Coral Divers Resport

Mr. Jonathan Greywell is contemplating a business decision in which there are four realistic options. He is the owner of Coral Divers Resort, located in the Bahamas on the island of New Providence. He caters to customers looking for a resort package that includes diving. This case discusses a decline in revenues for the three-year period of 2005-2007. His options include: selling the resort, partnering with another business, focusing on higher margin business, or improve his current business to be more competitive. Selling Coral Divers ResortThe most significant reason to sell the business is the declining revenues. However, Greywell would need to find another means of income such as another business venture or a new location for a similar business. Greywell could have a business valuation done, but since his equity in the business is low, he would not have much left over to start another business venture. Greywell has built a lifestyle around the Coral Divers Resort business and enj oys it. At this time, I recommend that he focus on his other options and keep the business. Partnering with Rascals in ParadiseEntering into a business agreement with Rascals in Paradise would change the direction of Greywell’s business to a more family-oriented business. In addition to rebranding Coral Reef Resort to target families, there would be additional capital improvement expenses. Cottage renovations would be nearly $50,000. The addition of a playground is estimated at $15,000. The wages expense to hire a chef could vary based on the quality and experience of the chef. However, making use of an existing facility such as the kitchen and dining room would add an additional stream of revenue and would help to offset the additional costs.In my opinion is it unrealistic for the resort to be at 100% capacity on a regular basis. Therefore, if we look at realistic numbers using historical Coral Reef Resort data, we can reasonably predict a 90% capacity in the high season â⠂¬â€œ an improvement over the current 70%. The revenue generated from this increase is approximately $100,000. Another factor to consider in making this decision is whether Rascal’s is worth the 30% commission. The fees for families (i. e. more people per room, etc. ) when compared to the operation expenses keep the profit margin the same with the added benefit of a unique identity in the market.Higher Margin Adventure Diving Adventure diving generates a higher margin and therefore it is a good idea for Greywell to consider adding it to the mix of dive offerings. However, it cannot be considered without weighing the risks involved. Coral Divers Resort has an excellent reputation and careful consideration should be given as to how to protect this intangible asset. Adventure dives would need specifically trained and experienced dive masters. Simply training existing employees might pose an additional risk since they aren’t too excited about diving with sharks and also la ck experience that might be helpful for safety issues.Within an hour’s distance away, competitors are already a part of this market and bringing in $115 per adventure dive which is $50 above the regular dive experience. An additional $600 per week can be earned on two days per week with an average of 6 customers each of those days. Despite hiring or training costs and additional $31,200 in revenue can be generated, after the expenses for shark food and the special dive suit. Perhaps more adventure dive business is possible, yet this estimate would need to remain conservative until the demand can be established and adjustments made accordingly.Improving Existing Coral Divers Resort Greywell should look at running the business more efficiently to see where he can lower expenses such as operating costs and both fixed and variable costs. However, improved efficiency alone will solve Greywell’s current problem of reduced revenue. He needs to be looking at additional revenue sources by bringing in more customers for existing business or new offerings. While it is a good benefit to customers to get free services such as afternoon rides, many of those customers would also pay to go.If he had an average of 9 free-ride customers per week pay only $25 for the ride, he would generate another $225 per week in revenue. He could add a box lunch for purchase, a snack package, or a cocktail option. Having more offerings will help to increase revenue. Although I don’t expect these food and beverage items on the boats to bring in much revenue and could be more work for too little reward. Greywell would certainly not want to be distracted from his core business. Conclusion Greywell should go with the Rascals in Paradise partnership. They can help rebrand and market the resort driving up occupancy rates.While increasing profits through occupancy and additional revenue streams are a positive move, Greywell will still need to solve his issue of high debt in orde r to make the renovations needed. In addition, he should already be running the business efficiently and regularly seeking out ways to maintain a high level of efficiency. I would not recommend that Greywell enter into the Adventure Diving segment of the business under the Coral Divers Resort name. The risks of injury are too high and an accident can have a very adverse effect on the business reputation.Also, in my opinion, a family business and an adventure business would serve different segments and have different branding messages. Having both under the same resort name will dilute the message and negatively impact the more profitable business segment. Instead, if Greywell feels passionate about pursuing the adventure business, I recommend he wait until his partnership with Rascals shows results and then begin a subsidiary or a separate business with its own branding that caters to the adventure diving market. This way, his businesses can feed each other and the marketing message s for each remain clear and focused.

Farmer Suicides and Agrarian Distress

FC PROJECT- SEM II FARMERS’ SUICIDES AND AGRARIAN DISTRESS 1988: â€Å"The peasants have started to flex the political muscles that their economic betterment has given them †¦ They have acquired the capacity to launch the kind of sustained struggle they have. It is going to be difficult to [†¦ ] contain them†¦ because they command the vote banks in the countryside to which every party seeks access†¦ A new specter of peasant power is likely to haunt India in coming years. † Editorial in Times of India, Feb 3 1988, following farmer agitations for higher prices and subsidies in Western Uttar Pradesh 005: â€Å"Agriculture [in India today] is an economic residue that generously accommodates non-achievers resigned to a life of sad satisfaction. The villager is as bloodless as the rural economy is lifeless. From rich to poor, the trend is to leave the village†¦ † Dipankar Gupta, The Vanishing Village 2007: â€Å"Rates of growth of agriculture in the last decade have been poor and are a major cause of rural distress. Farming is increasingly becoming an unviable activity. † Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India Introduction India is primarily an agricultural country. More than 60% of its population directly or indirectly depends on agriculture. Agriculture accounts for approximately 33% of India’s GDP. Agriculture in India is often imputed to ‘gambling with monsoon’. Farmers are heavily dependent on the monsoons for their harvest. If the monsoons fail, they leave the farmer under a heap of debt with no harvest, their only source of income. Unable to bear the heavy burden of debt, they see suicide as the de2003-2008. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there have been nearly 2 lakh farmer suicides since 1997. However, indebtedness is not the only reason for suicides. The suicides are a manifestation of the growing agrarian distress in India. It is clear from the current crisis, that the agrarian interest is marginalized in the national policy agenda today. Agrarian Crisis Falling productivity: Over the years the economy of India had undergone a structural transformation due to which the share of agriculture has been declining. However the workforce employed in agriculture hasn’t decreased. Accordingly, in 2004-05, the share of agriculture in GDP was 20. %, and yet the workforce employed in agriculture was still 56. 5%. This structural dissimilarity means that there is a large difference in the productivity of workers in agriculture and in non-agriculture occupations, productivity of workers in agriculture being one fifth of those in non-agriculture. Marginalization of peasantry: This high burden of labour force has, in addition, been falling on a slowly contracting cultivable land area. Between 1960 and 2003, the number of holdings doubled from 51 million to 101 million, while the area operated declined from 133 million hectares to 108 million hectares. This has led to a sharp decline in the average size of the holding, leading to increasing number of small and marginal farmers. Hence, the proportion of marginal landholders has increased from 39. 1% in 1960-61 to 71% in 2003, and among them they only operate 22. 6% of the land. This continuing skewed pattern of land ownership reflects the lack of serious land reforms. Increasing marginalization forces the farmers into sharecropping and renting additional land. This leads to difficulties like insecurity of lease, increasing costs and inadequate returns from production, and difficulties in accessing credit. Declining growth rates: Growth rates of agriculture have been on the decline. The growth rate by GDP from agriculture fell from 3. 08% during 1980-81 to 1990-91, to 2. 57% during 1992-93 to 2005-06. This included a dip to 1. 3% in 1999-2000 and even a negative growth of -2% in 2000-2001. Declining profitability of agriculture: The ratio of total prices received by the agricultural sector to the total prices paid by it to non-agricultural sectors is one of the important economic indicators to test whether agricultural sector as a whole has either gained or lost in the process of economic growth. Although the reforms in the 90s with policies such as devaluation of currency were expected to benefit agriculture and improve its relative terms of trade (ToT), this has not really been sustained. The barter and income ToT became favourable to agriculture from 1984-85 until 1996-97, but thereafter they more or less stagnated Likewise, the Input-Output Price Parity (computed by comparing the index of prices paid for agricultural inputs with the index of prices received for the outputs, has since 1994-95 remained lower than one hundred, indicating declining profitability of agriculture (Government Of India, 2008). Erosion of real incomes of farmers: When the prices received by the farmers for their crops are compared with the prices they pay for consumer goods (i. e. , Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labour – CPIAL), it is observed that farmers are facing an erosion of real incomes because the growth in aggregate price index for consumer goods has been higher than the growth in price index for agricultural commodities (Govt. of AP 2007). This has resulted in declining relative living standards of farmers, particularly for small and marginal farmers whose incomes are clearly inadequate to meet consumption expenditure. Slowdown of exports: Exports flattened out after 1997 following the East Asian Crisis and the consequent large deceleration in growth of international trade in agriculture. Simultaneously, international prices started falling for most commodities, making Indian exports uncompetitive. Cheap imports have been on the rise with the removal of quantitative restrictions on agriculture by 2000. Changing cropping patterns: With the opening-up of the economy, expectations of export opportunities and higher world prices for agricultural commodities led many farmers to move into cash crops, away from traditional subsistence crops. Devaluation of the rupee made Indian exports cheaper and hence attractive on the world market, and further encouraged cultivation of cash crops. On aggregate, the total area of the country’s farmland growing traditional grains declined by 18% in the decade after 1990-91, whereas areas growing non-food crops of cotton and sugarcane increased by 25% and 10% respectively. Declining irrigation: Ironically, with a shift in cropping patterns towards more water intensive cash crops, the aggregate net irrigated area remained stagnant (GoI 2007). State governments have grossly neglected investment in surface irrigation infrastructure. Consequently there has been an increase in private investment in exploiting ground-water sources (mainly bore wells), which have been growing relative to canal and tank irrigation. This has led to overexploitation of ground water and a falling water table, forcing farmers to deepen their wells every few years, which is expensive. Disappearing institutions: The gradual weakening of state-support has also lead to dormancy of several state-run corporations, which used to provide support to the small-scale farmer. In AP, among these were the AP State Agro Development Corporation (APSADC) which manufactured and distributed agricultural machinery, tools and inputs at subsidized rates, and AP State Seeds Development Corporation (APSSDC) which produced its own seed, sold it. Agricultural Extension Service was also downsized. Credit squeeze The farmers perhaps most acutely feel the withdrawal of the state in the decline in institutional credit support. With agriculture becoming increasingly commercialized and costs of cultivation rising, most farmers look for external sources of credit. Institutional credit comes in the form of loans from commercial, co-operative, and regional rural banks. The nationalization of main banks in 1969 required them to prioritize lending to agriculture, with tight interest-rate controls. But this came to an abrupt end with the Narasimham Committee on Banking Reforms post-1991. Through various redefinitions of what constituted priority lending, the committee slowly squeezed credit lines to farmers. In AP the proportion of bank lending to agriculture fell from 43% in 1998 to 26. 7% in 2003, covering only one-third of the credit needs of the farmers. Even mandates of special lending to SCs, STs and very small farmers were revoked to pursue commercial viability and aggressive loan recovery. Tenant cultivators with insufficient titles are altogether denied access to formal credit. With this drying up of formal credit, the farmers are left with no choice than to depend on ‘informal’ sources for credit. An NSSO survey in 2004 revealed that 68. 6% of the total loans taken by farmers in AP are from the informal credit market. This credit typically comes at usurious interest rates (anything between 36% and 100% compound), and worse, from the same entrepreneur who is selling the farmer the seeds and fertilizers. This stranglehold of the trader-moneylender has become the root of much exploitation and misery. Credit from these agents is almost never in cash form. It is inputs (his own brand of seeds, fertilizers) issued against the future output whose price, invariably low and exploitative, is fixed by the agent himself. Farmer suicides Causes and Statistics The drying up of institutional credit and exploitative informal credit traps in the face of rising costs and declining profitability have led to pervasive indebtedness among farmers. The Situation Assessment Survey of Farmers in the 59th round of NSS in 2003 revealed that nearly half the farmers in the country were indebted. The incidence was higher in states with input-intensive agriculture like Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, and was highest at 82% in Andhra Pradesh (GoI 2007). The cotton belt is where the suicides are taking place on a very, very large scale. It is the suicide belt of India. The share of the Big 5 States or ‘suicide belt’ in 2008 — Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh — remained very high at 10,797, or 66. 6 per cent of the total farm suicides in the country. According to a study by the government of Maharashtra, almost 6 in 10 of those who kill themselves had debts between $110 and $550. Indebtedness, along with the constellation of input and output risks elaborated above has been putting the farmer under sustained duress. A tragic manifestation of this has been the phenomenon of suicides among desperate farmers. Since 1995, farmer suicides have been reported regularly from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Delhi, Goa and Sikkim. A Durkheimian study of the suicides concludes that the marginalization of the rural sector in the national policy agenda which prioritizes rapid economic growth is leaving rural producers with a feeling of socio-economic estrangement from the community, and that the suicides were an effect of individualization of this estrangement. After Suicide Farms are confiscated due to inability to pay back high interest loans. Corrupt moneylenders harass the families. Widows are burdened with the new responsibility as the sole breadwinner. Children sometimes lose both parents to suicide, forcing their education to a alt, especially if they have to work in order to provide for their needs. Economic packages are provided to the farmers. But due to corruption the help never reaches the family. Conclusion and Recommendations: All over the world the impact of an industrial approach to boosting crop yields has stripped many small farmers of their self-sufficiency and thrown them into despair. A few r ecommendations are as follows: ?Input costs should be reduced. ?Markets must be made available for agricultural produce. ?A good market price must be provided for agricultural products. For farmers, credit should be made available at low interest rates. ?The extension system should be revived to solve problems in the field. ?There should be a proper system to address the issue of water scarcity. ?Adequate water for irrigation should be provided. ?Conserve Agro Bio -Diversity in Gene and Seed banks. ?Increase budget outlay for Agriculture in every Five Year plan of the Government of India. ?Agricultural land should not be given to SEZ. ?The use of Genetically Modified Seeds should be stopped and organic agricultural practices encouraged. Farmers' Rights law to be implemented immediately. ?Investments should be made to restore soil health. 2007: â€Å"The problem cannot be solved through economic packages alone. What is needed is social and spiritual interventions so that the farmers realize that suicide is not the way out†¦ they should understand that they need to develop self confidence. The future generation should have the mental strength to face life's challenges. † Amma REFERENCES http://agrariancrisis. in/ http://wikipedia. org/ http://www. councilforresponsiblegenetics. org/

Articles Of Confederation

Articles Of Confederation Essay Articles Of ConfederationIn the 1770’s, as America’s great thinkers and writers were declaring their desire for independence; they also established a committee to lay the foundation for the American form of government. These brilliant writers and philosophers hesitantly began designing the national level of government for use in America and named their final draft the Articles of Confederation . Out of their utter distrust of a centralized government, due to their association with the English monarchial system, the drafters deliberately established these articles as a loose confederation of states, rather than a firmly united nation. Life under the Articles of Confederation was filled with hardships and uncertainty, and the political scene was paralyzed with inability due to the lack of sovereignty in a central executive branch and the unanimous state consent required for the ratification of an amendment together with the lack of a taxation privilege . However, despite its inherent flaws, the Confederation government did prove capable to accomplish a few foreign and domestic achievements. Under the authority of the Confederation, the United States began to introduce itself in the global scene. The United States determined its place in the community of nations by establishing diplomatic relations and its participation in the world economy. The Confederation Congress also accomplished something many historians overlook. They successfully managed, organized, and eventually won the Revolutionary War . After winning the war, the Congress went on to successfully negotiate the Treaty of Paris and compelled the British to recognize American independence. On the domestic home front, the Congress began to effectively solve the land ordnance problem. The Confederation Congress established a procedure for governing the new territories and organized them into prospective states, giving each prospective state full and equal status with the original thirteen sta tes. Furthermore, they institutionalized systems of local government, and public education . Moreover, while accomplishing all this, the congress managed to keep the national economy afloat. This proved to be an enormous feat because the economy was suffering from the loss of colonial privileges. These major achievements were all accomplished despite the inherent flaws in the basic structure of the Confederation government. The Articles of Confederation created a unicameral Confederation Congress, with each state having only one vote. On most political matters this legislative body required the approval of 9 out of 13 states to ratify any proposed Congressional intention. In Article 13, the Articles declared that in order to ratify an amendment to the Articles the consent of all 13 states were required . This left the national government, running through the Confederation Congress, powerless and unable to proceed with the most trivial matters of politics. The Confederation Government, under the Articles, lacked an executive and judicial branch. This caused Congress to be severely handicapped when it came to the enforcement of her requests. This lack of an executive, coupled with the Congress’s negated power of taxation, caused a crippling financial difficulties. The Congress, having only enough power to request essential national funds from the states, found that many refused to pay, or were late in doing so. Due to the lack of an executive branch, Congress soon found itself facing a mounting national debt that it was unable to pay on its own or force states to assume their share of the burden. Since change was virtually impossible, due to the unanimous amendment process, the Articles remained unchanged and hardships continued to mount for many Americans. The major hardships of America in the period of Confederation rule were primarily between the debtor and the creditor . The economic downturn of the mid 1780’s, caused by the removal of the guaranteed English markets, left many farmers ruined and inundated with debt . These farmers pleaded with their state governments for help, but in most cases states refused to interfere, in one case in particular, these angered mobs of farmers rebelled against the government. This rebellion was known as Shays’ Rebellion in 1786 . Alarmed by the rebellion, other state governments agreed to help the angry farmers to thwart these rebellions. Their help came in the form of coining money to cause inflation, thus making the debt seem smaller and smaller. Under the Articles, this coinage was completely legal and it caused terrible interstate controversies. Congress, lacking the power to regulate interstate commerce, could only helplessly watch as rival states began a series of tariff wars o ver the inflation. These tariff wars, which devastated the national trade, coupled with Shays rebellion, seemed to be the culmination of all the downfalls and weaknesses of the fledgling government and change was deemed to be necessary . READ: Parts Of The Computer EssayBy 1887, some of the American leaders realized if the country was to survive a new plan of government needed to be considered. Thus, the Annapolis Convention of 1786 was held to address regional issues such as trade, but delegates were soon calling for a national convention . At this convention in Philadelphia 1787, the authors of a new plan proposed change of the loose confederation of states to a solid national union. They then changed the mode of representation in Article 1, section 3, as to better represent the people of America. In article 1, section 8, they empowered congress to regulate trade among states, raise revenue through taxation, coin national money, discontinue state coining, and enforce federal laws and treaties . The Constitution also imposed a federal executive and judicial branch to act directly on the individual citizens of America and to execute and interpret the laws of Congress. The Articles of Confederation, which were in for ce from 1781 to 1789, had many shortcomings and flaws, most due to the inherent distrust of a strong central power. These weaknesses caused many problems in America. Inflation grew, tariff wars between states commenced, and the uncertainty of a possible mob-rule lived in the minds of many. However, despite the flaws and setbacks imposed by the Articles, the fledgling Congress proved capable enough to establish mechanisms for westward expansion, establish the United States in the World Scene, and maintain a running economy . Still, a need for constitutional change was illustrated by the severe problems, and the Philadelphia convention answered the call. The drafters of the new constitution looked at all the mistakes created by the Articles, and to their great credit, successfully learned from them. They used the Articles as a foundation, and established the United States Constitution which today still stands as the greatest republic known to man. History Essays

Comparison between life in Saudi Arabia and the United States Essay

Comparison between life in Saudi Arabia and the United States - Essay Example For example, in Saudi Arabia, when it is time for Salaat, which is the name for prayer in Islam, everybody can be seen rushing towards the Mosques. Saudi Arabians leave every business apart and go to the mosque to offer the prayers five times a day. They value Salaat above every other matter, and would not miss a prayer in any case. This particular habit of the Saudi Arabians makes them quite distinguished from Muslims in other countries. Not many Muslims in the United States rush towards Mosques when it is the time for Salaat. Likewise, people from all other religions are not as practicing towards their religions in United States in general as the Muslims in Saudi Arabia are, at least with respect to prayers and appearance. The condition of law and order is much better in Saudi Arabia than it is in the United States. According to the most recent statistics about rape per capita recorded by (NationMaster.com), the rapes per capita in the United States are 0.301318 per 1,000 people wh ere as the same in Saudi Arabia are 0.00329321 per 1,000 people. In Saudi Arabia, when it is the time for Salaat, shopkeepers do not even shut their shops for the time they are out of it despite having nobody on their behalf to take care of the shop in their absence. They are so confident that no one is going to rob or steal anything from the shop. And the most interesting part of it is that, nobody really does steal there. This can be fundamentally attributed to the fact that punishments in Saudi Arabia for crime are just too strict for somebody to commit it. If someone is found guilty of stealth, the thief’s hand is cut off. Likewise, if somebody is proved to have committed Zina’, that is the Arabic name for rape, or illegal sex or sex with someone out of the marital relationship, he/she is stoned to death. These are the punishments enforced by Islam for the respective sins. As Islamic laws have been enforced in Saudi Arabia, the crime rate is significantly less than what it is in the United States. In United States, the police is generally very efficient and the law and order is also extremely strict, yet the crime rate is higher than in Saudi Arabia because of several reasons. A person in United States would surely close the shop before leaving the shop for any purpose, or if not close it, would make arrangements to keep the things secure. The culture of United States is largely dominated by multiculturalism. â€Å"America is ultimately a nation of immigrants and as a result is a cultural mish-mash in every sense of the word† (Kwintessential.co.uk). There are people from all over the world who have come to United States for studies or work. Multiculturalism is far more dominant in the life in United States than it is in Saudi Arabia. People from all over the world that have been migrating to United States in the past have brought their individualistic cultures along with them that have blended well with the native culture of the United States. With the passage of time, the culture of United States has started to reflect the colors of all different cultures whose people make part of its society. Because of the widespread multiculturalism, no single religion dominates in the culture of United States. Accordingly, United States has formulated laws, policies, rules and regulations according to social factors

Interpersonal Communication Speech or Presentation

Interpersonal Communication - Speech or Presentation Example Interpersonal communication includes sending and receiving messages between two or more individuals. This form of communication involves all aspects of communication such as listening, asserting, persuading and non-verbal communication among others. In addition, the individuals communicate on different interpersonal levels depending on the individuals they are communicating with (DeVito 5). This asserts that the interpersonal communication skills involved when an individual is communicating with a family member is different when the same individual is communicating with a friend. In successful interpersonal communication, the senders and recipients of messages are supposed to understand the messages, their meanings and implications. In addition, interpersonal thinking plays a crucial role in establishing concentration and certain problem solving skills (DeVito 8). Interpersonal communication is regarded as the most private form of communication. Some of the examples of interpersonal communication include day dreams, talking to oneself and comprehending a book article. In fact, this information occurs in an informal setting. The observer can also use cues of posture, dressing or even facial expressions to make an impression on the role of the other individual. This is because individuals have the ability to send and receive messages in a non-verbal form. In the movie â€Å"You’ve Got Mail†, Meg Ryan fell in love with Tom Hanks through the internet. This was after a series of disclosures that were made using the email. In this case, the two characters forge a relationship just like individuals who are having a face to face interaction. These characters got attracted to each other and eventually fell in love. These individuals were attracted to daily conversations in the cyberspace. However, the email is continually becoming the playground, birthplace and graveyard for several personal relationships (DeVito 9). There are several elements of interpers onal communication. These elements include the communicators, the message, feedback, noise, communication channel and the context. Based on the movie, the two-way communication process between Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks was an interactive process. They used the email as a channel to convey their messages. The context of the message entails the love affair between the two individuals. In this case, there are several forms of noise including the use of complicated jargon, inattention, disinterest, errors, cultural differences and inappropriate body language (DeVito 12). As stated in the communication theory, noise has a highly significant role in interpersonal communication. The interpersonal communication in the movie is a two-way communication which involves two parties. In this two-way communication, the sender of the message is receptive to feedback. The one-way communication is difficult and time-consuming. Furthermore, in the movie â€Å"You’ve Got Mail†, they use the egalitarian style which involves sharing of information other than directing behavior. The egalitarian style is employed in order to stimulate the opinions and ideas of other individuals to arrive at a mutual understanding. From an interpersonal communication perspective, the trends in the face to face communication are considered as the most crucial ingredient in the development of interpersonal relationships (DeVito 18). Development in the communicat

Use your understanding of chemistry to answer the following questions Essay

Use your understanding of chemistry to answer the following questions - Essay Example 2. What actually makes a chemical reaction happen? Chemical reaction happens when molecules interact with each other. There should be two or more molecules involved for the chemical reaction to happen. This interaction between molecules causes the smaller parts of the molecules, the atoms to bond with each other and breaks down to form new molecules. When this happen, the possibilities of the resulting molecules are endless. Yes I should squash the bottle albeit it would make the container look ugly. This consistent to Henry’s Law that states that the amount gas that dissolves in a liquid is directionally proportional to the pressure exerted to the gas in equilibrium with that liquid (www.khanacademy.org nd). Leaving a soda half-full without squashing the bottle will flat the soda because carbon dioxide that causes the hissing sound when we open it will seep out faster. There is now large amount of vacuum causing the soda to flatten. So by squashing the bottle, we virtually remove the space above the soda and increase the pressure inside the container preventing it from going

Wk 4 BA541 Asign Interacting with Customers Essay

Wk 4 BA541 Asign Interacting with Customers - Essay Example (Global Logistics, n.d.) Currently, the company offers business tips, recipes for diet enthusiasts, rebates, membership programs, etc. (Kraftfoodservice, n.d.) To gather data, the company checked sales of their different product lines, conducted customer interviews, used technology like the Internet, etc. Interactivity, email and wireless communication are greatly involved in their strategies as evidenced on their website. Kraft is very successful in being the premier relationship company in its industry with its superconsumers currently estimated at 2.4 million. (Yoon, E., Carlotti, S. & Moore, D., 2014) Ford Motors was able to become a premier relationship company by improving its image and products. The company gets feedback from blogs and chat rooms. It has also come up with several endeavors designed to increase the satisfaction and experience of its customers like setting up self-service websites for visitors and dealers and a direct dialogue channel for car owners. (Ford’s Innovative, n.d.) Interactivity, email and wireless communication also figure in a lot in Ford’s strategy as evidenced by the programs they have implemented. I can say they are successful in being the premiere relationship company in the automobile industry because they have been popular with customers even outside America. Anadarko has made itself closer to its customer by being very visible in their humanitarian endeavors. It supports Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement and United Way and has employed strategies that have allowed it to market around 3 billion cubic feet per day in North America. (Community Involvement, n.d.) On its website, Anadarko has provided links to make the reachable to investors and other queries. As with most companies nowadays, interactivity, email and wireless communication are involved in building their relationships with customers. The email addresses of the key people in their

Contemporary issue in Public Health and Health promotion Essay

Contemporary issue in Public Health and Health promotion - Essay Example For the partnership to be able to achieve this, they have been able to undertake a multifaceted approach. The main objectives of the partnership target to lessen the mortality rate and the occurrence of TB causalities. To be able to minimise the cost being incurred while treating the TB, and be able to prevent the disease, the partnership is aiming to cut the mortality rates of TB by a fifty percent rate by the year 2015 in relation to the estimates of the 1990 causalities. They also target to be able to keep the world free from TB by the year 2050. For the partnership to be able to achieve this dream, they have to develop a global plan that will be used to stop TB. The media will also in put its partnership in this to be able to curb the TB problem. In the year 2006, the partnership had designed a plan that they were to use to curb this disease and currently the plan is under implementation. The implementation is being estimated to be able to help save more than 14million people and be able to provide medication for more than fifty million infected people around the world. The proper implementation of the plan should be able to offer quality and easy access to the diagnosis and medication for every infected person around the world. One of the main challenges that the partnership is facing is outsourcing funding for the implementation process of the plan to be effective in all regions of the world. For the partnership to be able to fully fund the plan globally they require to have a lot of funding from donors and the governments of the states that are in partnership. This will involve the states to come forward and be able to fund the initiative without being pushed to fund the organization. At the same time, the partnership should emulate transparency of using the funds in an exceptionally high level to be able to motivate more

A Small Scale Sample Survey Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

A Small Scale Sample Survey - Coursework Example In addition, the study wants to determine how important computers are for students of Coventry University. Coventry University has extensive computer facilities and services. This study wants to find out whether or not students are able to take advantage of the facilities and services of Coventry University. More importantly, this study also wants to know whether or not students are satisfied with the facilities and services of Coventry University’s computer center. Sampling strategy and sample size The sample size of 30 was pre-determined by the requirements of the assignment. The sampling strategy used was purposive sampling. This type of sampling strategy allows researchers to find respondents that would serve the particular purpose of the study (Anderson, Sweeney, & Williams, 2009). For this particular investigation, the researchers gave the questionnaire to 30 university students who passed by the campus cafeteria. Questionnaire design The questionnaire makes use of 10 qu estions that aim to assess the behavior of computer usage of students of Coventry University. In order to determine the relevant demographic characteristics of the respondents, the questionnaire required that respondents’ sex and academic level be noted down. ... Computers are used for a number of reasons and in order to find out what were the purposes of Coventry University students for using computers, up to three multiple answers were accepted for question 6. The amount of time and the frequency of use of computers by Coventry University students were explored in questions 7 and 8, respectively. Finally, the importance of computers for Coventry University students and their satisfaction with the university’s computer services and facilities were assessed in questions 9 and 10, respectively, Analysis and presentation of findings In order to find the behavior of computer usage of students at Coventry University, the data gathered was collated, summarized, and analyzed. Results of the analysis are given below. Table 1 shows the frequency and percentage distribution of respondents grouped by sex and academic level. The figures indicate that there were a total of 14 (46.7%) male respondents and 16 (53.3%) female respondents. Moreover, 22 (73.3%) of the respondents are at the Undergraduate level of their studies while 8 (26.7%) of the respondents are at the Post-graduate level of their studies. Figures from Table 1 also indicate that 90% of the respondents have their own computer (n = 27) while 10% do not have their own computer (n = 3), all of whom are undergraduate students, with 1 male and 2 females. Table 1. Frequency and percentage distribution of respondents by sex and level (N = 30) Sex Level With Own Computer Does not own computer Total Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Male Undergraduate 9 30.0 1 3.3 10 33.3 Post-graduate 4 13.3 0 0.0 4 13.3 Total 13 43.3 1 3.3 14 46.7 Female

Verbal abuse in relationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Verbal abuse in relationships - Essay Example Foul or demeaning languages refer to using words such as idiot or stupid or swear words to cause someone to think less of him or herself. Hence language is utilized to put down the other person and acquire a psychological advantage over the abused and where the abusers hence see themselves as superior. In this case, one person demeans the other via the utilization of language. Intimidating or hostile volume, tone, or intensity of the way the message is delivered might be seen as screaming, yelling or shouting or alternately, talking quietly though intensely, with the intention of instilling fear in the other person. Typically this type of verbal abuse makes the abused to comply due to fear of self-harm, above all scaring the abused that the issues might escalate to consist of physical abuse (Gary1). Threats are meant to intimidate or scare the victim into submission. It can be of bodily harm to an individual or other family, the person’s pet or friends. Threats can also include making total lies about an individual or exposing secrets such to either cause to appear bad in another person’s eyes or humiliate them. Threats can also be towards material goods as in telling someone they will demolish something. Furthermore, threats can also be financial, hence wanting to hold an individual captive by intimating poverty (Gary2). Sarcasm is the use of humor to disguise threatening or belittling language. Hence the information is conveyed in such a way in order to provide two different messages. The external message is that the intent is levity or humor whilst the inner message is one that, threatens, demeans or belittles. Since the conveyer of the message makes use of humor to disguise the message, the conveyer will attempt to deny the deeper message when confronted, hence leaving the receiver of the message rather disarmed and not able to protect themselves against

An Effective Teacher Essay Example for Free

An Effective Teacher Essay The qualities that define an effective teacher are very complex in my opinion. Everyone seems to have different ideas as to what the key indicators are. They range from; professionalism, communication, professional development, managing, guiding and strategies. There are even those of the opinion that it doesn’t matter what you do, children will always learn. However I have chosen professionalism as I believe that it is an essential attribute to being an effective teacher. Professionalism is defined by Merriam-Webster’s dictionary as â€Å"Characterised by or conforming to the technical or ethical standard of one’s profession. (Belcher). In order to gain and preserve the respect and trust of students, parents and colleagues alike and to provide students with the best education possible it is important to demonstrate professional conduct and practice. The guidelines for professionalism in the teaching profession are provided by Code of Ethics, National Professional Standards for Teachers and Duty of Care. These define the â€Å"what†. The key however is being or acting professional, this is the â€Å"how†, the effectiveness of a teacher. This is the true measure of professionalism. Some of the primary demonstrable characteristics or attributes of a professional teacher are communication, morals and ethics and professional development. Communication is an essential aspect in education, the means to send and receive clear messages to and from students, teachers, parents and community members. It establishes positive and effective relationships and connections with the involved parties. Communication can be in many forms namely verbal, non-verbal or written and used by teachers to constantly impart new knowledge or important information. The ability for teachers to apply the characteristics of good and effective communication in all its forms, to a diverse audience with different backgrounds and interests and to minimise the barriers, for example noise, misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the messages are the makings of an effective teacher. In the article by Prozesky, he states that the most effectual way to overcome these barriers is to have two-way communication with regular feedback provided by the receivers. Professional ethics is not achieved by only purely applying the ethical codes of practice nor professional standards which embody the core principles but by also applying professional skills and personal skills (caring and nurturing) and ethical behaviour in the form of attitude, intention, words, acknowledgement, respect (inside and outside of the classroom), fairness and equity with regards to individual circumstances, colour, creed, age, social-economic status, to name a few. Brock (1998) says that when dealing with ethics and professional standards there are two questions to ask; what should one do and what one should not do, what is right and what is wrong and what is appropriate and what is inappropriate. These questions result in a number of ethical dilemmas that face the teacher such as truth versus loyalty, individual versus community and religion versus morals. Early Childhood Australia has published a guide to help teachers deal with every day ethical dilemmas. According to Marsh (2010) ethical decisions have been categorised into five different levels of decision making. Open decision making, limited decision making, decisions made by the teacher, security seeking (delegation) and avoidance. Several ethical relationships exist within the dynamics of a school environment; these include ethical relationship between the teacher and the education system for example, the education system restricts teachers on what they should teach. The teacher and the principal, an example being that the teacher and principal have different values and the principal’s values will over ride those of the teacher. The teacher and the students where the teacher develops emotional bonds with his or her students and there is a mutual respect between teacher and student. The third quality that defines an effective teacher is professional development. In order to be a good teacher you need to be a good learner too. The demands on teachers to find new ideas and forms of teaching are increasing. Teachers need to be innovative and therefore attend professional development days which will help them continuously enhance their competencies and provide their students with problem solving skills and advanced thinking thus elevating them to higher levels of achievement. The desire to expand their knowledge base, stay current and gain a broader exposure to information provides this opportunity. Through numerous examples it is clear how important communication, ethics and professional development are to professionalism. These attributes will help teachers to be more effective in imparting knowledge and wisdom to their students. All of these attributes will allow the students to really focus their energies on learning and engaging with their education. Even though all of the attributes are vital for effective teaching one must never forget that the purpose of effective teaching is â€Å"that teachers make a difference, (Boyd, 2009).

Bring Safe Drinking Water to the World Essay Example for Free

Bring Safe Drinking Water to the World Essay Lack of clean water for drinking affect many people in every continent. Around one-fifth of the population in the world stays in areas of physical scarcity while five hundred million people are said to be approaching this situation. This problem is more serious in Africa than in any other continent. Lack of safe water for drinking is explored in the accompanying paper. In this paper, results of lack of clean drinking water in Africa is assessed more so in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper also explores the impact of water scarcity on stability of Africa and the World. It further evaluates how United Nations have helped solve the problem and ways in which developing countries can ensure they have adequate clean water. Lack of safe water for drinking is a one of the leading problem in the world. It has an impact on over 1.1 billion people all over the world. Safe drinking water is defined by World health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund and Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation as water that has microbial, physical and chemical characteristics that meet the guidelines of National standard on quality of drinking water (Campbell, Caldwell, Hopkins, Heaney, Wing, Wilson, et al. 2013). Lack of safe drinking water is looked through a population to water equation treated by hydrologists as 7,700 cubic meters per person. This is the threshold for meeting water requirement for every industrial, agricultural production and the environment. It is said that a threshold of less than 1,000 cubic meters of water represent water scarcity and below 500 cubic meters of water represent a state of absolute scarcity. Inadequate safe drinking water is a major challenge to many countries. It is a major problem for developing countries that are racing forward towards physical limits of expansion of fresh water, expanding urban settlement, commercialization of agriculture and industrial sectors. Fresh water is a crucial resource in development of Africa. It is said that Africa continent has a population of 800 million people. 405 of the total population in Africa lack access to safe drinking water. It is argued that half of people living in rural areas of safe drinking water. It is reported that Sub-Saharan Africa has more water stress than other parts of the world. Sub-Saharan Africa has a population of over 320 million people have no access to quality water. It is said to be the only region in the world that will not be able to meet the 2015 millennium development goal. In 2012, a Conference on ‘’Water Scarcity in Africa: issues and Challenges† was presented with information that by 2030, 255 million to 760 millions in Africa will be staying in areas with high water stress (Barone, 2008). Scarcity of safe drinking water has lead to poor heal in Sub-Saharan Africa. People in water deprived areas use unsafe water that causes spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, typhoid fever, malaria, trachoma, typhus and plague. Scarcity of safe water forces people to respond by storing water in their households. This further increases chances of water contamination and spread of malaria due to mosquitoes. Infected people with waterborne diseases reduce chances of community development and productivity due to lack of strength. Government resources are used to buy medicine for these people. This takes away funds meant for food supply, school fees and other development projects. It is estimated by Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council that treatment of diarrhea caused by water contamination in Sub-Saharan Africa takes away 12% of countries’ health budget. Government in the areas channels their energy and part of fund allocated for other expenditures to helping people affected by lack of water at the expense of other essential services like maintaining peace and security in the region. Human Development report suggests that use of water by human is mainly on agriculture and irrigation. In Sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural activities account from over 80% of the total water consumption. Majority of people in this region depend on agriculture. In rural areas, 90% of families rely on producing their own food hence water scarcity leads to loss of food security. Conflict arises in this region due to political interferences in irrigated land due to land tenure and ownership problems. Governments in this part of the world lack funds and skilled human resources that can support technology and infrastructure needed for good water management and crop irrigation. Scarcity of safe water makes people use waste water for irrigation. This makes a lot of people to eat food with disease causing organisms. Women in this part of the world are burdened by lack of clean water for drinking. They are the collectors, managers as well as guardian of water in domestic spheres which include household chores such as washing, child rearing and cooking. They spend a considerable amount of time fetching water (Dreibelbis, Winch, Leontsini, Hulland, Ram, Unicomb, et al., 2013). This causes a decrease in the time available for education. Their health is also at risk of skeletal damage caused by carrying heavy loads of water every day over long distances. Loss of potential school days and education prevents the next generation of women from holding professional employments. Access to safe water for drinking will make women in Sub-Saharan Africa increase time allocated to education which will make them take leadership positions. Scarcity of water makes many children in this region drop out of school to help in household chores which are made more intense by lack of water. Increase in population in Africa and lack of safe water for drinking has caused a lot of strain and conflict on relations between communities and between countries.It has been argued that Nile River is a source of conflict in nine countries. Water fro Nile River is the only source of sustaining life in both Sudan and Egypt. Egyptians use military force to make sure they retain control over Nile River because she has no other source of water. This conflict runs from the colonial era when England textile factories depended on Sudan and Egypt agricultural activities. After the colonial era, Egypt continued to create political instability in Ethiopia. It blocked international financing agencies from giving loans to Ethiopia in order to finance projects on the river. The conflict is now real because Ethiopia has now managed to carry out water projects on her own like building hydro-power dams and irrigation programs. Egypt has been reported to issue threats of war to Tanzania and Ethiopia. In 1970s, Egypt armed Somalia separatist rebels in Ethiopia in the Somali invasion. The nine involved states have had agreements and treaties in a bid to control conflict. However, treaties and agreements have resulted to inequitable rights of using water from Nile River between countries. An example is a treaty between Great Britain and Ethiopia, Emperor Menelik II, king of kings of Ethiopia. He agreed with the government of His Britannic Majesty not to construct or permit construction projects across Blue Nile, the Sobat and Lake Tana in 1902. In 1906, an agreement between Britain and Government of Independent state of Congo would not construct or permit any construction of projects over or near Semliki or Isango rivet that would reduce the amount of water entering Lake Albert. In 1925, conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia escalated because Ethiopia opposed earlier agreements (Dreibelbis et al., 2013). The League of Nations demanded Italy and British government give an explanation on sovereignty of Ethiopia on Lake Tana. The League of Nations did not help resolve the conflict because there was no self enforcing and reliable mechanism to protect the property rights of stakeholders which is necessary for international water development to be applied. Due to failure of United Nations to help solve the Nile basin conflict, nine riparian states formed a partnership called Nile Basin Initiative. Its mandate is to develop Nile River in a cooperative way, sharing social-economic benefits that promote regional security and peace. World Bank agreed to support the work of Nile Basin Initiative as a development partner as well as an administrator of multi donor Nile Basin Trust Fund. Disputes have also erupted in Niger River Basin. Disagreements and disputes in this basin are caused by limited access to safe drinking water. The disputes are between communities in Mali, Nigeria, and Niger. River flows and rainfall have reduced from 1970s leading to tension between two communities that live in the basin. The two communities are pastoralists and farmers. Pastoralists are forced by lack of water to travel farther with their herds. On the other hand, farmers expand their cropland to take care of increasing population. This reduces pathways that are available to herder and their livestock. Tension increased due to poor policy decisions. In Lokoga in Nigeria, government started dredging Niger River in early 2009 to increase commercial shipping (Huang, Jacangelo Schwab, 2011). The government of Nigeria argued that dredging would help reduce flooding but late farmer suffered from floods in 2010. Farmers resulted to building homes and cultivating land away from the river leading to reduction in land available for grazing. This has facilitated conflict between the two communities greatly. New dams rose built by the government of Nigeria raised ecological issues that provoked hard negotiations over sharing of resources equitably in Niger Basin (Loftus, 2009). It was reported that Mali and Niger did not support construction of dams across the river. Navigation of the river was also constrained by the availability of large boats when water is deep enough. Climate change in Niger Basin has caused a high degree of variability in river flows, rainfall and temperature. The international community is doing little in helping the conflicting countries in the Niger Basin resolve the conflict. Scarcity of safe drinking water has also led to a lot of competition in Volta River basin. Volter River basin is said to be one of the poorest part in Africa continent and is shared by six West African states. People in the basin depend on agriculture as their means of livelihood. The population in West Africa is growing at the rate of 3% thus putting pressure on water resources and land. Burkina Faso is increasing agricultural development upstream using surface resources such as water (Okun, 1991). Water development in Burkina Faso has had a negative impact on Akosombo Dam which Ghana depends on for its energy supply. In 1998, low water level caused energy crisis in Ghana which ended up blaming Burkina Faso water project. Low water levels could have been caused by other factors such as unreliable rainfall variability. Peaceful conflict resolutions could be hindered in the future by insufficient communication between Ghana and Burkina Faso (Ram, Kelsey, Miarintsoa, Rakotomalala, Duns ton, Quick, 2007). Ghana wants to create dams for power generation while Burkina Faso plans to use water for irrigation hence causing conflicts of interest. This conflict received international community recognition which formed a major inter-governmental program to enhance regional cooperation. Green cross water for peace project was put in place to ensure full and also active involvement of representatives of civil societies across the region in generation of basin’s agreement, management policies and principles. Developing countries can learn form developed countries on how to have adequate water supply and sanitation facilities, management of floods, pollution, management of rivers and large dams. Ram et al. (2007) argues that good governance can help address the lack of safe drinking water. He further argues that good governance is essential in procuring loans and aid for water projects form international organizations like world bank, International Monetary Fund, Africa Development bank and from developed countries like Britain, Germany, china, France, united Sates of America and Russia (Rosenberg, 2010). An example of a country that applied good governance to address water problem is South Africa. After Apartheid, the government of South Africa inherited huge problems of access to safe drinking water. It had a population of over 15 million people lacked access to clean water. The government managed to commit itself to high standards and investment subsidies to achieve its goal. From that time South Africa has made good progress to a point where it reached the universal access to improved water source in its urban centers. Similarly, the percentage of people in rural areas with access to clean water increased from sixty six percent to seventy nine percent from 1991 to 2010 (Loftus, 2009). Good governance will help government in developing countries partner with institutions that will help turn all underperforming utilities into good service providers. They would also benefit from the expertise in local, national and international sectors. Research has shown that it is difficult to change processes in water sectors. There has been friction between stakeholder and partners in determining priorities. This led to ambiguities in the role and responsibilities allocation resulting to the high cost of transaction. Just like in developed countries, good governance in developing countries will enable providers and policymakers are accountable to water users. This assists in improving services and enhancing consumer understanding the need for changes and the possible contribution of public private partnership (Ram et al., 2007). Great relationship with international financial institutions will enable developed countries have an adequate supply of safe water. World Bank is known to finance building of infrastructure such as funds to dig boreholes. It usually subsidizes the cost of infrastructure through inter-governmental transfers, donor projects and social development funds (Okun, 1991). Developing countries should consider the use of use Decentralized Mebran Filtration system. This technology provides safe drinking water that is clean. This system employs effective ways of removing surrogate bacteria and parasites from drinking water hat is responsible for contamination of water. This method is affordable to low income countries. Decentralized Mebran Filtration system is appropriate where central municipal water treatment is not possible. It aims to apply integrated bench scale and field scale approach in evaluating sustainability of Decentralized Mebran Filtration system in providing safe drinking water (Huang et al., 2011). Another possible solution is applying desalinization technology. This technology is said to filter salty water through membranes and removing salt through a process of electro dialysis and the reverse osmosis. The technology has worked in over one hundred and thirty countries in Middle East and in North Africa. With this technology, countries that are currently using it produce over six billion gallons of safe drinking water a day. Recycling and filtration should also be encouraged because the two methods are easy and cheap. Conserving water can also be achieved on a smaller scale beginning with improvement in homes (EMD, 2009). Developed countries should explore and exploit underground water. A country like Kenya and Namibia has discovered a 10,000 year old supply of water in underground aquifers. This underground water can satisfy the needs of Namibia for over four hundred years. Researchers argue that throughout Africa, there is twenty times more underground water than volume of surface water. The population of Africa is expected to increase to over two billion in 2050. This implies that countries need to explore other sources of water since traditional sources of fresh water are affected by changes in climate, lack of rainfall and rises in temperature that evaporate lakes and rivers. Other methods that developing countries should encourage their citizens to use include boiling water. It is an efficient method of water sterilization though boiling is costly in terms of fuel use. Another method is solar disinfection by use of ultraviolet radiation. This method is cheap and less damaging. It involves putting water in transparent plastic bottles and exposing it to sunlight for about forty eight hours. This technology cost people nothing by only plastic bottles full of water on corrugated metal roof. Low income countries should also start water projects like water dams and rain catchment systems. These methods are simple and inexpensive. A well close to a village or in a village ensures people do not walk long distances in search of water. It saves time hence making sure there is enough time allocated for other things like learning (Barone, 2008). Campbell et al. (2013) argues that integrated research can help countries achieve adequate supply of safe water for drinking. He attributes the lack of water to fear and inadequate reorganization by communities. He points out that global research can help solve the problem of water scarcity and proper sanitation. This implies that United Nations should put more effort in bringing solutions to water problems. African countries can achieve adequate supply of clean water if they invest in integrated research and funding. They should also put in place policies and infrastructures that attract foreign investments from developed countries such as United States of America, France, China and Russia. Lack of safe water for drinking is a global problem. It affects both developed countries as well as developing countries. United Nations should look for ways to deal with water scarcity and amicable ways of resolving political instabilities resulting from water stress. Developing countries should learn from developed countries on the most appropriate ways of providing clean water. They should maintain good governance and a good environment that can attract foreign investors as well as donors. Through collective effort from all stakeholders, the problem of water can be solved. References Barone, J. (2008). Better Water. Discovery, 29(5), 31-32. Campbell, R. L., Caldwell, D., Hopkins, B., Heaney, C. D., Wing, S., Wilson, S. M., et al. (2013). Integrating Research and Community Organizing to Address Water and Sanitation Concerns in a Community Bordering a Landfill. Journal of Environmental Health, 75(10), 48-50. Dreibelbis, R., Winch, P. J., Leontsini, E., Hulland, K. R., Ram, P. K., Unicomb, L., et al. (2013). The Integrated Behavioural Model for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: a systematic review of behavioural models and a framework for designing and evaluating behaviour change interventions in infrastructure-restricted settings. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 1015. EMD Millipore (2013, September 23). EMD Millipore Donates $30,000 to Charity: Water in Recognition of World Water Week. Pharma Business Week, p. 22. Huang, H., Jacangelo, J. G., Schwab, K. J. (2011). Decentralized Membrane Filtration System for Sustainable and Safe Drinking Water Supply in Low-Income Countries: Baseline Study. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 137(11), 981-989. Loftus, A. (2009). Rethinking Political Ecologies of Water. Third World Quarterly, 30(5), 953-968. Okun, D. A. (1991). A Water and Sanitation Strategy for the Developing World. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 33(8), 16-43. Ram, P. K., Kelsey, E., Miarintsoa, R. R., Rakotomalala, O., Dunston, C., Quick, R. E. (2007). Bringing Safe Water to Remote Populations: An Evaluation of a Portable Point-of-Use Intervention in Rural Madagascar. American Journal of Public Health, 97(3), 398-400. Rosenberg, T. (2010). The burden of thirst. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Magazine. Source document

The Nature Of The State Sovereignty

The Nature Of The State Sovereignty In order to complete this analysis, it is necessary to examine the history and the evolution of concept sovereignty. Hence I will firstly define notion of sovereignty and its origins. In the latter part I will present how sovereignty has changed over period of time, particularly after the Cold War. In the final part I will provide conclusion summoning if the change of sovereignty nature has been positive or negative. Sovereignty is relatively recent innovation in international relations. It was first developed in Europe, at the peace of Westphalia in 1648. Treaty of Westphalia has been the outcome of around 8 decades of wars fought in name of religions. The result of Westphalian Treaty was establishment of new international law system which was going to be applied to the modern states. The underpinning of this system is the sovereign character of the state and the prevention against external interference in internal affairs by other states. Sovereignty is one among the inherent and essential elements of a state, which defines its supreme power and its own independence.  [1]  Sovereignty has two dimension and these are: authority of internal government and territory. Leader of the government has an ultimate and legitimate right to exercise power within the borders of that particular state and suppose to be obeyed by its citizens.  [2]  Noteworthy, the core elements of state sovereignty hav e been established in 1933 Montevideo convention on the Rights and Duties of States. They include three main requirements: a permanent populations, defined territory and body of power functioning government.  [3]   Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau were most important members of the social contract school. They shared the same idea about the concept of sovereignty. They believed that whatever are origins of sovereignty, it all comes down to contractual agreement between the members. However, their theories differed significantly in other respects.  [4]   State sovereignty has for the past several hundred years, been a defining principle of a relations between states and in a way a foundation of worlds order. This concept is one of the most important principles of United Nation Charter and it is still important component of the maintenance of peace in the world and defence of weak states against the powerful ones. At the same time, however the concept has never been unchallengeable as such, either in law or practice as the formal definition may suggest. According to former secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali; The time of absolute sovereignty has passed; its theory was never matched by reality.  [5]   Knowing that the international rules of the notion of sovereignty set out in the Treat of Westphalia have been modified over the years, most recently and significantly by the Charter of the United Nations they remained merely intact until June 1990, this was when UN Security Council approved Resolution 1244. According to that resolution the attacks in Kosovo were justified. The post-Cold War world has segued into what might now be called post-Westphalian world. Resolution 1244 is the momentum of a series of acts of decisions and actions which, taken together, change the legal and theoretical structure of international relations. This means that the first principle of the nation sovereignty is the power that the nation holds as a State those in power are in charge.  [6]   In practice international legal sovereignty and Westphalian sovereignty are the key manifestations of sovereignty. In particular cases, for example; Somalia or Andorra, these attributes camouflage glaring failings in other areas ostensibly central to sovereignty. The humanitarian intervention in Kosovo and the invocation of self-Defence as a rationale for the intervention in Afghanistan are examples of rights reserved for powerful states which are not intended for use by the majority of states.  [7]   As Krasner summarizesthe principles associated with both Westphalian and international legal sovereignty have always been violated.  [8]   After the end of Cold War, the sovereignty of each nation involved in the war has changed significantly and quite diminished. Meanwhile the Cold War is the longest war that took place between 1940-1980 involving United Union of soviet socialist and America and it was merely a war of rights and beliefs. The changes to the notion of Sovereignty changed and the changes were influenced by the development that happened after the Cold War.  [9]   Pragmatically, concept of sovereignty has often been challenged and violated by the powerful states. In current globalizing world, it is recognised that cultural, environmental and economic influences neither respect borders, nor require an entry visa. The concept of state sovereignty is well stretched in political and legal discourses. Furthermore, states borders have diminished significantly as a result of contemporary international relations arena. Current international disorder and suffering are the main causes of technology and communication fast development. Consequently, perspectives on the range and role of state sovereignty have, especially over the past ten years, evolved very quickly. Today, sovereignty confronts the challenge of globalism. It is commonly held that the conditions which support globalism, such as technological advances, the communications revolution, and advances in business organization do not necessarily promote sovereignty. Furthermore political activism, terrorism, and organized crime conspire to undermine territorial boundaries and permit the exchange of science, culture, political economy, and the growth of beneficent and malevolent global civil society. However according to Anthony Coughlans effects of globalization o the concept of the sovereignty of Sate is often taken out of context or exaggerated. In his view States have always been interdependent to some extent. In his opinion there was more to globalisation in the late 19th Century, such as free movement of labour, trade and capital, although the volumes involved were smaller than today. In that time most states were economically more powerful due to international businesses. In Coughlans view Modern States do more for their citizens and are expected by them to do more and impinge more intimately on peoples lives than at any time in history.  [10]   Sovereignty may undeniably be strengthened as it changes to meet new needs and opportunities. In other ways, sovereignty may be limited in its capacity to deny international responsibilities and domestic obligations. An analysis of the world social process will give a way to a vast number of participants and institutions that comprise the global society. Among these are State sovereigns, international and regional organizations, political parties, business groups, pressure groups, NGOs, and individuals in various roles relevant to social relations within and across State and national lines.  [11]   It should be added that there are many other complex outcomes of this process, which include, for example, the constitutional architecture of the European Union, the African Union, the Organization of American States, and even the framework of military alliances under the changing character of NATO. These regional organizations carry the attributes of authority and control and, in turn, reconfigure the framework of decision-making competences that are exclusive to the sovereign State, those which are sometimes shared concurrently with the nation-State, and those which are to be exercised in complex patterns of sequential authority. This makes the interplay between the constitutional architecture of the various forms of political and legal association under current world order conditions, a complex and technical, but vitally important matter. Among the important outcomes of the world community process is the relatively specialized process of effective power, which involves connecting linkages between interactions and inters determination operating in micro social institutions, large-scale social formations such as the State, even larger aggregates of States, and a still larger and complex world process of effective power. It is perhaps a paradox that sovereign independence is now often accompanied by sovereign membership in various regional associations and international organizations, which juridical limits sovereignty. For example, membership in the United Nations conditions sovereignty; in other words, sovereignty cannot trump the obligations and international responsibilities of the UN. Even more prominent are State claims to associate with supranational regional compacts and, in so doing, abandon some autonomy in exchange for the benefits of membership. Examples of this include the European Union, the African Union, and the Organization of American States. The current crisis of terrorism and world order will tell as much about the changes that international law might secure for the practice of international relations based on the authority of the UN Charter. One trend however, is clear. Sovereignty as State absolutism is no longer a tenable precept in international law and international relations. Sovereignty based on the authority of peoples expectations is a vital and critical element in promoting international peace and security, enhancing human rights and is a basic element in the foundations and possibilities of good governance as well as transparent and responsible authority. To conclude this does not mean the demise of sovereignty but it means change.

Call of the wild report Essay -- English Literature

Call of the wild report "Buck was no ordinary dog. He was bigger than a wolf and smarter than any other dog that ever lived." This book is mostly about a fairly big dog who was strong mentally and physically, even though he only starts off as a regular pet. His name was Buck. From the start everyone thought he was special. This book is set in America starting in California and moving to Alaska, and except for the very beginning its mostly about how buck learnt how to live the life of a working sleigh dog and how to sleep outside in the cold snow and having to work extremely hard each day. In this book I thought the author lacked description as I found it hard to picture the characters for myself and of those I could imagine were from the pictures that came up every now and again. This book is mostly about the adventures of Buck gradually becoming extremely strong and powerful after working so hard and almost acting like a real wolf, and he even would be strong enough to beat a wolf at a fight. "Every movement showed that he was prepared to be either fierce ...

My Theory Of The Universe :: essays research papers

My Theory of the Universe You are about to be transported to a very strange world, read on if you dare! The planet you are on is a giant disco ball, rotating clockwise. (Earth) This disco ball is in a place that has two stories. It is on the first story ceiling, but the ceiling is made of glass so the disco ball can be seen from both floors. The walls of the room are black. There is a big yellow spotlight in one corner of the room that slowly moves up and down. (Sun) There is another spotlight in the opposite corner, but this one is white and has a rotating filter to block some of the light out. (Moon) This filter starts at one end of the light, works its way across, and then works its way back. (Phases of the Moon) There are many spots on the walls of the room that are just reflections off of the disco ball. (Stars) These spots seem to form different patterns on the walls and move along with the disco ball, but not always at the same rate. (Constellations) There are two very shy people in the room that sometimes leave the room. When they are in the room they stand by the walls and always wink for some reason, so all we can see of them is one of their eyes. (Mercury & Venus) Then there are three very weird people in the room that are always in the middle of the room doing the Waltz. They do this some how by themselves and they to are always winking. They are sometimes on the first floor and sometimes on the second floor. (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) There is also one guy dressed in a white polyester leisure suit, gold chains, and rings dancing to "Stayin' Alive." (comet) It seems as though everyone in the universe hears their own music. He is only in the room for a little bit; he makes his way across the room then leaves, he must get tired really quick! Sometimes when he is dancing or even when you can not see him dancing, (must have forgot his gold chains) somehow he loses a ring because we can see it fly across the sky. (shooting star) Then there are two people, one directly below the ball and one directly above the ball when they are there. They both dress in silver lamay (shiny stuff) that makes all different colors that we can see. (Northern/Southern Lights) Occasionally some stupid guy stands in front of one of the spotlights and

1960s Counter Culture and its Saga Essay -- Sixties Culture USA Histo

1960's Counter Culture and its Saga After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, America's hope for Camelot fades and life began to look a little more complicated. Congress deemed President Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" implausible as Johnson backed the country into a war that was not ours. Then, while many Americans began to realize that the War in Vietnam could not be won, there was major public outcry about ending our involvement in a war for the first time in the country's history. The liberals in the country failed to reach the working class, and President Richard Nixon, a conservative, ascended to the Office as a champion of the "silent majority." While the government was slogging our country through devastating affairs, the culture of the times was reinventing itself. Due to various movements, such as the Civil Rights Movement in the South, the Feminist Movement, and the Anti-Vietnam War Movement, Americans, especially energetic young citizens, began to learn that there was ground to be gained f rom being pro-active. Out of this feeling of possibility and need of young adults to be recognized by the government came the 1960s counter culture. Too many factors figure into society to pinpoint one as the reason for the counter cultural revolution. Still, one of the major factors that contributed to the counter culture was the folk, rock, and "acid" music of the 1960s. The music also serves as a way to illustrate and explain the 1960's counter cultural phenomenon. Each variation of the music genre contributed to the way that Americans felt about themselves, their government and their society. As "mindless drivel," according to noted historian John McMillian, bombarded the airwaves and rose to number... ...al rebellion. Instead, they took the movement out of the counter culture and made the struggle about telling the government to basically leave them alone. If they wanted to do drugs, the government should let them since it is their own bodies. If Jim Morrison wanted to masturbate onstage, he is affecting nothing besides his body, counter culturalists would argue. Therefore, in contrast to descriptions of the counter culture as a movement, it was really an outpouring of emotions of a group of people who wanted to either have their rights recognized or left alone. The counter culture decided that if the government cared little enough about them to send their peers into the Vietnam War, they should not have a say in how each person treats their mind and body. Musicians of the time helped clarify their message and reflected the message in their lyrics and actions.

Collaboration and Innovation at Procter & Gamble Case Study

Collaboration and Innovation at Procter & Gamble CASE STUDY 1. What is Procter & Gamble’s business strategy? What is the relationship of collaboration and innovation to that business strategy? i. Proctor and Gamble’s business strategy focuses on three main areas. This is to maintain the popular the popularity of its existing brands through advertising and marketing; the extension of its brand to related products by developing new products and the creation of new brands from scratch.To achieve these, the company aims to facilitate collaboration between researchers, marketers and managers. ii. By fostering interaction among employees P&G fosters informed decision making and the sharing of ideas and information which ultimately leads the company to produce quality products. 2. How is P&G using collaboration systems to execute its business model and business strategy? List and describe the collaboration systems and technologies it is using and the benefits of each i.P&G res earchers use collaborative tools to share data on various brands they have collected which allows marketers to access this data to create better targeted ad campaigns and likewise managers access data shared t be able to make informed decisions. ii. – P&G use a suite of Microsoft products such as MS Outlook, MS SharePoint and others that have unified communication and integrate services through voice and data transmissions and allow for instant messaging, email and electronic conferences, web conferencing with live meeting, and content management. P&G use social networking innovations -P&G uses blogs instead of emails that are open to anyone interested in their content and attract comments from others. – The company uses Connect beam which is a search tool that allows employees to share bookmarks and tag content with descriptive words that appear in future searches, and facilitates social networks of coworkers to help them find and share information more effectively â €“ It also uses InnovationNet which contains over 5 million research-related documents in digital format accessible through a browser-based portal. P&G have also adopted Cisco Telepresence conference rooms across the globe that allows researchers to communicate and share data. Some benefits of the Cisco Telepresence include the reduction of travel cost, efficient flow of ideas and quick decision making. 3. Why were some collaborative technologies slow to catch on at P&G? Some collaborative tools were slow for P&G because employees resisted to the collaborative tool because in their opinion that would create more work and delays.Employees were more accustomed to emails 4. Compare P&G’s old and new processes for writing up and distributing the results of a research experiment. Researchers under the old process wrote up their experiments using MS Office tools then print them out and glue the papers page by page into notebooks or they would simply paste results of experiments into word documents and pass them out. Also data and speech recordings are entered into MS PowerPoint and emailed to employees.In the new method however, employees use a collaborative tool such as InnovationNet which contains over 5 million research- related documents in digital format accessible to employees via a browser-based portal. Also P&G uses a Microsoft SharePoint page where all presentations are posted. These presentations are stored in a single location and accessible to employees and colleagues in other parts of the company. 5. Why is telepresence such a useful collaborative tool for a company like P&G?Telepresence is a useful collaborative tool for P&G because it helps to foster collaboration between employees across continents and leads to reduction in travel cost, efficient flow of ideas and quick decision making. 6. Can you think of other ways P&G could use collaboration to foster innovation? Proctor and Gamble could use virtual world technology which creates online 3-D environments populated by employees who have in-built graphical representations of themselves known as avatars.P&G can use this virtual world to house online meetings, training sessions, and â€Å"lounges. † Real-world people represented by avatars meet, interact, and exchange ideas at these virtual locations. Communication takes place in the form of text messages similar to instant messages. P&G could also use Google Apps or Google Sites which is a collaborative that allows users to quickly create online, group-editable web sites in minutes and post a variety of files including calendars, text, spreadsheets, and videos for private, group, or public viewing and editing.Also Google a software such as called Google Wave which is part conversation and part document can be used as a collaborative tool. Researchers or any participant of a wave can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content, and add or remove participants at any point in the process. Users are able to see responses from other participants on their â€Å"wave† while typing occur, accelerating the pace of discussion.

Philosophers skepticism Essay

Skepticism, which derives from the Greek word skeptesthai, is the philosophical outlook that declares knowing anything with assurance is impossible. This term can also signify an unwillingness to accept anything without sufficient proof. Skepticism originated in the 5th century BC in Greece when certain philosophers began to express their doubts about how certain they could be about the knowledge they obtained and lived by. These philosophers include Protagoras of Abdera (480-411 BC) and Gorgias (485-380 BC), whom both showed skepticism about the world and how it is perceived. Protagoras is reported to have said that, â€Å"man is the measure of all things† Moore and Bruder (2005). He meant that each person’s opinions are different, so what is true for one person may not be for another person. Gorgias has said â€Å"nothing exists; if anything does exist, it cannot be known; if anything exists and can be known, it cannot be communicated† Moore and Bruder (2005). Gorgias’s theory was self explanatory; nothing exists and even if it did, it cannot be communicated. Therefore, there is no real proof that something exists at all. The history of Skepticism has three predominate periods: the pre-Academic, the Academic and the post Academic. The pre Academic period started with Pyrrho, who was from the western side of the Greek Pelopnnesus, Elis. He believed that true reality is unknown so judgments should not be made by anyone. Pyrrho was like Socrates because he never kept a record of his philosophy in writing. For that reason, most information regarding Pyrrho comes from his pupil’s writings, Timon. Pyrrho preferred to provide his followers with tools to live a commendable life, which included peaceful living according to the laws during his time. Pyrrho also believed that the five senses are contradictory of one another when referred to nature and essence. For example, when a person tastes honey, is the sweetness in the honey or in that person? This question is raised because what tastes good to one person may be tasteless to another. Certain foods may also look tasty but have a bitter taste (diCarlo, 2009). In these particular instances, the five senses are contradictory of one another. Pyrrho and Timon both believed that the conflicting suppositions regarding nature are impossible to decide since valid arguments can be made for each side. The Academic period began after the death of Socrates, when Plato started The Academy, a school of philosophy located in Athens. Academic skeptics introduced two important elements to skepticism: the first included developing an organized attack toward doctrinaire positions, including the metaphysics of Plato; the second included the development of rules and vocabulary to cope and interact with their experiences. One of the first Academic skeptics was Arcesilaus (315 BCE-240 BCE), who was the leader of Plato’s Academy. He channeled his energy toward the Stoics, who believed certain views are self evidently true, therefore, they cannot be doubted. The Post-Academic Skeptics included Aenesidemus and Sextus Empiricus. Aenesidemus developed the tropoi (10 modes of skepticism), â€Å"a set of skeptical argument forms, or modes, to show that judgment must be withheld on any issue. † These 10 modes of skepticism ranged from perception differences to cultural differences, and allowed a skeptic to criticize any metaphysical doctrine (diCarlo, 2009). Sextus created Empiricus’s Outlines of Pyrrhonism, which, described a school of thought which was named after the philosopher Pyrrho of Elis (c. 365-275 B. C. )†( Sextus Empiricus’s Outlines of Pyrrhonism, 2006). In the world today, skepticism is a part of human nature. Most people raise doubt because of inexperience or bad experiences from their past. Some individuals, like law enforcement officers and judges, are forced to be skeptical everyday due to their occupations. Critical decisions have a lasting effect on their lives, and the lives of those they are associated with during work. Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line everyday so skepticism is necessary to survive. Police officers are required to be doubtful because they could become vulnerable or naive if they allow others to fool them. Simply pulling someone over for a traffic violation could turn fatal if the officers do not think critically and take certain safety measures. Although the officer may have intentions on just writing the person a citation, they might feel threatened and become violent. Judges are also faced with skepticism on a daily basis because there are two sides of the story, and the judge makes the decisions. The judge has to make the right choice and determine who is being honest based on evidence and their experience. Skepticism plays a major role because the judges are usually familiar with the body language and gestures made by someone who is guilty, so they become skeptical of their behavior. Overall, society displays skepticism about the smallest things because bad experiences or gullibility. References Moore, Brooke N. , & Bruder, Kenneth. (2005). Philosophy: The Power of Ideas (6th ed. ). McGraw-Hill Companies. PhilosophyOnline (2009). A Brief History of Scepticism. PhilosophyOnline. co. uk. Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www. philosophyonline. co. uk/tok/scepticism8. htm Sextus Empiricus’s Outlines of Pyrrhonism (2006). Alex Scott. Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www. angelfire. com/md2/timewarp/skepticism. html The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2006). Aenesidemus (1st Cn. CE). The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www. iep. utm. edu/a/aeneside. htm

Patience is a Virtue Essay

Patience is a virtue that every man and woman must strive to have. Without it, things can go horribly wrong, people would have faced much fights and arguments and there will be chaos in this world. Those who are impatient waste their lives thinking of the future. Furthermore many times, bad experiences often help build a better character, so if you are always rushing throughout your life without waiting for the results, how can you learn from your mistakes? Impatience will give you a lot of regrets in life, that is why we need to practice our patience so that there will be peace in you and in our society. The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary tells us that patience is to be able to remain calm and not to become annoyed when waiting for a long time or when dealing with problems or difficult people. In Christianity, patience is one of the most valuable virtues in life. It is also one of fruits of the Holy Spirit. A good example of patience is Jesus Christ who had enough patience for seeing us sin against Him as He patiently forgives us each time we sin. Patience brings peace to our mind, helps us make the right choices, bring about enjoyment, right understanding, success, and fulfillment of goals in life. If everyone were to have patience in this world, there would be no more suffering, madness, misunderstandings, failures, and chaos in this world. If you are an impatient person, don’t feel depressed because you aren’t patient. Everyone commits mistake and everyone can change. We must be patient and understanding, life is too short to be vengeful and malicious. Like what Jean-Jacques Rosseau said â€Å"Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.†

My Philosophy of Nursing Essay

Philosophy is defined as the study of the basic principles and concepts of a particular branch of knowledge; embracing and seeking wisdom through reason and the logical presentation of ideas. This concept, I believe, is to strip an idea down to its fundamental basis or theory, analyzing cause rather than effect, then through investigation and exercise, begin to find understanding. When this concept is applied to an existing practice, all parties benefit from an equal and larger pool of knowledge. As a nurse, I see firsthand how philosophy applies to my profession. How do we define nursing as a practice? After reviewing many journals and textbooks, I found one statement that defines nursing as I see it. Ramona T. Mercer, who is known for her Maternal Role Attainment theory, states that the three major foci for nursing are, â€Å"health promotion and prevention of illness, providing care for those who need professional assistance to achieve their optimal level of health and functionin g, and research to enhance the knowledge base for providing excellent nursing care. † (Alligood, 2009, p.586) I believe that these three applications stem from the following ideals: family values, happiness, sense of accomplishment, honesty, and responsibility. In order to succeed at these applications, there must be a balance between practice and concern. There are three major branches of philosophy, natural philosophy, metaphysical philosophy, and moral philosophy. When speaking of nursing philosophy, it is the moral aspect that comes into play most, driving guiding and defining the practice. This paper will address the theme of the Philosophy of Nursing. I will define nursing as a whole and discuss its primary goals, discuss the aspect of nursing as an art or science, and introduce theory and how it pertains to the philosophy of  nursing. I will then discuss how this philosophy relates to me, how my morals and ethics are shaped by not only knowledge, but belief as well. Primary Goal of Nursing Nursing is a profession steeped in rich values based on the work of Florence Nightingale. This profession has not degraded over time due to the character of the individuals that commit to this career. It is reasonable to think that each of us chose nursing because of some key beliefs or values that we possessed. These values and beliefs ultimately guide us in formulating our own definition of nursing and what we believe to be its primary goal. Friberg (2011) related to this quote from Florence Nightingale (1860) â€Å"put the patient in the best condition for nature to act upon him†. This essence of nursing practice continues to be reflected in contemporary nursing. My personal goal in nursing is to give the greatest care with the best of my ability to a patient and his family. To do this, I make a commitment on my part to keep myself up to date with new technologies, evidence-based research, and new protocols, and, to trust in my moral philosophy and beliefs in order to put t hese tools to best use. Nursing is an Art and a Science Scholars have debated for years over the perception of nursing as an art or a science. Those closer to the field see nursing more as an art form; working through medium, process, and product. Those who look at nursing from the outside, however, tend to view nursing more of a science; practice through systematized knowledge and exercise. For much of the history of nursing, the argument has stemmed from the idea of which practice is most beneficial. First, let’s address nursing as an art. The pioneer’s theorists such as Florence Nightingale are referenced as practicing the art of nursing as it pertains to compassion, feelings, trust, and performing tasks with skills. Each of these ideal is a foundation to the next; without caring the nurse cannot connect with the patient, if the nurse cannot connect, trust will not develop, without this trusting relationship, therapeutic nursing cannot take place. Therefore, caring is at the center of all-successful nursing encounters. In her book Novice to Expert Benner states, â€Å"One way to separate the instrumental and expressive aspects of  nursing is to regulate caring as the art of nursing (Benner, 1984, 170). Also, the art of nursing is the ability to form trusting relationships, perform procedures skillfully, prescribe appropriate treatments, and morally conduct nursing practice (Johnson, 1994). As important as the art is, however, it relies on the science to guide it; as a hand guides a brush to canvass. Now, let’s address nursing as a science. The nurse should have knowledge in biology, chemistry, pathology and current guidelines for pharmacological therapy. This is an ever-changing body on knowledge. Science also encompasses the skill required to perform technical tasks. Benner’s Novice to Expert model explains the science behind skill acquisition. As nurses we are all on a continuum to achieve â€Å"expert† in each of the seven domains of competencies. Science makes up the foundation for current practices exercised in nursing. It shapes and drives this practice through knowledge, understanding and technology. However, the science of nursing can only be applied through the art of the practice; especially in a field where case are seldom similar. I believe that, in order to be a successful nurse, one must be able to provide the â€Å"art† of caring through form, as well as continuing to obtain knowledge, or â€Å"science†, through function. The balance of these two styles is essential to providing optimal treatment; each encourages the other. Roles that Theory plays in my BN Nursing Practice The study of existing theories provides framework and guidelines for the nursing field; and it has since as far back as Florence Nightingale in 1850’s. Each of the many theories, as taught in the Bachelor of Nursing program, has something different to contribute to nursing, depending on which area of health care it is applied to. That is not to say that we, as nurses today, cannot think outside of the boundaries of these theories; technological advancement, scientific breakthroughs, and persistent research are ever-changing the way we understand our practice. Theory should be used as the groundwork of which all other teachings are built upon; by studying the past, we are more prepared for the future. The foundation of nursing theories is based on knowledge which is gained through four ways of knowing: empiric, ethics, esthetics, and personal, according to Carper (1978). By building upon the fundamentals learned from obtaining a nursing diploma, my  undergraduate education in nursing (BN) gives me the additional tools necessary to establish my nursing practice. Through the study of established methods and practical training (empirically and esthetically), I have laid a strong foundation for practice and exercise. Through observation and experience (ethically and personally), I continually expand my critical thinking and improve ability with my newly acquired knowledge. Once these theories are established, we use reasoning to be able to formulate them into research, practice, and philosophies. The three most common methods of reasoning are deductive, inductive, and abductive as stated by Johnson (2010). For most of my nursing career, I have relied on abductive reasoning and intuition, as I have worked in varied intensive care units. Because circumstances vary greatly from patient to patient and case to case, we can never assume an outcome based solely on previous situations. It is in these experiences where common theories are shaped into our personal philosophies. Nursing Practice as it relates to my philosophy? As I research this paper, I reflect back with a fresh perspective on the nursing theorist past and present. Having been a nurse for many years now, I find that my views and beliefs I held at the beginning of my career differ greatly from those I keep today; whereas early on I supposed that nursing was primarily based on assessment and exercise, now I find that personal values and belief are just as important as practice. Teachers and mentors established a base for nursing philosophy; however, my experiences, both good and bad, have helped shaped my own. I have come to understand and relate to Florence Nightingale’s approach to nursing, placing caring at the center of all practice. My philosophy is based on key values that place care of the patient foremost: honesty, trust, empathy, advocating, education, observation, and responsibility. Honesty, trust and empathy are important for me to be able to establish a relationship with the patient. Education and observation are importa nt in be able to provide the best care available; and in worst case scenarios, providing comfort. Advocating is important when the patient is not able to speak for themselves. And finally, we have responsibility. Responsibility drives me to be ever improving and learning so that I can be assured of providing the best possible care. All of which are reliant on the others. Having 22 years of  intensive care experience taught me a great deal about myself. There were situations where I felt extremely vulnerable and ineffective, such as dealing with aggressive or confused patients that basically rendered me emotionally distraught for some time after the events. In that situation, I needed to learn coping mechanisms to deal with the situations or needed the support of my colleagues to trade with me or help me when those times got tough. We all need to support and help each other get through our tough days. Ethical issues are a current component of health care. A sound personal nursing philosophy is required to deal compassionately and comfortably with issues such as medical futility, allocation of resources, withdrawal of treatment, use of restraints, caring for homeless people, etc. This also means that we are consummate advocates for the patient and willing to speak up when we do not feel the environment is as safe as it can be. For me, investigation and development of my own nursing philosophy is a prerequisite for a meaningful life and a fulfilling career in nursing. I believe we should be our patient advocate, especially in the intensive care unit where the patients are very vulnerable, and unable to speak because they are sedated, unconscious, or intubated. I face challenges every day at work to the best care I can give to my patients. On one of those days, I was taking care of an elderly patient who had been hospitalized in the ICU for a prolonged stay and she was on life support. Her condition was not improving and the family was asked to make a decision about withdrawal of treatment, but the family was afraid of the guilt and responsibility for her death. This family needed reassurance that everything had been done to improve the patient‘s conditio n but with no success. I sat down with them to explained what withdrawal of treatment meant. After our discussion, the family understood that by removing the machines, we were allowing natural death to occur. This was the key decision factor because they originally thought they were killing the patient by removing the life support. After our discussion, the family agreed to remove life support and to initiate comfort measure. I believe everyone is entitled to quality of life and when we have exhausted all possible treatment, remove life support while keeping the patient comfortable. Personal experience is a very important influence in developing one’s philosophy of nursing. It adds diversity to known ideals which, in turn, increases the collective knowledge pool and improves  nursing as a whole. But, however great the benefits might be, each philosophy must still adhere to the practice standards of their work place, and the regulations set by their nursing order. I believe my philosophy of nursing clarifies the requirements in knowledge, human values, and technical skills so they can be organized, analyzed and evaluated. Throughout my career, I have constantly been evolving my philosophy. Each case, each patient, each experience, all contributing insight to who I am and what kind of nurse I want to be. Through it all, though, the one nursing theory that I relate to the most and the keystone of my nursing philosophy, is listed by Dr. Moyra Allen (1987) in the McGill model; health, family, collaboration, and learning. At the beginning of my career, I was working at Royal Victoria Hospital which is now part of the McGill University Health Center. I remember using a primary nursing care concept. It is basically continuity of care; same nurses are assigned patients from their admission to their discharge. It gave the nurse an opportunity to participate with the multidiscipline team about the patient’s care, and incorporate the family. I have always believed that that family needs to be incorporated into our care of patients. Too many times, I have seen nurses go in and out of patient’s room without interacting with the family or ignoring them. Families are a big part of the McGill model and in my own nursing practice. Conclusion My philosophy of nursing takes into consideration the elements of nursing practice which are the beneficiaries of care, their family, health/illness, and the society around them. It shapes my life and drives my daily experience as I interact with my family, strangers, my environment, and society around me. As our knowledge increases our philosophy grows; the two becoming tightly woven about one another and becoming ultimately inseparable. It is very difficult to face the demands of caring for people from day to day without the solid foundation of a personal philosophy. We are more effective in anything that we do when we understand ourselves, the way we think, and where our values are in reference to others as well as our personal strengths and limitations. This paper provided a different and valuable perspective for reinterpreting my knowledge on concepts, theories, and philosophy in nursing. It was interesting to document my journey as I  reflected on my philosophy of nursing and my career as an intensive care nurse. Our own values and beliefs must be clarified in order to authentically respond to the health care needs of our patients and to society as a whole. The main reason I chose this profession was because of the endless possibilities that are available to care for people. As an ICU nurse, my duties entails patient and family care, educating and mentoring new and fellow nurses, and assisting with policy and procedures. We need to rid society of the totally false dichotomy that nurses are either highly educated or caring. References Alligood, M. R. & Tomey, A. M. (2009). Nursing Theorists and Their Work (7th Edition). Maryland Heights, MI: Mosby Elsevier. Benner, P. (1984). From novice to expert: excellence and power in clinical nursing practice (2nd edition). Menlo Park, CA: Addison – Wesley. Burkhardt, M. A., Nathaniel, A. K., & Walton, N. A. (2010). Ethics and issues in contemporary nursing (1st Canadian edition). Toronto, ON: Nelson. Darbyshire, P. (1999). Nursing, art and science: Revisiting the Two Cultures International Journal of Nursing Practice. 5: 123–131. Friberg, E. & Creasia, J. L. (2011). Conceptual Foundations: The Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice (5th Edition). St-Louis, MI: Mosby. p. 49. Johnson, J. L. (1994). A Dialectical Examination of Nursing Art. Advance in Nursing Science. 17(1), 1-14. Johnson, B. M. & Webber, P. B. (2010). An Introduction to Theory and Reasoning in Nursing (3rd Edition). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippencott, Williams & Wilkins. Michalis, R. (2 002). Nursing as an art. ICUs and Nursing Web Journal, 9. Tourville, C. & Ingalls, K. (2003). The living tree of nursing theories. Nursing Forum. 38(2), 21-36. Zander, P. E. (2007). Ways of knowing in nursing: The historical evolution of the concept. Journal of Theory Construction and Testing, 11(1), 7-11.