2004). Due to Mauritius relatively poor adoption of the internet, the GOM has sharpened its focus on education at all levels. Promotion of an ICT Culture at the national level has been acknowledged through operation of: An IT Coach Project (Cyber Caravan) to raise ICT awareness around the country A Computer Proficiency Program a joint Government Private-Sector initiative by the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC) on basic computer skills is available to the community at large at a subsidised fee of Rs.700. Also, the GOM has recently launched an ambitious and enormous training programme of 400,000 Mauritians in ICT over the next four years on the 4th September 2006. Commonly known as the IC3 programme, it aims to dispense a series of training sessions under the Universal ICT Education Programme (UIEP) which will eventually lead to the highly recognised Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3). In that respect, the NCB has been delegated the task of implementing the project which will include people from various background, be it educational, social, or work. The IC3 Certification which was developed by Certiport Incorporation (USA) is the first globally accepted, standards-based, validated certification program for basic computing skills. It consists of three modules, namely: Computing Fundamentals, Key Applications, and living Online. IC3 being a foundation course for ICT studies, the trainees can further evolve in the sector by going as far as the MCSE (Microsoft Computer Softw are Engineer) qualification. IT Penetration among the Mauritian Population Since it has adopted a vision of becoming a cyber-island, the state has been strongly emphasising the need to bring the technology to the reach of one and all. On one hand, the younger generation has been heavily benefiting from the inclusion of ICT in their curriculum. 2004 reports confirm that around half of all secondary school and a number of primary institutions benefit from internet access. A large portion of the educational institutions have been equally fitted with computers for students use. On the other hand, the government has also been providing training in IT. As per October 2004, 2500 civil servants had already been trained. The table below illustrates some economic and ICT indicators for 1999-2004: Table 2: Economic and ICT-related indicator (1999-2004) Year Indicators 2003 2004 Estimated Population (Millions) 1.186 1.196 GDP per capita (MUR at Market Price) 128,288 141,826 GDP Growth at basic prices +3.7 +4.5 Mobile Subscribers/100 inhabitants 38.13 47.58 Fixed Telephone Penetration (%) 91 92 Estimated Internet Users 180 000 230 000 No. of Internet Subscribers (dial up) 60 052 77 558 Estimated Household Internet Penetration (%) International Internet Bandwidth (Mbps) 45 61 Estimated Internet Hosts 3985 4836 Source: Central Statistics Office, Mauritius A survey conducted by the NCB in 2002 showed that the main reason why people did not have a PC at home was that they already had one at work and the second reason was cost. The government started a Computer in Every Home campaign and also provided subsidised loans to civil servants for buying PCs; but CSO figures claim that people did not know about these initiatives. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health had implemented the National Health Information System, so as to make health care more efficient. By 2002, seven health centres had been computerised. Mauritius also has the cheapest internet access rates in the African Continent. However, on a global basis, the price of internet connection is relatively high. Indeed, in July 2004, there was a 15% VAT charge on internet services. Such diverging strategies directly hinder the governments policy of spreading internet use throughout the island. With prospective competition from MTML, the internet tariffs were expected to fall by the end of 2006. This would have rapidly increased the number of internet users. Nowadays, post offices also provide electronic services, namely for payment of bills and the sale of telephone services. Mauri-Post is further expected to launch online banking services. Conclusion The ICT Sector in Mauritius has undeniably emerged as a sector in its own right today. The vision of the Mauritian government to make it the next engine of economic growth is in its making as ICT starts to make important inroads to the contribution of GDP. An analysis of 18 economies on their abilities to effectively implement ICT putting Mauritius in 5th position clearly supports this view. The Mauritian government has taken several steps to make the islands outlooks more favourable to investors in the ICT Sector. Additionally, infrastructural developments, especially in the physical terms, are highly conducive to the foreign investment and the GOM is taking pro-active measures to attract further FDI in the ICT Sector. The legislative framework for the sector clearly demonstrates the countrys willingness to foster competition, openness, and an attractive business environment as well as the provision of universal service with efficient interconnectivity. With the liberalisation of the local telecommunications market, investors can expect lower rates of internet access as well as better services from international brands in the future. The liberalisation is also attracting investment in the telecommunications field. To complement the above, several unprecedented initiatives, with the IC3 programme being the latest, have been undertaken to create a first-time-ever educated population in respect of information technology. The combination of the discussed issues, projects, and factors in this chapter will irrefutably link Mauritius firmly to the global information highway in the near future. Yet, development cannot happen in a vacuum, and Mauritius will need to keep pace with the fast changing environment of ICT as it develops the sector further. Pro-activeness, responsiveness, and flexibility represent key requirements for the ICT sector development to prevent the country from losing its position. Literature Review This chapter describes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the Mauritian ICT industry. The following diagram illustrates the main elements of the analysis: STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Language- Bilingual Workforce Political Willingness Infrastructure Physical Telecommunications Attractive Fiscal Incentives Sound Legal Framework Geographical Location Political Stability and Low Risk of Terrorism Infrastructural Weaknesses Poor education system Deteriorating economy Lack of Research and Development (RD) OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Membership in major Regional Trade Blocs Indian Government support Rapid Development Pace Brain Drain Competing ICT economies in the region Risk of natural disaster/s Table 3: SWOT for the Mauritian ICT Industry Strengths Bilingual Workforce Mauritians are bilingual being conversant in both French and English and can therefore service both English-speaking and French-speaking markets (Novatech, 2008). The Industrial Vocational Training Board (IVTB) furthermore organises the training of call centre and BPO operators (which currently constitute a high proportion of the ICT sector) on a regular basis. Additionally, ten public and some thirty private institutions, in collaboration with reputed foreign universities and international training centres provide professional training courses in the IT sector. Key players operating in Mauritius include NCC, NIIT, Aptech, University of Surrey, University of Birmingham, University of Witwatersrand, Università © of Poitiers, Dale Carnegie, BCS, ACCA, CIMA. Additionally, Mauritian employees are commended for their loyalty by Indian, French and British firms. This, according to them, improves the quality of the Mauritian workforce. Infrastructure Telecommunications The SAT-3/WASC/SAFE submarine optical fibre cable links Europe to the Far East through Mauritius and provides connectivity to worldwide destinations through ADSL, ISDN and high bandwidth international leased lines (IPLCs). Government has equally accelerated the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector by an early termination of the exclusivity of the incumbent operator, Mauritius Telecom (MT) as mentioned earlier. As such, new operators have entered the local telecommunications industry offering value added services in the field of International Telephony, Internet Service Provider and Voice over IP. The market has become highly competitive and new entrants compete mainly on prices to gain new clients. A further asset is possessed by Mauritius Telecom, the national operator, with a Point of Presence (PoP) in Telehouse, Paris where major international bandwidth providers and key telecom operators are present for interconnection, thereby providing end-to-end service at very competitive rates (BOI, 2008). Another underwater cable of East Africa, EASSy (Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System), will soon add to the bandwidth provided by the SAFE cable. The cable of a length of more than 8000 km will link Mauritius to around 20 countries of the Eastern coast of Africa including Kenya and Madagascar. As such, telecommunications and internet costs, which have already been reduced substantially over the past few years, are deemed to further decrease. The Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunications, has signed the protocol for linking Mauritius to the EASSy project on the 20th November 2006. This will give Mauritius a competitive edge in telecommunications costs. Physical The Ebene Cybercity is the first IT Park in the African region. It is spread over an area of 172 acres and with consist of various facilities such as video conferencing, conference halls, 24/7 restaurants and banks. The first Ebene Cyber Tower has already been constructed with many international ITES-BPO players are already operating within the most intelligent building in Mauritius. A second cyber tower is also now operational and has already been booked up to 70%. Among the operators are the French company, Phone Sales Experts, which has already started its activities with 50 employees and an American BPO which has booked five floors and is expected to employ around 600 employees. Political Willingness The dedication of the Mauritian government to achieve its goal of making Mauritius a cyber-island has also been reflected over the past few years by its e-government initiatives (e-government, 2004). E-government is the use of ICT to deliver public services which provides greater convenience for citizens (G2C) and to businesses (G2B), as well as between different ministries (G2G). Such initiatives include: The setting up of a Government Online Centre (GOC) as a point of interaction with citizens and businesses. The setting up of a Government Intranet System (GINS) as a medium for collaboration between civil service departments. The designation of Chief Information Officers to champion IT developments and for the provision of learning materials. The approval of international standards to benchmark the internal level of security. Indeed, the government took the initiative to invest in an e-government scheme gearing towards e-management, e-services and e-democracy. E-management consists of computerising all governmental departments while E-services are a platform for the exchange of information between the population and the state. E-democracy on its part is a concept that allows citizens to participate in government decision-making through the posting of queries. Citizens are also provided with e-services such as Application for Lump Sum, Drivers License, Scholarships and Passports are offered online (Govt. Mtius, 2010). The enactment of various legislations for regulating the ICT sector equally reflects such willingness at top level. Attractive Fiscal Incentives Fiscal incentives are being used as a means to increase FDI and investment potential in the island. Such differing tax

Harriet Beecher Stowe Essay -- essays research papers

Harriet Beecher Stowe was a high class women, reformer, and writer in the 1800’s. She wrote many anti-slavery documents that helped reform society. You may know her as the writer of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the best-selling book in the 1800’s about how bad slavery was. Because of the encouragement if her husband, Calvin E. Stowe, she became one of the most famous writers, reformers, and abolitionist women of the 1800’s. Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe was born on June 14, 1811, in Linchfeild, Connecticut. Her father, Reverend Lyman Beecher, raised her in a strong, religious, abolitionist environment. She was also very well educated. In 1832, she moved to Cincinnati with her father. There she learned about slavery that was taking place in the state underneath her. In 1836, she married Calvin E. Stowe, a collage professor who encouraged her writing, that was soon to make her one of the famous women in American history. A few years later she moved to Maine because her husband was excepted into a college as a professor. Harriet Beecher Stowe is well known for her well written anti-slavery document, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is one of Harriet’s Most potent pieces of writing. It was also the 1800’s best selling book. She may also be known for her other, not so famous, anti-slavery documents known as the following: Dread: the Tale of the Great Dismissal Swamp, The Minister’s Wooing, The Pearl of Orr’s Island, and The Oldtown Folks. These books may n...

CPT Essay

The stories both show a Chaw racket returning to a Emily but their purpose of returns and their personalities are distinct. The two stories are different but not completely; they have one similar way of showing the theme which is to return to a family. In the story , the main character is returning to his family for Christmas. The quote â€Å"Father stares at me for a MO meet, then I am in his 06)shows that family is important to the main character r because he is immediately hugging his father. The quote also shows that one of the main re sons why people go home is due to family.The main character would go through obstacles to r ACH his family which reveals that family can provide a sense of unity and security that nothing g else can replicate because the main character could have done something to feel the same sense action. The father also stares at the main character because he cannot believe that his son is baa KC home. This shows that family members are always loving and even though his son has left home for quite a while, Cue 2 his father's love has not perished. The author used the idea of family to show going home in this story because the main character's home is his family and his people.The the me has been shown by the idea of family through the story A Son's Return. The son ran away from home and has not come back for many years. When he finally goes back home his mother is file d with joy. She says â€Å"My boy has come,†(Suburban,03) which not only shows that her son has come home but also her feelings. She is not completely overjoyed because the way she says t he sentence does not leave a powerful impression. The mother is joyful but also proud of her so n of coming home. Those emotions are what people should feel when they go home.They feel joy full because after a days work, a home is should give a relaxing feel which leads to happiness. In addition family will give happiness most of the time because it gives people a sense of unity. G oing home also makes people proud because of family. Family reminds people about their CUL true which everyone should be proud of. One of the reasons why Arnold's went back ho me was because of his family. He claims that he had not visited because he did not know that his family was there. However, he still went back because he wanted to see his family again.No ma otter where one's Emily moves, home is always where the family is. The most important part of a home is the family. The main character in returned home to a family alike the Arnold's from . However, both characters also have their own personal reasons for their return. One of the major differences of how the stories show the theme â€Å"Going Homo e† are the character's purpose of return. In , one of the main character's reason's to return is to find his identity. After studying in Wisconsin for a period of time, h e realizes that he started to adapt to a Western lifestyle even though he is an Indian.The purport SE of his journey Cue 3 home is to see if he has turned into a white man or if he is still and Indian. Du ring the trip, the main character compares the environment of his two homes. Firstly, he says Here where fall hides in the valleys and winter never comes down from the mountains,†(Whit cloud,01) which is saying that Fall and Winter do not exist in state. He is currently living in. Next h e says â€Å"In my Wisconsin, the leaves change before the snows ) and HTH s quote shows that Fall and Winter exists in his other home.

Titillating Types of Sound Effects in Language

Titillating Types of Sound Effects in Language Its a basic principle of modern language studies that individual sounds (or phonemes) dont possess meanings. Linguistics professor Edward Finegan offers a simple illustration of the point: The three sounds of top dont individually have meaning; they form a meaningful unit only when combined as in top. And its precisely because the individual sounds in top dont carry independent meaning that they can be formed into other combinations with other meanings, such as pot, opt, topped, and popped.(Language: Its Structure and Use, 5th ed. Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008) Yet this principle has an escape clause of sorts, one that goes by the name of sound symbolism (or phonaesthetics). While individual sounds may not possess intrinsic meanings, certain sounds do seem to suggest certain meanings. In his Little Book of Language (2010), David Crystal demonstrates the phenomenon of sound symbolism: Its interesting how some names sound good and some sound bad. Names with soft consonants such as [m], [n], and [l] tend to sound nicer than names with hard consonants such as [k] and [g]. Imagine were approaching a planet, where two alien races live. One of the races is called the Lamonians. The other is called the Grataks. Which sounds like the friendlier race? Most people opt for the Lamonians, because the name sounds friendlier. Grataks sound nasty. In fact, sound symbolism (also called phonosemantics) is one of the ways in which new words are fashioned and added to the language. (Consider frak, the all-purpose swear word coined by the writers of the Battlestar Galactica TV series.) Of course, poets, rhetoricians, and marketers have long been aware of the effects created by particular sounds, and in our glossary youll find numerous overlapping terms that refer to specific arrangements of phonemes. Some of these terms you learned in school; others are probably less familiar. Give a listen to these linguistic sound effects (an example, by the way, of both alliteration and assonance). For more detailed explanations, follow the links. Alliteration The repetition of an initial consonant sound, as in the old slogan of Country Life butter: Youll never put a better bit of butter on your knife. Assonance The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds in neighboring words, as in the repetition of the short i sound in this couplet from the late rapper Big Pun: Dead in the middle of little Italy little did we knowThat we riddled a middle man who didnt do diddly.Twinz (Deep Cover 98), Capital Punishment, 1998 Homoioteleuton Similar sound endings to words, phrases, or sentencessuch as the repeated -nz sound in the advertising slogan Beans Means Heinz. Consonance Broadly, the repetition of consonant sounds; more specifically, the repetition of the final consonant sounds of accented syllables or important words. Homophones Homophones are two (or more) wordssuch as knew and newthat are pronounced the same but differ in meaning, origin, and often spelling. (Because peas and peace differ in the voicing of the final consonant, the two words are considered near homophones as opposed to true homophones.) Oronym A sequence of words (for example, the stuff he knows) that sounds the same as a different sequence of words (the stuffy nose). Reduplicative A word or lexeme (such as mama, pooh-pooh, or chit-chat) that contains two identical or very similar parts. Onomatopoeia The use of words (such as hiss, murmuror the Snap, Crackle, and Pop! of Kelloggs Rice Krispies) that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to. Echo Word A word or phrase (such as buzz and cock a doodle doo) that imitates the sound associated with the object or action it refers to: an onomatope. Interjection A short utterance (such as ah, doh, or yo) that usually expresses emotion and is capable of standing alone. In writing, an interjection (like Fred Flintstones Yabba dabba do!) is often followed by an exclamation point. To learn more about phonosemantics in the context of a wide variety of modern languages, have a look at the cross-disciplinary essays collected in Sound Symbolism, edited by Leanne Hinton, Johanna Nichols, and John J. Ohala (Cambridge University Press, 2006). The editors introduction, Sound-Symbolic Processes, offers a lucid overview of the different types of sound symbolism and describes some universal tendencies. Meaning and sound can never be fully separated, they conclude, and linguistic theory must accommodate itself to that increasingly obvious fact.

Lone Star essays

Lone Star essays Lone Star is a modern day based western. Director John Sayles is one of the many great independent directors. Lone Star was made in 1996 so it is a more contemporary film. This film has a basic western theme. But it is set in the present day. It is set in a boarder town on the U.S./Mexico boarder like the film Touch of Evil by Orson Wells. There is a sheriff trying to solve a crime that has to do with his past. The crime has to do with him and his father, Buddy Dees, who was also a sheriff and is now dead, the mayor of the town, and a bartender, Ottise that is half black and half Native American. The film also goes through the sheriff's love life with a history teacher that he had been dating while he was in high school. Her mother owns a restaurant in the town and got to the U.S. by jumping the boarder. At the end of the film we find out that the sheriff's father, Buddy Dees, and the teacher's mother had a fling and that's how the teacher was born. So that makes the sherif f and the teacher brother and sister. The funnier thing about this is that they had sex and the sheriff said that it felt weird. The crime that the present sheriff has to deal with is the murder of another cop, Charley Wade. This cop was a low down murderer. He killed a Mexican in Mexico while he was trying to bring people to the United States. He was also making people pay him off so that he wouldn't end up taking them to jail. He was killed by Buddy Dees because he was going to kill Ottise the bartender. The mayor of the town was the other cop with Wade when he was murdered. The bartender has a son who is a Colonel in the army. He has a son that has never met his grandfather, the bartender. The bartender has a small museum in the club he owns. The museum is to honor the Native tribes that helped the black people escape form their owners. These Native Americans would help hide them by saying that the slaves ...

True Sale in Securitization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

True Sale in Securitization - Essay Example The power to sell the receivables by the creditor stems from the concept of securitization, which is a â€Å"contractual right of a creditor to sell the goods of the debtor and apply the proceeds thereof in or towards the satisfaction of the debt.†1 There are three types of securitization currently used in the market. First, it could be treated as a â€Å"true sale† which is characterized by a transfer of all rights over the receivables to the SPV by the originator. Second is the synthetic securitization where the originator does not sell the accounts receivables but enters into a derivative transaction. Third, are the whole business securitizations, which a form of secured financing, and not a sale of the accounts receivables from the originator to the SPV. Of the three types of treatment, the rue sale may prove to be the safer ground for the seller. There are two points of view in true sale transactions namely the originator’s perspective and that of the SPV. Since Bank A falls under the category of an originator, we will then the originator’s perspectives. As earlier discussed, securitization is aimed at raising funds. For the originator, it is also a method of extracting profit. However, extraction of profit must be done with caution as it has the tendency to run foul with regulations and accounting principles. Under the rules and guidelines of the Securitisation and Asset Transfers (SE) as embodied in the FSA’s Interim Prudential Sourcebook for Banks, extraction of profits may be effected in the following manners, namely (a) as administration fees.

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 65

No topic - Essay Example Again Susan urgently needs to acquire the property to expand the university. The best alternative (BATNA) that he has is to sell it to the property to the private developer. His reserved price (RP) is approximately $19.7 million. This figure is arrived at by considering the cost of rebuilding property with same features, in the same location. Susan is mainly interested in acquiring a property to expand the university. As such, the property that Fr. John is selling is appropriate for the expansion due to its vicinity. Her main source of power is that she is aware that Fr. John is selling the property and that the school is suffering financial predicaments. Her best alternative would be to build her own premises should Fr. John sell the premises at the price equal to putting a new structure. Her recommended price is below $19.7 million as the amount would be enough to put up a new structure with similar features. Her target would basically to acquire the property at a lower price than that of putting a new

Multiculturalism in Contemporary Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multiculturalism in Contemporary Britain - Essay Example On the basis of the essay, it may be noted that the prejudices of the British public may function as fuel for racism and discrimination towards minorities, which legislation has attempted to address. The researcher describes that Government attempts to build cohesion and may be partially beneficial in addressing the divide between the majority and minority groups, to prevent riots and unrest in society. However, underlying causes of inequalities in economic areas must continue to be addressed through policy initiatives. This essay uses Parekh's research of example and states that he believes that in a multicultural society, the common point to build unity among all the people and to promote a sense of belonging is a political foundation, a shared commitment to a political community. A multicultural society would also respect the diversity of its peoples and allow each ethnic, cultural or other group to feel secure through the provisions made in its laws and shared political outlook. As a result of this, the authorities generally tend to consult with several of these minority organizations rather than a few leaders who are said to represent the entire community and as a result, a more democratic society ensures with a more positive image among the police and the community about minority members and their needs and culture which in turn could work towards promoting greater understanding among races and communities and prevent the racial violence that erupts through misunderstanding.

Chemicals in Food Essay Example for Free

Chemicals in Food Essay Those hard-to-pronounce chemicals that are in the list of ingredients on the label are used for more than just flavoring, appearance, and preserving the food (Food Additives). Those additives are used in some other very harsh items such as bug repellent (Food Additives). However, there are some simple and sustainable options that can help consumers avoid running into harsh chemicals and additives that may be lurking in their food. These changes will not only help them make healthier and safer choices, but also help them to save some money in the long run. Many unanswered questions will be addressed within this paper such as: What are the hormones in some of the foods such as dairy and meat and what exactly are they used for? How do they affect us? What can consumers do to avoid purchasing these items? How can one avoid unsafe drinking water and are additives really that bad? According to Credit Loan, Americans consume on average 110 pounds of red meat a year, 600. 5 pounds of dairy products (not including cheese), and 31. 4 pounds of cheese a year (Food Consumption in America). The common theme here is that all of these food groups come from cows. It is not, however, that we are eating cattle and beef, but what that cattle is being fed into its body. â€Å"In 2005, 32. 5 million cattle were slaughtered to provide beef for U. S. consumers. Scientists believe about two-thirds of American cattle raised in for slaughter today are injected with hormones to make them grow faster (Sustainable Table). † This does not include hormones used for the increased production of dairy/milk. With just beef alone, there are six natural and artificial hormones that are injected into cattle and they include: Oestradiol, Progesterone and Testosterone (these are natural occurring hormones). Then there are Zeranol, Trenbolone and Melengestrol (these are artificial hormones) (Sustainable Table). Although there has not been any significant case studies done on these hormones, scientists believe that these hormones pose some threats to human health. â€Å"The Committee [European Union’s Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures Relating to Public Health] also question whether hormones residues in the meat of ‘growth enhanced’ animals can disrupt human hormone balance, causing developmental problems, interfering with the reproductive system, and even leading to the development of breast, prostate or colon cancer (Sustainable Table). Scientists also believe that those at the greatest risk are children, women who are pregnant and unborn babies (Sustainable Table). â€Å"Hormone residues in beef have been implicated in the early onset of puberty of girls, which could put them at greater risk of developing breast and other forms of cancer† (Sustainable Table). However, health risk of humans is not the only factor. Aquatic ecosystems are being greatly affected by hormone residue in the manure of cows by contaminating run-off and groundwater. Recent studies have demonstrated that exposure to hormones has a substantial effect on the gender and reproductive capacity of fish, throwing off the natural life cycle† (Sustainable Table). The United States and Canada, however, continue to allow the growth hormones to be injected. The European Union does not, and they strictly prohibit trade with the U. S. and Canada on hormone-treated beef. Injecting growth hormones into cattle is not the only kind of hormone they are being given either. RBGH is a hormone that gets injected into cattle for an increase production of milk. Developed and Manufactured by Monsanto Corporation, this genetically engineered hormone forces cows to artificially increase milk production by 10 to 15 percent† (Sustainable Table). The natural hormone for growth and lactation is Bovine Somatotropin. When it is man-made it is known as rBST or better known as rBGH. â€Å"Approximately 17% of all cows in the US are given the artificial growth hormone† (Sustainable Table). FDA approved the drug in 1993. However, â€Å"According to opponents of the drug, effects of rBGH were never properly studied,† (Sustainable Table). RBGH poses many health risks to the cows and what is effecting the cows, could quite possibly effect us. â€Å"Problems included an alarming rise in the number of deformed claves and dramatic increases in mastitis, a painful bacterial infection of the udder which causes inflammation, swelling, and pus and blood secretions into milk† (Sustainable Table). IGF-1 (Insulin Growth Factor-1) is a naturally occurring hormone in human bodies. It is also is in rBGH. â€Å"Humans also naturally have IGF-1, and increased levels in humans have been linked to colon and breast cancer† (Sustainable Table). America consumes about 31. 4 pounds of cheese every year, along with 600. 5 pounds of other dairy products (Food Consumption in America). â€Å"In 2006, the United States dairy industry produced over 20 billion gallons of milk. This milk is pasteurized and sold, or transformed into cheese, butter, cream, and ice cream for consumers in the U. S. and around the world† (Sustainable Table). However, it was never this simple. Back in the 1700’s milk was not a familiar drink and was not studied enough. The conditions under which the milk and the cows were kept were not clean. There was no form of refrigeration and insects could easily be accessible to milk that was left out (Sustainable Table). It was not until the end of the 19th century when pasteurization was invented (Sustainable Table). Pasteurization means â€Å"to expose (a food, as milk, cheese, yogurt, beer, or wine) to an elevated temperature for a period of time sufficient to destroy certain microorganisms, as those that can produce disease or cause spoilage or undesirable fermentation of food, without radically altering taste or quality† (Dictionary). However, this may not be enough. Farmers are continuing to use the rBGH, antibiotics, and high-concentrated feed for the increase production of milk (Sustainable Table). In a way, it is benefitting the consumer. By injecting these artificial hormones, the cows are producing almost four times as much milk as they previously were, in turn, is cutting down the cost of milk and other dairy products (Sustainable Table). â€Å"The biggest fear surrounding this breeding technique is the eventual inability to ward off viruses or mutation in the dairy cow’s DNA chain, resulting in rapid spread of disease and possible death† (Sustainable Table). Because of the growing concern of all the use of artificial hormone, slowly, more dairies are turning to organic. â€Å"While organic milk makes up only 1% of the dairy market, demand has increased 477% between 1997 and 2003† (Sustainable Table). Hopefully, the trend continues to increase so the food becomes less processed and more natural at healthy level. For the most part, Americans include water in their daily diet somehow during the day. Whether it is rinsing their mouths out from brushing their teeth, drinking water, or using it to swallow down a pill, water is a part of most people’s life style. However, it is not as clean as most people would think. A team of researchers out of Washington State has found traces of illicit drugs, hormones, and cooking spices in drinking water. The team found that certain spices â€Å"spike during the holidays. â€Å"For instance, thyme and sage spike during Thanksgiving, cinnamon surges all winter, chocolate and vanilla show up during the weekends (presumably from party-related goodies), and waffle cone and caramel-corn remnants skyrocket around the Fourth of July† (Cocaine, Spices, Hormones Found in Drinking Water). But as stated earlier, harmless Cooking spices are not the only traces of remnants in drinking water being found/. â€Å"Around the world, scientists are finding trace amounts of substances-from sugar and spice to heroin, rocket fuel, and birth control-that might be having unintended consequences for humans and wildlife alike† (Drinking Water). One may be wondering how drugs get into the drinking water system. â€Å"After a person has taken drugs such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and ecstasy, active byproducts of these substances are released into the sewage stream through that person’s urine and feces. These byproducts, or metabolites, are often not completely removed during the sewage –treatment process†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Drinking Water). This not only may post a threat to human health, but it poses a threat to the marine life as well. â€Å"Though these drugs traces are still tiny, it’s possible that the potent residues could be toxic to freshwater animals† (Drinking Water). There are still strict regulations from the EPA on the contaminates in drinking water that must be followed. The EPA claims that more than 90 contaminants must be filtered out of drinking water systems (Drinking Water). Richard Keil said something that everyone can take into consideration. He stated; â€Å"’that everything you do is connected to the watershed† (Drinking Water). It is a simply message with a very strong meaning; No matter what one person eats, takes, or drinks, it is somehow later going to affect something or somebody and without any control. Almost half of an American’s diet includes fruits and vegetables. About 273. 2 pounds of fruit and 415. 4 pounds of vegetables are eaten (Food Consumption in America). However, these suppose to be healthy foods could be potentially dangerous to our health. Pesticides are used on almost every major crop. â€Å"Pesticides are chemicals used to eliminate or control a variety of agricultural pests that can damage crops and livestock and reduce farm productivity. The most common pesticides are insecticides (to kill insects), herbicides (to kill weeds), rodenticides (to kill rodents), and fungicides (to control fungi, mold, and mildew)† (Sustainable Table). Pesticides are not a new invention at all. They date back all the way to the ancient Sumerians’ time. The makeup of pesticides ranged anywhere from elemental sulfur, to chemicals such as arsenic and lead (Sustainable Table). It was not until the 19th century that the use of pesticides became more geared to natural techniques such as â€Å"roots of topical vegetables and chrysanthemums† (Sustainable Table). DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane) was discovered in 1939 and was extremely successful, however a huge concern came into effect with its health impact on humans (Sustainable Table). Not only are the pesticides being sprayed on the fruits and vegetables that are eaten, but it also be sprayed on grains as well. This may not seem like that big of deal on a global scale, but when one looks at the cycle of how it effects humans, it is quite concerning. Grains are in all breads, no matter if it is super bleached or straight off of the wheat barley. Therefore, it is a direct source. However, the grains are being fed to livestock as well. In fact, 66% of the grain grown in the U. S. is used for livestock feed (Sustainable Table). â€Å"This grain is grown by intensive farming operations that use massive quantities of pesticides while producing problems such as pesticide resistance in insects and weeds, and pollution of nearby water supplies with toxic chemicals† (Sustainable Table). It is not as common to use manure as a type of soil, but it is definitely not out of the question. The tainted manure could be used to grow the fruits and vegetable crops, that will then again be sprayed with more pesticides, which after awhile, the dead material and soil will run off as ground water, or to a straight water supplies and pollute the water (Sustainable Table). As stated earlier, this will not only affect marine life, but human drinking water. When and if this water goes through sewage treatment plants, not all of the pesticide chemicals will be removed. So not only will humans be ingesting chemicals from the fruits and vegetables, but possibly their drink and meat as well! Pesticides are a public health concern and have been linked to a range of diseases and disorders. Many chemical pesticides are known to cause poisoning, infertility and birth defects, as well as damage to the nervous system and potentially cause cancer† (Sustainable Table). The most susceptible to these conditions are small children. â€Å"According to data collected by the Centers for Dise ase Control and Prevention, the average American child between ages six and eleven carriers four times the acceptable level of pesticides called organophosphates (which are known to cause nerve damage)† (Sustainable Table). The CDC also conducted a blood and urine test in 2004 and that in 100% of the subjects pesticide residues were found. â€Å"Two insecticides- chlorpyrifos and methyl parathion- were found at levels up to 4. 6 times greater than what the U. S. government deems acceptable† (Sustainable Table). Somebody has to take the blame for these absurd high numbers, the question is who to blame. Pesticide use goes through a rigorous test before any products that came in contact with pesticides are even put out on the shelves. Pesticides are tested and approved for use by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which establishes â€Å"tolerances,† or maximum residue levels, that limit the amount of a given pesticide that can safely remain in or on a food. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is then responsible for monitoring pesticide levels on fruits and vegetables, while the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is charged with the task of surveying pesticide residues in meat, eggs , and dairy products† (Sustainable Table).

Film Versions of Shakespeare Comedies Essay example -- Twelfth Night M

Film Versions of Shakespeare Comedies Shakespearean plays are complex, intricate pieces of work in which a diverse range of interpretations and readings can be made. This is particularly true of his comedies, where the light-hearted humour is often offset by darker, more serious undertones. In adapting these comedies it is for the director – in the cinematic context – to decide how to interpret the play and which elements are privileged and which are suppressed. This variance in interpretation is exemplified in comparing two of the more recent cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare’s comedies, Trevor Nunn’s Twelfth Night and Kenneth Branagh’s A Much Ado About Nothing [‘Much Ado’]. Although both films can to an extent be seen as comedies with serious, almost tragic aspects inherent throughout, Nunn’s film deals with these serious facets as central to the depiction, whereas Branagh, although not entirely ignoring the deeper issues, prefers a more light-hearted and visual ly attractive adaptation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Twelfth Night has been described as ‘like Hamlet in a comic vein’ . In terms of Shakespearean chronology, the bittersweet edge to the play and the fact that it is essentially a comedy with the dark, sometimes disturbing elements, has been linked with the playwright’s movement toward the genre of tragedy. The range of filmic adaptations of the play illustrates the variation in the interpretation of Shakespeare’s work, with the dark edge often failing to make the transition to screen. However this is not the case with Nunn’s Twelfth Night, which achieves this exploration of the serious essentially through his interpretation of some of the play’s principal characters including Malvolio, Feste and Maria. Malvolio's character is significant to Nunn’s adaptation in many respects with it initially appearing that Malvolio brings an air of respectability and chastity to the film. However his essential flaws and his inability to recognise the reality of people's feelings, including Olivia's, remove him from the position of moral overseer to a simple player in the game of love. Malvolio's error is related to his self-perceptions and his consideration of his own self-importance, rather than his caring and compassion for his mistress Olivia. Malvolio’s function in this film is to serve as a comedic contrast to the merry-makers, as well as a vital reminder to Feste t... ... provides glimpses of these issues, yet valorises a light-hearted, aesthetic approach to the text as a whole. Works Cited: Brode Douglas. Shakespeare in the Movies: From the Silent Era to Shakespeare in Love. Oxford University Press, 2000, pp. 97-99. Cartmell, B. Interpreting Shakespeare on Screen. (2000). Cuppit, C. â€Å"Double Trouble: A Discussion of Trevor Nunn’s film adaptation of Twelfth Night.† Fine Line Features. Twelfth Night. Home Page. 2003 http://www.finelinefeatures.com/twelfth/ Accessed 28/5/03 Fine Line Features. â€Å"Trevor Nunn – Director.† About the Filmmakers. 2003 http://www.finelinefeatures.com/twelfth/filmbios.htm Greif, K â€Å"Plays ad Playing in Twelfth Night†, in Modern Critical Interpretations: William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, (1987). Marshall, K. â€Å"How do you solve a problem like Maria?: A Problematic (re)interpretation of Maria in Trevor Nunn’s Twelfth Night.† Literature-Film Quarterly 30, no. 3 (2002): p. 219. Richard, R. â€Å"Much Ado About Branagh†. Commentary 96(4) (1993) Sheppard, P. â€Å"Intercutting in Trevor Nunn’s Twelfth Night†. Literature Film Quarterly 30, No. 3 (2002)