European History, The French Revolution Personal Statement

European History, The French Revolution - Personal Statement Example At times it also appeared that the royal family's lavish spending was unsustainable. The sources of tax collection were also not adequate and efficient as the since many people like us (the nobles) and the clergy paid almost no tax and the peasants, who were already poor, were levied with much burden of tax and thus resulting into inequalities. The chargeable tax also varied from region to region. The rising prices of food compelled the middle class to lose faith in the government. Other irregularities like the persecution of religious minorities and the state intervention in personal lives also annoyed the public. The people became increasingly dissatisfied with the monarchy. The antiquated legal system only added to the woes of the people with the government becoming synonymous with corruption and inefficiency. Earlier it was not so but now the king had a very autocratic and absolute behavior. The parlement had many times opposed the king's action feeling that traditional rights and liberties of the people were threatened. However, I always felt that the king was well intentioned because he made many attempts to restore normalcy since the time he was enthroned. In the mid 70s he had appointed Turgot as chief finance minister to take care of the worsening situation.

Pearl harbor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pearl harbor - Essay Example In 1940, the United States of America stopped the export of all aviation fuel, scrap iron, and other military imperative supplies to Japan. This was an effort to stop Japan’s interference in Southwest Asia without war. In fact, the United States never intended to declare war at all, and was looking for more peaceful solutions. Japan, however, refused to back down. In the summer of 1941, the United States, Netherlands, and Britain joined in a combined effort to freeze Japan’s assets. This was done in order to prevent the purchase of oil. The United States also moved their Pearl Harbor base to Hawaii, from San Diego. Feeling pressured by the demands of the United States, Japan’s military force felt that the movement of Pearl Harbor from San Diego to Hawaii was a threat to their expansion throughout Asia and the Pacific. With no settlements made on either side, the decision was made by Japan to attack the base in Pearl Harbor. Two centuries of tension between two countries, and a lack of communication, were the main reasons why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Neither side had the communication technology that we have today, and so telegrams and messages were understandably delayed. The result was a catastrophic attack that Japan felt was in their right. To this day there are still numerous other theories as to why the attack on Pearl Harbor took place, and hundreds of years from now there will likely still be

Good Governance Principles

Good Governance Principles Governance is the deliberate and conscious management of regime structures for enhancing the public realm.Governance can be viewed from social, political and economic perspectives. Indeed, good governance is pivotal to the development process.Development linked governance has been an issue much debated in the contemporary world. The term governance has taken a much wider meaning and is no longer restricted to rule or administration but is used in a broader sense to imply the manner in which power is exercised. Since power can be exercised in any manner as desired, certain principles would be required in order to judge whether the discourse of the power has been made as per certain standards and norms. Such judgment can be based on several criteria participation of citizens, upholding the rule of law, transparency of the system, responsiveness of the authority, consensus oriented policy, equity and inclusiveness of the policy, accountability of the system, strategic vision of the aut hority, etc. At the end of the Cold War era, the term good governance came into circulation which signified the prescriptions by donor agencies for carrying out economic and political reforms by the recipient countries. These prescriptions were presented by international donor agencies as conditionalities and were expected to be met with compliance.  [4]   The World Bank defines good governance as ..the one epitomized by predictable, open, and enlightened policy-making, a bureaucracy imbued with a professional ethos acting in furtherance of the public good, the rule of law, transparent processes, and a strong civil society participating in public affairs. Poor governance (on the other hand) is characterized by arbitrary policy making, unaccountable bureaucracies, un-enforced or unjust legal systems, the abuse of executive power, a civil society unengaged in public life and widespread corruption.  [5]   The Government of Maharashtra Report on Good Governance sought to elucidate on the concept of good governance.  [6]  At the outset in the Mission Statement of the report, it clarified that the concept of good governance was much larger than mere administrative reforms as understood in the conventional sense of the term as it covered more ground and substance. Good governance has much to do with the ethical grounding of governance and therefore must be evaluated with reference to specific norms and objectives as may be laid down. Apart from looking at the functioning of the given segment of the society from the point of view of its acknowledged stakeholders and beneficiaries and customers and incorporating these perspectives in the course of its actions, it must have firm moorings to certain moral values and principles. As a concept, good governance applies to various and distinct sections of the society; the government, legislature, judiciary, the media, the private sector, the corporate sector, the co-operatives, societies, trusts, organizations and even non-governmental organizations.  [7]  After all, public accountability and transparency are equally relevant for each one of these institutions on which the society derives pillar-strength. Furthermore, only when all these and various other sections of the society conduct their affairs in a socially responsible manner can the objective of achieving larger good for the largest number of people in the society be realized. It must also be mentioned that the foremost test of good governance is the respect for the rule of law. As the often quoted saying goes, the law is supreme and above all its subjects. Governance must always be based on rule of law. Every lawfully established government must govern according to the laws of the land and all its actions must uphold the rule of law and any effort to take the law in ones own hand or to undermine the law by anyone, howsoever high and mighty he may be, must be dealt with speedily, decisively and in an exemplary manner. The Report goes on to observe that it is a matter of great concern that despite over five decades of Independence, it cannot be said with conviction that our governance is based on the rule of law. CHAPTER 2: PRINCIPLES OF GOOD GOVERNANCE 2.1 Principles of Good Governance The pillars of governance include accountability, transparency, predictability and participation these are universally applicable regardless of economic orientation, strategic priorities, or policy choices of the government in question. However, there application must be country-specific and purely based on the economic, social and administrative capacity of the country. The universally accepted characteristics of good governance include participation, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, equity, inclusiveness, effectiveness, efficiency and accountability.  [8]   The following text shall cover the principles which may be considered as the key principles of good governance in the opinion of the researcher. These key elements have been listed out by the researcher based on their relevance and contribution towards establishing an efficient and objective driven governing authority, covering socio-political and economic considerations. The determinative role that these principles play are supported by the various texts of international governing authorities, like the United Nations, as well as the emphasis laid upon them by the Constitutions of various countries including India. Therefore, these principles are covered not only by hard-law provisions, i.e. legislations, treaties, etc. which make the compliance to such principles mandatory, but also soft-law provisions, i.e. declarations, policies outlining desirable targets, etc. which reflect the consensus of countries and their convergence in thought process vis-à  -vis these principles. (1) Free and Fair Elections Since good governance emphasizes on the significance attached to the right people being involved in the decision making process, a democratic setup where the representatives of the people are in control of the power, ensured by free and fair elections, holds importance towards ensuring good governance. Free and fair elections ensure that the citizens are able to exercise their right to elect their leaders and hence participate in voicing their interests through these leaders. However, such an election process must be free and fair, where the voters have a choice amongst the candidates and the right to the relevant information concerning the candidates in order to elect the leader who according to them could best serve the government. Such elections are open to all persons without discriminating on sex, race or ethnicity and are without interference or coercion by the government.. The right to vote is a constitutionally safeguarded right and is the cornerstone of a democratic society. However, other factors which discussed below are essential to ensure that elections are a means to a democratic society, and not an end by themselves.  [9]   (2) Independent Judiciary The Rule of Law A crucial aspect of the constitutional mechanism is a system of checks and balances that is imposed upon the different organs of the State. While power is granted to the government, its use is overlooked and kept within acceptable limits by the constitutional limits like periodic elections, guarantees of rights, and an independent judiciary which permits the citizens to seek protection of their rights and redress against government actions. In this way, one branch of the government is able to provide accountability for the actions of another. The value attached to an independent judiciary cannot be neglected due to its role in preserving the rule of law.  [10]  The rule of law binds the branches of the government together. It also lays the foundation for the sound establishment of the healthy economic, social and political life. The Courts must uphold the rule of law in the State, fairly and without discrimination, providing equal protection for women and minorities and allow open and fair access to judicial and administrative systems. Political or civil rights must not be denied by reasons of sex, race or ethnicity. Justice should be available for all sections of the society. Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of the minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force.  [11]   (3) Freedom of Speech Press To function efficiently, a democratic society based on justice must not restrict the free exchange of ideas and information. To achieve this, free and open press and the freedoms of speech and expression are constitutionally safeguarded rights as well to cultivate effective governance. We live in an information driven society, and the access to information provides a vital tool to the public to make informed choices regarding their day to day lives and enables them to participate in the governance process. Such freedoms also serve as a check on the accountability for the government and lets the citizens redress the government for its actions. It facilitates the exchange of political discourse, creating a marketplace of ideas where no view is stifled and the best are chosen.  [12]   (4) Elimination of Corruption Good governance also translates into the elimination of corruption to preserve the integrity of democracy. Governments must strive to rid themselves of bribery as corruption damages economic development and reform, and is an obstacle as far as the ability of developing countries to attract foreign investment is concerned while also hindering the growth of democratic institutions, and concentrating power in the hands of a few. The best way to combat corruption is for governments to be open and transparent. While in certain cases governments have a responsibility to retain secrecy and confidentiality, democratic governments must be sensitive to the citizens right to know. Strong laws against corruption and the presence of law enforcement agencies that work against corruption demonstrate a governments commitment to this principle.  [13]   (5) Investment in People Reaping maximum benefit and managing the limited resources before the country is a task which must be performed by the administration. While following good governance practices, the government must invest in the people to cultivate a human resource base. This means that ample resources must be devoted to preserve the welfare of the citizens, without discrimination, and provide health care, education, etc., and an environment where political, economic and social well being, peace and justice can be achieved.  [14]   (6) Legitimacy Voice All citizens, men and women, must have a voice in the decision making process in good governance compliant State. This may be direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions. Such broad participation is made possible by the freedom of association and expression. Of the principles enumerated thus far, the principle of legitimacy and voice has the strongest claim to universal recognition based on over a half century of United Nations accomplishments in the field of human rights.  [15]  Another facet of good governance is the intention to act on consensus and not on the will of a few, whether strong or weak. This mediates the differing interests to reach a broad consensus on what is in the best interest of the entire society. A long term perspective giving due regard to the holistic effect on the society must be undertaken before the governing authority envisages on a path and focus on sustainable human development. This may include better understanding the historical, cultur al and social contexts of the given society.  [16]   (7) Direction The leaders in particular and the public in general should have a broad and long term perspective on good governance and human development, accompanied with a strong sense of the historical, cultural and social complexities in which that perspective is grounded.  [17]   The leaders and the public should have a broad and long-term perspective on good governance and human development, along with a sense of what is needed for such development. There is also an understanding of the historical, cultural and social complexities in which that perspective is grounded. Governance is thus a checklist of criteria of managing public affairs. As Lewis T. Preston, the World Bank president, categorically stated in hi foreword to Governance and Development, Good governance is an essential complement to sound economic policies. Efficient and accountable management by the public sector and a predictable and transparent policy framework are critical to the efficiency of markets and governments, and hence to economic development.  [18]   (8) Performance Orientation While good governance necessitates the consideration of several other factors, achieving the targets set forth by the government cannot be overlooked. These institutions and processes must attempt to serve all the stakeholders, and produce results that meet the needs while making the best use of the resources.  [19]  The work should always be oriented towards achieving optimal performance. Performance can be divided into two categories responsiveness of the government, and the effectiveness and efficiency of the government. Good governance calls for serving of the stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe which would ensure trust and acceptance of the public. Responsiveness of the government can only be tested if there exists meaningful and serious civil society engagement in the public affairs of the State.  [20]  The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protections of the environment. (9) Accountability Information is also associated with the power government exercises. By restricting information, people within government become more powerful that those who are without it. Thus, demand for transparency and information is also about sharing of power. It is possible to misuse power when it is concentrated rather than when it is shared among a broader stream of people. As information grows, the arbitrariness of government tends to reduce.  [21]   Good governance entails the accountability of those who have been entrusted with certain duties and powers. Since the public participates in the decision making through the elected representatives and through the appointed decision makers, these decision makers are accountable to the public for the use of their powers. The level of this accountability may however differ in accordance with the organization in question and the nature of the decision. The private sector and civil society organizations must also be held accountable to the public and their institutional stakeholders. In general, an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions.  [22]   Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law. Transparency refers to the taking decisions and enforcing them in accordance with rules and regulations and making the information with regard to such actions accessible for scrutiny by those the decisions affect. In simplistic terms, it means also that sufficient information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and mediums.  [23]  Transparency depends on the building of a free flow of information. Processes, institutions and information are directly made accessible to those concerned with them and enough information is provided to understand and monitor them.  [24]   (10) Fairness There must prevail a sense of fairness emanating from the decisions of the governing body. The members of the society should feel as equal participants in the society. All persons should be regarded as equals, and certain rights which are considered inalienable to humans must be respected. Discrimination of any kind such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, etc. must not be condoned. Equal opportunity must be given to everyone to improve or maintain their well being. At the same time, certain protected sections of the society must be given special attention if there exists a need for the government to help alleviate their economic, social or political standing. CHAPTER 3 Good Governance in the Indian Context Life of the law is not logic, but experience.  [25]   2.1 Good Governance: Recent Initiatives The pre dominant theme in contemporary debate over administrative reforms in India has been the target of achieving objectives under a regime of good governance. This implies a broader outlook towards management of such matters without exclusively restricting it to public administration. It is suggested that this idea stems from the concept of liberalization which places the individual over collective preferences, and the State shrinks to give place to the market that demands economic efficiency.  [26]   The contemporary efforts towards administrative reforms are not directed against an autonomous State, but instead a bureaucracy that is coming to grips with the changing role of the State. The bureaucracy is itself under an attack; on account of its inefficiency and also because of its association with a political system which has failed to perform, a system which deprived the citizens of their legitimate rights in decision making for far too long.  [27]  Another striking feature of these reforms is their tendency to be more ideologically oriented than before. This context must therefore be kept in mind while debating over the reform initiatives in recent times. The change in the context is primarily seen as an induced effect of the demand generated by the peoples struggle to make the government accountable. It is a change spearheaded by the efforts of the people. It is not a deliberate attempt by a benevolent government to come clean. Kuldeep Mathur makes an interesting observation that the government while reacting to this demand raised by the people has in fact met with resistance from within its own members.  [28]   The Conference of Chief Secretaries on effective and responsive administration in November 1996 gave birth to certain recommendations which were later converted into an Action Plan by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, which also included brainstorming by the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary, Chief Ministers and the Chief Secretaries. The Action Plan intends to introduce accountable administration which is effective and speedy in redressing public grievances, empowerment of local bodies, decentralized delivery system, review of laws, transparency and the right to information, code of ethics for civil servants, anti-corruption policies, etc. The central idea behind the action plan seems to be efficiency.  [29]   The Central Government had setup the Working Group on Right to Information and Promotion of Open and Transparent Government in 1997, which observed democracy means choice and a sound and informed choice is possible only on the basis of knowledge. It went on to argue that transparency and openness in the functioning of the government shall have a cleansing effect on the operations of public agencies and approvingly quoted the saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant.  [30]   In May 1997, at the Conference of Chief Ministers, transparency in the government was discussed and a statement issues which provided for an Action Plan for Effective and Responsive government at the Central and State levels, while conceding that the secrecy and lack of openness in transactions had led to widespread corruption. The statement attracted much praise also because it set upon the government 3 months time to ensure easy access to information for the people vis-à  -vis information relating to government activities and decisions, except information which was sensitive in nature. Soon thereafter, political events took over and no progress was made for nearly a decade, much over the 3 month deadline that had been set.  [31]   While the Right to Information Act was introduced in 2005, continuous efforts are underway to introduce more accountability and transparency in the system. While most of the principles of good governance are found in the Indian legal framework in the form of constitutionally guaranteed safeguards, the governance needs to involve the civil society more actively in the decision making and establish the norms of redressal. The lack of transparency, prevalence of corruption, inefficient working and lack of responsiveness continue to be the grey areas. 2.2 Conclusion As a developing country emerging as an economic superpower, India needs to get its act right. Without certain optimum standards of efficiency, the principles of good governance cannot be attained. The peoples movement demanding good governance in India co-relates to the growing unrest in the civil society frustrated with the inefficiency and the opaqueness in the system. The only solution was to re-invent the government, and thus started a chain of events which included the passing of the Right to Information Act as recently as 2005. With the Indian economys growth story making headlines, the country has awakened to the need of the hour on its path to development. The insistence of international institutions like the World Bank that developing countries comply with the principles of good governance has only worked to Indias advantage. While some progress has been made, a lot more still needs to be done. Imbibing the principles of good governance shall ensure that India continues to march towards development, while effectively managing its resources and providing the socio-politico-economic rights that the citizens of this country are entitled to. However, just how effective this approach proves to be shall be determined by the response of the civil society which started this reform movement. CHAPTER 3 CONCLUSION The study of governance opens up new avenues it enables us to wander into intellectual space where we can search for solutions to the problems that have haunted us for far too long. The primary objective of governance is to discuss the role of the government in coping with the public issues and to tackle the myriad predicaments and difficulties that arise from these transactions. It teaches us that means must not be the ends, and both the means and the ends must be duly understood. The study of governance also enables us to effectively factor in the role that must be played by the other players in the arena of governance the role that must be played by the civil society groups and institutions. Governance is an exercise of economic, political and administrative authority for efficiently managing a countrys affairs, at both micro and macro levels, which includes the mechanisms, processes and institutions through which the citizens and civil society groups are able to communicate their interests, make use of their constitutional and legal rights besides meeting their obligations and mediating their differences.  [32]  It is not only desirable, but imperative that governance for development be accountable, participatory, responsive, effective and efficient for promoting the rule of law, safeguarding the interests of citizens and marching towards a holistic development. The principles of good governance are a set of principles which have gained popularity in an almost dogmatic sense. The universal applicability and acceptance of these principles have seen their application reach a new height and there is now a global pressure to conform to these common minimum standards of governance. These principles envisage a model of governance on which the developing countries, which are fast realizing the link between development and efficient governance, seek to fashion their governance on. The driving force behind this changing scenario have been the international institutions pressing for compliance, and the rising peoples movements demanding their legitimate rights to competent governance in an accountable manner. There is a growing sentiment that the convergence over these principles will result in the governments rising above the challenges before them. At the same time, there is caution in the wind. These principles must not be followed as diktats. Their application must be tailored to the specific needs of governance, sensitizing them to the local conditions. This is on account of the socio-politico-economic values that are affected by these principles. Their introduction as a localized experience prevents the alienation of the very people who must reap benefits. Practicing these principles of good and just governance results in a free and open society where people can pursue their hopes and dreams in a healthy and conducive environment. Moreover, robust and open economies would follow which can be trusted by the investors and financial institutions alike, and development shall flourish. It is a matter of strengthening what our Constitution endeavored to provide us. Respecting the human rights; a fruitful partnership between the government and the civil society; efficiency, accountability and transparency in the machinery; performance orientation with strategic vision; useful use of the human resource base and a strong and independent judiciary together they shall prove to be the desired shot in the arm for a re-invented and rejuvenated system of governance. The governance needs to be carried out in a manner that invokes trust and confidence, a manner which convinces the citizens the countrys biggest resources to come forward and fully par ticipate in an enterprise to secure the objectives of development and progress. In the light of what has been discussed above, with special focus on the realization to introduce changed governance practices and the increased restlessness amongst the people in India, it is almost as if a new governance philosophy has emerged. Unlike the traditional public administration systems that focused on bureaucracy and the delivery of public services, the governance model envisages public managers as entrepreneurs of a new, leaner and increasingly privatized government adapting to the practices and values of private businesses.  [33]  The mantra to be followed by the new governance model would be to transform civil services, underlining the reforms as means to (a) reorganize and downsize the government, (b) set-up a performance based organization, (c) adopt private sector management practices and (d) promote customer-orientation of administration.  [34]   For the developing world which is in the grip of serious debt crisis, the World Banks good governance solution with its accompanying micro and macro-accountability formula hold much promise. Institutional capacity building has been the central point of discussion and promotion of sound development management by removing, as far as possible, the possibilities of capture of benefits by the socially powerful is underway.  [35]   There is today an increasing pressure on our political system and the administrative apparatus generated by civil society organizations to share information and make the process of decision-making transparent. There is a shift towards responsive governance. This can be made practically feasible only if the mindset of the politicians and the bureaucrats undergoes a change, and they are receptive to the initiative of sharing information as well as power with the people.  [36]  

Ben Franklin Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A Universal Man When one takes a look at the world in which he currently lives, he sees it as being normal since it is so slow in changing. When an historian looks at the present, he sees the effects of many events and many profound people. Benjamin Franklin is one of these people. His participation in so many different fields changed the world immensely. He was a noted politician as well as respected scholar. He was an important inventor and scientist. Particularly interesting is his impact on the scientific world. Benjamin Franklin was a modest man who had had many jobs in his lifetime. This may help explain his large array of inventions and new methods of working various jobs. He did everything from making cabbage-growing more efficient to making political decisions to being the first person to study and chart the Gulf Stream movement in the Atlantic Ocean. This can explain why many people, including myself, saw him as a universal man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The definition of a universal man is one who knows a little on ...

Spread of Buddhism in China

During the spread of Buddhism in china, three popular views were that the spreading of Buddhism should be stopped, society benefited from it, and it was the way of salvation (afterlife). One of the responses to the spread of Buddhism was that it should be stopped. Many officials believed that Buddhism was harmful to china because Buddhism was discordant with the already established Chinese traditions, culture, and aristocracy.The leading scholar and official at the Tang imperial court, Han Yu, writes to his leader (document ) â€Å"Your servant begs leave to say that Buddhism is no more than a cult of the barbarian people spread to china†¦ The Buddha was a man of the barbarians who did not speak Chinese†¦ your servant is deeply ashamed and begs that this bone from the Buddha be given to the proper authorities to be cast into fire and water, that this evil be rooted out, and later generations spared this delusion. Han Yu was a Confucian scholar, so it is no surprise that he is opposed to Buddhism which clashes with Confucianism in many aspects including how Confucianism promotes one fulfilling his duties to his lord and country, where as Buddhism promotes detachment to avoid sorrow.The Tang Emperor Wu wrote (document 6) â€Å"Buddhism has transmitted its strange ways and has spread like a luxuriant vine until it has poisoned the customs of our nation†¦ Buddhism wears out the people’s strength, pilfers their wealth, causes people to abandon their lords and parents for the company of teachers, and severs man and wife with its monastic decrees†¦ Having thoroughly examined all earlier reports and consulted public opinion on all sides, there no longer remains the slightest doubt in our mind that this evil should be eradicated. . Emperor Wu did not want the spread of Buddhism to continue because it advocates one to focus on reaching nirvana, and in order to reach nirvana people would join monasteries and â€Å"abandon their lords and pare nts for the company of teachers. † Obviously any leader such as Wu would not want his subjects to stop contributing to the country and focus on reaching enlightenment. This explains why he would write in opposition of the spread of Buddhism. Another response was that the spread of Buddhism was good for both the community and society.A leading Buddhist scholar, Zong Mi, wrote (document 5) â€Å"Confucius, Laozi, and the Buddha were perfect sages†¦ All three teachings lead to the creation of an orderly society and for this they must be observed with respect. † This scholar and many others agree that Buddhism is good and that it contributes to an orderly society. One reason for this belief is that Buddhist try to achieve self-peace, and then become bodhisattvas and help others achieve nirvana.This document also shows us that Buddhism is in perfect harmony with the already existent philosophies, and that the three (Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism) come together to s upplement each other and together create a peaceful society. Zong Mi wrote in favor of Buddhism because of the fact that he is a Buddhist scholar and wanted others to see that Buddhism is good for the people as a whole. An Anonymous Chinese scholar wrote (document 3) â€Å"To compare the sages to the Buddha would be like comparing a white deer to a unicorn or a swallow to a phoenix†¦ The [Buddhist] monk practices the Way and substitutes that for worldly pleasures.He accumulates goodness. † Through the tone of the anonymous scholar, it seems evident that he reveres the Buddhist to be peaceful and of good-natured. The author wrote this in response to a few proposed problems, and he showed that the supposed â€Å"negatives† are not bad at all, but simply misunderstandings of the goods of Buddhism. The third response was that because of the spread of Buddhism many more people would be able to reach nirvana and get away from sorrow.In the first sermon preached, Buddha said (document 1) â€Å"The first Noble Truth is the truth of sorrow. Birth is sorrow, age is sorrow, disease is sorrow, death is sorrow, contact with the unpleasant is sorrow, separation from the pleasant is sorrow, and every wish unfilled is sorrow. The second Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of the Arising of Sorrow: it arises from craving, which leads to rebirth, which brings delight and passion, and seeks pleasure. The third Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of Sorrow.It is the complete stopping of that craving, so that no passion remains, leaving it, being emancipated from it, being released from it, giving no place to it. The fourth Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of the Way that Leads to the Stopping of Sorrow. † By acknowledging the four noble truths and then following the eightfold path, one is able to reach nirvana. Because these are the words of the creator of the Buddhism philosophy, it is clear to see that he is trying to show that through Buddhism, one can find peace from within.A Chinese scholar, Zhi Dun, wrote (document 2) â€Å"whosoever serves the Buddha and correctly observes the commandments, recites the Buddhist scriptures, and furthermore makes a vow to be reborn without ever abandoning his sincere intention, will at the end of his life be miraculously transported thither. He will behold the Buddha and be enlightened in his spirit, and then he will enter nirvana. † The Author wrote this when northern china was invaded by central Asian steppe nomads, and his tone is very optimistic.A possible reason for this him writing this with such hope is that during a time of unrest he was able to achieve partial or complete peace through Buddhism, and thus he is writing this to encourage others to follow Buddhism and obtain peace as he did. It would have been helpful for a map of how Buddhism spread into/around china or a map of the percentage of Buddhist every 10 years. This would have helped because one would have been able to see what are as were affected first and what areas were affected the most. From that, one would better be able to better comprehend the differences in responses to the spread of Buddhism.

Corona Beer

Grupo Modelo S. A. de C. V. was formed in 1992, and opened its first brewery in 1925. It’s Mexico’s largest beer producer and distributor. Among the company’s many brands was Corona Extra, which had been the world’s fourth best selling beer in terms of volume. Under the operational direction of Diez, Modelo started producing Corona in clear quarter bottles in response to consumers’ preference for clear glasses. It became the strength and let it become popular. What’s more, Modelo bought the brands and assets of Toluca Mexico Brewery as well as the country’s oldest established brand of beer, Victoria.It led the company to have a strong growth. At this moment, the opportunity was that most local competitors were selling beer to the American army for WWII, so Modelo aimed to concentrate domestic market and improve distribution methods and production facilities within Mexico. Another economic factor was Mexico became industrialized, and it ’s infrastructure allowed for large scale distribution. Because of the two factors, Modelo was successful to be a local leader. And Corona was listed on the Mexican Stock exchange in 1994.Mexico, the world’s 11th most populated country was one of the largest beer markets in the world and it’s also the birthplace of most affluent tequila. So there’s no doubt Modelo have lots of competitors, especially FEMSA. Though Modelo had built up a strategic alliance with Anheuser-Busch to broaden its international impact, FEMSA was distributing Coca-Cola products in Mexico and had a partnership with Heineken—Modelo’s international competitor to attack the U. S. Market. Heineken planned to be the market leader in US through aggressive campaign.So Modelo made efforts to be more competitive. According to Modelo’s expanding abroad, Corona distributed by Amalgamated Distillery Products Inc, and because of its unique products, it had become the second most popular imported beer in United States. Then, a political problem—coupled with federal excise tax on beer made Corona’s distributors absorb the tax rather than pass it on to consumers. However, it turned to be Corona’s strength that the sales increased ever since and Modelo also took advantages of NATFA environment.As a result, Modelo was exporting five kinds of beer to United States and three brands ranked among eight first. Since its entrance into the American beer market, Corona had built a market campaign around the idea of â€Å"fun in the sun. † It’s a brilliant and unique market campaign. It was born out of Modelo’s international expansion strategy of giving autonomous control to experienced, local distributors. It targeted on women and party scenes. Then Corona was able to get the non-beer-drinking population to drink beer by its unobtrusive and bland taste.Furthermore, with its advertising slogan, it built strong images of esca pe, enjoyment and relaxation successfully. However, Modelo were still facing challenges. Though FEMSA did not experience the same in the international arena as Modelo, it is the exclusive distributors of Coca-Cola and Central America. Though Corona surpassed Heineken as Ameriaca’s top imported beer, but it’s because the failure that Heineken always advertising for the superior quality ,with little attention devoted to any other aspect of its brand.So Medelo had to face its new status to make its success story a sustainable one. To conclude, for Modelo, it’s strengths are 1) Mexico’s largest beer producer and distributor 2) Corona Extra had been the world’s fourth best selling beer in volume 3)Top imported beer in US 4) Distributors absorb the tax rather than pass it on to consumers 5) Brilliant market champaign 6) Strong brand image. It’s weaknesses are 1) Lack of merger with other companies 2) Lack of partners. For the direct environment, i t targeted those non beer drinking people especially women.Modelo’s direct competitor in Mexico is FEMSA. It’s the distributor of Coca-Cola and Central America and it has high quality and have a partnership with Heineken to attack the US market. The international competitor is Heineken. It’s main importer in US and it planned to be the market leader through market campaigns. For the global environment, the political factors are 1)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) environment. 2) Federal excise tax —-absorb the tax rather than pass it on to customers. The economical factor is Mexico is the world’s 11th most populated country.The social factors are 1)Mexico is the birthplace and still home of the most affluent tequila market. 2) It targeted non beer drinking population especially women. The technology factor is the advertising style and the legal factors are laws and regulations of alcohol. Above all, Modelo can focus on advertising more to increase the number of non beer drinking consumers and develop more customers to establish a supply chain to make products available in more places. What’s more, Modelo can also expand its international market not only in US and Europe but in Asia.

Dale Earnhardt essays

Dale Earnhardt essays B. He was inspired from his fathers car racing and wanted to be a mechanic like his father. 1. Fathers name Ralph Earnhadt. 2. Being a mechanic like his father. 2. while working on his car at a racetrack. 1. began racing cars at age of 15. G. lived his final moments on the track as well. 1. died on February 18, 2001 on last lap and last turn of 1.debuted in the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 2. drove for Rod Osterlund and finished forth while fosterlings regular driver, Dave Marcis, finished one place above Dale. 3. left Osterlunds team that season. 4. was offered fulltime Winston Cup contract for 1979by Osterlund. 2. finished in top 5 races and won over $200,000. 3. was named NASCAR s Rookie for 1979. 1. added another record when he beat Cale Yarborough. b. Won the Winston Cup championship 2. went to win another year of Rookie ...

Hammarubi essays

Hammarubi essays King Hammurabi lived from approximately 1850-1750 B.C.E., during which time he ruled Babylonia for forty-three years. Sometime during his reign, the king created a code of laws called Hammurabis code. The code consists of laws dealing with family, property, women, slaves, and many other things. While King Hammurabi created rules for his people, the Hebrew God also created rules for his people. God gave Moses a series of laws dealing with many issues including family, property, and slaves. Even though the Babylonian and Jewish laws came from different rulers during different times, they seem to be similar in many ways. The Babylonians believed in many gods and the idea that these gods would take care of them and provide leaders for them. King Hammurabi was one of these appointed leaders. Hammurabi said that his job was, to cause righteousness to prevail in the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil, to prevent the strong from plundering the weak. Hammurabi was a just and effective ruler who left behind one of the earliest known collection of laws. While Hammurabis code does not cover the aspects of courts and procedures, it does offer a look into Babylonian culture and what was important to them. While Babylonians believed in many gods and a king who gave them their laws, the Jews believed in one God who gave them their laws. The Jewish people lived in the eastern Mediterranean area starting around 1200 B.C.E. Instead of a belief in many gods, they Stressed complete submission to the laws and commands of their omnipotent and omnipresent God, a deity whom Hebrews perceived as outside of nature and comprehensible in intellectual and abstract term, the religion focused on Gods covenant with the Hebrews and the history of their special relationship. As lawgiver and universal upholder of moral order, God is depicted in the Holy Writ of Israel as beneficent and loving but also as a stern and vengeful ...

The History of Cable Cars and Electric Streetcars

The History of Cable Cars and Electric Streetcars San Franciscan Andrew Smith Hallidie patented the first cable car on January 17, 1861, sparing many horses the excruciating work of moving people up the citys steep roadways. Using metal ropes he had patented, Hallidie devised a mechanism by which cars were drawn by an endless cable running in a slot between the rails which passed over a steam-driven shaft in the powerhouse. The First Cable Railway After gathering financial backing, Hallidie and his associates constructed the first cable railway. The track ran from the intersection of Clay and Kearny Streets along 2,800 feet of track to the crest of a hill 307 feet above the starting point. At 5:00 on the morning of August 1, 1873, a few nervous men climbed aboard the cable car as it stood on the hilltop. With Hallidie at the controls, the car descended and arrived safely at the bottom. Given San Franciscos steep terrain, the cable car came to define the city. Writing in 1888, Harriet Harper declared: If anyone should ask me what I consider the most distinctive, progressive feature of California, I should answer promptly: its cable car system. And it is not alone its system which seems to have reached a point of perfection, but the amazing length of the ride that is given you for the chink of a nickel. I have circled this city of San Francisco, I have gone the length of three separate cable lines (by means of the proper transfers) for this smallest of Southern coins. The success of the San Francisco line led to the expansion of that system and the introduction of street railways in many other cities. Most U.S. municipalities had abandoned horse-drawn cars for electrically powered cars by the 1920s. The Omnibus The first mass transportation vehicle in America was an omnibus. It looked like a stagecoach and was pulled by horses. The first omnibus to operate in America began running up and down Broadway in New York City in 1827. It was owned by Abraham Brower, who also helped organize the first fire department in New York. There had long been horse-drawn carriages in America to take people where they wanted to go. What was new and different about the omnibus was that it ran along a certain designated route and charged a very low fare. People who wanted to get on would wave their hands in the air. The driver sat on a bench on top of the omnibus at the front, like a stagecoach driver. When people who were riding inside wanted to get off the omnibus, they pulled on a little leather strap. The leather strap was connected to the ankle of the person who was driving the omnibus. Horse-drawn omnibuses ran in America cities from 1826 until about 1905. The Streetcar The streetcar was the first important improvement over the omnibus. The first streetcars were also pulled by horses, but the streetcars rolled along special steel rails that were placed in the middle of the roadway instead of traveling along regular streets. The wheels of the streetcar were also made of steel, carefully manufactured in such a way so they would not roll off the rails. A horse-drawn streetcar was much more comfortable than an omnibus, and a single horse could pull a streetcar that was larger and carried more passengers. The first streetcar began service in 1832 and ran along Bowery Street in New York. It was owned John Mason, a wealthy banker, and built by John Stephenson, an Irishman.  Stephensons New York company would become the largest and most famous builder of horse-drawn streetcars. New Orleans became the second American city to offer streetcars in 1835. The typical American streetcar was operated by two crew members. One man, a driver, rode up front. His job was to drive the horse, controlled by a set of reigns. The driver also had a brake handle that he could use to stop the streetcar. When streetcars got bigger, sometimes two and three horses would be used to haul a single car. The second crew member was the conductor, who rode at the back of the car. His job was to help passengers get on and off the streetcar and to collect their fares. He gave the driver a signal when everyone was on board and it was safe to proceed, pulling on a rope that was attached to a bell that the driver could hear at the other end of the car.   Hallidie’s Cable Car The first major attempt to develop a machine that could replace horses on Americas streetcar lines was the cable car in 1873. Converting streetcar lines from horse cars to cable cars required digging a ditch between the rails and building a chamber under the track from one end of the line to the other. This chamber was called a vault. When the vault was finished, a small opening was left at the top. A long cable was placed inside the vault. The cable ran under city streets from one end of  the streetcar line to the other. The cable was spliced into a big loop and was kept moving by a huge steam engine with massive wheels and pulleys located in a powerhouse at the side of the street. The cable cars themselves were equipped with a device that extended down below the car into the vault and allowed the operator of the car to latch onto the moving cable when he wanted the car to go. He could release the cable when he wanted the car to stop. There were many pulleys and wheels inside the vault to make sure the cable was able to go around corners, as well as up and down hills. Although the first cable cars ran in San Francisco, the largest and busiest fleet of cable cars was in Chicago. Most large American cities had one or more cable car lines by 1890. Trolley Cars Frank Sprague  installed a complete system of electric streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, in 1888. This was the first large-scale and successful use of electricity to run a citys entire system of streetcars. Sprague was born in Connecticut in 1857. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1878 and began a career as a naval officer. He resigned from the navy in 1883 and went to work for Thomas Edison. Many cities turned to electric-powered streetcars after 1888. To get electricity to the streetcars from the powerhouse where it was generated, an overhead wire was installed over streets. A streetcar would touch this electric wire with a long pole on its roof. Back at the powerhouse, big steam engines would turn huge generators to produce the electricity needed to operate the streetcars. A new name was soon developed for streetcars powered by electricity: trolley cars.

Familial Duty and Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Familial Duty and Responsibility - Essay Example In the east, familial duty is extremely important. This duty creates a bond between family members that help create a strong society. One example of the loyalty is towards the elderly. Children feel a duty to care for elderly parents. Instead of placing their elderly in nursing homes or elderly retirement centers, it is common for three or four generations to live under one roof. This not only helps the elderly but the whole family unit. Both parents can work outside of the home, while grandparents can watch their grandchildren. This helps family finances by eliminating not only the cost of caring for an elderly parent outside the home but the cost of daycare as well. The advantages of having several generations in one house can benefit more than the family, but society as a whole. If grandparents are home when children go and come home from school, children are less likely to get into trouble. If a child does get into trouble, an adult is there to handle the problem. Teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol use, criminal activity, and other mischiefs would be controlled by a loving grandparent. Another example of how familial loyalty could benefit Americans would be in the marriage. In the east, duty comes first. Marriage is a duty. In America, many individuals do what makes them individually happy, not what makes others happy. Extramarital affairs and divorce are common. This breaks the familial unit. For Americans to embrace and benefit the eastern way of life, marriage would have to be taken more seriously. When an individual does what makes them happy, then others around them do the same. Americans have forgotten to treat people how they want to be treated. Why would children want to take care of parents that put them through messy divorces? Divorced parents do not understand why children grow up so bitter.  Ã‚  

Morality and the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Morality and the Media - Essay Example In other words, just as Thomas Jefferson said, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. The question is who gets to be in the place of the watchman. In Victor Clines essay, he approaches the topic of free speech in media, even when it crosses lines which are traditionally held by moral peoples, in a manner that attempts to strip the moral issues from the essential freedom of speech. Cline approaches the issue of free speech within the media, and the question of setting boundaries on this free speech when it crosses these accepted moral limits, as if the people themselves set the moral boundaries within which they define acceptability. The argument insists that if one group of people feels that this particular expression of pornography or violence is morally wrong, and therefore should warrant censorship, then another group should be able to choose that the same expression is acceptable, and allowable within the boundaries of free speech. And so the argument continues. Media producers have, in my opinion, been allowed to hide behind the veil of free speech by court decisions which have attempted to approach a moral issue from an amoral framework.

World Religions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

World Religions - Essay Example No less important difference between the two Christian denominations is relevant to the question of salvation. Protestants often say that faith is the primary and fundamental way for the salvation of man. Faith is the path that opens the way to the grace of God. Unlike Protestants, Catholics are inclined to say that despite the fact that faith is essential for salvation, it cannot be seen as the only way to salvation. In this respect, faith is not enough. Catholics consider â€Å"justification as a process, dependent on the grace you receive by participating in the Church --- which is seen as a repository of saving grace† (Rosario). As noted above, the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism are also manifested in the ritual area. In particular, the ritual of the Eucharist has a different interpretation in the denominations. Catholics insist on the doctrine of transubstantiation. According to this doctrine, the edible ritual elements used during the Eucharist should be seen as the literal embodiment of the body and blood of Christ. In turn, Protestants use the doctrine of consubstantiation, that is, they believe that the body and blood of Christ coexist along with the bread and the wine (Rosario). In comparison with the Protestants, Catholics give special importance to various saints, including the Virgin Mary. â€Å"Roman Catholics see veneration, not as praying to the Saints and the Virgin Mary, but as praying through them† (Rosario). Unlike Catholics, Protestants emphasize the direct communication with God.

Comparison of U.S. and Other Healthcare System Assignment

Comparison of U.S. and Other Healthcare System - Assignment Example Government provides insurance through Medicare and Medicaid. Private or government covers the cost of healthcare depending on individual plan. Despite provision of insurance by government and private sector, significant numbers of people in the U.S. remain uninsured. Riegelman and Kirkwood (2014, pp. 217-218) point out that close to 15% of the U.S. population do not have insurance. The study further reveals that, 20 million people in the U.S. will remain uninsured. The delivery services provided by the US healthcare system are dominated by private practice with close to 33% primary care physicians and 66% specialist. The healthcare system of other advanced countries such as Canada and the UK are a bit different. The state of Canada spends close to 10% of the gross domestic product, GDP financed by 30% individual private insurance and 70% government taxes. Canadian state provides insurances for critical and basic services. They are also subsidies services for poor individuals. The similarity between the US and Canadian healthcare system is that both are dominated by private practice. However, the Canadian system has a balance primary care physicians and specialist accounting to 50% each unlike the U.S. healthcare system indicated above (Riegelman & Kirkwood, 2014, p. 218). Canada healthcare system provides a wide range of insurance; both government and private insurance are accessible to the population. The government funds necessities in healthcare and preventive measures with the assurance that all individuals have access. Additionally, private insurers are not permitted by the government to provide insurance for basic medical services. The Canadian government subsidies insurance medical services such as homecare, long-term care and drugs. Private insurers are also allowed to insure such medical services. Additionally, the state keeps the cost down by negotiating the cost of bulk purchases of medical necessitates such as

OPM 300 MOD 1 CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OPM 300 MOD 1 CA - Essay Example Hard Rock Cafe applies this by constantly modifying and improving the products and services that they offer. They have changed their menus from simple ones to more high-end items. They have likewise added a new emphasis on live music and even maintain a popular website and a weekly cable television program on VH-1. Next, quality is constantly and strictly managed by Hard Rock as they do surveys on a regular basis to evaluate the quality of food and service at the cafe. Hard Rock also understands that process and capacity design is crucial so that they make sure that they use the right equipment and technology in their branches all over the world. Next is location selection decision. Since Hard Rock is located at Orlando Universal Studios which is a traditional tourist destination, their cafe is flocked by tourists and locals alike and they never run out of customers. They were also able to strategize the layout of the place carefully to accommodate the needs of their customers. When it comes to human resources and job design, Hard Rock employees are chosen so that they are not only competent in their job skills but are also passionate about music and have engaging personalities. This makes it even more pleasant for customers to frequent Hard Rock.

Yacht Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Yacht Management - Term Paper Example The management company also offers yacht laid out solutions to the owner.In this case, the yacht owner may approach another company in case the services provided do not satisfy him or her. Managing a yacht is not an easy task, the manager needs to be ready to face many challenges when managing the ship. The manager should understand that the management of a 2900 ton yacht incorporates several tasks. Yacht management is an important part of the management, in general; the yacht managers accept the commission given by the owners to engage in the overall act of managing the yacht. The yacht manager should comply with the technical management, crew management, and business management, yacht managers should understand that their jobs are based on the trust relationship. The managers of the yachts should always ensure that they satisfy the yacht owners and the customers by providing the highest quality, economic and environmental friendly management and operation and also safety. In order to ensure the best yacht management, the manager should adapt the best mechanisms of crew management for private yachts and passenger yachts and the full management. In order to ensure there is satisfaction of the consumers then the manager needs to preserve the yacht value. The manager must ensure the customers and the owners of the yacht receive services that are comprehensive, tailor-made and of the highest quality. The ship managers main tasks are to ensure there is continuous technical support from the staff, providing the best practices in terms of continuous improvement if procedures and all the activities. Interims of crew management, the manager, should ensure that the crew is the most important asset of the yacht and that they should ensure the yacht is safe, and the operations run smoothly. The main best mechanism that a manager can adapt to ensure the maintenance of

OPM 300 MOD 1 CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OPM 300 MOD 1 CA - Essay Example Hard Rock Cafe applies this by constantly modifying and improving the products and services that they offer. They have changed their menus from simple ones to more high-end items. They have likewise added a new emphasis on live music and even maintain a popular website and a weekly cable television program on VH-1. Next, quality is constantly and strictly managed by Hard Rock as they do surveys on a regular basis to evaluate the quality of food and service at the cafe. Hard Rock also understands that process and capacity design is crucial so that they make sure that they use the right equipment and technology in their branches all over the world. Next is location selection decision. Since Hard Rock is located at Orlando Universal Studios which is a traditional tourist destination, their cafe is flocked by tourists and locals alike and they never run out of customers. They were also able to strategize the layout of the place carefully to accommodate the needs of their customers. When it comes to human resources and job design, Hard Rock employees are chosen so that they are not only competent in their job skills but are also passionate about music and have engaging personalities. This makes it even more pleasant for customers to frequent Hard Rock.

Night and Singapore Essay Example for Free

Night and Singapore Essay The usual fays are over for me. No school, no study just play. But the next day was a dream going to become true. WE WERE GOING TO SINGAPORE just the next day. I got up early morning. We packed the things and went to the airport. In the airport and saw may types of people. We boarded our flight and went for Singapore. After reaching the airport we went to hotel exhausted and hungry when we reached we ate and slept had booked our flight to Mumbai international airport. I liked Singapore because the people are nice and the food is very nice and everything is green and very clean and they keep the streets clean and it’s safe to walk down them not like in my home when I lived in Hollywood where the streets have a lot of people who get sick and make a mess from either their mouths or they make BM’s and just leave it on the streets for everyone to walk by. Singapore is much cleaner than Hollywood. Here are some things I learned about Singapore: * Singapore has the highest per capita rate of millionaires in the world (approx 10%) * Singapore was originally a small fishing post until about 200 years ago, when Stanford Raffles and the British East India realized it was a very good place for a port town * Singapore means â€Å"Lion town† because an old Sultan said that he once saw a Lion there but since Lions don’t live anywhere Tigers live, everyone agrees that he either dreamed it or was a-lion about it! (That was a pun.) * In Singapore, you can go to the zoo at night on a â€Å"Night Safari† and see all the nocturnal animals, and it makes a lot of sense because normally when I go to the zoo in America all the animals are exhausted because it is hot and they always tell you â€Å"most of these animals don’t have sweat glands that’s why they play in the mud† which seems mean to keep them out all the time in the hot sun so kids can poke sticks at them and bang on the glass, but in Singapore, it is nighttime so the animals are all eating and moving around and this one animal called a â€Å"Tapir† came right up to the tram and I think it was because he liked how I smelled. All in all I highly recommend a trip to Singapore because it is awesome!!

Defining And Understanding Empowerment Social Work Essay

Defining And Understanding Empowerment Social Work Essay Empowerment can be defined in general as the capacity of individuals, groups and/or communities gain control of their circumstances and achieve their own goals, thereby being able to work towards helping themselves and others to maximise the quality of their lives. In health and social care empowerment means patients, carers and service users exercising choice and taking control of their lives. It is not that one is empowered means he or she become all powerful like God. Even if we are empowered still we have limitation. Actual meaning of empowerment is that one feels that he or she able and feels powerful enough in certain situations to take part in decision making. I also will explain how politics played a part in disempowering women in health and social care services. It is a greatest challenge in health and social care to achieve progress with the empowerment of carers and people who receive services. Beginnings of twentieth century women were disempowered because of politics played a part. Emancipation is a commonly used word in other western European countries to refer to what in the UK mean by empowerment. The word emancipation has is useful because it has overtones of the struggle for votes for women in Britain at the beginning of the twentieth century, so it reminds us that empowerment  Ã‚  in the health and social services has a political aspect. When carers and people who use services experience being disempowered and excluded, this is a form of political disenfranchisement. In other words, it is as though they have no vote and are not treated as full members of society. In contrast, when people become empowered, they can exercise choices and have the possibility of maximising their potential and living full and active lives.   There is a tension between enabling people to take control of their lives and recognising that workers may need to intervene and take control sometimes, in order to protect other people. This applies to both empowerment and advocacy. Empowerment for people with learning disabilities is the process by which they develop increased skills to take control of their lives. This will help them achieve goals and aspirations, maximising their quality of life. A key feature in empowering people is giving them a voice and actively listening to what they have to say. Empowerment is, therefore, closely linked to the concept of advocacy. Empowerment in learning disability can be described as a social process, whereby people who are considered as belonging to a stigmatised social group can be assisted to develop increased skills to take control of their lives. This increased control will help them to achieve their goals and aspirations and thus potentially maximise the quality of their lives. The concept has connections with assertiveness and independence and is clearly linked to the various forms of advocacy. When considering the current climate it is somewhat an indictment on our times that the Government sees the need to name the White Paper regarding its vision for learning disability services as Valuing People. The title alone inversely suggests that as a society we are not valuing people. The content presents the evidence on levels of exclusion, disempowerment and lack of valued social roles facing those with a learning disability and how services should be planned to address this. (A similar Scottish Executive Review of Learning Disability has the title The Same As You.) For the individual with a learning disability, the subjective experience of empowerment is about rights, choice and control which can lead them to a more autonomous lifestyle. For the professional, it is about anti-oppressive practice, balancing rights and responsibilities and supporting choice and empowerment whilst maintaining safe and ethical practice. Education is often seen as the main engine of empowerment, equality and rights of access. Thus, as a group, people with a learning disability can be at a particular disadvantage. They may have to be enabled and supported to perhaps overcome social obstacles and can be dependent on others to make important information accessible to them, assist them with advocacy and help safeguard their rights. A key feature in empowering individuals is giving them a voice and then listening actively to what they have got to say. Person Centred Planning with its focus on placing the individual at the centre of the process and using techniques to obtain meaningful participation can be a major contribution to finding out what people have got to say. Empowerment will bring along with it rights and responsibilities plus also potential risks for people. It is often the fear of physical risk which can inhibit empowerment processes for people who see themselves as responsible for vulnerable people. They may fear a blame culture if things go wrong. Surprisingly, as recently as 1998, the Social Services Inspectorate noted there were no systematic approaches for risk assessment and management in the field of learning disability. The Foundation for People with a Learning Disability set out to identify good practice in how to reconcile the tension between ensuring the safety of an individual with a learning disability and empowering them to enjoy a full life in the community. A report was produced called Empowerment and Protection (Alaszewski et al, 1999) which suggested that organisations needed to develop risk policies which embrace both protection and empowerment issues at the same point. The definition of risk should look at consequences and probability. Procedures should also include, from the start, the wishes and needs of the person who has the learning disability and involve them  throughout, including the decision making stage. Such comments about organisations developing appropriate risk strategies show that empowerment is not there just  as a concept for front line staff, but should penetrate the strategic planning levels. Valuing People states (Section 4.27) that people with a learning disability should be consulted for their views on services and these views utilised at a corporate planning level. In Mrs Ali case she is empowered by Muslim religious faith to take of her bed-bound husband although in contrast her care taker Jean believes that Mrs Ali should be empowered. This indicates religion also empower some people to take care vulnerable people.

The Allegory of the Cave and Dante Essay -- Plato Allegory Cave Dante

The Allegory of the Cave and Dante â€Å"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.† This maxim applies to the poet Dante Alighieri, writer of The Inferno in the 1300s, because it asserts the need to establish oneself as a contributor to society. Indeed, Dante’s work contributes much to Renaissance Italy as his work is the first of its scope and size to be written in the vernacular. Due to its readability and availability, The Inferno is a nationalistic symbol. With this widespread availability also comes a certain social responsibility; even though Dante’s audience would have been familiar with the religious dogma, he assumes the didactic role of illustrating his own version of Christian justice and emphasizes the need for a personal understanding of divine wisdom and contrapasso, the idea of the perfect punishment for the crime. Dante acts as both author and narrator, completing a physical and spiritual jou rney into the underworld with Virgil as his guide and mentor. The journey from darkness into light is an allegory full of symbolism, much like that of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, which shows a philosopher’s journey towards truth. Therefore, Dante would also agree with the maxim, â€Å"Wise men learn by others’ harms; fools scarcely by their own,† because on the road to gaining knowledge and spiritual enlightenment, characters who learn valuable lessons from the misfortunes of others strengthen their own paradigms. Nonetheless, the only true way to gain knowledge is to experience it first hand. Dante’s character finds truth by way of his own personal quest. Dante’s poetry is rich in symbolism of light and darkness. At the beginn... ...ards monstrous figures and sympathy towards those who seem to be tortured unjustly. In his perverse education, with instruction from Virgil and the shades, Dante learns to replace mercy with brutality, because sympathy in Hell condones sin and denies divine justice. The ancient philosopher Plato, present in the first level of Hell, argues in The Allegory of the Cave that truth is possible via knowledge of the Form of the Good. Similarly, Dante acquires truth through a gradual understanding of contrapasso and the recognition of divine justice in the afterlife. Ultimately, Dante recognizes that the actions of the earthly fresh are important because the soul lives on afterwards to face the ramifications. By expressing his ideas on morality and righteousness, Dante writes a work worth reading, immortalizes his name, and exalts the beliefs of his Christian audience.

Acid Rain 4 :: essays research papers

The Acid Rain Pain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With scientists and so-called â€Å"experts† on the environment disagreeing on so many issues, it is easy for the public to be lost in the fray of what is truth and what is media hype. Though the term â€Å"acid rain† has been present in our society since the early 1970’s, many people are not exactly clear on what it is what causes it, and the detrimental effects acid rain has on our environment. More confusing than all of the facts and scientific theories surrounding acid rain is the development of a suitable solution to reduce air pollution, which in turn leads to acid rain. Many experts do not agree that acid rain has in fact been caused by man made pollution because of the fact that rain is naturally acidic. This widespread disagreement delayed international action to reduce pollution for some time. However, with the coming of the 1970’s an awareness of acid rain spread, and with that awareness, possible solutions were proposed. The se solutions involved making environmental changes on the international, industrial, and personal levels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Just how does acid rain form, and what consequences does it pose to our environment? There are numerous theories as to the cause of acid rain. However, the most prevalent is the theory that electric generating plants, heating plants, and other industrial plants have been emitting an excess amount of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic chemicals (VOC’s) into the atmosphere. Once these chemicals are in the air, they react with water to form acids and fall back to the earth as precipitation. People who believe acid rain is a natural phenomenon do so because of the fact that carbon dioxide in the air combines with water vapor and produces carbonic acid (Bolch 95).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are several environmental risks that come with acid rain. One of these is the acidification of lakes, resulting in the lakes’ inability to sustain the aquatic life. In fact, Norway reported that 18,000 out of 85,000 of their lakes were acidified, and more than half of their fish population has disappeared (Brunee 23). Ground water can also become more acidic because of the way acid rain depletes the natural buffer system of the soil. Studies done in the early ‘70’s indicate immense damage done to the forests, especially in Eastern Europe and in Germany. A sort of â€Å"tree disease† has been destroying a large percentage of the coniferous trees.

Cola Wars: Porters 5 Forces

Michael Porter developed five different forces in a framework he felt influenced industries. This framework was designed to help companies find ways to off-set a rival company and to help develop a more solid business plan. It has been known over the years a rivalry has existed been two of the biggest soda companies, Coca Cola and Pepsi. Three of Porter’s forces that are exemplified in this â€Å"coke war† are buyer power, barriers to entry, and rivalry which will be explained and elaborated on in the following essay. Buyer PowerThe retailers have a low to moderate buyer power over the consumer soft drink industry, due to the producer’s ability to forward integrate, the sheer number of buyers, and the buyer’s ability to forward integrate. Buyer power is the degree of influence customers have on the producing agent. Soft drink companies such as Coca Cola and Pepsi have used forward integration to take over their channels of distribution. They created contra cts that gave them the ability to set concentrate prices for their bottlers; in turn bottlers would respond to price fulgurations by adjusting retail pricing.In 2000, when Coca Cola raised concentrate prices by 7. 6%, bottlers raised the retail prices by 6 to 7%. This demonstrates that buyers have limited control over the price changes. Coca Cola has also made great efforts to take over the bottling of their product, by establishing the independent subsidiary Coca Cola Enterprises. They began by acquiring bottlers to produce one third of their volume during 1986 which increased to 80% in 2004. This gave Coca Cola more control over retail pricing, and distribution of their products to retail stores.Since there are so many retail stores that carry products that consumer soft drink, CSD, companies make, it is hard for buyers to create a collaborative effort to resist price increases. Buyer power also suffers if retailers are fragmented and are not concentrated to a single type. Almost any type of store will carry a CSD product, which makes sales very spread out across the board. The different kinds of intermediaries involved in retail sales are Fountain and Vending machines, Super-markets, Convenience and Gas, Super Centers, Mass Retailers, and Club and Drug Stores.To put things in perspective 34 % of sales comes from Fountain and Vending, while 31% are from supermarkets. Fountain and Vending machines are mostly controlled by the CSD bottlers. Even though supermarkets may sell the second largest volume, CSD companies make up 5. 5% of their sales and also bring customers to their door. Not enough to convince you? Consider this: CSD companies such as Coca Cola produce a wide variety of products ranging from sports drinks to water, all the way to energy drinks. Coca Cola most likely will not sell a product to a supermarket unless they carry their full line of products.If the retail prices increase on the Coca Cola product they may have little control over resistance , because they rely on the other products they provide. Lastly, Coca Cola is considered the most valuable brand in the world, with 10 major successful brands and substantial power in the realm of business. Although Coca Cola may have a significant amount of power over their buyers, companies with much smaller market share, and product lines are taken advantage of by larger retailers. For example, mass merchandisers make up 14% of Pepsi’s total revenue, making that intermediary crucial to the company’s profitability.In some cases retailers do have power to resist price increases because they purchase a large number of outputs. Typically there are far more buyers than concentrate producers, which can give them leverage over smaller brands that rely on the sales they generate. Barriers to Entry When entering a market there are certain barriers that prevent a firm from becoming established, or gaining market share. In the consumer soft drink industry there are high capital requirements, unequal access to distribution channels, and brand loyalty which translates to high barriers to entry.In the text it states the price of a concentrate manufacturing plant is fairly reasonable. Manufacturing facilities cost around $25 million, and $50 million including machinery, overhead, and labor. For established companies with separate revenue streams, generating this kind of money could be fairly reasonable, especially since one of these plants can serve the entire country. Coca Cola and Pepsi operate around 100 plants each for adequate distribution of their product. New entrants would have a hard time investing enough capital that would be required to keep up with Coke and Pepsi’s istribution. Advertising and promotion costs are also high in 2004; Coca Cola spent $246,243 just on advertising their cola product. This shows that in order to compete in this industry, entrants are forced to spend large sums of money on advertising, packaging, proliferation, an d widespread retail price discounting. The high capital investment also translates to lowers profit margins, which makes entry even more unappealing. Another factor that creates a barrier to entry is the unequal access to distribution channels.Coke and Pepsi created agreements with their franchised bottlers that prevent them from handling competing brands of other concentrate producers. This prevents companies from entering an industry and using a Coca Cola bottler to get their product on the market. Also as Coca Cola and Pepsi grow in size so does the shelf space they require. As stated previously Coca Cola and Pepsi produce around 10 brands each, this constricts the amount of shelf space an entry producer will have access to. The top two cola companies have also made a significant amount of acquisitions, to boost the distribution of their products relative to their competitors.Coca Cola won 68% pouring rights against Pepsi’s 22% and Cadbury Schweppes 10%, across the United States. The reason Coca Cola has a majority of the pouring rights is because their agreements with Burger King and McDonalds, as well as their exclusive pouring rights and contracts around the world; whereas entry producers do not have the capital to invest, in buying out pouring rights. The ability to use vending machine technology requires a high capital investment from incumbent firms. Coca Cola and Pepsi offer their bottlers incentives to develop vending machine technology which accounts for 34% of the industry sales volume.Entry companies would have to invest in this technology to compete with the volume sales figures. One of the marketing goals of a company is to establish brand loyalty. When brand loyalty is achieved, customers will most likely not switch to a competitors brand. As a barrier to entry, brand loyalty is affected by many factors, such as presence in the market, or advertising and promotion efforts, to name a few. Both Coca Cola and Pepsi were created in the 80â €™s, as pioneers of the cola industry. Coca Cola was the first to invent the original cola recipe, and patent the 6. -oz bottle. Coca Cola also used strong promotional efforts in World War II, which contributed to brand identity. The case does not supply information regarding the sales across different age groups, but I believe figures would suggest higher sales levels across the ages compared to newer brands. It is apparent that the companies with the longest presence in the industry have the highest market share, which also directly correlates with the amount of advertising each company has expended over time.Another perfect example of this trend in the CSD industry is energy drink company Red Bull, having the largest market share while also spending the most on advertising. This goes to show by having consistently strong promotional efforts and advertising both Coca Cola and Red Bull have excelled in their markets. It is difficult for new entrants of soft drink market to matc h the brand loyalty Coca Cola has established through aggressive advertising over the course of the company’s existence. Rivalry In the beverage industry rivalry is at best a mechanism that drives profits and keeps the industry in motion.Coca Cola explains that they are in the position they are in today because of their rivalry with Pepsi. Rivalry is high because of the competition between top brands, low product differentiation and slow industry growth. It is clear that there is a substantial rivalry between Coca Cola and Pepsi that alone claim 74. 8 % of the U. S. CSD market as of 2004. Not only does this information tell us that there is a small amount of major competitors in the industry, but it also says that there is a fight for market share with the top two brands. This is most exemplified in the advertising expenditure of the two companies.During 2003 Pepsi spend a total of $236,396 on advertising while Coca Cola spent $167,675; the year after Coke responded by raisin g their advertising expenditure to $246,243. This trend also happened in 1981 to 1984, when coke doubled its advertising spending; as a result Pepsi did as well. The next variable that contributes to the high degree of rivalry is the low product differentiation. Although there are many efforts made by beverage companies to differentiate their product from others, there are no truly unique attributes about a single CSD brand. Each cola company provides a elatively similar option in packaging, container size and ounces per container. It is typical for companies such as Coca Cola and Pepsi offer 10 different brands, 17 container types and provide many discounts and promotions. For example Coke make Sprite and Pepsi has Sierra Mist and Dr Pepper owns 7UP; this creates a rivalry over who has the best lemon lime soft drink product. To show my point, Pepsi launched â€Å"The Pepsi Challenge†, which gave customers the ability to try out the different brands and see how they compare. Pepsi knew they needed to find a way to show consumers the difference between their brand and the competitors.This approach fueled the rivalry among other CSD companies especially Coca Cola. Slow industry growth spurs rivalry because it calls for companies to develop new competitive advantages and core competencies to keep sales alive. The market share for cola products has dropped from 71% in 1990, to 60% in 2004. Other products such as energy drinks and bottled water are increasing in market share, as consumers switch their focus to more functional and healthy alternatives. Goizueta said, â€Å"The product and the brand, had a declining share in a shrinking segment of the market. Signifying the need for soft drink manufacturers to find new ways to boost sales and increase rivalry. To put a number on these increasing trends, bottled water volume sales grew by 18. 8% in 2004, compared to 7. 6% non-carb CSDs and1% CSD growth. Top companies now have to find ways to proliferate their CSD products in relation to their rivals. It is also a definite possibility with the slow sales volume growth of 10 billion cases in 2001 to 10. 2 in 2004 that companies will invest in new beverage arenas such as the functional category, thus creating new rivalries.

Future Policing Essay

The field of police work is constantly being forced to develop and improve its protocols, procedures, and practices in an effort to keep pace with the ever-changing society in which it operates and criminal behavior it seeks to eradicate. While the history of policing has been marked by substantial changes throughout time, the work of modern-day police officers and officials demonstrate some of the most substantial adaptations to its surrounding environment that the field has ever seen. In order to understand where the future of policing is heading, it is important to first understand these current trends that are affecting the current landscape of the profession. By doing so, some foreseeable critical issues that may affect policing in the future can be identified, and potential changes can then be proposed and implemented to effectively address these critical issues. Perhaps the most important current trends in policing are those that affect the operational aspects of its crime fighting function. The first and foremost trend amongst this group has been the development of intelligence-led policing, which at its most basic, deals with the â€Å"identification of specific criminal activities or specific criminal populations and targeted enforcement against the highest-risk crimes or criminals to achieve overall reduction in the impact of crime in a community† (Wallentine, 2009, para. ). Within this broadly encompassing trend have come a few important changes affecting police departments across the nation. One is that many police agencies have begun to incorporate professional intelligence analysts into their ranks, a brand new position for most departments and one whose importance will likely continue to grow in the years to come (Wallentine, 2009). Another is that police leadership and command staff has had to incorporate and learn new technologies, and djust to new methods of collecting and sharing information between one another and with the general public (Wallentine, 2009). The overall result of these efforts, particularly in big cities, is a trend away from forceful policing and towards enlightened policing (Herbert, 2007). With that being said, there has also been a trend of increased rates in the commission of violent crimes that has certainly affected policing regardless of what tactics are implored. This includes upticks in international terrorism-based crimes, as well as traditional domestic criminal behavior (Cetron & Davies, 2008). Yet perhaps an even more troublesome aspect of this trend, especially when it comes to homicides, is that these increases have not been spread across the country through moderate rises in all cities, but rather through dramatic rises in homicides in some cities that simply outpace the substantial decreases other cities have experienced (Herbert, 2007). Most of the explanations offered for this imbalanced trend deal with financial cutbacks that have been made to federal crime fighting programs and others that have left many police departments shorthanded (Herbert, 2007). Thus, budgeting strains and constraints serve as a final trend currently affecting policing, as over half of all policing agencies suffered budget cuts in 2012 alone, which comes on top of nearly 80-percent having experienced the same in 2010 (Police Executive, 2013). Alongside the policing trend of improving intelligence and technology, there has naturally been an increase in smarts and technological acumen of criminals. When this is combined with the trends of an overall increase in crime and a decrease in police budgets, the result is that a number of foreseeable issues that could potentially affect policing in the future have risen to the forefront of concern. As each generation becomes more and more Internet and electronic-savvy, there is an increased likelihood that in the years to come America will be plagued with more white-collar crimes than ever before (Wallentine, 2009). This issue becomes even more critical as globalization continues to spread ideas and technologies worldwide on a faster pace than ever, and the gap between rich and poor in the global marketplace increases as well, because he foreseeable result is the strengthening of domestic gangs and international separatist and extremist movements, which of course will lead to even greater spikes in crime rates and terrorist attacks (Cetron & Davies, 2008). Unfortunately, the financial trend that has been seen in policing will likely continue for the foreseeable future, which will not only limit the ability to confront these new critical issues, but will likely exacerbate them as well (Police Executive, 2013). It is also foreseeable that new state efforts to combat their overall economic struggles will serve as a critical issue with adverse policing affects as well. More and more states continue to modify their early release policies, putting criminals back onto the streets sooner and in greater numbers than ever before, which has caused police officials to almost unanimously report that they expect to see increases in their crime rates as a result (Police Executive, 2013). While these foreseeable critical issues certainly pose a set of substantial concerns for and potential threats to policing in the future, many can be dealt with and effectively addressed in the present-day through the implementation of a handful of changes. The first change that can start to take place in the policing world today is to establish partnerships between police forces operating in different parts of the nation and even those positioned in different societies throughout the globe (Cetron & Davies, 2008). While there has been a trend towards more collaborative police efforts in recent years, these efforts may need to take on a more international scope in order to address the critical issues that are likely to arise in an increasingly globalized world. The effectiveness of this change would be to allow police departments, particularly those in large U. S. cities, to address newly developing problems in their communities by connecting with other police forces that have already had to deal with the same exact types of problems in their societies for a long period of time (Cetron & Davies, 2008). For example, Israeli law enforcement officials have ample experience when it comes to dealing with the threat and realization of modern terrorist attacks, and their knowledge would serve as a great asset to big-city police forces in the U. S. if it were to be conveyed through joint-training or planning exercises (Cetron & Davies, 2008). Preparation and planning are also the keys that are essential to the changes that may be needed to effectively address the critical economic issues facing policing in the future. Although funding for police departments has been trending downwards for most localities in recent years, there has also been a concerted effort by federal and state governments to make new funds available when it comes to responding to natural disasters and terrorist attacks (Cetron & Davies, 2008). In light of this, police forces should develop contingency plans that will allow them to efficiently and effectively access funding and take advantage of external support structures that would be made available to them in the wake of these occurrences (Cetron & Davies, 2008). Likewise, a dual-financial purpose would be served if changes to how retired officers are viewed were put in place. Using retired officers as auxiliaries in particular situations would benefit them by helping to counteract the negative pension trend they are faced with, and would also help their employing departments by offering them a means in which they can extend their resource supply without having to pay the full-time salary requirements of newly hired officers (Cetron & Davies, 2008).

Compare and contrast the distinguishing features of episode 2 of the mini series Changi and The Shoehorn Sonata

Gordon's Will is the 2nd episode of a six part series called Changi. The story is of one mans struggle to overcome and survive life in a POW camp. Gordon uses flash backs to reconstruct the past for the audience. Gordon (in the present time) has suffered a stroke and is having major medical and family troubles. Most of the show is shot in the POW camp where the secret nine live, a group of Gordon's friends that are also being held captive and that have formed an unbreakable and special bond. Midway through the show Gordon is asked to salute lieutenant Aso. When Gordon refuses, Aso commands Gordon to stand on a box until he is ready to salute, Gordon still refuses and stands on the box for three days, this is an example of Gordon's will to survive Changi with respect. There are many influential characters in Changi. ‘The Secret nine' are a ‘band of brothers' who without each other could not have emotionally survived the Changi POW camp. Gordon is the most influential character in the show, being that this episode is based on his time in the camp and life after it. Changi needed to use alot of dialogue because it is a television program. Australian slang such as ‘G, day', ‘bloody hell', ‘Japs' and ‘stick ya bib in' is used regularly throughout the show. Japanese is used throughout Changi wich gives the show a sence of urgency and helps to establish the setting. In the opening title you hear soothing/melodic music with a sudden burst of screaming, crying and wailing, this is symbolic of the pain and suffering Gordon (and other POW captives) had top survive. Changi is set around Gordon (an old man in the present and a young man in flashbacks). In the present Gordon is a lonely, old and sick man. In the Flashbacks Gordon was strong, stubborn, and willing to do anything in order to survive. The literal setting is a Japanese POW camp and a hospital, both places are symbolic of death. Many different camera techniques are used to develop the theme in Changi. Extreme close ups are used mainly in Changi to show fear and desperation on a characters face. In the second half of the show an extreme close up is used, it focuses on sweat that is dropping from Gordon's head when he is standing on the box, this was to show Gordon's determination to survive. On the Road to Gundagai is used as a theme song for the ‘secret 9'. Music was a coping mechanism for Gordon and his fellow prisoners so as to survive imprisonment with a stable mind. On the road to Gundagai was used because a lot of Australian people know and recognise that song. Both Changi and the Shoehorn Sonata have many similarities and many differences. In regards to the plot the Shoehorn Sonata and Changi are both about WW2 and being captured in a POW but are from two different perspective's (women's and men's). In regards to the characters in the texts both texts showed the main characters in the past and the present. In regards to the dialogue both texts use Japanese to give the show or play a sence of urgency and to define the setting clearly. IN regards to the setting both texts are very different; one is set in a hospital and the POW camp and the other is set in a television studio and a hotel. In regards to photography both texts use images to provoke the audience into feeling for the characters. Being a television series Changi has used photography every second of the show but being a play photography was used sparingly, but was still present. In regards to music/songs The Shoehorn Sonata used songs with lyrics that were symbolic of survival and Changi used a popular Australian song to symbolise ‘the secret 9's'will to survive. This essay has shown the distinguishing features of episode 2 of the mini series Changi and The Shoehorn Sonata, it then compared and contrasted them. Both texts dealt with a common theme of survival.