Opportunities for you and your organization in the maintenance of a blog to address customer issues Essay

Blogs can be fun and very informative. Blogs could have a major impact on students, faculty, and staff. The opportunities for students, faculty, and staff are endless. Most students are fit within an age group that grew up with networking and social technology. They are familiar with blogs and social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. For some, it is their primary means of getting information and learning. With 36,000 students, blogging can be a means of communicating security concerns, major impacts to the university operations, and crisis management. As mention in McNurlin and Sprague (2006), Dan Farber suggests â€Å"One corporate use of blogs is for crisis management. A blog can be more appropriate than e-mail in managing a crisis (such as a fire or a security breach). All the postings can be on one site, in journaling style, rather than passed as disconnected e-mails, notes Farber. † (p. 292) Students and faculty also like to voice their opinion about the way the university is run. Blogs would give them a voice to express those opinions due to the nature blogs. McNurlin and Sprague went on to say that â€Å"What readers seem to trust about blogs, that they do not trust about conventional media, is their opinionated and personal nature. † (p. 293) Blogs would also be a valuable marketing tool for the university. Blogs hosted by students could give direct advice and opinion to prospective students. According to Laudon and Laudon (2006), â€Å"Blogs provide a more personal way of presenting information to the public and prospective customers about new products and services. † (p. 123) Finally, blogs are a way to manage customer relationships. Faculty, staff, and students are considered customers of the information technology department. It is important to communicate changes, outages, and useful information that help to make the customer experience with technology more enjoyable. The more tips and helpful advice IT can give to end-users, the better the experience. In turn, IT can learn the needs, wants, and opinions of their customers. According to Haag, et, al (2005), â€Å"Customers interact with companies in many ways, and each interaction should be easy, enjoyable, and error free. †

How to Get Rid of the Homeless

For many years we all witnessed the life the brutal life of homeless people, and for many years we try to figure out a way to get rid of them. So how can we prevent them from knocking on our car windows asking for spare change, holding up signs in our face, sleeping on our busy streets? How can we make them look decent like normal people? What if I tell you there are many solutions on how to get rid of these people or use them for good use? Let’s get to the obvious point, how do we get rid of them? Well we can just simply let them die. Yeah it might be too easy of a way to get rid of these people but that’s the point. With so many homeless people around, they may cause a lot of overpopulation. They serve no purpose here because they don’t even fit in the statistical reasons for overpopulation. They can’t get any jobs so why should they be here. It would make more sense if we just let them go to another place where there are no problems for them if you know what I mean. Another good way of getting rid of homeless people is by eating them, even small children. The small children would have the most nutritional meat. Their meat would be frozen because of the long winters spent outside. Florida is ranked 43 out of 50 in homeless children so you know what this means. This means we normal people won’t have to spend a dime at the grocery store, because we would have plenty of children to devour for many years to come. This would not only end child homelessness but it would also give us a tasty meal for life. If letting the homeless die is too cruel we can also use them to our benefit. What if I tell you that we can use them for good use? How can we make the A. S. P. C. A (The American Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals) happy? We all can use the homeless people facial hair as fur coats. We shave them and make their facial hair a sweater or blanket or fur coats. Now granted, it would probably smell but after you wash it a few times the smell probably won’t exist anymore. This will not only make us warm during the winter time but it will also make all animal rights activist happier. The purpose of my proposal was to give a better understanding on why we should get rid of and benefit from homeless people. There are many ways that homeless people can be useful or not to us. We can kill them to stop overpopulation or we can use their excessive hairs for our beneficial needs. This would make a huge difference in our world. I hope anyone who reads this proposal gets a better understanding of the meaning â€Å"The homeless voice†. ? Works Cited Smith, J. â€Å"Ten Year Plan. † http://www. endhomelessness. org/section/solutions/ten_year_plan. N. P. , 3 September 2009. Web. 6 Nov 2011. McGrath, J. â€Å"Ending Homlessness in america. † http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/1831995/ending_homelessness_in_america. html. N. p. , 24 June 2009. Web. 6 Nov 2011.

Traditional Sports in Assam

Traditional sports in N-E Games soon| A STAFF REPORTER| | A traditional sport in progress during the recent Bihu festivities. A Telegraph picture | Guwahati, May 22: The newly-formed Assam Traditional Sports and Dragon Boat Association claimed that efforts were being made to include some traditional sports of Assam in the North-East Games in near future.Addressing the media, regarding the proposed traditional sports carnival — Amar Khel, Amar Utsav — on Saturday, one of the founder office- bearers of the association, Subhash Basumatary, said he was making efforts to get a few disciplines included in the North-East Games, organised annually by SAI. Basumatary is also the director-in-charge of the SAI regional sub-centre, Guwahati. Boat racing, one of the most popular traditional sports, is all set to be the first from among a dozen traditional deciplines which could make it to the North-East Games.The Dragon Boat carnival, to be held here on Saturday, will include 10 oth er disciplines apart from boat racing at Dighalipukhuri. The field events at the carnival at Latasil ground include dhop khel, koni juj, ghila khel, malla juddha, rashi tana, tel khuta, tangon tona, kelah loi dour, tekeli bhonga and dighal thengia dour. â€Å"The idea is to conserve the traditional sports and bring them out of the remote villages to the urban areas. We hope to get co-operation from the government too in organising the event.So far, the tourism department, the State Sports Council of Assam, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration and few others have already come forward to help us in the noble venture,† the association’s president Taher Ahmed said. | Dhopkhel The most popular indigenous game in the state of Assam is Dhopkhel. An ancient game, it is closely related with the development of the state as such. The game requires absolute physical fitness – speed, stamina and acrobatic skills. Dhop is a seasonal game, played during the state's Sprin g Festival, known as Rangoli Bihu.The game really flowered under the royal patronage of the Ahoms. There are two types of Dhop, one played by men and the other by women. The game, which uses a rubber ball, is played by two teams comprising 11 players each, in an open field, 125 m in length and 80 m in breadth, with a central point in the right middle of the arena. Two lines called kai are drawn at a distance of 12 ft on each side of the point at the centre. At the four points where the kai meets the 125 m lines, four flags are planted. Similarly, four flags are planted in the four corners, known as chukor nishan.Parallel to the central point in each half of the field, is one point each, at a distance of 13'6†³ from the centre, and circles surrounding them known as gher. The game begins with the dhop i. e the ball being thrown in the air, by a player. If the ball does not fall in the opponent's court, it is to be thrown again. The dhop has to be caught by the opposing team, and if they fail, then the other team takes the throw. If caught, the player who takes the catch proceeds to the gher of the court, and throws it to the katoni, who stands on the other gher.If the thrower fails on either count, his team forfeits the chance of a throw at the katoni, and the guilty player is requested to deliver a high lob to the opposing team, like the lob which started the game. The opposing team thus gets a chance once more for a catch and throw, at the opponents' katoni. If the katoni is hit below the waist, it is considered a kota, and the katoni becomes a hoia or a bondha, and automatically loses his status of a ghai – a name initially used for all the players. The bondha goes over to the opposing side and tries to prevent the players of the team from catching the dhop. This move is known as aulia.If a bondha succeeds in catching the dhop in the opponents' court and can recross over to his original side without being touched by any of the opponents, he become s a ghai, and this move is known as hora. However, he has to cross both kais and he cannot leave the court in the process of crossing over, or catching the dhop in the zone between two kais. If a team loses ten ghais as hoia or bondha, then the last ghai will be named ghai katoni, and if a kota can be done to him, then it is known as piriutha, which signifies victory for the side. If at the end of the game, there are equal number of ghais, the game is pronounced a draw. Rang GharLocation: Joysagar, 4 km to the west of Sibsagar town Built By: Ahom King Pramutta Singha Built In: 1746 AD Highlights: Oldest amphitheatre in Asia Rang Ghar is one of the major attractions of the state of Assam. It is said to be the oldest amphitheatre in the whole of Asia and has often been referred to as the ‘Colosseum of the East'. Situated to the northeast of the Tolatol Ghar, in the Joysagar area of the Sibsagar district; is the two storied Rang Ghar, which was the royal venue for witnessing a nu mber of games, like buffalo fight, bull fight etc. This ancient amphitheatre was constructed by the Ahom ruler Swargadeo Pramutta Singha.Rang Ghar dates back to 1746 AD, when it was basically built for the purpose of amusement and fun. The theatre is a double storied building and on the roof, there is a design of an Ahom royal long boat. It is overall oval in shape, unlike the multi-storied Tolatol Ghar situated just adjacent to it. Every year, during the occasion of Rongali Bihu, Rang Ghar used to be the royal sports pavilion, from which the Ahom kings and nobles witnessed games in the Rupahi Pathar below. The Rupahi Pathar is a vast field, where various activities like bull fighting and other such traditional games used to be organized for the entertainment of the royalty.The Rang Ghar was even the symbol of the recently concluded 33rd National Games, which was held in February (9th to 18th) 2007, in Guwahati, Assam. In case you are planning to visit Sibsagar district of Assam in the near future, do make sure to pay a visit to the Rang Ghar as well. Rang Ghar (Assamese: , rong ghor) (meaning â€Å"Amusement House†) is a two-storied building, which was the royal sports-pavilion from which the Ahom kings and nobles witnessed games like buffalo fights and other sports at the Rupahi Pathar (pathar meaning field in Assamese) specially during Rangali Bihu festival in the Ahom capital, Rangpur.On the roof of the Rang Ghar is a design of an Ahom royal long boat. The building was constructed during the reign of Swargadeo Pramatta Singha in 1746. It is located north east to the Talatal Ghar a multi-storied royal complex in Joysagar west of Sivasagar town, on the other side of the Assam Trunk (AT) Road in Sibsagar district in Assam, India . The Rang Ghar is said to be the oldest amphitheater in Asia[citation needed]. The base of the monument has a series of arched entrances and atop the roof is a decorative pair of carved stone crocodiles.In many of these, only the brick framework exists with vestiges of sculptural adornments here and there. The Ahoms, who used special thin baked bricks, did not have the use of cement and, therefore, used a paste of rice and eggs as mortar for their construction. They also made use of powdered mixed lime and bricks to cover the surface of the inner walls. It is said that this layer of powder used to keep the inside of Ranghar cool. The entrance to Sankardev Kalakshetra at Guwahati is made in the style of the Rang Ghar.The Rang Ghar was the logo of the recently concluded 33rd National Games that was held from 9 to 18 February, 2007 in Guwahati, Assam. About a kilometer towards the north east of Rangh Ghar is the Jaysagar Pukhuri. It is a manmade tank, encompassing an area of about 120 Bighas of land. It was dug in memory of Rani Joymati, the mother of Rudra Singha, the most illustrious of the Ahom kings. Guwahati, Apr 6 (PTI) Seisimic survey work by the ONGC is posing a threat to Assam's 18th century amphi theatre, ‘Rang Ghar† at Gargaon in Sibsagar district, perhaps the largest stadium in Asia, which has proudly stood the ravages of time.Lesser known than the internationally famous `Colosseum' in Italy, the ‘Rang Ghar' bears mute testimony to the state's chequered history. The most potent symbol of the glorious 600 year rule of the Tai-Ahom kings hailing from Thailand, the monument constructed in 1746 AD, has been in the news after a report carried by PTI on cracks appearing on its facade. The report prompted the Assam government to constitute a seven-member expert committee to examine the damages on the walls of the heritage site.The damages to the protected monument have prompted the Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) which maintains it, to threaten legal action against the public sector Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) The ASI move comes after eight 10 metre cracks have appeared on the Rang Ghar walls following blastings in the seismic survey work at nearby Rupohipathar, an open oil field. The ONGC officials when contacted refused to comment on the matter and only maintained â€Å"that precaution had been taken not to harm the heritage sites and historic monuments during survey works†.The damages have created a public outcry with a local students body, All Assam Tai Ahom Students Union (AATASU), calling an ‘indefinited ONGC bandh' from March 5 and the proscribed ULFA issuing a warning to the ONGC to stop all seismic work or face dire consequences. The Rang Ghar, stated to be the oldest outdoor stadium in Asia, bears mute testimony to Assam's history. The medieval Tai-Ahom kingdom (1228-1826) was founded by Sukapha in the 13th century establishing its suzerainity over the Brahmaputra valley and putting paid to Mughal expansionism in the North-East seventeen times sucessfully.The monument also saw the annexation of Assam by the British Empire through the historic Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826 paving the way for the advent of t he Britishers into the state and the end of the 600 year old Ahom rule. The monument at Gargaon was the crucible of the proscribed ULFA movement with its leaders congregating under Rang Ghar's portals on April 7 nearly 30 years ago to script one of the most violent chapters in the annals of the state in its fight for an independent homeland.The original ampitheatre was constructed with wood and bamboo by King Rudrasingha, also known as Siukapha who ruled between 1696-1714, but was rebuilt into a permanent structure by King Pramatasinha (1744-1751). With no knowledge of modern day cement, the Ahoms used a paste of rice and eggs as mortar and special thin bricks for construction of the Rang Ghar, that has withstood decades of neglect till Independence. As its name suggests, ‘Rang Ghar' was a `merriment house or a place of joy'. It was in this sports pavilion that elephant, buffalo, bullock and hawk fights, wrestling, besides Bihu (Assamese cultural festival), etc. were held. The Mongolian style oval-shaped two-storyed pavilion is 10 metres high, 11 metres across and 27 metres long with a steep flight of steps leading to the higher elevation from where the royal patrons and nobles are presumed to have watched the contests on the Rupohi Pathar (field) below surrounded by a huge meadow meant for the royal subjects. The monument's base has a series of archways with vestiges of sculptural adornments, and its roof is designed like a royal long boat with a pair of carved stone crocodiles on either ends.The ampitheatre is located north east to the royal palace `Kareng Ghar' in modern day Sibsagar town in Upper Assam. The Ahom kingdom with a successful multi-ethnic polity made major advances under king Susengpha Pratap Singha who revamped the administration and established the first military and diplomatic contact with the Mughals. Under King Gadadhar Singha, Mughal influence was, however, completely removed from the Brahmaputra valley and the Ahom Kingdom achieved its golden period under his son Rudra Singha.The Ahom rule declined with the rise of the Moamoria rebellion and subsequently fell to a succession of Burmese invasions. The defeat of the Burmese after the Anglo-Burmese War and the treaty of Yandaboo on Fewbruary 24, 1826, control of the once glorious Ahom kingdom passed into the British hands. Though during the colonial and subsequent times the Tai- Ahom rule was called the `Ahom Kingdom', the Ahoms called their kingdom `Mong Dun Shun Kham (casket of gold), while others called it Assam. The Rang Ghar was the logo of the 33rd National Games held in Guwahati from February 9 to 18 last year.

Impact of Internet Usage On the Tourism Industry Essay

Impact of Internet Usage On the Tourism Industry - Essay Example The research identifies that there is strong evidence that the Internet usage shapes the context within which people plan their holidays and make bookings. This is due to some push and pull factors on the part of consumers as well as some industry-wide factors that have evolved over the years. This paper makes a conclusion that the main push factors for the use of the Internet in holiday planning and booking include convenience, completeness, comparability, accuracy and discounts and the reflection of contemporary values of individualism. There are other pull factors which mainly relates to the structuring of tourism entities that encourages the use of the Internet to plan and book tours. First of all, for competition purposes, most firms utilise the Internet and other forms of online communication to share information with clients and also pursue their quest for survival. Secondly, there are search engines that makes it convenient for potential tourists to acquire information and also for tourist operators to share their information. Due to the fact that there is a lot of cooperation in the tourism industry, most information about tourism destinations are online. And this again causes planners and bookers to go online to get more information about the destinations they ho pe t visit. Therefore, it is apparent that the Internet shapes the context for business in the tourism industry and this in turn gets workers and consumers to visit the sites and plan real and actual visits to sites of interest.

Development Efforts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Development Efforts - Essay Example Not all firms can survive without emergency managers since all face diverse perils and hazards. However, in some businesses, emergency management departments have secluded themselves from strategizing with the rest of the response system in attaining the goals of the organization. This has raised so many concerns as to whether this act is right or wrong. This dilemma may be solved based on deduced lessons from several reviews of literature. Emergency management has different response departments referred to as agencies. The leaders of the agencies perform different functions. Because the leaders have some emergency solving related jobs, they are grouped under one department. This suggests that they have some related strategies aimed at achieving a common goal. More so, in time of need, emergency managers consult each other before coming up with some decisions and tactics of solving the problems caused by disasters. The strategies should not work against each other to bring about harmony at the scene of the disaster (Belasco & Ralph, 2008). From the research on ants by the US scholars, emergency leaders may learn the importance of collaboration of the departments. In this setting, ants are not as bright as such, but they are able to tackle any task. In addition, they are more organized than other insects. They embrace the art of teamwork. Any ant may handle any job at any given time since all have the skills to handle any job. This policy should work in any emergency system. Different departments should be able to perform the duties interchangeably. In case one response system misses, any one present should be able to make informed decisions in solving certain problems. Therefore, there should be collaborative strategies in order to attain the goals of the firm (Gerber & Sims, 2005). According to Waugh & Streib (2009), important duties prior to, during and post disaster requires coordination from multi-organizational, inter-organizational

Corporate law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate law - Essay Example The aspects that Corporation Law takes care of in relation to the activities of the companies are its formation and operations including fundraising and activities of the officer’s involved1. The Corporations Act already defines remuneration in Section 9 noting it to be â€Å"any benefit that is given to an officer or employee of a corporation is remuneration if and only if the benefit, were it received by a director of the corporation, would be remuneration of the director for the purposes of an accounting standard that deals with disclosure in companies’ financial reports of information about directors’ remuneration†1. This discussion intends to recognize the laws relating to director’s remuneration particularly in Australia. Moreover, the effectiveness of these laws safeguarding shareholders’ interests will also be determined in the discussion. Legal Issues Prevalent to Laws of Directors’ Remuneration There had been a public enquiry that was conducted by the Productivity Commission of Australia for the purpose of regulating the framework of the directors’ remuneration for the companies falling under the purview of Corporations Act. The commission was specifically requested to consider a few points namely; The Australian trend followed with respect to the remuneration of directors along with executives The strength of the regulatory framework in practice over the transparency, responsibility as well as oversight of the remuneration practices of the executives and directors The role of various bodies like the retail and institutional shareholders in various aspects of the remuneration practices like setting, development, reporting and consideration The possibility of mechanisms that would be helpful to enhance the alignment of the boards’ and executives’ interests with the broader community The strength of effects of the responses received internationally about the various issues of remunera tion that tend to arise out of the financial crisis globally2. There were certain changes brought about in the Corporations Act with regards to the remuneration of executives and directors especially in Australia. These changes were passed through the Corporation Amendment Bill 2011. The changes include the following points: The ‘No Vacancy’ Rule: This change was set with intent to be applicable for public companies following a board limit less than the higher limit specified in their organizational constitution4. Proxy Voting: This is set for all the companies. According to this, the proxy holders shall have to direct every alternative as directed for all the resolutions4. The ‘Two Strike Rule’: This sets for the listed companies which signifies that any vote for the directors in order to compete for re–election shall be needed in case a board proceeds with proposal for remuneration even after obtaining 25 percent or more vote at two successive gene ral meetings conducted annually4. Remuneration Consultants: This is for the companies that tend to disclose every detail in the report in connection with the remuneration provided by the company to the directors4. Voting by Key Management Personnel (KMP): This affirms that KMP as well as their close associates would be prohibited from partaking in the non-binding votes particularly in the case of listed

Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evidence - Essay Example However, we had a minor misunderstanding on the day of the marriage and I refused to eat breakfast in the morning. But he forced food into my mouth and forced me to drink and choked my neck. After marriage his attitude started to change and he argued over issues big or small. Every time we argued he cursed saying that Ethiopians are poor, liars, thieves and whores. One day, after I finished preparing dinner at home, we agreed that I brew coffee and an argument started. And I told him I was not going to brew coffee the ceremonial way as we do in Ethiopia as this would take a lot of time and moreover, we were not in a good mood. He shouted ordering me to brew coffee and jostled me around. He pushed me into the kitchen and forced me to make coffee and forced me to prepare coffee. After I prepared coffee he ordered me to clean the kitchen right then. But, as I was forced to make the coffee, I refused to clean the kitchen and went to bedroom to sleep. He pulled me out of the bedroom and s at me in the corridor. I rose up and told him that I wanted to go to sleep. He laid my head on the floor of the corridor and poured cold ice water over my head. Again I rose up and wanted to go into the bedroom to sleep. He shouted and pushed me around me around and said that I am not permitted in the bedroom and that my place is in the bathroom. Eventually I went in and slept. On another day after grocery shopping, we wanted Injera. We went to an Ethiopia restaurant and ordered a carryout of Doro Wot and Kitfo. He started cursing saying that he is not being served timely because he is not an Ethiopian. I picked a flyer advertising a fashion show night and looked at it and he also did the same. He continued cursing saying â€Å"you whores, this tells you are whores†. I told him I have no interest in talking but he continued saying you beggars, you do not have anything to eat. Then I told him that I did not come because Ethiopia is poor and that I did not have anything to eat. I told him that I came to live a happy/peaceful married life with him. He continued his rough/rude ways and asked me to go back to my country. Finally the carry out was ready and we come home and as we prepared to eat he continued by saying, that Ethiopia is poor and that America gives millions of dollars to Ethiopia. He brought his laptop and as he talked started the internet. Then I said to him, you keep speaking badly about Ethiopia but I will fall back to my tradition. We Ethiopians do not argue while we are eating and I will not enter into conversation with you. When I said this, he snatched the food I was eating and dumped in into the garbage including his portion. He then went to the refrigerator and pulled out food and threw it in the garbage, He then asked me, â€Å"what else do you want me to throw into the garbage?† I told him that I never asked him to throw anything and to keep me out of this. Do you want me to take it out? He asked. I told him I have no say as I did not have any say when he threw the food away. Then he went and pulled out the packaged foods and put them in the sink. He took the Doro Wot and Kitfo out from the garbage. I went and sat by the sofa. He brought the Doro Wot and Kitfo and sat it by my foot and said, here eat it if you want. Then he picked the food including the hot pepper and started spreading it on my hair, my eyes, my face, my neck, my breast. I stood up to go to wash but he

Article Response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Article Response - Assignment Example The breadth of Kuhn’s influence on intellectual fields is captured by Matthews (2003). According to Matthews (2003) more than a million readers were impacted by Kuhn’s works. Moreover, many more were influenced by educators and writers who discussed or otherwise debated or discussed Kuhn’s work. Matthews (2003) also points out that Kuhn’s impact on education goes further in sparking debate among scholars and impacting research and methodology techniques because Kuhn raised a number of philosophical and methodological questions relative to the acquisition of knowledge. This paper analyses Matthews’ (2003) article and draws on insight from the education philosophies of Gutek (2000) and Eisner (2001) in ascertaining the practical implications for education. This research study is therefore divided into three main parts. The first part of this study provides a summary of Matthews’ position. The second part of the paper analyses Matthew’s p osition and its practical implications for education by reference to Gutek (2000 & 2004) and Eisner’s (2001) philosophies of education. The third part of the paper will provide the author’s position and its practical implications for education. ... m theory relates to Kuhn’s conceptualization of â€Å"normal science† which is a research technique grounded by universal concept, theory, test and methodology (p. 23). According to Matthews (2003), when Kuhn wrote The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, created an entirely different conceptualization of science and in doing so impacted â€Å"science education theory and research† (p. 91). Matthews (2003) begins by offering some insight into Kuhn as a philosopher. Kuhn was more of a â€Å"historian of science† and with no formal philosophical background was a self-described â€Å"amateur† philosopher (p. 91). Nevertheless, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions influenced philosophical argument disproportionate to the philosophical discussion contained in the actual book. Regardless, Kuhn still managed to articulate an apparently â€Å"new† and â€Å"epistemological paradigm, or theory of scientific knowledge† (Matthews, 2003, p. 92) . More specifically, Kuhn’s book: ...gave a modern, scientifically informed, philosophical legitimacy to much older relativist and sceptical traditions in epistemology (Matthews, 2003, p. 92). For example, ancient Protagoreans such as Plato and other realist philosophers argued that what appeared to be just was just. Influenced by Kuhn’s book, modern Protagoreans would argue that scientific truths and decisions were â€Å"intratheoretic† and a rational conclusion can be drawn by looking more closely at conflicting theories (Matthews, 2003, p. 92). Modern Protagoreans, took a more Kuhnian position arguing that â€Å"different paradigms saw different things† and not simply â€Å"saw the same thing differently†: ontological claim vs epistemological claim (Matthews, 2003, p. 93). Since this pattern could be observed in science, it can be

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's speech Research Paper

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's speech - Research Paper Example   The present research has identified that the goal of Dr. King’s speech is to unite his African American audience with the dominant culture thereby implementing cultural change. In the 17 minutes speech delivered by the Nobel peace prize winner, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; he called for the end to racial segregation and discrimination. The word ‘negro’ in the second paragraph is associated with a history of slavery, discrimination, and injustice. When he refers to the state of Mississippi, which is the worst example of racism, he is identifying with his African-American audience. The South again is infamous as slavery was institutionalized there. When Dr. King says †I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , the word red creates the image of blood, implying pain, hurt and suppression. â€Å"Quest for freedom†-again for the African American community to identify with- so that a new day/hope dawns. â€Å"Battered by the s torms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality† and â€Å"Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one† are easily identified by the â€Å"America’s citizens of color†. â€Å"The veterans of creative suffering† also refer to his African American audience. The masterpiece speech is the best example of rhetoric in the twentieth century. Dr. King calls the dominant culture ‘whites’.  

Investigate a business idea and produce a realistic, practical Essay

Investigate a business idea and produce a realistic, practical business plan considering the financial aspects of the proposed b - Essay Example This company will be established after assessing both local and cross-border market. The current skin care producers concentrate mainly on women, where most skin care products are manufactured to cater for women. The primary target market for Face Care Limited constitutes the increasing number of high-profile men who desire to improve their looks and be presentable (Cadogan, 2009). Face Care Limited seeks to target working class men since young professional men make up 59% of the young profession; these people prefer high quality skincare products; this is a great opportunity that the company needs to be tapped. Mission Statement The mission of Face Care Limited is to become the premier provider of oily skin solutions to men. Face Care limited is dedicated to provision of a solution to men whose skins produce a lot of oil due to active oil glands. The products are aimed at regulating and controlling the production of sebum. Vision Face Care Limited’s vision is to be the intern ational leader in the provision of high quality skincare products. Core Values The company’s key values are customer satisfaction, honesty, accountability, and reliability in its operations. The firm will focus on promoting likeability of skin care products among potential customers to increase the market size. This is because customers will buy large quantities of the products if they achieve high utility after using them. Customer satisfaction will be achieved through offering affordable prices and substantial quantity of products. Honesty is a key virtue in any organization, and Face Care Limited aims to create a transparent relationship with both the internal and external environment such as workers and clients. In the event of the Face Care Limited receiving complains concerning any harm caused by the company’s products, the management will be accountable and responsible to bear the consequences (Das, 2010). The initial solution to the problem of defectiveness wil l involve immediate recall of skin care products from all shelves and stores. Constant delivery of high quality products in the market will make the firm reliable in identifying new market opportunities, and meeting customer needs effectively. Plan of Operations The operational plan comprises of several elements that the company intend to implement in its production in order to achieve the objectives of firm. Proper assessment of vital components such as sales channels, value proposition, key resources, cost structure, revenue streams, key partners, and key operational activities will enable Face Care Limited to widen its market size (Vale, 2006). Capital raised from promotions of the products will act as the revenue stream for the company; this is through our sales channels, for instance, Face Care intends to use its own website for promotional purposes (Cadogan, 2009). A successful business should target customer segments that have working class men models equipped with the skills of marketing. The promoters have developed a Business Model Canvas for Face Care Limited. This is an action plan that the company intend to use once it becomes operational; it will assist the management in dealing with any possible future challenges. The Business Model Canvas consists of solutions on how Face Care Limited will manage its activities to reach out to clients (Douglas & O'Reilly, 2011). It consists of solut

International Business Risks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Business Risks - Essay Example Sales Convention and UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts are quite prominent. For the understanding of the international business the legal system of a country is essential, as the business practices of a certain county are being regulated by its laws. These business regulations set out the ways in which the business transactions are to be carried out and also define the liabilities and privileges to the parties involved in the transaction (contract). There are broadly four basic legal systems that are being practiced around the world. Firstly it is the Islamic Law, secondly the Common Law, thirdly the Civil or Coded Law, and lastly the Marxist Legal System. They are discussed as follows: The Islamic law is developed from the interpretation of the Holy Book Quran Majeed and the Hadith i.e. practices of the Prophet Mohammad P.B.U.P. The philosophy of law in Islamic community is greatly different from the one that is practices in the Western Countries. One the most important aspect of the Islamic law is the undesirability of payment or receipt of interest. This prohibition of interest had also largely influenced the business and banking practices, though, the sanctity of contracts, risk sharing, individual's rights and duties, and property rights are welcomed. Moreover, investments in casinos, gambling and alcohol are strictly prohibited. Due to the restrictions discussed above, ... Instead of money borrowing, businesses have evolved to rely on leasing arrangements for the acquisition of fixed assets. In case of banks largely in Iran and also Pakistan fixed service charges are being charged rather than the interest charge, while the depositors on the other hand are being provided with shares rather than interest payments. (Aswathappa, 2003) 2. Socialist Law This system of law has developed from the Marxist socialist system and is being practiced in the former communist countries in some or the other forms. A crucial is being played by ideology. In contrast to the civil law code those are being incorporated by governments of different point of views, the socialist codes are meant for the societal and personal transformation. This system is not a decided set of rules, but actually intends to attain a Communist society. China and Russia are the two countries which come to ones thought when talking of Communism. As there is no set of rules, both of the countries have adopted dissimilar paths for their respective economic and political development. 3. Common Law The fundamental principles of the Common law come from the English law. The common law has evolved over the years from the collective opinion of the judges and from decisions given in individual cases. A majority of commercial law such as contracts, agency and torts are construed from the principles that emerged from individual quarrels that were resolved in antagonist procedure. One of the key aspects of the common law is this that it is being maintained that similar decisions should be given out for similar cases. Due to this reliance on the decisions of the earlier cases enables the businessmen to shape

War Is Big Business Essay Example for Free

War Is Big Business Essay When wars erupt, suffering and hardship invariably follow. â€Å"Conflict is the breeding ground for mass violations of human rights including unlawful killings, torture, forced displacement and starvation† (www.amnesty.org). This is basically the definition for armed conflict. Armed conflict in my opinion simply means war. Our men and women constantly put their lives on the line, possibly over a dispute between two powerful men who could not come to an agreement. Our men and women our dispatched out to the war zone, and destroy on command just to help these powerful men gain more power. World War II had the most casualties ever in the history of war. World War II was a global war that started in 1939 and ended in 1945. I believe this war started because of unresolved issues from World War I. World War II in my opinion was a war where different nations fought against each other, but I believe the center focus was on Germany. One of the major consequences World War II had on the United States was the economy. The economy was stronger than it was from World War I. The United States became a dominant world economy. Men and women in the United States began to find jobs. The unemployment rate went down tremendously. United States was no longer a country of poverty, but has risen to a country of freedom and prosperity. The second major consequence World War II had on the United States was its military. The United States was known to have the strongest military in the world. The United States military established different bases all over the United States and in other countries as well. I believe this was part of the strategy to prevent any other wars from happening. The United States now recognized as the world leader was now at the center focus of the nations. The United States benefited greatly from World War II. War in my opinion is big business. I feel every time the economy gets in trouble, a war is probably going to happen. Sadly the lives of our American people are lost because of the misuse of money in our government. World War II on Ameri can sensibilities had a great affect on people of the United States. The first thing that took place was food had to be rationed out. There was a great  shortage of food during that time, and it caused Americans much inconvenience. I believe there may have been long lines for the American people to wait for hours just to get something to eat. Gasoline and clothing also had to be rationed out. In my opinion there may have been limited driving for the American people. Industries had been converted to military goods, so consumer goods were hard to come by (answers.yahoo.com). World War II also had a great impact on women. Women were permitted to join the work force. Women were doing the same jobs that men were doing. I believe this was the starting point of women becoming bread winners for their house hold. In society today, women have become more independent than ever. World War II forever changed the status of women in the United States. I think Americans may have viewed World War II as a time of great tension between all nations. The United States did not want to get involved with the war, but during that time Germany was rising to a world super power. The United States had to get involved in order to keep from becoming a defeated nation. I think the American people still view World War II to be the most dreadful war of all time. World War II changed the United States role in the nation. The United States became the leading nation in the world. The United States was able to help build other nations. The United States was the only industrialized nation that wasn’t touch by the war. In my opinion I feel the United States is a helping hand to all nations in this world. Americans should be grateful than to complain. I believe World War II was a great benefit for the United States. In my opinion World War II literally repaired America. The United States was a nation that was falling off at the hinges, but the war strengthen the economy that greatly benefited the American people to get jobs and take care of their families. I believe World War II played a major role in the freedom that we as American people have this day. I believe America will always be the leading nation in this world. References http://www.amnesty.org/en/armed-conflict (2012) http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090308125129AAaAsJ1 (2012)

Social and Economic conditions on NHS Funding

Social and Economic conditions on NHS Funding In the middle ages, access to health care and sanitation facilities was only available to people belonging to a sound socio-economic background. Hill, Griffiths and Gillam (2007) state that in earlier time, even ensuring the supply of clean water and sanitation facilities was a tough task for municipal authorities. It was not until eighteenth century when provision of health services began to get recognition as governments responsibility. The NHS was founded in 1948 and is the currently the worlds largest health service that is publicly funded. The basic idea behind the establishment of the NHS was to ensure that people from all kinds of socio-economic backgrounds receive health facilities without any discrimination. This makes the service free for any individual who is a resident of the UK. According to the official statistics of the NHS, it deals with about 1 million patients every 36 hours. Funds for the NHS come directly from taxation. The NHS budget for 2008-2009 was more than  £100 billion, which means a contribution of about  £1980 by every individual in the UK. Considering the fact that health and education are the most important public services on any governments priority list, however the functionality of these services is directly related to the social and economic conditions. Same goes for the NHS, which has faced management crisis during times of economic austerity, both in present and the past. Although the NHS has seen a sharp increase in funding over the last few decades, however, given the current economic recession, the chances of future funding are quite uncertain. It is feared that either the NHS will go through a funding cut or the government will have to resort to tax-raising measures. Health Care and Social and Economic Conditions: Although good health is a need of every individual, however, the access to health care services is greatly dependent on the social and economic conditions of both the individual and the country he is residing in. An individual can either opt for a private health care service, which is subjected to his willingness and ability to pay for it, or is dependent on the services provided by the government. A large proportion of the population goes for the latter option. A poor socio-economic condition of the country means that either a person sacrifices on his health or will forgo any other of his basic needs in order to pay for medical bills. According to the Social Care Report 2008-2009 issued by the Health Committee of the House of Commons, A care gap may occur if people avoid using services wither because of affordability issues or if the services do not meet their requirement. The report also claims that the past three years have seen a significant drop in the number of people using the public sector health services, despite of the fact that the countrys ageing population have increased by 3%. This makes it apparent that either the public cannot afford to pay for the health care services or the government is finding it difficult to ensure the provision of standardized health facilities on equality basis. At the same time, given the economic crises, the government itself also gets stingy with providing funds due to lack of resources. Consequently, the quality of service provided by the NHS is compromised. Fowler (Taylor and Field 1998, p. 158) states that lack of resources means that new hospital building would not be built advanced medical technology and equipment could not be purchased and the staff would be working under conditions that would demotivate them. This directly questions the value for money provided by the NHS services. George and Miller (1997) state that in 1960s and 1970s politicians started to doubt the economic viability of a universalist welfare state. They argued that achieving economic growth is the governments primary objective that is being sidelined due to increasing public expenditure. Consequently, they demanded a cut in public expenditure, which meant less funding for public sector health services. Powell (George and Miller 1997, p. 8) claimed that public expenditure has overshot economic growth by a substantial margin, thus resulting in disastrous financial effects including internal inflation, external devaluation and foreign indebtedness. Lees (George and Miller 1997, p. 8) argued that medical care should be treated like any other commodity available in the private market. This will not only make the NHS more cost efficient, but will also make it less politicized and will offer more consumer choice. Although while debating on making the public health services free at the point of use, many social scientists and economists agree that it can be easily funded by taxation, they tend to overlook other factors, which may directly or indirectly effect the NHS funding. McLeod and Bywaters (2000) argue that the inflationary pressures on the NHS funding of the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries and the continued presence of private health care services are two major constraints on measures for equitable health care. Moreover, the deteriorating condition of hospital buildings and their repair and maintenance costs also add to the financial pressures. Funding Public Health Services: Although the funds for the functionality of the NHS are directly acquired from taxation, however, it should be noted that all the capital works such as building hospitals are funded through Private Finance Initiative (PFI). This means that these capital works are being financed through loans raised by private sector financing institutions. According to Pollock, Shaoul and Vickers (2002) this is a very expensive way of financing the NHS. Using Private Finance Initiative requires the NHS to pay an annual fee including the cost of borrowing. Considering the fact that the NHS is a free service at the point of use, this method leads to an affordability gap for the NHS trusts. As a result, the NHS is forced to resort to external subsidies, charitable donations, sale of assets and even cuts in bed capacity and hospital staff. This in return makes the NHS questionable as the idea behind its establishment was to ensure access to health facilities to everyone without any class difference. When a large proportion of a service is being funded by the tax payers, then the service providers are suppose to make sure that they are being cost efficient and provide the value for money. Unfortunately, this has not been the case with the NHS. Davies (2007) states that the NHS was provided with unprecedented funds, however it still overspent by a substantial amount. Moreover, clinical outcomes, waiting periods and the level of satisfaction of patients are all less as compared to that provided by private health care services. According to Davies (2007), the government argues that if the NHS manages itself efficiently, the NHS trusts can achieve significantly positive results. Conclusion: The problems in the health sector are similar to any other economic problem. It is facing a price hike due to gaps in demand and supply. The list of people waiting to get medical treatments is mounting up but there is a shortfall of resources to cater that list. One suggestion given to deal with the problem is to impose user charges on the services provided by the NHS. Some critics argue that if user charges are imposed it will give two benefits. Firstly, it will generate funds for the NHS to finance the shortfall. Secondly, people will start taking care of their health and will make healthy choices in order to avoid seeking a medical care. The first argument is a socially unfair argument. The current economic conditions are such that people make sacrifices even when choosing in between the basic necessities. Imposing user charges on health means that they will start avoiding seeking medical treatment not because they do not need it, but because they cannot afford it. The second argument requires one to assume that people are aware and educated enough about what right choices they need to make in order to seek minimum medical help. Countries like France and Germany have already tried this approached and it only resulted in undermining the ef ficiency of public sector health services, rather than helping to achieve the required results. Therefore, imposing user charges for the NHS consumers should not be considered. Instead, the government and the NHS trusts should look for alternative instruments. In order to deal with the problem the government will have to make both short term and long-term strategies. In short term, it should be ensured that the NHS becomes cost efficient and the consumers get value for their money. This can be done by minimizing dependency on the private finance initiative. On long term basis, preventive measures should be taken and the emphasis should be on primary care. People should be educated such that take care of their health so that they are least prone to diseases. REFRENCES Davies, P 2007, The NHS in the UK 2007/08, London. George, V and Miller, S 1997, Social policy towards 2000: squaring the welfare circle, Routledge, London. Hill, P, Griffith, S and Gillam, S 2007, Public health and primary care: partners in population health, Oxford university Press Inc., New York. McLeod, E and Bywaters, P 2000, Social work, health and equality, Routledge, London. Taylor, S and Field D 1998, Sociological perspectives on health, illness and health care, Blackwell Science Ltd., London. Pollock, A, Shaoul, J and Vickers, N 2002, Private finance and value for money in NHS hospitals: a policy in search of a rationale, viewed 21 October 2010, Thomson, S, Foubister, T and Mossialos E 2010, Can user charges make health care more efficient?, viewed 21 October 2010, 2004, Health Economics, Biz/ed, viewed 21 October 2010,

Social Policy Development In Education

Social Policy Development In Education Introduction This essay discusses influences of social policy development in education over the last 30 years. It also discusses the impact of these policies in relation to social exclusion, inequality and poverty. Throughout the post-war period, there have been many attempts to reform the UK education system, often with an explicit intention to raise standards and make it more productive. Notable reforms have included a nationally prescribed curriculum, vigorous attempts to raise participation in post-compulsory schooling and the introduction of tuition fees for higher education. In addition to concerns about widening access and educational inequality, in the 1980s there emerged widespread fears about poor and falling standards in UK education system (Machin and Vignoles, 2006). Specifically, there were concerns that too many individuals were leaving school too early and with little in the way of basic skills. Examination underachievement had also been recognised by education policy-makers as a particular problem (ibid). In the light of these concerns, successive Conservative governments in the 1980s and 1990s increased the pace of reform and introduced so called market mechanisms into the UK education system, in an attempt to force schools to raise standards. The move towards a quasi-market in education, was kick started by a significant piece of legislation the 1988 Education Reform Act which not only introduced the market reforms discussed here, but also the National Curriculum. At the last election, Labour swept to power on the catchphrase education, education, education however, according to (Wood, Jaffrey Troman in Fielding, 2001) there has been widespread disappointment in New Labours education policies, which on the whole have not steered too far wide of those put in place by Margaret Thatcher. David (2003) also agrees with this notion but argues that New Labour continues to develop educational policies on excellence, introducing notions of social exclusion and inclusion and identifying policies specifically to tackle issues of poverty through education. It may therefore be argued that raising education standards for all is important not only to the success of a modern economy but also to the creation of a socially just society. Since the 1990s, New Labours political values have shared many neo-liberalism characteristics especially in moving what has been called a post-welfare society. In implementing many of their education policies, they have continued with an emphasis on moral values, individuality and personal responsibility (Jones, 1996, pp.17-18). However, David (2003, p.356) argues that New Labour redefines such notions on an individual basis rather than on the basis of social groups, such as social class or those economically disadvantaged on the basis of family circumstances. This raises a question about fairness of opportunity in education for some social groups, for example Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups face additional barriers to inclusion relating to their ethnicity and are disproportionately likely to perform poorly and suffer exclusion, including; employment, educational out comes, truancy and school exclusions (SEU, 2004). It may be argued that few of the policy developments in education have had issues of equality of opportunity uppermost or explicitly on the agenda. The driving force behind policy making may therefore have been more to do with value for money and quality assurance but largely due to political influence. In addition, the public sector is more exposed to political direction and scrutiny than the private sector; public policies in education stipulate the conditions under which schools must operate. However, according to Kemmis (1990) many of the changes in educational policies over the past thirty years or so, have been due to the political work of organised social movements exerting considerable pressure for change, with calls for action on poverty, women inequalities, minorities and people with disabilities leading the government to formulate policies and programmes in education which sought to provide equality of educational opportunity. He further notes that these movements were dis satisfied with the role that education plays in the maintenance of the existing social order. Showing that, people are no longer prepared to leave policy making to politicians and bureaucrats. They wish to be involved in the steering of policy processes. For example the feminist movement will not permit issues of gender inequality in education to drop off the policy agenda. Similarly, BME groups want a direct say in the policy making process. Thus the language of educational policy, according to Kemmis (1990), is linked to political compromises between competing but unequal interests. Secondly, Changes in social attitudes towards authority, particularly among young people, have also created new pressures for education. As (Willis 1990 cited in Taylor, Fazal and Rizvi, 1997. P.4) has argued, students brought up on the cultural values of the globalised mass media are unlikely to be comfortable with the requirements of bureaucratically defined regimes of discipline. Such cultural and attitudinal changes have demanded policy shifts in education. Alcock (2008, p.198) states that social policy development is also closely dependent upon the economic structure of the society and upon the economic growth within it. While, Blakemore and Griggs (2007, p.147) state that due to economic pressures, the government abolished free tuition and instead passed the Teaching and Higher Education Act that requires students to pay tuition fees. As a consequence, there has been an increase in the number of English students choosing to attend Scottish and Welsh universities to avoid tuition fees. On the other hand, the youth labour market has led to calls for educational policies designed to ensure greater retention in senior secondary schools and curricula that are more vocationally responsive; leading to the Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA) subsidy for 16 to 19 year olds. Evaluation of EMA suggests substantial impact from the subsidy that overall, educational participation post 16 was 4.5 percentage points higher than before (Dearden et a l., 2005). Political, economic and social influences have not however been the only factors responsible for changing policy in education. Technological changes may also have demanded revision to educational policy, and in particular to curriculum priorities and teaching styles. With ever emerging new technologies changing partners of everyday life, then education cannot remain oblivious to these changes. Governments have been quick to invest large amounts of money in the teaching of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in schools and lifelong learning programmes. The introduction of new educational policies should primarily be to address personal and academic development and ultimately provide a more equitable education system for all. However, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2006) stated that the impact of educational services not always able to meet individual needs has over the years disproportionately affected particularly groups of BME young people, which is recognised in the Every Child Matters (ECM) consultation paper, as it asserts that: teenagers from some BME groups face greater challenges than others in growing up (Youth Matters: Green Paper. 2005:13). The impact of poor service delivery to BME young people is compounded by the fact that minority ethnic population is over represented in almost all measures of social exclusion (ODPM, 2003) and their poor socio-economic position is closely associated with low educational attainment. This in turn impacts on their prospects to gain employment which in turn often results in being drawn into a life of crime. African Caribbean young men in particular are over represented at every stage of the criminal justice system (Graham in Sallah and Howson, 2007, p 176). One could argue that in fact the education system has systematically ensured that Black young people do not succeed (Richardson, 2006). This is not surprising as it has also been acknowledged that the British education system has also failed or lowered the aspirations of the poor and or White working class people (Sewell, 1997). This is particularly important in that, poor achievers are most obvious amongst the poor and disadvantaged. For example, high socio-economic groups appear to have better information on, and understanding of school performance, via league tables (West and Pennell, 1999). Whether parents act on this information, choosing for their children to attend the best schools, then there is a clear tension between strategies to raise standards and policies to reduce inequality. Soci o-economic background also relates to school quality and pupil performance via peer groups. For example, attending a school with very few children from lower socio-economic groups is highly beneficial academically speaking (Feinstein, 2003). If parental choice leads to greater socio-economic segregation across schools, such peer group effects may further reinforce social exclusion. The motivation behind the introduction of the market reforms was to raise standards and achievement, rather than issues related to inequality. The evidence on the impact of these reforms on childrens achievement is minimal, however, empirical evidence from the USA (Chubb and Moe, 1990) is supportive of the view that decentralised schooling systems can produce better results, measured in terms of educational outcomes (Hoxby, 2000). Evidence for the UK by Bradley et al (2001) found that schools with the best examination performance grew most quickly and that, increased competition between schools led to improved exam performance. Gibbons, Machin and Silva (2005) report little evidence of a link between choice and achievement, but find a small positive association between competition and school performance. However, they attribute this to school location or pupil sorting. Evaluating the impact of nationally introduced education policies and the impact of continual vocational systems is not easy according to Machin and Vignoles (2006). Perhaps the best way to evaluate new qualifications is to consider their labour market value, since this reflects the demand by employers for this type of qualification and the skills embodied in it. The evidence is that NVQs and indeed GNVQs, have minimal economic value in the labour market (Dearden et al., 2002). In particular, NVQ2 qualifications may actually have a negative impact on individuals wages, in many sectors of work. Higher Education (HE) in the UK is viewed as a success story, with continually rising participation in HE since the late 1960s. However, there have been concerns about who is accessing HE. Evidence by Machin and Vignoles (2006) showed that during the last fifteen years, participation in HE had largely been the preserve of the higher socio-economic groups in the UK. Furthermore, there is evidence that the gap in HE participation between richer and poorer students actually widened, at least in the mid and late 1990s (Blanden and Machin, 2004). Contrary to what many believed before the expansion of higher education, the expansion appears to have actually acted to increase educational inequalities, so that a greater share of HE participants is from well off backgrounds (ibid). It may be argued that although poorer students are more likely to go on to higher education than they were in the past, the likelihood of them doing so relative to their richer peers is actually lower than was the case in earlier decades. Furthermore, tuition fees introduced by labour in 1999 leave poorer students with huge debts to pay on graduation. Conclusion This essay concludes that, educational policies do not emerge in a vacuum but reflect compromises between competing interests expressed by the dominant interests of capitalism in the one hand, and the oppositional interests of various social movements on the other. While it is true that some policies are responses to particular social changes, it is also the case that these changes may themselves be represented in a variety of different ways and accorded contrasting significance. Educational policy initiatives may thus be viewed as responses to the struggle over particular constructions of social political, economic and cultural changes. However, the evidence of positive impact of the reforms on the poor, minorities and the socially excluded is minimal. In this way, it can be concluded that the state is not neutral and politically driven with respect to the changes occurring in education, as its own interest in sponsoring some changes and preventing others is reflected in policy deve lopment.

Cheap Labour: Canada :: essays research papers

Cheap Labour: Canada Canada, the so-called land of opportunities. This statement is a known fact due to the large amount of people immigrating to our country. It all started back in the 50's and is still occurring in the 90's. I will be discussing the different working mentalities between French Canadians and immigrants coming from various parts of the world. I will compare "Voiceless People" by Marco Micone, and White Niggers of America by Pierre Vallieres. White Niggers emphasizes on the mentality of French Canadian working class and Voiceless People emphasizes on immigrant's mentality towards working, which in this case is the Italian community. After reading "Rivalry Over the Ethnic Minorities", it was like reading my own family's past when they immigrated in Quebec back in the early 70's. Many Greek immigrants who immigrated from their native country followed the same pattern towards finding happiness. Like most of the French, they worked long hard hours in bad working conditions and not so great pay. These sweatshops represent the first act of action to climb up the social ladder. But for the immigrants, it meant much more: they have these jobs in order to save up some money for the future, by a nice house and reach the next step in social ladder. Most of the time, the immigrants would buy their home in other neighborhoods; they would change community because it reflected their new social situation. Because they have more money, they can move to an area where people of the same nationality live. They will leave the French back in the city where they will keep on working long hours because they never saved up or invested their money. The main point I'm trying to show is that the immigrants have a stronger ambition and desire to become more successful than the French do, maybe because they are not at home and threatened by others. This is the world view almost all immigrants have and this concept has a major effect on their lives. Voiceless People is exactly the same scenario for Antonio and his family. Antonio came here very poor and unable to speak a word of French. He started working in factories with very bad pay and even worse working conditions. Just like the typical immigrant, he never gave up, didn't let anyone put him down, continued to work because he had an ambition to become successful and buy a house knowing that he earned it with his own sweat. As a newcomer to this country, he seemed to succeed with great facility, unlike many French Canadians who seem somehow jealous of the immigrants who tend to succeed with such bad

The Childhood Obesity Epidemic in the United States :: Obesity in Children

There is an alarming rise in childhood obesity throughout the United States, making it an epidemic in our country. Obesity has become a threat to the health of many children. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.(Childhood Obesity Facts, 2015) What is Obesity? Obesity is defined by Webster’s dictionary as increase body weight due to excessive accumulation of body fat. It is a condition or disease in which the â€Å"the natural energy reserve of humans or mammals, which is stored in fat tissue, is expanded far beyond usual levels to the point where it impairs health.† Obesity is most often measured by using the BMI (body mass index). BMI is calculated by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height squared in meters. A desirable BMI for children to sustain a healthy life is between 18.5 and 25. A child with a BMI over 25.0 kg/m 2 is considered overweight. A BMI over 30.0kg/m 2 is considered obese, and a BMI over 40 is morbid obesity. â€Å"An estimated 80% of overweight adolescents continue to be obese into adulthood, so the implications of childhood obesity on the nation’s health are huge†. (Survey on childhood obesity, 2014). Obesity is a chronic condition that develops as a result of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors. Causes of Childhood Obesity There are many factors that may influence the occurrence of obesity in children. These factors can be broad and may vary depending on the individual child. Research has shown the impact genetics has had on the development of obesity in children as well as unhealthy home environments. Other external factors may include the education system and the food industry, because of their promotion of unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity in children. The Role of Genetics: Genetics can play a huge role in the development of obesity in children. Studies have shown that obesity can be inherited. A child’s chances of being overweight or obese are increased by 25 percent if their parents are overweight or obese. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015) states that â€Å"the latest study from Stanford University has found that having overweight parents is the biggest risk factor for childhood obesity†(para 1). The Childhood Obesity Epidemic in the United States :: Obesity in Children There is an alarming rise in childhood obesity throughout the United States, making it an epidemic in our country. Obesity has become a threat to the health of many children. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.(Childhood Obesity Facts, 2015) What is Obesity? Obesity is defined by Webster’s dictionary as increase body weight due to excessive accumulation of body fat. It is a condition or disease in which the â€Å"the natural energy reserve of humans or mammals, which is stored in fat tissue, is expanded far beyond usual levels to the point where it impairs health.† Obesity is most often measured by using the BMI (body mass index). BMI is calculated by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height squared in meters. A desirable BMI for children to sustain a healthy life is between 18.5 and 25. A child with a BMI over 25.0 kg/m 2 is considered overweight. A BMI over 30.0kg/m 2 is considered obese, and a BMI over 40 is morbid obesity. â€Å"An estimated 80% of overweight adolescents continue to be obese into adulthood, so the implications of childhood obesity on the nation’s health are huge†. (Survey on childhood obesity, 2014). Obesity is a chronic condition that develops as a result of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors. Causes of Childhood Obesity There are many factors that may influence the occurrence of obesity in children. These factors can be broad and may vary depending on the individual child. Research has shown the impact genetics has had on the development of obesity in children as well as unhealthy home environments. Other external factors may include the education system and the food industry, because of their promotion of unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity in children. The Role of Genetics: Genetics can play a huge role in the development of obesity in children. Studies have shown that obesity can be inherited. A child’s chances of being overweight or obese are increased by 25 percent if their parents are overweight or obese. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015) states that â€Å"the latest study from Stanford University has found that having overweight parents is the biggest risk factor for childhood obesity†(para 1).

Guilt in a Heartbeat

Guilt in a Heartbeat Through the heart beat from the Tell-Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe shows that all bad deeds come with endless guilt. This short story illustrates that the obsession of the narrator, who is an everyday man, drives him to commit murder to an old man that has done no harm nor insult the narrator. This also goes to show that a man’s conscience can be his own enemy. The Tell-Tale Heart explores various ideas that reassure the insanity that drove the narrator to commit unjustified murder, and the narrator provides this information by describing what kind of character he is.Poe also writes in a very effective point of view that allows the audience to understand completely all the narrators transitions, then the audience is able to see how the setting of the story fits perfectly in this story, finally Poe is able to create various symbolisms injected in the story that justify the narrator’s actions. The narrator does not reveal a specific name, but does reveal that he is a care giver to the old man which is the only identity given in the short story.Through the short story it’s shown that the narrator is not a dynamic character, because at the beginning of the story he is insane and at the end he is still insane, which reveals that the character has no change or growth throughout the whole story. But the only part where he develops a kind of change and growth is when the narrator hears the corpse’s heartbeat from beneath the floor he screams in agony saying â€Å"Villains! Dissemble no more! I admit the deed! — tear up the planks! —here, here! —it is the beating of his hideous heart! (Poe 18) which makes him a conscious of the big mistake and horrible crime he has committed. This small change and growth of the main character is very visible in the story due to the point of view that the story is being told. The point of view of the story is very effective because the Tell-Tale Heart is written in first person. The narrator is the main character in the story, which allows the reader to explore and view in a deeper way the feelings, thoughts, and macabre imaginations of him.The narrator also helps the reader understand in which moment the story is being told because the story begins in the middle where the narrator is trying to convince the police man that he has done no wrong in the house and trying to make them believe that the old man is in vacations out of the country. The point of view takes us to see the setting of the story that helps the narrator to feel more comfortable. The setting of the story is very important.The narrator has a comfortable way of walking through the house like it was his own. What shows that he is comfortable is that he takes a full hour to open the door just enough to fit his head, which makes him seem very insane with an obsession that is not letting him go to sleep or at least not spy to the old man. The house allows the narrator to create a darker atmosphere in which he is able to kill, dismember, and bury the old man’s body.The nature of each character is very different, because the old man with a helpless nature is not able to take care of himself, or even live by himself. On the contrary the narrator reveals himself to be a selfish, crazy, and a lonely person that is not able to coexist well with other people. Edgar Allan Poe was able to give great symbols in the Tell-Tale Heart. The â€Å"vulture† eye is what starts driving the narrator insane, because the narrator does not have interest in the old men’s money nor has the old man done bad to the narrator.The eye symbolizes the obsession the narrator has, which indicates the insanity and craziness of him. The caution that the narrator has while going into the old man’s room symbolizes that the narrator has a true obsession over the old man’s eye. The narrator has a goal and he will do anything to complete the murder. The narrator cannot e ven sleep or do his regular duties just to be thinking and being horrified by the old man’s vulture eye.The last symbol that it was in this short story is the heart beat at the end of the story where he hears a heartbeat through the wooden floor while the policemen are there. That symbolizes his guilt where he finds himself feeling bad and rather to be dead than to keep listening to the olds man’s heart that it is buried under the floor he expresses this by screaming â€Å"But anything was better than this agony† and â€Å"I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! † (Poe 17).The human mind can be a wonderful and terrible thing. People are soon to forget the good but continue to be haunted by the bad. The narrator’s mind did not allow him to forget the deeds that he was just recently so proud of. They haunted him by means of a beating heart, that although was only in his mind, he believed it was real. Work C ited Poe, Edgar A. The Tell-Tale Heart. 2010. Literature an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. By X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Pearson-Longman, 2010. 36-40. Print.

Wolf Creek Analysis

Greg McLean and released in February 2014, is a film which everyone should see because of the clever way stereotypes are challenged, Australian values are shown, and cinematography shows the natural beauty of outback Australia. Wolf Creek 2†³ Is about a couple of foreign travelers backpacking around Australia who are disturbingly interrupted by an outback serial killer who then turns on a traveler attempting to save them. Behind the horror, Australian values are made clear, stereotypes of Australian culture are challenged and the natural beauty of Australia is shown to the audience. The Australian value of home being an open door and welcome to all Is shown In â€Å"Wolf Creek 2†. This is evident when the injured and dehydrated victim, Paul, collapses on the doorstep of a secluded country house.Upon waking up, he finds himself in a bed, with his clothes washed and folded neatly beside him. Confused and delusional, Paul is greeted by an old couple who then proceed to serve him a home cooked meal. â€Å"l made it special, for you† was a statement made by the elderly lady as she served Paul the food – even though he was a total stranger, This Is significant because she took him In like she would her own some This series of events encourages viewers to believe the fact that Australians believe a home is a place of welcoming and that anyone in need can feel comfortable. Wolf Creek 2†³ challenges the stereotypical belief that Australia is meant to be a friendly country which backpackers feel safe In. This film displays backpacking In two ways, contrasting the stereotype. For example, the couple Is shown enjoying their experience, being picked up by numerous people and engaging In friendly conversation with them. This is the stereotypical belief being displayed. Although, the people refuses an offer from serial killer Mica Taylor for a ride – which consequently results in them being victims of a vicious attack.This scene portrays Australia to be an unsafe environment for backpackers – completely opposite to the foreigner's beliefs. The Inclusion of this Idea In the film forces viewers to question the conventional Idea behind the culture of backpacking In Australia. Phenomenal cinematography exhibits the stunning nature that is of outback Australia. Numerous wide shots were used of the mountains, grassed areas and wolf reek itself. This was done to show the viewer the full scale natural aspects of Australia.Birds-eye shots were taken of the long, endless, deserted highways to show the distance that the backpackers were traveling as well as the Isolation of the area. The grass – assisting in creating the Australian outback feel. The audience is challenged to consider whether the beautiful aspects of the Australian outback are masking the horrors happening in the very same place. â€Å"Wolf Creek 2† is a film which challenges the stereotypical Australian culture and aloes as well as display s the amazing nature of the Australian landscape.It supports the value of a home with an open door – a value which many viewers can identify with. Backpacking stereotypes are challenged by the series of murders; contrasting with the belief Australia is a friendly place for this leisurely activity. Finally, cinematography captures the spectacular landscape of outback Australia. Following the Journey of the backpackers takes the viewers on a Journey of understanding, shock and realization – making this movie a significant Australian film.

Local and National policies regarding minorities in Japan and China Essay

There is no single community in the world today which does not consist of a minority group. In most cases, the minority ethnic groups and the majority are always in conflict, as the minorities are generally oppressed. This arises mostly as a result of cultural misunderstandings. Cultural misunderstandings have become a widespread problem in the contemporary society. Cultural identity is a broad notion which is composed of demographic components such as nationality and social status (Schwartz 2007, par. 1). However; the various governments of the world have tried to protect the rights of the minorities by ensuring that they are protected in their constitutions. Japan and China have very well stipulated rights of the minority in their constitutions; however, the minorities are still subjected to maltreatment in theses countries. Definition of a minority A minority is commonly described as a group of people in a given society with the following characteristics, â€Å"numerically smaller than the rest of the population of the state or a part of the state, which is not in a dominant position, which has no culture, language, religion, race among others, and is distinct from the rest of the population, whose members have a will to preserve the minorities, whose members are citizens of the state where they have the status of a minority, and have a long-term presence on the territory where they lived† (Smihula 2009, par. 1). China Chinese Cultural Centre (2010) states that, â€Å"From the hinterlands of the north, to the lush jungles in the south, from the mountains of Taiwan in the east, to the top of the world in the west, China serves as home to 56 official ethnic groups. The largest group, the Han, make up over ninety two of China’s vast population, and it is the elements of Han civilization that world considers â€Å"Chinese culture. † Yet, the fifty five ethnic minorities, nestled away on China’s vast frontiers, maintain their own rich traditions and customs, and all are part of Chinese culture†. The ethnic groups in China live together in very vast areas. Others live in small areas, in single concentrated communities which are normally inhabited predominantly by the Han people. This is a distribution which has been there since time immemorial in the history of China, as various ethnic groups mingled and migrated. China’s minority groups are scattered all over the republic. However, their population is small. They are found in every municipality, provinces and autonomous region under the Chinese Central government. In other county-level units, there are more than two ethnic groups which live together. Currently, the Chinese minority groups are concentrated in autonomous regions like Ningxia, Xinjiang, Tibet, Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Sichuan, Liaoning, Hainan, Hunan, Jilin, Gansu, Guizhou, Yunnan and Taiwan (China UN 1999, par. 3). Generally, there are official efforts which have been made so as to cater for the rights of the minorities in China. The most obvious ones are the assistance of the minorities to get their own language, glorify their legendary heroes by compiling the history of the minorities , restore the medical practices of the minority as well as help them develop literature, compose music and opera ( Debra & Jensen 2002, 175). Policies on minorities Prior to the founding of the Chinese Republic in 1949, there was a general imbalance of ethnic minorities. They were denied social and economic development. Most of the minority societies were in the slave system, primitive system and others, in the serf system. Majority of the minority populations in these regions were slaves of feudal lords, temples, nobles and slave owners. The minority groups had no personal freedom, and all people would buy and sell them, and even give them out as gifts at their own will. The reason why there was so much oppression of the minority groups was because of the Sixteen-Point Law and the Thirteenth-Point Laws, which were formulated in the 17th century (China UN 1999, par. 11) The first policy that protects the rights of the minorities in China states that â€Å"All ethnic groups participate in State Affairs Administration on an equal footing† (China UN 1999, par. 14). The Chinese Government has ensures that the Han people and the minority participate in affairs management at local and state governments. More importantly, the government has stated that there is full guarantee of the minority ethnic groups’ rights so that they can effectively take part in state affairs management. For instance, the highest state power organ in China, National Peoples Congress (NPC), has demonstrated a full support of the ethnic minorities’ rights. The Local People’s Congresses (LPC) and NPC have Electoral Law provisions. These provisions state that â€Å"the minority peoples shall have their own deputies to sit in the NPC, and ethnic groups whose population is less than that prescribed for electing one deputy and permitted to elect one deputy† (China UN 1999,par. 14) In concentrated communities comprising of ethnic minorities, each of these communities is allowed to have their own deputy. The deputies elected sit in the LPC. Additionally, those who are scattered on vast areas are also allowed to elect their deputies in their LPC’s. The number of people that are represented by the deputies is less than in the concentrated regions, compared to those who are from concentrated communities (China UN 1999, Par. 15). Great efforts have been made by the state so as to ensure that there is good proportion of people from the minority groups who are trained to be cadres. This enables them to be of help in the government. The national and local state offices are also comprised of very many personnel of the minority proportions. This is in the procuratorial, administrative, judicial and management organs. From year 2000, the percentage of the minorities in the Standing Committee was twenty one percent. This number has been increasing within the years (China UN 1999, Par. 16) Since China became a republic, it has always ensured that â€Å"Identification of Ethnic Minorities† (China UN 1999, par. 17) is another policy which they should continually use. Previously, before independence, there was no figure which revealed the total number of the minority groups in China. It only started this in a bid to implement the equality policy among all ethnic groups. As a result, there were well organized large scale investigations which were meant to identify ethnic groups since 1953. Since then, all ethnic groups, regardless of their social development level and the areas they have inhabited are all regarded as equal. Several minority groups which were not recognized in old China became recognized as a result of the change. They had the privilege of enjoying equal rights with the other ethnic groups in China (China UN 1999, par. 17). Before 1951, there were no proper names given to the minority ethnic communities in China. This was considered as oppression and ethnic discrimination by the Chinese government. In fact, most of the names that were given to the minority groups portrayed implications of high class ethnic discrimination. Therefore, the Central People’s Government promulgated an order, which was meant to promote monuments, inscriptions, place names, tablets and appellations. Additionally, all inscriptions which had discriminative contents were all abolished. Some ethnic appellations which never implied insults were also changed so as to meet the wishes of certain ethnic groups. For example, the Tong ethnic group was converted to Zhuang (China UN1999, par. 18). Acts or words which were aimed at inciting discrimination and hostility against ethnic groups, and those which also aimed at sabotaging unity and equality among the people was regarded as a law violation. All the ethnic groups that were subjected to oppression, insults or discrimination were given rights to complain to their respective judicial institutions. At this point, all the complaints would be dealt with accordingly. China even joined several international conventions which were meant to protect the rights of all racial groups. Some of these include International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. These organizations have helped the republic to continually advocate the national and local policy on equality in the Republic of China (China UN 1999, par. 20). The Chinese constitution also had provisions which enhanced the unity of the ethnic groups. The Chinese constitution has a policy which emphasized on the need to do away with group chauvinism, especially the Han chauvinism, as well as the local ethnic chauvinism. The Government has also worked hard to ensure that the media, literary works and publications groups are prohibited from revealing contents which damage ethnic unity among all Chinese communities (China UN 1999, par. 20). China has a diversity of religion. The main religious groups include Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Taoism. Most of the ethnic groups have religious beliefs. The Chinese government has outlined specific policies which are meant to ensure that the freedom of all ethnic groups is safeguarded, and all the ethnic minorities are guaranteed normal religious activities (China 1999, par. 22). Additionally, they have been given freedom to â€Å"use and develop their own spoken and written languages† (China 1999, par. 23). There are specialists who have been kept aside so as to make investigations of written and spoken languages of the ethnic minorities. Additionally, there are special organizations which have been started so as to help people research in languages and train specialists in the same languages (China UN 1999, par. 23). Culture is a people’s way of life. Killing the culture of a certain ethnic community would mean killing its future generation. In a bid to protect the culture of the ethnic minorities in China, the Chinese government has formulated plans which are meant to collect, edit, translate and publish elements of culture. These studies are of a great help as they give the ethnic minorities the rights to eat the food they prefer, to perform their various rites and rituals without discrimination. Additionally, the ethnic Chinese communities are well known of practicing traditional medicine. The government has built universities and research institutions so as to ensure that the ethnic minority groups that practice traditional medicine continue, at a more advanced level. In regard to art, the Chinese government has come up with a policy which promotes all their music and literature, therefore, binding them together as minority ethnic communities. No discrimination is allowed in the educational circles, as the constitution has stated. All children are entitled to a good education (China UN, par, 40-50). Treatment of the minorities by the Chinese society Regardless of the Chinese constitution which has stated clearly on the treatment of the ethnic minorities, there has been a great amount of discontent among the ethnic minorities. As a result, they have always complained to the local and national state officials in regard to this treatment. Many at times, the law has not been taken seriously. When the officials do not give heed to the cries of the ethnic minorities, they end up protesting. A good example of recent protests which have evoked international concerns, and have actually revealed the treatment of the ethnic minorities in China is the Uighurs protests. The Uighurs are just a representation of the rest of the ethnic minorities, who have been denied their rights despite of them being stated clearly in the Chinese constitution. The Chinese government has not been so keen in the way they handle the East Turkestan and Urumqi, and there has been a general unrest in these regions (Kadeer 2009, par. 1). The number of the Uighurs that died during the protests were over four hundred, and scores of them were seriously injured. As a result, there was a curfew imposed in their dwelling region, Xinjiang province. Additionally, security was beefed up, so much so that every house has two policemen guarding it (Kadeer 2009, par. 5-6). The reason why the protests had occurred was because the Chinese government had gone back to the habits of the days before China became an independent. It has continued ‘encouraging a national streak among the Han Chinese as it seeks to replace the bankrupt communist ideology it used to promote (Kadeer 2009, par. 10). The major reason why the Uighur people demonstrated was because of the destruction of an ancient Uighur cultural problem, ‘The Old City of Kashgar’. Despite of the governments claim to protect the culture of the minorities, they failed to demonstrate this through their action. This old city has served as an example of their civilization for very many years (Times on Line 2009, par. 7). Japan’s National and Local policies on minorities Despite of the fact that both Japan and China are states in East Asia, there are fewer numbers of minorities in Japan as compared to China. The minorities in Japan form four percent of the total population (Faqs 2008, par. 1). The Japanese minorities have for a long time suffered oppression as a result of cultural and psychological factors. The ethnic minorities in Japan consist of the Koreans, Ainu, Burakumin and Okinawans. The numbers of the Burakumin minorities living in Japan are between three to four million. They are of the lower Indian castes, and therefore are generally discriminated. The other major minority group is the Korean group, which mostly inhabits the Kinki region of Japan. The name Burakumin is discriminative, and traces its origin from the early Buddhist teachings prohibiting the killing of animals. All those people who were actively involved in the unrighteous and ignoble task of killing animals were referred to as the Burakumins. This is because they were considered as polluted. All contacts with these people were shunned. As a result they have been a discriminated ethnic minority in Japan even in the current days (Karan 2005, 184). The policies in Japan and China are not different. The Japanese government has tried its best to create the participation of minorities in the region. The attitudes of the Japanese government towards the minorities stem more from social attitudes continuation than the ideologies from official state policy. Japan has a human rights and liberal constitution, which is similar in many ways to the Chinese constitution. The Constitution is keen on the culture and a, its aspects, including religion, literature, art and music. It also advocates for the education of all the children from the minority groups, as well as proper representation of the ethnic minorities is the Japanese government (Faqs 2008, par. 10). Even though Japan is known of having a human rights constitution, it maintains strong and regressive attitudes to several of the minority citizens. This is clearly revealed by the racialist attitudes towards the treatment of Koreans and the other minority groups (Faqs 2008, par. 10). The Japanese constitution stipulates in Article 14 that all people are under the law. Japan is a member of the International Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights (ICESCR), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). These bodies are involved in the prohibition of discrimination on ethnic or racist grounds (HRDC 2002, par. 1). Treatment of minorities by the Japanese society The situation in Japan is no different from that of China as far as the treatment of the ethnic minorities is concerned. The Japanese authorities have always acted against the minority groups since time immemorial, regardless of the policies that the Japanese government has enacted concerning the ethnic minority treatment. A good example of an ethnic society that has been for a long time discriminated is the Koreans. In 2006, dozens of Osaka policemen and women were mobilized so as to search shops which were run by Koreans in Japan. The aim of this activity was to ensure that there was safety in the region. Additionally, the Central Hall, the main hall of the Korean residents in Tokyo, was another bone of contention (Korea 2006, par. 3). This is because unlike what they authorities had promised before, tax had to be paid for the hall (Korea 2006, par. 1). There was also the suppression of the Chongryon movement. This was the opposite of what Japan had been described as, a â€Å"constitutional state† (Korea 2006, par. 3). Chongryon is an organization which was formed by the Korean people, and its role is to defend all the rights of the Koreans as far as democracy is concerned. The authorities claim that they would dissolve the group, as it was meant to attack the Japanese government (Korea 2006, par. 3). Several people have been against the racism and discrimination that has been subjected on the Japanese minorities. Due to this level of discrimination, UN specialists have stated that it is important to introduce new legislations to combat racism, as the situation has gone out of hand. The government has failed totally to consider the seriousness of discrimination and racism in the region. As a result, the minorities have been segregated from the other tribes despite the laws that are present to protect them. These minority groups have been left to wallow in poverty in Japan’s poorest dwelling places like slums. Politicians in Japan have used nationalist or racist themes so as to ‘whip up popular emotions’. The only way that Japan would be able to curb the discrimination problem would be through cooperation of the government, the non-governmental organizations and the people. This would only be possible if the minority groups would be consulted first (BBC 2010). Conclusion The local and national policies regarding the minorities in Japan should be enacted afresh. This is because; a society with a constitution which is not strictly adhered to is the same as having no constitution at all. Japan and China should listen to the cries of the minorities’ so as to advance in all their sectors. 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