Corporate social responsiblity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporate social responsiblity - Essay Example Discussion Product RED Product Red is a cooperative effort of several iconic or popular brands with musician Bono (of the band U2). It was â€Å"created to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria [†¦through] RED-branded products,† (quoted from Ponte, Rickey and Baab, 301). It was launched in Davos in 2006. The various brands include American Express, Apple, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark and Motorola. A certain percentage of the gross sales in said RED products go to the Global Fund. Red has been used by corporations to sell products or portray themselves as â€Å"caring and cool† and a marketing tool linked with corporate social responsibility (4). Ponte et al has added that â€Å"RED engages corporations in profitable ‘helping’ while simultaneously pushing the agenda of CSR towards solving the problems of ‘distant others’† (302). The Ten-Point Plan Bendell and Kleanthous (42) provided the ten point plan in corporate social responsibility as follows: 1. Understanding the brand 2. Understanding the consumer 3. Getting the company in order 4. Handling the program with care 5. Innovation 6. Motivation 7. Collaboration 8. Communication 9. Activate Consumers 10. Measure, monitor and report progress. The various ways and means that RED products can employ the Ten Point plan is as follows: 1. In understanding the brand, Bendell and Kleanthous (42) suggested that a brand perception audit be conducted. For the brands under RED, perception is generally positive due to established reputation and brand awareness. The existing knowledge about these brands serves as the â€Å"true personality.† But aside from the current image, these brands should encompass tradition and creatively explore how the brands affect the environment and society. In employing CSR through Product RED, these companies provided an extension of their already established brands which employ s the model of reputation games (Sacconi, 4). These companies have employed self-regulation as a long-run strategy in implementing social contract (Sacconi, 5), and Product RED is but an addition to their multiple marketing programs aside of course from the complementary â€Å"brand† weight the founder Bono provides. 2. Consumer awareness is a basic engagement of firms to continuously maintain competitiveness. Aside from demographic data, many firms today explore the psyche and attitudes of consumers to provide them fitting products that address needs and expectations (Szmigin, 3). In the introduction of CSR employing sustainability, Product RED offers customers a chance to meet ethical lifestyles through consumption of the products. The website of Product RED provides a calculator for users to determine the CSR impact of buying a certain product so that with a click, they are informed of how many anti-retroviral pills were contributed through purchase of a RED t-shirt. 3. Be ndell and Kleanthous (42) suggest that the firm should employ all ethical and sustainable means in their system from product development, company operations, to distribution and marketing in a properly audited and monitored process. They propose an â€Å"

Communicators of the Sea Essay Example for Free

Communicators of the Sea Essay

Its All in the Jeans Essay -- Fashion Clothing Retail Essays

It's All in the Jeans Bell-bottoms came and went, came back and then left again. Top hats had their era. Platform shoes had an intense, yet short, life. Polyester made a brief appearance. At one time, sailor suits could be seen everywhere; not anymore. Hot pants come and go. Yet jeans seem to have survived. They have achieved the impossible: remaining a major trend from the eighteenth century to the present day. Jeans -- trousers made of denim clothing -- have survived through the decades and the centuries. All trends tend to become old and eventually lose their place in society, some more quickly than others. Whether it is clothing, music, hairstyles or attitudes, all seem to have a time limit. Fashion, in any category, has often made it across borders, oceans, social classes and genders, but few have made it through time. Jeans have made it through all of the above, and more. They have made the ultimate transition from being a trend to being a classic. Eternal. Popularity usually comes with an expiratio n date, but apparently not for jeans. As described by the â€Å"History of Jeans† website, the history of jeans is complex and goes all the way back to the eighteenth century, when the word â€Å"jean† is believed to have originated in Italy. Genoan sailor outfits were made from a mixture of materials. Pants made of this denim cloth were called â€Å"jeans† after the Genoan sailors who wore them. â€Å"Denim† refers back to a clothing material used in France called â€Å"Serge de Nimes†. Translated, â€Å"serges† is a kind of material and â€Å"de Nimes† means â€Å"from Nimes†, a town in the south of France. Trading across the Atlantic, along with European immigration, brought denim cloth and jeans to the country that would make both famous. In the USA, jeans we... ... is the key to survival in general? Evolution. Think about it. It makes sense. In order to survive, something must adapt to its ever-changing environment. This principle applies to all things, alive and non-living. Without adaptation comes extinction. It is essential to evolve. Jeans have done exactly that. In the constantly changing world of fashion and popular culture, jeans have been adjusted every step of the way to suit their new environment. In this case, the environment involves trends, attitudes and looks. With every decade and every new generation, jeans have been adapted in order to ensure their continued popularity. Sources Cited â€Å"The Gentrification of Blue Jeans† website www.chass.utoronto.ca/history/material_culture/cynth; â€Å"Historic clothing† at histclo.hispeed.com; and â€Å"History of jeans† at www2.gol.com/users/bobkeim/Garment/jhistory.html.

Euthanasia Essay - A Proper Death :: Free Euthanasia Essay

Euthanasia and a Proper Death Assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in American society that must be dealt with. In assisted suicide, a patient who is terminally ill requests the doctor to administer a lethal dose of medication to end his life. Assisted suicide brings up many moral and legal issues regarding the right of a patient to die with respect and the duties of a doctor. This issue is divided among people who believe that doctor assisted suicide is illegal and immoral and those who believe that suicide is a right that people have. Doctors who aid a patient to commit suicide are performing an illegal act and should be penalized to the full extent of the law. According to most state laws assisted suicide is illegal. An assisted suicide is a form of murder since the doctor administers a lethal dose of medication to the patients. Therefore, a doctor who has performed this act should receive the jail sentence of a murderer. Some people believe that these doctors are not performing anything illegal and that they should continue their practices. This group of people believe in euthanasia, meaning an easy and painless death or a peaceful manner of dying (Webster 631). This includes committing suicide when the person is fully competent but wishes to end his life as a result of the pain that he must endure every day. Committing suicide is viewed by its opponents as an act of cowardice that many people perform because they do not want to deal with their problems in life. This type of action should be dealt with immediately. A study shows that one-fifth of all doctors and nurses have actively helped end a patient’s life (Van Biema 2). This i s not a promising statistic for the future of America. One out of every five doctors has helped a person escape his life. Aside from being illegal, doctor assisted suicide is also immoral. From the following information, it can be clearly seen that doctors who commit these crimes have violated many of the rules and values that they agreed to follow when they became a doctor. They have violated all the moral values that they agreed to follow when they became doctors. A doctor’s job is to help a patient at any cost, not help the patient to end their lives. Doctors who have aided patients in committing assisted suicides have violated the Hippocratic Oath, which very doctor must swear to before he receives his license to practice.

Felons: Democracy and Equal Protection Clause

Coleman Wahlborg Richard English IV, 1A 9 September 2011 Felons and Voting This year 5. 3 million people will be unable to vote not because they are mentally unable, not because they are underage, but because they are felons and ex-felons (Holding, 2006). Ex-felons are people who committed a felony and have served their punishment, dictated by the judiciary system, and are living in the community. When previous convicts are released from prison they are considered citizens again. Being a citizen, one is promised certain rights and responsibilities. As an ex felon one is a free citizen who can exercises the rights and responsibilities granted by the Constitution of the United States of America. Since former felons have earned their rights back shouldn’t this include voting? Whether ex-felons should be able to vote or not is a very popular issue among people. The two sides in the issue can be fairly biased. Some people might know felons that they think should be able to vote and others are on the other side of the argument. However, research says that there are several reasons why ex-felons should and shouldn’t be able to vote. The Fourteenth Amendment states, â€Å"no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or the immunities of citizens in the United States. † This law sets forth that citizens have privileges and no one has the right to deprive citizens of these privileges. Current felons are not members of society, but previous felons’ civic rights are restored when they complete their sentence. Denying ex-felons the right to vote abolishes their rights (Krajick, 2004). Only two states allow current felons to vote, and ten states permanently prohibit former felons from voting (Zotti, 2000). This means that people who used poor judgment in the past, paid their debt to society, and were released from jail, are still being punished and shunned from being normal everyday citizens. Prohibiting ex-felon voting is not only a punishment to them, but also to society (Should felons be allowed to vote, 2008). The people of United States will be fortunate if 40% of eligible voters cast a ballot for the next presidential election (Holding, 2006). â€Å"Instead of prohibiting felon voting, we should require it† (Holding, 2006). We should be finding ways to get people to the polls, not keeping them away. Ex-felons who are going to return to their ways are not going to be interested in having a voice in the government. Individuals who are not already deterred from crime by the threat of confinement are not likely to be swayed by the prospect of losing their right to vote (Mauer, 2004). Individuals who have changed are the ones that want to vote, and the ones who have not changed will most likely wind up in the criminal justice system again â€Å"Voting is not a privilege; it is the basic right that defines a citizen. Those denied it are, in effect, stateless — people without a country† (Krajick, 2004). Voting is a right that defines a citizen in the since of when a person votes they are considered responsible and knowledgeable for not just complaining about the government but casting a vote to try to change things. When one does not vote, and is disconnected from the government in which they live, and they are stateless because they have no control over decisions that are made. The efforts to block ex-felons from voting makes those individuals feel more detached from society, which increases the chance that they will continue to break the law (Williams, 2010). Past felons feel they cannot get involved in their government because they are turned away, which essentially leads so many ex-felons to resort to their old ways. In 2000, the Alexander v. Mineta Supreme court case that dealt with the Equal Protection Clause came to the conclusion; â€Å"The Equal Protection Clause does not protect the right of all citizens to vote, but rather the right of all qualified citizens to vote. However, the Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive sanctions, and demands that punishment for crimes should be graduated and proportioned to the offense (Karlan, 2004). Therefore, felons who are released from jail have been punished for their crime; more punishment on their part is inhumane of society. The states that continue to exclude all felons permanently are outliers, within the United States and the world (Karlan, 2004). People who argue that ex felons should not have the right to vote believe that they have presented poor judgment and it is absurd to let them help in he choosing of our representatives (Carlson, 2006). This is agreeable to a certain extent, but when one takes a deeper look, the harsh answer is former convicts are stereotyped by most people. While these previous felons have presented poor judgment in the past, who is to say they will never change (Chapman, 2006)? The government lets ex-convicts marry, have children, drive and have the freedom of religion. In many places, the assumption is that ex-felons cannot be trusted to help choose our leader. If we thought criminals could never be reformed, we would never let them out in the first place (Chapman, 2006). There are many reasons why felons should be able to take place in the voting system; however there are reasons why they shouldn’t be able to. Felons become felons by presenting an act of poor judgment in most cases. Felons cannot vote for similar reasons that children can’t vote. â€Å"We don't let children vote, for instance, or noncitizens, or the mentally incompetent. Why? Because we don't trust them and their judgment. We have different reasons for not trusting them, but it seems to me that that is their common denominator† (Clegg, 2004). People who have committed crimes in their life have already shown us that they are not trustworthy people (Clegg, 2004). â€Å"And, as to equity, if you're not willing to follow the rules yourself, you shouldn't be able to make the rules for everyone else† (Clegg, 2004). Because voting determines in the long run who will make the rules for our country, there is no reason why the country should allow people who can’t follow the rules, vote on the rules. Now, I will freely concede that there are felons who ought to have their right to vote restored, but that should be done on a case-by-case basis, weighing (a) how serious the crime was, (b) how recently it was committed, (c) whether there has been a series/pattern of crimes, and (d) whether the individual has otherwise shown that he or she has turned his or her life around† (Clegg, 2004). C legg states that not all felons are in the same category. It is understandable that murderers should not be allowed to vote. On the other hand, some people really have gone through a long process to change their life around for the better. The right to vote is not granted to those under the age of eighteen. That age limitation demonstrates that voting rights may be restricted when there is reason to doubt the potential voter’s good judgment† (Latham, 2006). Latham shares similar ideas to Clegg on how the age limitation on voting and whether felons should be able to vote are connected due to prior judgment or lack there of. The interests of convicted felons might also differ from the primary interest of the American citizen body who want to be protected from criminals (Latham, 2006). A primary issue for the convicted felons as a whole is that 2/3 of felons released commit crimes within the next three years; not counting the ones that were not caught. Holding, Reynolds. â€Å"Why Can't Felons Vote? – TIME. † Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews – TIME. com. 1 Nov. 2006. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. Krajick, Kevin. â€Å"Why Can't Ex-Felons Vote? (washingtonpost. com). † Wahlborg 2 The Washington Post: National, World & D. C. Area News and Headlines – The Washington Post. 18 Aug. 2004. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/articles/A9785- 2004Aug17. html

German Irish African and Native are all American essays

German Irish African and Native are all American essays Paula Chrystine Poling Poling 1 Myths, Memories and Realities of the War Between the States Dr. Mary Ellen Rowe and Dr. Larry Olpin German, Irish, African and Native are all American For minorities, as for other Americans, the Civil War was an opportunity to prove their valor and loyalty. Among the first mustered into the Union army were a De Kalb regiment of German American Clerks, the Garibaldi Guards made up of Italian Americans, a Polish Legion, and hundreds of Irish American youths from Boston and New York. Many people firmly believed, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that immigrants instinctively supported the union, and given the chance, deserted the South and sought their compatriots in Northern regiments (Burton 201). More than 400,000 European immigrants fought for the Union, including more than 170,000 Germans and more than 150,000 Irish. Many saw their services as a proud sacrifice. William Burton writes in his book Melting Pot Soldiers about John Cochrane, the colonel of a regiment who was of Irish decent. Cochrane recalled the native soldiers in the Union forces as typically a conscript rather than a volunteer, lacking in zeal and fire. Immigrant soldiers, in Cochranes recollection, held flaming partisan views, had dash and spirit, volunteered eagerly, and had real martial ardor (201). If we follow Cochranes description to the letter then all the other Americans were forced to serve their country and not because of their true loyalty and desire. Cochranes view is one of prejudice for his own ethnic group and against other American soldiers. Cynthia H. Enloe, in her pioneering work Ethnic soldiers: State Security in Divided Societies, went astray when she examined the history of immigrants in the North. State Security Planners she argued, treated recent immigrants as though they were outside the nation-state political system in the ...

Free Essays on Aztec Indians

My second paper will be on the Aztec Indians, who are known for their domination of southern and central Mexico. They ruled between the 14th and 16th centuries. They built a great empire and developed very modernized ways of doing things. They had phenomenal architectural skills and waterway systems. The Aztec Indians also had very developed social class and government systems and practiced a form of religion. To begin with, the Aztecs were very skilled in the art of Architecture and waterway systems. â€Å"An example of the monumental architecture within the Aztec society is the great pyramid of Tenochtitlan. Montezuma I, who was the ruler of the Aztecs in 1466, created it. The pyramid was not finished until the rule of Montezuma II, around 1508†(Carrasco, Montezuma Mexico, Pg. 49). â€Å"Aztec cities and towns also had working drinking water and waste treatment systems. An intricate plumbing system using clay pipes ran down from the mountains around Mexico valley to all of the towns and cities in the valley. As the water ran into each town or city it was the dispersed to 10 or 12 places around town were it flowed into a pool for drinking water or was piped into public baths and toilets. Only nobles had working drinking and bathing systems with running water in their homes. The sewage system worked much like today, having human wastes carried to a collection pool where solids were collected, and then having liquids run off into a series of terraces which filtered the water. Solid wastes were allowed to sit in a collection pool for about six months and then were brought to the lake gardens to be used as fertilizer†(Jennings, Aztec, Pg. 220). â€Å"The Aztec social structure contained four well defined classes. At the bottom of the heap were slaves and serfs, or the Tlacotli, who worked the private lands of the nobility. Next came the Macehualtin, ‘the fortunate,’ as they were called because they were equally free of the heavy respon sibi... Free Essays on Aztec Indians Free Essays on Aztec Indians My second paper will be on the Aztec Indians, who are known for their domination of southern and central Mexico. They ruled between the 14th and 16th centuries. They built a great empire and developed very modernized ways of doing things. They had phenomenal architectural skills and waterway systems. The Aztec Indians also had very developed social class and government systems and practiced a form of religion. To begin with, the Aztecs were very skilled in the art of Architecture and waterway systems. â€Å"An example of the monumental architecture within the Aztec society is the great pyramid of Tenochtitlan. Montezuma I, who was the ruler of the Aztecs in 1466, created it. The pyramid was not finished until the rule of Montezuma II, around 1508†(Carrasco, Montezuma Mexico, Pg. 49). â€Å"Aztec cities and towns also had working drinking water and waste treatment systems. An intricate plumbing system using clay pipes ran down from the mountains around Mexico valley to all of the towns and cities in the valley. As the water ran into each town or city it was the dispersed to 10 or 12 places around town were it flowed into a pool for drinking water or was piped into public baths and toilets. Only nobles had working drinking and bathing systems with running water in their homes. The sewage system worked much like today, having human wastes carried to a collection pool where solids were collected, and then having liquids run off into a series of terraces which filtered the water. Solid wastes were allowed to sit in a collection pool for about six months and then were brought to the lake gardens to be used as fertilizer†(Jennings, Aztec, Pg. 220). â€Å"The Aztec social structure contained four well defined classes. At the bottom of the heap were slaves and serfs, or the Tlacotli, who worked the private lands of the nobility. Next came the Macehualtin, ‘the fortunate,’ as they were called because they were equally free of the heavy respon sibi...

The Basics of Telescopes

The Basics of Telescopes Sooner or later, every stargazer decides its time to be buying a telescope. Its an exciting next step to further exploration of the cosmos. However, as with any other major purchase, theres a lot to learn about these universe exploration engines, ranging from power to price. The first thing a user wants to do is figure out their observational goals. Are they interested in planetary observing? Deep-sky exploration? Astrophotography? A little of everything? How much money do they want to spend? Knowing the answer to those questions will help narrow down a telescope choice. Telescopes come in three basic designs: refractor, reflector, and catadioptric, plus some variations on each of the types. Each has its pluses and minuses, and of course, each type can cost a little or a lot depending on the quality of the optics and the accessories needed.   Refractors and How They Work A refractor is a telescope that uses two lenses to deliver a view of a celestial object. At one end (the one farther away from the viewer), it has a large lens, called the objective lens or object glass. On the other end is the lens the user looks through. It is called the ocular or eyepiece. They work together to deliver the sky view. The objective collects light and focuses it as a sharp image. This image gets magnified and is what the stargazer sees through the ocular. This eyepiece is adjusted by sliding it in and out of the telescope body to focus the image. Reflectors and How They Work A reflector works a bit differently. Light is gathered at the bottom of the scope by a concave mirror, called the primary. The primary has a parabolic shape. There are several ways the primary can focus the light, and how it is done determines the type of reflecting telescope. Many observatory telescopes, such as Gemini in Hawaii or the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope  use a photographic plate to focus the image. Called the prime focus position, the plate is located near the top of the scope. Other such scopes use a secondary mirror, placed in a similar position as the photographic plate, to reflect the image back down the body of the scope, where it is viewed through a hole in the primary mirror. This is known as a Cassegrain focus.   Newtonians and How They Work Then, theres the Newtonian, a kind of reflecting telescope. It got its name when  Sir Isaac Newton dreamed up the basic design. In a Newtonian telescope, a flat mirror is placed at an angle in the same position as the secondary mirror in a Cassegrain. This secondary mirror focuses the image into an eyepiece located in the side of the tube, near the top of the scope. Catadioptric Telescopes Finally, there are catadioptric telescopes, which combine elements of refractors and reflectors in their design. The first such telescope was created by German astronomer Bernhard Schmidt in 1930. It used a primary mirror at the back of the telescope with a glass corrector plate in the front of the telescope, which was designed to remove spherical aberration. In the original telescope, photographic film was placed at the prime focus. There were no secondary mirror or eyepieces. The descendant of that original design, called the Schmidt-Cassegrain design, is the most popular type of telescope. Invented in the 1960s, it has a secondary mirror that bounces light through a hole in the primary mirror to an eyepiece. The second style of catadioptric telescope was invented by a Russian astronomer, D. Maksutov. (A Dutch astronomer, A. Bouwers, created a similar design in 1941, before Maksutov.) In the Maksutov telescope, a more spherical corrector lens than in the Schmidt is utilized. Otherwise, the designs are quite similar. Today’s models are known as Maksutov –Cassegrain. Refractor Telescope Advantages and Disadvantages After initial alignment, which is necessary to have the optics work well together, refractor optics are resistant to misalignment. The glass surfaces are sealed inside the tube and rarely need cleaning. The sealing also minimizes effects from air currents that can muddy the view. This is one way that users can get steady sharp views of the sky. Disadvantages include a number of possible aberrations of the lenses. Also, since lenses need to be edge supported, this limits the size of any refractor. Reflector Telescope Advantages and Disadvantages Reflectors do not suffer from chromatic aberration. Their mirrors are easier to build without defects than lenses are since only one side of a mirror is used. Also, because the support for a mirror is from the back, very large mirrors can be built, making larger scopes. The disadvantages include ease of misalignment, the need for frequent cleaning, and possible spherical aberration, which is a defect in the actual lens that can blur the view. Once a user has a basic understanding of the types of scopes on the market, they can focus on getting the right-sized one to view their favorite targets with. They can learn more about some mid-range-priced telescopes on the market. It never hurts to browse the marketplace and learn more about specific instruments.  And, the best way to sample different telescopes is to go to a star party and ask other scope owners if theyre willing to let someone take a look through their instruments. Its an easy way to compare and contrast the view through different instruments. Edited and updated by  Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Airline Business Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Airline Business - Coursework Example u-Taieh (2011: p58) notes that while an airline may put together the best management team and business plan, failure to access sufficient funding and finance makes short term success of the airplane impossible. At present, start-up capital required to finance the working capital needs is readily available by historic standards, specifically if the project is right for investors. This paper analyse possible sources of funding for an investor seeking to launch an airline start-up, while also discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the different sources of funding. Moreover, the paper will seek to identify factors that investors are likely to consider prior to evaluating funding requests. One source of funding that an airline start up could use is a direct lending. In this case, an airline could decide to take out an unsecured or secured loan as working capital but more specifically to purchase commercial aircraft (Wynbrandt, 2014: p47). Moreover, the airline start-up may receive a loan for a syndicate of banks since the transaction may be quite large. Since commercial aircraft costs could reach several hundreds of millions of dollars, security interest accompanies most aircraft purchase direct lending, which means that the loaning bank could repossess the aircraft if the start-up fails to pay back the loan. Generally, obtaining private financing that is unsecured to purchase an aircraft is very difficult unless the airline start-up is considered especially creditworthy. Still, there are some governments that use the Large Aircraft Sector Understanding to fund exports of aircraft produced domestically, an agreement is providing for aircraft purchase financing at clos e to 175 points for ten years over the prime rate (Wynbrandt, 2014: p47). In addition, there is also an option for the start-up airline to lock interest rates in up to twelve weeks before receiving the loan. Such terms tend to be more attractive for start-up airlines, rather than large operators,

The Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s.Whom did the U.S Support what Role did Essay

The Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s.Whom did the U.S Support what Role did They Play - Essay Example As a result, many of the people living along the channel were Arabs, not Persians. Sadaam Hussein, the leader of Iraq, claimed that this area should be a part of his country because of the historical connection to Iraq and the ethnic identity of the inhabitants. Iran saw right through this and accused Iraq of trying to control the shipping lanes. Iraq began to charge tolls on ships coming out of the channel, but the Iranian’s would not comply (Willett, 2004). Iraq invaded and tried to take over the land on either side of the river. This was one economic reason for the war. The second economic reason Iraq started the war was to try to get at Iran’s oil reserves. They realized that if they could control this much oil, they would become the most powerful and important Arab state along the Persian Gulf. They would be a rival to the powerful Saudi’s to their south and would be able to easily trade with Russia and India to the east. Iraq wanted to get their hands on Ir anian oil. This was the second economic reason for the war. One ideological reason the war started came from the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. Iran is a country dominated by Shiite followers of Islam. In many countries, including Iraq, Shiites are considered to be second-class citizens. They only make-up about 10% of Muslims worldwide, so they are often a persecuted minority. In Iraq and Iran, Shiites are actually a majority. The Iraqi government suppressed the majority Shiites. The Islamic Revolution in Iran started to encourage Shiites in Iraq to rise-up against the government (Arjomand, 1989). This revolution said that it was up to Shiite believers to rise up and take power so Islam could be taken to all the world. The Iraqi’s did not like this, so they started to protest against the Iranians to the League of Arab States. Nothing was resolved. The ideology of Islamic Revolution was a major factor in the start of the Iran-Iraq War. Another ideological reason that led to the Iran-Iraq War was the capture of the islands of Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tumb (Amirahmadi, 1996). Persian and Arab forces had disputed these islands for many years. The Iranians took them from the newly formed United Arab Emirates in 1971. Arabs in the Persian Gulf region regarded this as a modern version of Persian aggression. Iran had stated in the past their ideological desire to restore the borders of the old Persian Empire. Iraq started a war with Iran in response to this ideology. The United States had an important role in this conflict for both Iran and Iraq. Before the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the leader of Iran bought lots of weapons such as tanks, artillery and fighter jets from the United States. During the revolution, American citizens were held hostage in the American embassy in Tehran. This event caused the United States to cut off all trade ties with the Iranians. The United States refused to supply the Iranians with machinery and replacement parts for t heir equipment during the war. As a result, the Iranian army was weakened until they could figure-out a way to buy weapons from other countries. They eventually turned to Russia for much of their weapons. The United States was more directly involved in supplying the Iranians with weapons (El, Azhary, 1984). Iraq had grown wealthy from oil revenue. They decided to spend lots of money on jets, tanks and bombers. The United Stat

Research Paper on Paul Robeson Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Paul Robeson - Research Paper Example Paul had three brothers and one sister and during their childhood life, they faced many problems since his father lost his job due to racial conflict and three years later, his mother died in a fire tragedy at home. In his high school life, Paul participated in many activities such as basketball, football and singing and he dominated very well in all the disciplines. Boyle and Bunie (45-77) said that, after graduating from high school, Paul won a scholarship to join Rutgers University between 1915 and 1919 and became the third African- American students in the history of Rutgers University. In the campus, Paul joined various clubs among them being debate club, a university football club and other athletic clubs where he balanced his activities excellently. He scooped an awarded as the best footballer of the year and he had a great talent in singing whereby he went to perform on and off the campus. At the height of his performance on the campus, Paul’s father felt very ill and Robeson had no option but to take the full responsibility of his father who soon succumbed to illness. When he finished campus, he won awards in athletics and academics and his classmates greatly exhorted him and vowed to fight equality of all Americans. Boyle and Bunie (78-101) claimed that, Robeson then joined New York university school of law but shortly transferred to Columbia school of law in 1920 and joined national football league. Paul dated Eslanda Goode and after courting for one year, they got married and at this time, he had already started acting. He started singing while in the campus and after 1922 he ended his football career and decided to continue with his music career. After a few months, Paul graduated as a lawyer and he exercised his career as an advocate for a few months and quitted due to excessive racism in the field. Robeson decided to take a role in acting where he participated in various theatre acting and during this time, his wife Essie supported him in various social functions. He acted in theaters such as The Emperor Jones and in All God’s Chillum Got Wings and the success of acting landed him into an elite circle and finally rose to fame after a great assistance from his wife. Later his wife quitted her job and became an agent of Paul her she steered him to act in the films and he participated in movies such as body and soul. Paul ventured into music and in collaboration with a very famous gospel singer and attended concerts. After some time, Paul went to London to act in the films and singing and at this time, he participated in several films among them being Show Boat and Song of Freedom (Boyle and Bunie 102-105). He became politically involved when he struggled against fascism from 1937 to 1939 during the Spanish civil war. After Second World War, Robeson returned to America where he acted as an entertainer in a radio station. After execution of four Negros, Paul Robeson urged the president of America to stop legislati on of this law of lynching and this was his turning point to the political arena (Boyle and Bunie 379-401). After 1950, the American government cancelled Robeson’s passports, it also denied him to attend televisions shows and a

VICA - Enjoy the difference Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

VICA - Enjoy the difference Company - Essay Example From this research it is clear that VICA - â€Å"Enjoy the difference† Company is keen to check the profit and losses incurred by the company. Focus on the workers’ demands is among the company’s major concerns, to develop a rapport between the management and the workers as well as, keep the company on its toes. The target group of the company’s City car falls below 25years while the Large car is persons between the ages of 41-55years. On the part of the City car the vehicle is suitable for short distances, and is affordable for the youngsters. On the other hand, the large car is suitable for the old people who require carrying luggage of varying sizes and moving over long distances. In the first round, the researcher’s group selected the City car and the Large car to be a man product. They found out the City car to be of low price, high volumes and makes the most profit. The group attempted to categorize the different characteristics of the target market. In terms of the City and large cars, the researcher’s group put in focus attributes of comfort, safety, speed, technology and style of the car. The reasons behind the selection of these attributes is that is the age group under the age of 25 years are more concerned with safety, style and technology of the make of the car. Contrary, the age group between 41- 55 years prefer a car that is comfortable, has a sense of style and high technology. In Round 1, the market share was designed in such a way that, it would target 1% of the City and Large cars. However, it proved extremely tasking to fit in the new market, with the competition posed by the gurus. The Company embarked on a mission to produce Citizen-the City car and Lugano- Large car. The two makes of vehicles incorporate a large percentage of the market share that contributes greatly to Round 4. In this round, there indicated a great deal of drop in the market share of the Citizen to 0.95% and Lugano, 1.39%. By th e end of the first year, the Citizens cars stood at 53,300 while Lugano’s was 40,950. The gross margin was 14.52% and 27.46% for Citizen and Lugano respectively. The drop indicated after the first round stood at 9.09% and 1.59% correspondingly. The reason behind this occurrence is the fact that, the number of vehicles selected by the target groups was slightly higher than what had been budgeted for in the earlier

The Rookie Chief Information Security Officer Term Paper

The Rookie Chief Information Security Officer - Term Paper Example The human resource management department, finance department and operation department should present the security challenges faced (Cullen, 2011). IT Compliance Officer, Security Officer, Privacy Security Personnel and IT Security Engineer should also present the problem faced in their daily duties. The report from each office and department should be presented to the Chief Information Security officer for evaluation. Security manager and CISO will use the report to implement policies and procedures, which will ensure sufficient security in the organizations. After evaluation of the report, they will recommend the applicable points and do away with points which will not lead to improvement of the security. They will apply professional ethics and come up with other policies left by the departments. After completion, they will forward the draft to the General Manger. The GM will forward to the Board of Directors who will hold a meeting with the Security Manger and CISO to evaluate each policy and procedure. After evaluation, the board of directors will sign the draft for approval. Then the security department will ensure that each employee in every department has a copy or is aware of the policies. Security department will also ensure sufficient training to all departments to create awareness of security policies to each employee. The employees will help in reinforcing the policies (Neil, 2009). ii. Reporting Structure Chain of command will ensure smooth running of the organization. Each employee will be reporting to the person next in command. The organizational chart above represents the reporting channel. Security guarding and escort services will be provided by a contracted guard force. Guard will provide physical security services, public relationship services and patrol and escort services. Guards will ensure sufficient security for the organization’s asset and employees. They will provide assistant to customers visiting the organization by showing t hem location of offices. The guards will be managed by their supervisor who will report directly to the Security Officer. Security Officer will be responsible for maintenance of physical security. He/she will ensure that the contracted guard force maintains discipline and ethics (Mark, 2007). He will also check and record the available assets each day and carry out investigation in case of theft. Security officer will report direct to the CISO. The IT Security Engineer and the IT Security Compliance Officer will work to ensure that the information technology devices are maintained. They will ensure the hardware and software are maintained. They will evaluate the effectiveness of each device. They will provide a report in case of damage, loss and change of devices. They will report direct to the CISO. The Privacy Security Professional or the Investigation Officers will investigate theft, fraud and employee dishonest. They will carry out investigation in case of asset theft, cash thef t by employees and misconduct of the employee (Neil, 2009). In case of conflict between the employees, the investigation officer will carry out an inquiry to establish the source of the problem. Privacy Security Professionals will report direct to the CISO. The CISO will report to the Security Manager. The Security manager will be respons

VICA - Enjoy the difference Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

VICA - Enjoy the difference Company - Essay Example From this research it is clear that VICA - â€Å"Enjoy the difference† Company is keen to check the profit and losses incurred by the company. Focus on the workers’ demands is among the company’s major concerns, to develop a rapport between the management and the workers as well as, keep the company on its toes. The target group of the company’s City car falls below 25years while the Large car is persons between the ages of 41-55years. On the part of the City car the vehicle is suitable for short distances, and is affordable for the youngsters. On the other hand, the large car is suitable for the old people who require carrying luggage of varying sizes and moving over long distances. In the first round, the researcher’s group selected the City car and the Large car to be a man product. They found out the City car to be of low price, high volumes and makes the most profit. The group attempted to categorize the different characteristics of the target market. In terms of the City and large cars, the researcher’s group put in focus attributes of comfort, safety, speed, technology and style of the car. The reasons behind the selection of these attributes is that is the age group under the age of 25 years are more concerned with safety, style and technology of the make of the car. Contrary, the age group between 41- 55 years prefer a car that is comfortable, has a sense of style and high technology. In Round 1, the market share was designed in such a way that, it would target 1% of the City and Large cars. However, it proved extremely tasking to fit in the new market, with the competition posed by the gurus. The Company embarked on a mission to produce Citizen-the City car and Lugano- Large car. The two makes of vehicles incorporate a large percentage of the market share that contributes greatly to Round 4. In this round, there indicated a great deal of drop in the market share of the Citizen to 0.95% and Lugano, 1.39%. By th e end of the first year, the Citizens cars stood at 53,300 while Lugano’s was 40,950. The gross margin was 14.52% and 27.46% for Citizen and Lugano respectively. The drop indicated after the first round stood at 9.09% and 1.59% correspondingly. The reason behind this occurrence is the fact that, the number of vehicles selected by the target groups was slightly higher than what had been budgeted for in the earlier

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy - Research Paper Example The author of this research paper provides the reader with the description of a condition called Duchenne muscular dystrophy that is named after French neurologist Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne who is known for his description of the disease in fine detail. This research paper focuses on discussing of the various aspects of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy, such as it's basic definition, description, epidemiology, pathogenicty, symptoms and diagnosis, treatment and on-going research. This desiase is common in boys between ages 3 and 5 and progresses very fast with most patients completely unable to walk by age 12. However, the disease can be detected with about 95% accuracy by conducting genetic studies during pregnancy. Currently, several possible treatments are being investigated in trials globally in hospitals, laboratories, independent researchers, research institutions and higher learning institutions such as universities with the major focus placed on pursuance cure from ste m cells and gene therapy. The researcher explains current treatment methods that basically aim at merely controlling symptoms and improving quality of life. It is concluded that duchenne muscular dystrophy remains one of the greatest health concerns amongst young children and especially boys today. It is prudent that expectant mothers who are carriers of the disease get help from doctors during their pregnancy so that steps can be taken to minimize effects of the ailment on their children as treatment is still researched.

Visual Art Analysis Paper Essay Example for Free

Visual Art Analysis Paper Essay Webster’s Dictionary defines Aesthetics as the branch of philosophy dealing with such notions as the beautiful, the ugly, the sublime, the comic, etc. , as applicable to the fine arts, with a view to establishing the meaning and the validity of critical judgments concerning works of art, and the principles underlying or justifying such judgments or the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty. The Dream of La Malinche is aesthetically pleasing despite the fact that I tend to not be attracted to Surrealism. However this artwork told a story that made me curious to find out who La Malinche really was? My first reaction to this artwork is to notice that the room that she is lying in is dark and shabby with exposed brick and a crack in the wall. Was this woman poor or was she labeled as not deserving better? Is this the aesthetically ugly side of life? Dark walls, broken woman. Yet sprawled on her hip is a beautiful church towering over a village in a fertile valley below. Aesthetically beautiful. Prosperity visible in the village and valley, and poverty in the room that La Malinche lies in. What a contrast! Denis Dutton (Aesthetic Universals), a philosopher identified seven universal traits for human See more: how to write an analysis of a research paper aesthetics. He claimed that technical artistic skills are cultivated and recognized. These skills can be admired. Though people admire art they do not expect it to keep food on their table. But it is expected to follow the rules of composition and to be identified as a certain style. Artwork will always be judged, and with few exceptions art will simulate life. Follow our experiences in life yet with a dramatic flair. Based on these traits La Malinche is beautifully orchestrated and very obviously a combination of a folk story and surrealism. Compared to other works by this artist, this particular painting tells a true story, a meaningful story that has played a part in this artist’s life. Visual Arts 3 Expression At the beginning of the 19th century, artists began to express their feelings through their art rather than through the faces painted on a canvas. The real La Malinche was thought to be a hero by some and a traitor by others. Mother of the Mestizo race and harlot to Cortez the explorer. Mexican artwork of this period tended to combine a woman with fertile land to express fertility to the viewer, so I believe this is some of what the artist was also trying to portray. I also love the symbolism between the mountains painted on her hip versus an actual mountain in Mexico named La Malinche. As I studied about Antonio Ruiz, he was referred to several times as a folk art artist besides being a surrealist. I think this art expresses his love for the history of his people and tells their story more adequately than words can express. I dare to call him a surrealist because I do not see where he is avoiding the unpleasantness of the life by wearing rose colored glasses. I feel that he is expressing the truth of the situation and the beauty that can be found amidst ugliness, accusations and tales. However Woman in World Histories Primary Sources claims the Malinche’s body is the ground supporting an unnamed village and church and her image is to invoke female Aztec deities. The metaphor is the Mexican nation is built on the groundwork of Malinche’s actions. So what expressive qualities does this painting have? The mood language is mysterious. It invokes curiosity. The dynamic state is intense and provoking. The Ideal language would be compassion, courage and fearlessness. Sensation This painting provokes a strong emotion in me. I am not sure that I would label it anger, but I feel a sense of injustice rise up inside me. I understand what the artist was trying to portray in this painting but I also know how I interpret this painting. In my interpretation I want to fight for the dignity of this woman who is treated with obvious disrespect based on the condition of Visual Arts 4 the room in which she lies while a village in a valley appears prosperous. And yet I feel an animosity toward the people who do not recognize the contribution that she made to their society or the number of lives that were probably spared. I feel the history of this story and the artist’s emotions. I feel that the woman in the bed carries a huge load on her shoulders. You can almost feel her despair and have to wonder what heart ache she carries within. Does this prosperous village in the valley sit ignorant of the sacrifices of this fearless woman? This woman instills hope and compassion and a sense of empowerment. It’s like being on an emotional rollercoaster yet the lines of this painting is also like a rollercoaster. The round mountain peaks, the curving roads and the rolling sheets over the woman. The curvy scrolls of the wrought iron bed all encompass this feeling of being on a rollercoaster. Formal Design This painting has been labeled as Surrealism. Surrealism was supposedly born from the Dada Movement. This â€Å"Dada Movement† was a banding together of artists who sought refuge from World War I in Europe. As they banded together they became like our early day protestors. Their art, poetry and music reflected their anti-war cries. After the war people wanted to get away from the intensity of darkness that so many paintings depicted and they wanted something to help them escape the everyday reality. So Surrealism became a way for them to combine dreams and fantasy with some reality. The Principles for all design are Unity, Balance, Dominance, Repetition, Rhythm, Contrast and Theme. There is a unity between the woman living in poverty and the prosperous village. Can there be prosperity without poverty? Or can there be poverty without prosperity? If the prosperous mountain were removed all this art would speak about is poverty. La Malinche would appear as a poor woman on a bed. Would you be curious about her Visual Arts 5 circumstances or would you feel compelled to look away? If La Malinche was removed from the painting you would just have a prosperous village living in a valley. A beautiful fairytale painting. Because the elements of this painting need each other and have unity, this painting has balance. The mountain on La Malinche’s hip gives this painting symmetry. It becomes almost the fulcrum of the painting. Everything balances around the central part of this painting. The mountain, the prosperity takes a dominant position in this painting which could suggest her success in rising above adversity. The rhythm in this painting would be the flow of the village across the sheets, and the flow of the sheets across the woman. There is this continuous theme flowing out from the village. The poverty, the dark room and the woman contrast with the light of the village and it’s prosperity. Each of these principals come together to form the theme of poverty and prosperity. Lightness and Dark. Realism and Surrealism. Technical Properties The Dream of La Malinche is painted on canvas with oils. If skill is truly based on the artists portrayal of his picture, than Ruiz has truly surpassed all other artists in portraying the history and story of this heroic figure. He has an incredible sense of color. And this painting reflects his own personal view on this historical figure. The lightening bolt (or crack in the wall as I call it) has depth to it. This painting does not have the usual bulkiness that you so often see in oil paintings. As an artist Antonio Ruiz is known for his draftsmanship skills. He is considered a great painter of small works and respected for his aesthetic quality. Visual Arts 6 References Dutton, D. , Aesthetic Universals Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Definition of Aesthetics

Sexual Orientation And Diversity In The Workforce

Sexual Orientation And Diversity In The Workforce Todays organizations are becoming increasingly diversified in many ways. With respect to sexual orientation, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees constitute one of the largest but least studied minority groups in the workforce. Although invisible, sexuality is at the core of each workers identity. Therefore, it poses a number of complex challenges towards organizations and their human resources department. The Dont ask dont tell (DADT) policy of the U.S. Military presents a striking example of the silence surrounding their identity on the work floor. In this paper, the impact of silencing as well as the ways in which the voice of LGBT employees and other invisible minorities can be heard is studied. Introduction Diversity Diversity includes cultural factors such as race, gender, age, color, physical ability, national origin, etc. The broader definition of diversity additionally includes religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, education, language, lifestyle, beliefs, physical appearance and economic status (Wentling and PalmaRivas, 2000). The word diversity is not contained in any report or law; instead, it grew out of academic and popular press usage. Diversity in the workforce With respect to the workplace, diversity refers to the co-existence of employees from various socio-cultural backgrounds. Every human being is unique, but at the same time, every individual shares biological as well as environmental characteristics with any group of others. In this context, diversity can be generally defined as recognition of the people who share such common traits. These traits -the characteristics that make up a whole person- both unite and divide us. In the domain of human resources (HR), however, the term diversity can represent three major working definitions: the politically correct term for employment equity/affirmative action; the recruitment and selection of ethnic groups and women; the management of individuals sharing a broad range of common traits. The first definition represents the most narrow view of diversity and is usually found in organizations without formal diversity policies or programs. The second definition reflects the reality of many diversity programs focusing on employment regulation concerns. And finally, the last definition is the broadest and generally used in organizations containing diversity programs (Grobler, Wà ¤rnich et al., 2006). Dimensions of diversity When talking about diversity, one should keep in mind the differences between primary and secondary dimensions. Primary dimensions are those human differences that are innate and that have a drastic impact on us. Age, ethnicity, race, gender, physical abilities/qualities and sexual/affectional orientation are examples of primary dimensions at the heart of individual identities. Alternatively, secondary dimensions are more changeable and can be discarded or modified during our lifetime. Such dimensions add depth and individuality to our lives. Education, geographical location, marital status, income, military experience, religion, work experience and parental status are illustrations of secondary dimensions. The primary and secondary dimensions can be represented as a circle, with the primary dimensions at the centre and the secondary dimensions surrounding them. An illustration of both groups of dimensions can be found in Figure 1(Grobler, Wà ¤rnich et al., 2006). Figure 1: Primary and secondary dimensions of diversity In any initial encounter, people identify by the primary dimensions that are most readily observed: age, gender, race and physical abilities/qualities. Since most individuals live in homogeneous communities, or at least in circumstances far less diverse than our society as a whole, their entry into the workplace may be a first encounter with a diverse population. During this kind of first encounter, phenomena such as stereotyping and prejudice might appear. Stereotyping works against peoples individuality and limits their potential. Generally, if the stereotype is that the person is not competent, then people may not perform competently. This illustrates that, to a large extent, people perform in line with the expectations placed on them. Clinging to negative stereotypes about people other than ourselves leads to prejudice, which means processing our stereotypes such that ones own sense of superiority to the members of that group is reinforced. It is the role of the appropriate institutions within a country to recognize and eradicate both stereotyping and prejudice (Grobler, Wà ¤rnich et al., 2006). Managing diversity Managing diversity can be defined as: A planned systematic and comprehensive managerial process for developing an organizational environment in which all employees, with their similarities and differences, can contribute to the strategic and competitive advantage of the organization, and where no-one is excluded on the basis of factors unrelated to productivity (Thomas, 1996). On the work floor, managing diversity presents a key issue for governments as well as private organizations. Its importance has mainly been brought about by the free movement of labor due to globalization. The fight for human rights by certain minority groups, who feel excluded from the employment sector, discloses another impulse for the current significance of diversity management. Within the context of equal opportunities in the workplace, workforce diversity again plays a major role. This equal opportunity philosophy is aimed at ensuring that organizations make the most out of the uniqueness of a diverse workforce, which might assist the organization to be more efficient and effective, rather than losing talent. Broadly, diversity management is the systematic and planned commitment by the organizations to recruit, retain, reward and promote a heterogeneous mix of employees (Grobler, Wà ¤rnich et al., 2006). Valuing diversity For organizations to fight discrimination, it is essential to value diversity. This valuing starts with recognizing the fundamental difference between valuing diversity on the one hand, and employment equity and/or affirmative action on the other. Employment equity is an officially authorized approach to workplace discrimination. For instance, it is against the law to reject a person a job or job advantage because of age, race, sexual orientation, gender or other primary characteristics. Affirmative action is a reaction to the under-use of protected groups in various job classes in which a business attempts to attract people from such groups because of their failure to do so in the past as a result of inequity. Valuing diversity surpasses both concepts and leads to management designed to reap the benefits offered by a diversified workforce (Grobler, Wà ¤rnich et al., 2006). Whereas affirmative action and employment equity are government-initiated, legally driven attempts to alter -from a quantitative standpoint- the composition of a companys workforce, valuing diversity is a company-specific, necessity-driven effort to alter -from a qualitative standpoint- the utilization of the companys workforce. In an organization that values diversity, managing diversity becomes a substitute for assimilation (Grobler, Wà ¤rnich et al., 2006). Sexual orientation Within the framework of diversity management, sexual orientation represents a non-observable or underlying type of diversity, as opposed to more visible traits such as race or gender. The reason is that gay, lesbian, and bisexual employees can choose to what extent they reveal their sexual orientation in the workplace. Lately, sexual orientation has received a growing amount of attention, including through the prohibition of employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation for both private and public employees. Another indication of this increasing attention regards the mounting number of organizations that fight against this type of discrimination. For instance, in the United States, in many large organizations, Lesbian and Gay Employee Groups are demanding the exclusion of discrimination based on sexual orientation, the provision of guidance to enhance tolerance in the work environment, and the equal treatment of significant others (e.g. relating to health care benefits ) (Van Hoye and Lievens, 2003). Parallel to the social and societal developments, there has been an increase in scientific investigation on sexual orientation in the workforce (Van Hoye and Lievens, 2003). Sexual orientation in the workforce: Literature overview Three research streams can be clearly distinguished within the literature on sexual orientation in the workplace. The first research stream studies the discrimination and minority status experienced by lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in the workplace. A second strand of studies takes the issue of coming out at work as the focal point. In fact, one of the work-related decisions that all gay, lesbian, and bisexual people face, is to what extent they unveil their sexual orientation on the work floor. The third and last research stream relates to the more specific work-related issues of gay, lesbian, and bisexual employees (as opposed to the general character of the studies belonging to the first research stream) (Van Hoye and Lievens, 2003). Within the first research stream, it was found that the majority of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people have once experienced discrimination on the work floor (Croteau, 1996). Here, the construct of heterosexism seems to play a central role. Heterosexism can be defined as an ideological system that denies, denigrates, and stigmatizes any non-heterosexual form of behavior, identity, relationship, or community (Herek, 1990). Research has demonstrated that heterosexism in the organization can lead to a decrease in perceived productivity, job contentment, organizational commitment, career dedication, and organization-based self-esteem. In addition, it can lead to an increases in perceived health problems, psychological distress, and turnover intentions among gay, lesbian, and bisexual employees (Van Hoye and Lievens, 2003). The outcome of the second research stream reveals that there are five different levels of coming out, namely acting, passing, covering, implicitly out and explicitly out (Chung, 2001). Nevertheless, other possible classifications do exist. The concealment of ones sexual orientation has negative consequences at the individual level (depressing work attitudes, low job contentment, anxiety, etc.), group level (dysfunctional communication, low work team cohesion, etc.) as well as organizational level (higher turnover and lower productivity) (Van Hoye and Lievens, 2003). To date, very few studies have taken the approach of the third research stream. An example of a scarcely studied topic within this field of research concerns the influence of the sexual orientation of job candidates on their evaluation by HR professionals. One of the motives that almost no research has specifically examined the consequences of sexual orientation on hiring decisions, is that it is very difficult to examine this issue in field settings with real candidates. Thus, although the outcomes of such studies are insightful, not enough research has been carried out so far to draw sound conclusions. For an illustration of the sexual orientation policy of the SAC company (Scottish Agricultural College), see appendix. SAC is an innovative, knowledge-based organization supporting the development of  rural communities and industries. (MOET IK NOG TOEVOEGEN) Diversity policy worldwide IEDEREEN ZN STUKJE OVER CONTINENTEN KOMT HIER The United States We first introduce the general conditions for acceptance of sexual diversity in America since these have shaped the context for coping with sexual diversity, and more specific LGBT, on the work floor . LGBT  rights are very complex in  the Americas since acceptance of the phenomenon varies widely between Canada, the United States or the Southern Americas. We will here focus on the United States (U.S.). In the U.S.,  LGBT-related laws include amongst others: government recognition of same-sex relationships,  LGBT adoption, sexual orientation and military service,  immigration equality, anti-discrimination laws, hate crime laws regarding  violence against LGBT people,  sodomy laws, anti-lesbianism  laws, and higher  ages of consent  for same-sex activities. Generally, it was not until 2003 that sexual acts between persons of the same sex became legal in the  U.S. However, many other laws are still not recognized on federal level and a wide spread amongst states co ncerning the enabling of those laws exist. We will now discuss the policy concerning LGBT discrimination in the work environment in the U.S. Legislative policy: the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) Employment discrimination  refers to discriminatory employment practices such as bias in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, and compensation, and various types of harassment. (Source) In general there is no common law that states that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is wrong and discrimination against employees who are gay, or simply appear to be gay, is legal in many workplaces in the U.S. (Ragin, 2004) The first bill on the subject of sexual orientation discrimination was introduced in Congress in 1974. However it was not until 1994 that the  Employment Non-Discrimination Act  (ENDA), a proposed bill in the  United States Congress  that would prohibit  discrimination  against employees on the basis of  sexual orientation  or  gender identity  by civilian, nonreligious employers with at least 15 employees, was introduced.  [1]  It failed in 1994 and 1995, though by 1996, missed passage in the Senate by a 49-50 vote. Until 2009, every proposal in the legislative history of introducing the law failed. Furthermore, many versions of the ENDA only concerned LGB and did not include provisions that protect  transgender  people from discrimination. Currently, only twenty-two states have laws that ban sexual orientation discrimination: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampsh ire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. As a result of the limited coverage of States that enabled the law, LGBT people face serious discrimination in employment, including being fired, being denied a promotion, and experiencing harassment on the job.  [2]   Additional to the differentiation between the several states of the U.S., another distinction in employment discrimination based on sexual orientation that can be made involves the difference in coping with diversity between public and private sectors.  [3]  Extensive anti- discrimination legislation protecting public sector workers makes workers in the public sector less likely to be arbitrarily fired than workers at private companies. (Boris, 2010) As a result, the public sector in the United States is noticeably more racially diverse and gender balanced than the private sector. The more protective climate and diverse workforce in the public sector may result in LGBT individuals feeling more comfortable in openly expressing their sexual orientation at work. If this is the case, the public sector may employ more openly LGBT employees. (Boris, 2010) Attitude of employers and employees towards LGBT in the workforce Generally, American workplaces have undergone a partial revolution over the last quarter century when it comes to LGBT equality. Public attitudes toward homosexuality became more liberal during the 1970s, then increasingly conservative through the 1980s, and then more liberal since 1990. (Roberson, 2009) Today, sexual orientation diversity is a key part of workplaces in the U.S. An estimated 8.8 million gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals live in the United States. (Bell et al., 2011) While it is difficult to ascertain how many of these individuals are in the labor force, U.S. Census data reveal that more than 86% of men and women in same-sex couples are employed, and that employment probabilities for gay men and lesbians lie below those of married heterosexual men, but above those of heterosexual women (Leppel, 2009). The issue on employment discrimination based on sexual orientation has become more important for many employers, workplace diversity programs have been major initiatives in US corporations over the last several years. (Day Schoenrade, 2000) An increase in share of LGBT in the workforce since was already reported by HR managers in the eighties. (Day Schoenrade, 2000) In response, in May of 1993, the Board of the Society for Human Resource Management, the premiere national association of American human resource practitioners, passed a resolution to include sexual orientation in its statement acclaiming the value of a diverse workforce (HR News, 1993). (Day Schoenrade, 2000) However, several surveys demonstrate that LGBT on the work floor is far from an accepted concept, discriminating practices are laid out by several surveys. A first example appears from a 1990 U.S. census in where Allegretto and Arthur (2001) found that after controlling for differences associated with being married, gay men earned 2.4% less than their unmarried heterosexual counterparts. (Ragin, 2004) Another range of surveys that study behavior and acceptance concerning LGBT on the work floor is cited by Day Schoenrade (2000) A first example is a survey reported by the National Defense Research Institute in 1993, which found through several national public opinion polls that a majority of heterosexual American workers report being uncomfortable with the idea of working with homosexuals. (Day Schoenrade, 2000) When respondents were confronted with the issue of working with homosexuals, one study found that 27 percent said that they would prefer not to and 25 percent said that they would strongly object. A second example involves a survey from Wall street Journal in 1993, which found that 66 percent of surveyed CEOs reported being reluctant to include a homosexual on a management committee. Leppel (2009) proved that discrimination on the basis of sexual rientation appears to drive up the unemployment of same-sex partners relative to that of married partners. Similarly, probabilities of being out of the labor force for same-sex partners are greater than those of heterosexual men and less than those of heterosexual women. (Leppel, 2009) Several reasons were sought for these discriminating behavior against LGBT. One persisting cause in the U.S. is the existence of strong religious believes. A survey of Kansas Citians found that 47 percent felt that their religious beliefs and morality strongly conflicted with homosexuality (Day, 2011). Other issues involving a negative attitude towards LGBT in the workforce are related to heterosexism and homophobia in organizational America today. (Gedro, 2010) Human resource management and LGBT An appropriate approach of human resource management to LGBT in the workforce is urgent because the trend in American society for more and more gay men and lesbians to make their sexual orientation known since this openness may create conflicts in the workplace (Day Schoenrade, 2000) There is some evidence that human resource departments are not fully supporting this growing need. For example, a sample of human resource professionals found that even though most believe that sexual orientation must be formally addressed in the workplace, and that they would individually speak out against anti-gay acts, only 20 percent of their companies have diversity programs that specifically address gay and lesbian work issues. (Day Schoenrade, 2000) This increased openness in sexual orientation may also be a reason for an increasing experiencing of LGB employees as a symbolic threat. Although a law has been approved, many Americans still oppose gay marriage. One consequence of this is that some heterosexual employees may experience symbolic threat when faced with LGB co-workers who are out at work and wish to bring their partners to company social events. Ragin (2004) already presumed that this symbolic threat of homosexuality could increase if gay marriages would be legalized in some states, and LGB workers could bring their spouses to workplace events. (Ragin, 2004) Attitude of labor unions towards LGBT in the workforce One interesting aspect is how labor unions U.S. are reacting to the recent discussions on sexual orientation in the workforce since unions, as democratic organizations , have a social obligation to represent the interests of all of their members. (Boris, 2010) However this can cause problems when the majority interest conflict with issues of inclusion and social justice for the minority such as LGBT employees. This might lead to the exclusion of minority interests or groups within unions. It should be noted that there is a strong differentiation between the several unions in their response to this minority group. As many research has pointed out, especially structural and demographic factors help to determine an American unions level of responsiveness to sexual diversity with American unions. (Boris, 2010) Gender mattered as unions with a female majority were more likely to address the concerns of LGBT members. Other examples of factors playing a role in determining a unions response to LGBT issues are the role of individual agency on the part of union leaders, activists, and rank-and-file union members. (Boris, 2010) DADT policy in the U.S. military An example frequently cited when discussing LGBT policies in the U.S. is the issue of gay policy in the U.S. military. In 1993, new laws and regulations pertaining to homosexuals and U.S. military service came into effect reflecting a compromise in policy. This compromise, colloquially referred to as dont ask, dont tell, holds that the presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion which are the essence of military capability. (Burelli Feder, 2009) Service members are not to be asked about nor allowed to discuss their homosexuality. This compromise notwithstanding, the issue has remained politically contentious. (Burelli Feder, 2009) While the decision to remain in the closet may be a functional and adaptive reaction to a hostile work environment, it also increases the risk and stress associated with losing cont rol over the disclosure process. (Ragin, 2004) Recent progress in enabling discrimination laws In recent years, several members of Congress have expressed interest in amending dont ask, dont tell. At least one bill that would repeal the law and replace it with a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation-H.R. 1283-has been introduced in the 111th Congress. (Burelli Feder, 2009) An Act of Congress providing a mechanism to repeal Dont ask, dont tell was signed into law by President  Obama on 22 December 2010. As of February 2011, the Pentagon has started starting to dismantle DADT. Regarding the ENDA, we have to remain patient. In 2011, the U.S. Senate will reintroduce the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in the 112th congress. In the meanwhile, hundreds of companies in U.S. have enacted policies protecting their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.   As of March 2011, 433 (87 percent) of the Fortune 500 companies had implemented non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation, and 229 (46 percent) had policies that include gender identity.  [4]   Africa The issue of workforce diversity has not been a key problem in Africa before as much as it is today. Together with globalization and the need for an increasing number of organizations to spread globally to reach customers worldwide, the concept of diversity management gained attention. Managers must recognize the need for understanding more about the diverse workforce, which is deeper than what we see at the surface level (Henry and Evans, 2007). During the 1990s, the liberalization of economies and structural adjustment policies, brought about by the Brentwood institutions, opened the doors to free market economies, especially in Africa. These free market economies have stimulated the free movement of labor as a commodity, which in turn has resulted in an increasingly diversified workforce across the continent. Further, the privatization of most of the state-owned enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa also created an open door for migration of labor from all over the world (Henry and Evans, 2007). South Africa To meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, as in many other countries, South African businesses must address the best and brightest employees. Moreover, managers should understand that they can only compete successfully if they recognize the emergence of the diversified workforce and find the means to harness its energies, talents and differences for tomorrows challenges (Grobler, Wà ¤rnich et al., 2006). The major groups providing diversity in the South African workforce are ethnic groups, women, younger workers, South Africans with disabilities and minority groups in the context of sexual orientation. With respect to the latter, it seems that at least 10% of the South African population is homosexual. This means that 10% of the men and women in the workforce, representing around one million people, are gay. However, while the workforce is increasingly diversifying, discrimination still presents an enormous problem in South Africa. In fact, research demonstrates that discrimination still exists in organizations, and that many South African workers still suffer from employment discrimination. Within the organization, its up to the HR professionals to develop and enforce policies and measures that protect the diversified workforce against illicit discrimination. To rectify the injustices of the past, the South African government has come to some actions. Amongst others, the following legislation has been introduced: the Labour Relations Act, No. 66 of 1995 (as amended); the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act, No. 108 of 1996; the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, No. 75 of 1997 (BCEA) (as amended); the Employment Equity Act, No. 55 of 1998 (EEA); the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, No. 4 of 2000; and a Code of Good Practice on the handling of sexual harassment included in the Labour Relations Act (Section 203(1)). For example, Section 9 (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (No. 108 of 1996) states that: The State may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including age, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth (Grobler, Wà ¤rnich et al., 2006). ANDERE INTERESSANTE ZAKEN DIE NOG KUNNEN GEBRUIKT WORDEN LGBT military laws   Ã‚  Homosexuals allowed to serve in the military      Homosexuals banned from serving; repeal of policy underway   Ã‚  Homosexuals banned from serving (or homosexuality illegal)   Ã‚  Data not available References Bell, M. P., ÃÆ'-zbiligin, M. F., Beauregard, T. A., Sà ¼rgevil, O. (2011). Voice, silence, and diversity in 21st century organizations: strategies for inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees. HUman Resource Management, 50(1), 131 146. doi: 10.1002/hrm. Boris, M. B. (2010). Identity at work : U.S. labor union efforts to address sexual diversity through policy and practice. Advances in Industrial and Labor Relations, 17, 185-205. Elsevier. doi: 10.1108/S0742-6186(2010)0000017009. Burrelli, D. F., Feder, J. (2009). Homosexuals and the U . S . Military : Current Issues. Chung, Y. B. (2001). Work discrimination and coping strategies: Conceptual frameworks for counseling lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. The Career Development Quarterly,50, 33-44. Croteau, J. M. (1996). Research on the work experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people: An integrative review of methodology and findings. Journal of Vocational Behavior,48, 195-209. Day, N. E. (2011). US small company leadersÊ ¼ religious motivation and other-directed organizational values. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour Research, 17(4). Day, N. E., Schoenrade, P. (2000). The relationship among reported disclosure of sexual orientation, anti-discrimination policies, top management support and work attitudes of gay and lesbian employees. Personnel Review, 29(3), 346-363. doi: 10.1108/00483480010324706. Gedro, J. (2010). Lesbian presentations and representations of leadership, and the implications for HRD. Journal of European Industrial Training, 34(6), 552-564. doi: 10.1108/03090591011061220. Grobler, P., Wà ¤rnich, S., Carrell, M.R., Elbert, N.F. and Hatfield, R.D. (2006). Human Resource Management In South Africa. 3rd edition. Thomson Learning. 571p. Henry, O. and Evans, A.J. (2007). Critical review of literature on workforce diversity. African Journal of Business Management,72-76. Herek, G. M. (1990). The context of anti-gay violence: Notes on cultural and psychological heterosexism. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 5, 316-333. Hopper, J. E., Salvaggio, N. (2008). Report from SIOP diversifying diversity: moving beyond race and gender: Professional Insights. Equal Opportunities International, 27(5), 465-470. doi: 10.1108/02610150810882314. Huffman, A. H., Watrous-Rodriguez, K. M., King, E. B. (2008). Supporting a diverse workforce: what type of support is most meaningful for lesbian and gay employees? Human Resource Management, 47(2), 237-253. doi: 10.1002/hrm. Leppel, K. (2009). Labour Force Status and Sexual Orientation. Economica, 76(301), 197-207. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0335.2007.00676.x. Ragins, B. R. (2004). Sexual orientation in the workplace : the unique work and career experiences of gay , lesbian and bisexual workers. Personnel and Human Resources Management, 23, 35-120. doi: 10.1016/S0742-7301(04)23002-X. Roberson, B. E. J. (2009). Equality for Lesbian , Gay , Bisexual , and Transgendered Employees in the Modern American Workplace Equality for Lesbian , Gay , Bisexual , and Transgendered Employees in the Modern American Workplace. Schoenrade, P., College, W. J. (2000). The relationship among reported disclosure of sexual orientation , anti-discrimination policies , top management support and work attitudes of gay and lesbian employees. Personnel Review, 29(3), 346-363. Swan, E. (2010). A testing time, full of potential?: Gender in management, histories and futures. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 25(8), 661-675. doi: 10.1108/17542411011092327. Thomas. (1996). op. cit., pp. 101-103. Van Hoye, G. and Lievens, F. (2003). The Effects of Sexual Orientation on Hirability Ratings: An Experimental Study. Journal of Business and Psycho

Essay on the Roles of Trinculo and Stephano in The Tempest

The Roles of Trinculo and Stephano in The Tempest      Ã‚  Ã‚   Trinculo and Stephano have two major roles in The Tempest - comic relief and the theme of exploration. Because of this double nature to their characters, they are more important than they initially appear.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Tempest is a comedy. The play may not seem to fit into the category of comedy as it exists today; but in the 17th century comedy was very different. Certainly, The Tempest would never be confused with a modern television comedy - the art of comedy has evolved too far.   The main plot of the play - the plot involving Prospero regaining his rightful position as the Duke of Milan - seem to be overly serious for a comedy. The scenes containing Trinculo and Stephano, however are the exceptions here - their scenes are much closer to the modern interpretation of comedy than the majority of the rest of the play.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Trinculo and Stephano are introduced in act II, scene II. This scene is almost pure farce - the events are totally unrealistic but are, however, quite funny: A good description of modern comedy, in fact. While the previous scenes in the play have been mostly serious, detailing the back-story, this scene is blatantly visual comedy - in the hands of a good director and good actors, it could turn into a hilarious scene.   This scene shows Trinculo and Stephano's main purpose in the play - to provide comic relief. As a direct contrast to the heavy plotting and comparatively serious themes being explored in the other scenes, the scenes involving these two men lighten the play's mood considerably. Without their impact on events, The Tempest would be a lot darker in tone.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If Trinculo and Stephano had been le... ...use of this double nature to their characters, they are more important than they initially appear. It is for both these reasons that they are important to the play as a whole; without them the play would be missing some important aspects which help make it the success it is.       Works Cited and Consulted: Primary Texts William Shakespeare, The Tempest, ed. Frank Kermode, with an introduction by Frank Kermode, (Arden, 1964) Montaigne, Selected Essays of Montaigne, trans. John Florio (1603) ed.Walter Kaiser, with an introduction by Walter Kaiser, (Riverside, 1964) Secondary Texts Curt Breight, " 'Treason doth never prosper': The Tempest and the discourse of treason, Shakespeare Quarterly, 41, no.1, (1990) Eric Cheyfitz, The Poetics of Imperialism: Translation and Colonization from The Tempest to Tarzan, (Oxford University Press, 1991)

Sleepwalking Essay -- Research Psychology Essays

Sleepwalking Somnambulism, or sleepwalking, belongs to a group of parasomnias. This disorder of arousal is characterized by complex motor behaviors initiated during stages 3 and 4 of non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep (slow-wave sleep) (3). Behaviors during sleepwalking episodes can vary greatly. Some episodes are limited to sitting up, fumbling and getting dressed, while others include more complex behaviors such as walking, driving a car, or preparing a meal (2). After awakening, the sleepwalker usually has no recollection of what has happened and may appear confused and disoriented. The behaviors performed while sleepwalking are said to be autonomous automatisms. These are nonrelfex actions performed without conscious volition and accomplished independently from the I-function (3). This insinuates that everything done while sleepwalking is involuntary because the exhibited behavior is not a result of the I-function's output. Therefore if the I-function is not involved what causes people to sl eepwalk? What happens to the I-function during sleepwalking? What does this imply about brain and behavior? Sleep is a succession of five recurring stages: four non-REM stages and the REM stage. Researchers have classified these stages of sleep by monitoring muscle tone, eye movements, and the electrical activity of the brain using an electroencephalogram (EEG) (4). EEG readings measure brain waves and classify them according to speed. Alertness consists of desynchronized beta activity whereas relaxation and drowsiness consist of alpha activity (4). Stage 1 sleep includes alternating patterns of alpha activity, irregular fast activity and the presence of some theta activity. This stage is a transition between sleep and wakefulness (4... ...it can function independently from it. Despite my greater understanding of somnambulism I was unable to determine why the nervous system causes people to sleepwalk. It has been shown that no dreaming occurs during these stages of sleep. Therefore I do not understand what sleepwalkers are acting out. This question still remains open for investigation. Works Cited 1)Bassetti, C., Vella, S., Donati, F., Wielepp, P. Weder, B. SPECT during sleepwalking. Lancet 2000 Aug 5; 356(9228):484-85 2)3)Masand, P., Popli, A., Weilburg, J. Sleepwalking. American Family Physician 1995. v5 n3 p649. 4)Carlson, N. Physiology of Behavior. 7th ed. Allyn and Bacon. USA, 2001 5)McCarley, R.W. and Hobson, J. A. The form of dreams and the biology of sleep. In the Handbook of dreams: Research, Theory, and Applications, edited by B. Wolman. New York: Can Nostrand Reinhold, 1979.

Importance of Pakistan Location Essay

Geo strategic means the importance of a country or a region as by virtue of its geographical location. Geo political is defined as, stressing the influence of geographic factors on the state power, international conduct and advantages it derives from its location. Stephen Cohn describes this importance â€Å"While history has been unkind to Pakistan, its geography has been its greatest benefit. It has resource rich area in the north-west, people rich in the north-east.† Pakistan is a route for transportation, and a front line state against terrorism. Importance of Pakistan Location Location of Pakistan Pakistan is located between 23 degrees.30 North to 37 degrees North Latitude and 61 degrees East to 77 degrees East Longitude. China lies in the north of Pakistan while Afghanistan and Iran are in the West of it. India lies in the East and in the South is Arabian Sea. The Importance of Location The location of Pakistan is not only unique in the world but of special importance in South Asia. Pakistan links the east with the west. Some important neighbouring countries of Pakistan are as under. China There is 600 km long territory of Pakistan along the border of China. Both countries have political, cultural and trade relations with each other. There is a close cooperation between the two countries in heavy machine industry and many other departments. Silk, cloth, machines etc. are imported from China. India India is a Hindu country in the East of Pakistan. There is a common border of 1600 kilometre in between these countries. Both countries are trying to solve their problems including Kashmir. Due to this enmity, wars of 1948, 1965 and 1971 have been fought between the two countries. In the last war, our one wing East Pakistan got separated from us due to this enmity. India is always busy in conspiracy by the cooperation of a super power despite of knowing that it is better for the welfare of both countries to develop  pleasant terms .Fifteen crore Muslims live in India. Their protection is also a big problem. Central Asian Islamic Countries Pakistan has religious, cultural and economic relation with the Central Asian Islamic Countries. Pakistan is the only country that provides them the nearest sea route and transport facilities. These countries lie in the North West of the Pakistan. Afghanistan Afghanistan is situated to the West of Pakistan. When the English got the control of sub-continent, according to a pact with Afghanistan in 1893, the permanent border between the two countries was marked which is called Durand Line. This line is about 2240 kilometers long with the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Both countries have old religious, cultural and trade terms. Iran To the West of Pakistan is the border of Iran along province of Balochistan. It is our Islamic brother country. Iran was the first country which recognized the existence of Pakistan in 1947. Iran has made political and trade pacts known as R.C.D. Its name is E.C.O which means Discipline for Economic Cooperation. Iran openly helped Pakistan during the wars of 1965 and 1971. Pakistan proves its friendship with Iran in every hour of need. Islamic revolution has come in Iran by the end of kingship. It has also better relations with Pakistan. Trade through Arabian Sea Arabian Sea is in Indian Ocean. Most of the trade between east and west is done through Indian Ocean. Pakistan through Arabian Sea is linked with the Muslims Countries of Persian Gulf. All of them are rich in oil. In Karachi Bin Qasim and Gwader are important seaports of Pakistan. In this respect South-East Asian Muslim countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Burunai, Darussalam) and South Asian Muslim countries (Bangladesh, Maldives and SriLanka) are important. Strategic Importance of Pakistan Proximity of great powers: Pakistan is located at the junction of great powers. In its neighbor’s one  world power Russia and the other emerging power china lies. Any alliance among world powers enhances its significance. This factor has been utilized by Pakistan after 9/11. Security and business are two main US interests in the region while Pakistan is playing a front line role in the war against terrorism. Apart from this US interest in the region to contain the growing china, nuclear Iran, terrorist Afghanistan and to benefit from the market of India. Today the political scenario of the region is tinged with preemption policy and US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. Iran’s nuclear program, India’s geopolitical muscles (new strategic deal with US) to gain hegemony and to counter the rise of China. Which has earned all the qualities to change unipolar world into bipolar world. In all these issues, Pakistan is directly or indirectly involved especially after al-Qaeda operations. The American think tank has repeatedly accepted that war against terrorism could never be won without the help of Pakistan. Gateway to Central Asia-(oil and energy game): Central Asia is the center stage of new Great games. Western quest for resources- oil and energy resources in the central Asia. After USSR decline, new quest started which is as manifested by politics of oil. Pakistan is located very close to the oil rich Middle Eastern countries. The belt started from Iran and extended to Saudi Arabia. Thus, Pakistan can influence shipment of oil. Iran is struggling to export its surplus gas and oil to eastern countries, Qatar, Pakistan and Turkmenistan pipeline projects highlight the position. In the energy scarce world, Pakistan is located in the hub of energy rich countries i-e Iran and Afghanistan: both are energy abundant while India and china are lacking. China finds way to Indian Ocean and Arabian sea through Karakoram highway, Significance as a Transit economy: Pakistan has the potential to develop transit economy on account is its strategic location, land locked Afghanistan now at the phase of reconstruction finds its ways through Pakistan. China with its fastest economy growth rate of 9% us developing southern provinces because its own part is 4500 km away from Sinkiang but Gwader is 2500 km away. Moreover, Pakistan offers central Asian regions the shortest route of 2600 km as compared to Iran 4500 km or turkey 5000 km. gwader port with its deep waters  attracts the trade ships of china, CAR and south east Asian countries., also the coastal belt of Balochistan can provide outlet to china’s western provinces to have access to middles eastern markets with the development of coastal highways and motorways. Important link in the chain of Muslim countries: If we look at the map of Muslim countries, Pakistan occupies a central location. Towards west of Iran, china extends to North Africa. Thus it can actively participate in the activities of Muslim world-economic development, transport of resources and above all combat terrorism. Only Muslim country with nuclear capability: In the region Pakistan is the only Muslim country having nuclear capability which has great influence on the political, socio-economic activities in the region and the maintenance of status quo in the region. China’s link to the Middle East: Pakistan is the only direct and shortest link between China and the Middle East. Imagine the impact of China on the Middle East, if this link is fully functional. Gwadar Port located in proximity of Arabian Gulf and Central Asian Republics provide it unique opportunity to serve both. Pakistan needs to capitalize on them through better diplomatic ties with Arab states and CARs. It is therefore anticipated that oil reserves and other resources of CARs would gradually become the focus of world attention in coming years. However, in case of â€Å"exports to and from CARs† a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is must. The port will also help in promoting trade with Gulf States possessing 63% of world’s oil reserves and will prove instrumental in promoting trans-shipment essentially of containerized cargo besides unlocking the development potential for hinterland. The most important factor that makes Gawadar Port strategically unique is the location with respect to other major ports in the region, which are all located on the other side of the sea. Gwadar port being towards north can easily provide services and facilities to CARs, Afghanistan and China. Reduce Indian hegemony in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean: India has a shared interests with the U.S. and NATO in the subjection of Pakistan. Pakistan would cease to be a client state of the U.S. or a manageable state, because of a likely revolution that would occur in the scenario of a broader war in the Middle East against Iran or a far larger Eurasian war involving China and Russia. Nuclear weapons in the hands of such a revolutionary government in Islamabad would be a threat to Indian national security, NATO operations in Afghanistan, and Israel. It is in the shared interests of the U.S., NATO, Israel, and India to neutralize such a strategic and tactical threat from emerging in Pakistan. This is why NATO has underpinned the objective of balkanizing Pakistan and why the U.S. has talked about taking over Pakistani nuclear facilities via the U.S. military. The subjection of Pakistan is also territorially and militarily to the advantage of New Delhi, because it would eliminate a rival and allow India to gain territory that in the view of many Indians was lost with the partition of India in 1947. Economic Significance of Gwadar Port Gwadar Port is Pakistan’s largest infrastructural project since independence. Gwadar Deep Seaport is located on the southwestern coast of Pakistan, close to the important Straits of Hormuz, through which more than 13 million barrels of oil passes daily. Ever since the construction of Gwadar deep seaport has been undertaken, it is an opportunity for the people of Balochistan to improve the living conditions in their province. Neighbouring countries are very much interested in investing in Gwadar especially China and has already spent $248 million in its construction. The geographical and strategic location makes the Gwadar Deep Seaport at a much advantageous position than other competing ports, like Rashid and Jebel Ali ports of Dubai, Salalah Port of Oman, Bandar Abbas and Chahbahar ports of Iran. 95% trade takes place through sea in Pakistan. Karachi port is handling 68% whereas Port Qasim takes care of 32% of the sea borne trade. The projected rise in total trade by the year 2015 is 91 million tons. This will increase shipping activity phenomenally at the existing port. Gwadar will help Pakistan to monitor the Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs) originating from the Persian Gulf and bottle neck at Strait of Hormuz. Both military and economic power now depends upon oil. It is expected that Gwadar city in  future would turn into an international hub of industrial and commercial activity, which would not only play a key role in the economic development of Balochistan, but also the entire country. To facilitate rapid commercial and economic development, Gwadar will be declared a special economic zone for a certain period. The length of this period has not yet been determined. The SEZ is likely to cover the city of Gwadar and the industrial areas currently planned and foreseen. The specific incentives-regime is likely to include general tax-holidays, no VAT and generous incentives pertaining to business ownership and employment of foreigners. The main purpose of this concept is to accelerate economic development and investments, both foreign and local, in general. This in turn will spur industrial development and port traffic throughput demand. It would also contribute more rapidly to employment creation and uplifting of the Gwadar district and of Balochistan. Trade Significance of Pakistan with Land Locked Countries Pakistann is located in the heart of three vital regions: South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia and thus provides the shortest access to the sea for all landlocked countries of Central Asia besides Western China. It is a fast emerging junction for multiple corridors of cooperation between Afghan, China and CAR involving energy, trade and transportation. Communication and trade correlation between South, Central and West Asia passing through Pakistan has transformed our country into an economic center, giving a boost to inter-regional economic activity. Geographically bordered by Iran on the west, Afghanistan on the northwest, China on the northeast, and Arabian Sea lying in the south has promoted the multi-lateral trade with neighboring countries effectively from the last decades. Pakistan is blessed with three major seaports, i.e., Karachi port, Qasim Port and Gwadar port, along with Arabian Sea, which are the main passageway for the transportation via sea to Pakistan also it borders with Afghanistan and China. Geographically lack of a common border with any Central Asian state is one of the primary impediments to accessing the region. Tajikistan, which has borders with Afghanistan and China, is the most strategically located country from Pakistan’s standpoint. Wakhan Corridor, an area in far northeastern Afghanistan that connects Afghanistan and China, could be the most convenient land link between Pakistan and Tajikistan. Influence of U.S.A Invasion in Afghanistan on Trade of Pakistan The conflict and instability in Afghanistan in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks and their regional implications had very negative repercussions for the years following the US invasion of Afghanistan not only saw a huge influx of Afghan refugees across the border into Pakistan but also witnessed a sudden spike in the frequency and scale of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The cumulative impact of these developments adversely impacted the overall growth rate in all major sectors of the economy. Pakistan continues to pay a heavy price both in the economic and security terms due to this situation and a substantial portion of precious national resources both men and material, have been diverted to address the emerging security challenges for the last several years. This situation disrupted Pakistan’s trading activities which not only resulted in higher costs of business but also created disruptions in the production cycles, resulting in significant delays in meeting the export orders around the globe. As a result, Pakistani products have gradually lost their market share to their competitors. Consequently, economic growth slowed down, demand for imports reduced with declined tax collection and inflows of foreign investment. Conclusion From a general strategic point of view, Pakistan location is very important. Pakistan is a junction of south Asia, west Asia and central Asia; a way from resource efficient countries to resource deficient countries. The world is facing energy crises and terrorism. Pakistan is a route for transportation and a front line state against terrorism. Moreover Pakistan has been traditionally ally of emerging economic giant; china. So in the vague of any change in world politics, Pakistans geo-strategic significance would further be enhanced. Suggestions Pakistan geography has been its greates benefit. It has resource rich areas, and today Pakistanis are a spirited, modern and forward looking nation and it is undoubtedly no overstatement that educated and passionate and zealous people possesses the most lush mind in the world. What is needed is to just  channelize energies of people and provide them opportunities to outshine themselves and proper use of resources thereby bringing a incredible change to the fortune of Pakistan. References http://defence.pk/threads/geo-strategic-significance-of-pakistan.269246/#ixzz3JhbDa5Ru https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140520173701-91576495-afghan-car-and-chinese-transit-trade-through-pakistani-ports http://aboutpak.blogspot.com/2012/05/importance-of-location-of-pakistan-in.html http://www.pakistanaffairs.pk/threads/13740-Geo-Strategic-Significance-of-Pakistan Dailytimes 03-Jun-2014 Pakistan-lost-RS 8264 billion in war on terror