Thursday, December 26, 2019

Computer Ethics Essay - 1361 Words

Computer Ethics A Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics (see Appendix A) was first presented by Dr. Ramon C. Barquins in his paper for the Computer Ethics Institute of the Brookings Institution entitled, In Pursuit of a Ten Commandments for Computer Ethics in May of 1992. Computer ethics is about principles related to behavior and decisions made by computer professionals and users, including software engineers, operators, managers, policy makers, as well as educators and students. This means all these people involved should be supported with some policies for ethical conduct i.e. policies that guide their actions and increase adequacy of the decisions they make. (Szejko par. 1) With the rapid infusion of computers, software and†¦show more content†¦That is one of the reasons why it is so important to develop a code of ethics for computers and the IT field. Use of the Code of Ethics in my Professional Life As an IT professional, I am amazed at the number of requests I get on a daily basis from my fellow employees, friends and family members to assist them with acquiring illegal software. Because of what I do at my job, it is important that I know and understand things such as warez sites, bit torrents, DVD and CD ripping, and other forms of computer piracy. While I could very easily do this, I remind them that I am a professional in my field and that doing so would violate not only a business code of ethics, but a personal one as well. I inform them that the taking of software though illegal means is stealing, and it would be the same as if I picked their pocket or broke into their house. At work, I am asked for ways to override the company network proxy so that the users can access sites that the company has determined to be not work related. I politely inform them that not only are they in violation of company security standards, but if they continue to push the issue, I will have to report them to company security. I have had to report employees on two occasions and while it has lead to some animosity among a small number of my peers, it has also earned me the respect of most of my co-workers. Are Codes of Ethics really necessary? Codes of ethics are controversial documents. Some writers haveShow MoreRelatedThe Ethics Of Computer Ethics Essay978 Words   |  4 PagesComputer Ethics â€Å"Computer ethics is a branch of applied ethics that considers ethical issues raised or significantly amplified by computer technology.† Moor (2006). Its been stated in several works that computers give people power, which means people have the choice to use this wisely and ethically. While society has benefited from this â€Å"power†, there are still ethical concerns that need attention such as privacy of data, security, reliability of data, intellectual property, and accessibility.Read MoreComputers and Ethics in the Workplace1919 Words   |  8 PagesComputers and Ethics in the Workplace Executive Summary This paper discusses issues with ethics that have derived in the workplace as a result of the use of business computers. The definition of computer ethics is simple; they are a set of moral principles that intend to help with the regulation of the use of computers. Some common problems with computer ethics consist of privacy concerns, intellectual property rights, and the way computers have an effect on people. In other words, computer ethicsRead More Computer Ethics Essay895 Words   |  4 Pagesabout 62 percent of the American population had at least one home computer. Another statistic is that about 55% of people also have internet on there home computers. In everyday life it is important for a person to have good ethics; this is also true about computer usage. Due to the fact that more then half of the American population owns computers, computer ethics are a growing concern in a rapidly changing society. Computer ethics can be broken down in to many topics including piracy, hacking,Read MoreThe Ethics Of Computers With Ai1093 Words   |  5 Pagesand vacuuming to advanced tasks like self-driving vehicles. Many of these robots are given artificial intelligence (AI). Development of AI has recently become a major topic among philosophers and engineers. One major concern is the ethics of computers with AI. Robot ethics (roboethics) is an area of study about rules that should be created to ensure that robots behave ethically. Humans are morally obligated to ensure that machines with artificial intelligence behave ethically. In the 1940s, science-fictionRead MoreThe Problem Of Computer Ethics951 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussed about the difference between the computers from other technologies and how this difference makes a difference in ethical considerations. The concerns listed by the author are related to software, hardware, networks connecting computers and computers themselves. The main problem in computer ethics occurs because of policy vacuum about how computer technology should be used. Social and personal policies play an important role in ethical use of computer technology. Conceptual vacuum adds to policyRead MoreComputer Engineering Ethics4002 Words   |  17 Pagesways of credentialing a person to practice computer engineering ï‚ · Describe issues that contrast risk issues with safety issues ï‚ · Identify some issues in computer engineering that address privacy ï‚ · Describe whistle blowing and the conflicts between ethics and practice that may result from doing so ï‚ · Describe how computer engineering uses or benefits from social and professional issues. 2.2 Reasons for Studying Social and Professional Issues Computers have a central and growing role in commerceRead MoreComputer Ethics : Code Of Ethic1873 Words   |  8 Pages Computer Ethics Whitney Nelson Hampton University Introduction Philosophy and computers do not seen like they would have much relevance to each other but in actuality they coincide with one another through ethics. Ethics are the general principles that outlines the basic standard of what is right and what is wrong. They are the moral philosophy that people live and abide by in their everyday lives. Computer ethics are a more specific realm of ethics. They are theRead MoreInformation Systems : Computer Ethics1525 Words   |  7 Pages COMPUTER ETHICS Submitted by Lakshmi Gajjarapu Student id: 665584 Global Id: gajja1l Email:gajja1l@cmich.edu INTRODUCTION: As the use of Computers have increased now-a-days with improvements in the technology which brings both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages comes with technological developments and disadvantages are like frauds happening using technology. These frauds using technology are called â€Å"Cyber-attacks† where intruders or hackers break into others computers withoutRead MoreComputer Hackers and Ethics Essay1582 Words   |  7 Pagesdisruptive behavior using a computer. The subject of hacking is no secret to the general public. Many people have been exposed to it by a bad experience or through the news and media. The idea of hacking that is stuck in the minds of people is that of which they have seen in the movies. The movies portray hackers as young and devious criminals. However, in reality these individuals are, talented people who use their abilities to find new and challenging ways to change how computers work. According to theRead MoreCode of Ethics for Computer Profess ionals1134 Words   |  4 PagesMost professions have codes of ethics and for the same reasons computer professionals need a code of ethics. Professions that have been in existence for many more years than the information profession have had time to recognise their ethical responsibilities. In the information field it can be more difficult to immediately recognise who is affected by the actions of an individual or organisation. This does not mean that information professionals have no moral responsibilities. It is common across

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Islam And The Holy Quran - 1012 Words

The word Islam means peace and submission to God. The submission requires conscious and willing effort to devote to worshipping the one and only God, Allah almighty. That requires all the Muslims to act the way Allah instructed them to in the holy Quran. Islam is the religion of absolute submission to the one and only god, Allah, the creator, sustainer and restorer of the whole universe. The wills and sayings of God are made known through the holy book Qur’an. The Qur’an was received by the prophet Muhammad (s.m) directly through Allah Almighty. Besides Muhammad (s.m) there are 24 more prophets like Isa (Jesus), Musa (Moses) and Ibrahim (Abraham). They were sent to this world to guide the mankind the right way and show them the path to Islam. The foundation of Islam is based on the belief of the Oneness of Allah. Islam teaches that a pure belief in One God is spontaneous in human beings and thus fulfils the natural inclination of the soul. According to the teachings of Islam, Almighty God is absolutely one and His Oneness should never be compromised by associating partners with Him - neither in worship nor in belief. All the things Muslims believe in are based on the holy Qur’an. They believe that there are fiv e pillars of Islam. Believes, rules and rituals: The most important Muslim practice are the five pillars of Islam. They consist of Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj. Shahadah (statement of faith) is the first pillar of Islam. A person can only become a trueShow MoreRelatedThe Quran, The Holy Text of Islam1101 Words   |  4 Pagessecond class status of women in Saudi Arabia has a significant negative impact on their lives and results in their desperate actions. The Quran, the holy text of Islam, states that men are the protectors of women, but the Saudi men use it to justify their abuse of women; as a result, young boys are told that women are useless. The translated version of the Quran states that â€Å"Men †¦ are the protectors and maintainers of women inasmuch †¦ As for those women from whose determined disobedience†¦ remain apartRead MoreThe Holy Quran, Containing the Written Word of the Prophet, Mohammed, is the Highest Authority in Islam576 Words   |  2 PagesThe holy Quran is the highest authority in Islam. It contains the exact words of god written by his prophet mohammed. Muslims rely on the Sunnah, the saying and actions, of a prophet. This sunnah is an idea, in the words of God written by Muhammads deeds. They were recorded in what are called ahadith, which are news and, reports. Here is an english translation on what Muhammad reportedly said to his companions, in his teachings. Numbers 1-20 are from Volumes 1-2, and have been quoted from Riyadh-Us-SaleheenRead MoreMuslim Women: Treated With Oppression Or Fairness?. When1429 Words   |  6 PagesI mention Islam, I am discussing its way of life, a concept that encompasses every aspect of one’s life from beginning to end. Islam, the newest and second largest faith, influences many parts of this earth as we discussed in class. Originating in the Arabian Desert, the religion is based on one book, The Holy Quran, the final word of Allah. Prophet Muhammed, in Islam, was the last messenger of God. His life is one that Muslims should follow, which is called the Sunnah. The Holy Quran, outlines everyRead MoreEven Muslims View Terrorists as False of Islam981 Words   |  4 Pageseven in the billions, there are two religions which utterly dominate every other religion in terms of followers. Christianity and Is lam, both of which are Abrahamic religions, are similar in nature, out of which, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today. The compassion projected by Muslims has impressed me and has led me to admire the religion of Islam. The media is a deceptive tool and is often guilty of degrading Muslims as beings who lack humanity and as ones who endorse terroristRead MoreCompare And Contrast Christianity And Islam1031 Words   |  5 PagesChristianity and Islam are wide spread religions which impact the lives of believers spiritually. Both religions have had substantial impact on the course of history and have formed the basis of many countries laws and are highly recognized by governments. Though Christianity is more widely known, they both pose the same challenges to each other. Considering the similarities and differences of Christianity and Islam, it can be said they are both very different. Comparing the two religions, isRead MoreWhy Should We Follow Islam?1430 Words   |  6 Pages Why do we have to follow Islam? Why Allah needs our prayers? All religions basically teach their followers to do good deeds then why should a person only follow IslamCan he not follow any of the other religionThese are the some questions which often non-Muslims ask from the Muslims. Such questions need specific answers. In most of the cases, the common Muslim cannot give the answer. However there are many reasons due to which we can say that we should follow Islam. From the times of yore humenRead MoreEssay on Bible vs. Quran1630 Words   |  7 Pagesdisplays a large white book with gold-tipped pages. On the cover, prominent gold letters display the words The Holy Bible. This extravagant Christian place of worship, located in St. Petersburg, Florida, shows the importance of religious establishments as additional resources used in teaching religion. Two of the world’s largest religions use faith-powered books, The Holy Bible and The Holy Quran, to educate members. The scriptures in these books have provided direction, spiritual guidance, and theologiesRead MoreIslam s Views On Islam Essay1144 Words   |  5 Pages Islam is one of the largest religions in the world, with over 1 billion followers. It is a faith based on revelations received by the Prophet Muhammad in Saudi-Arabia 17th century. The Arabic word Islam which means â€Å"submission,† reflecting the faith s central tenet of submitting to the will of God (Islam). Muslims are the followers of Islam. Christianity’s is one of the most influential religions in history. It’s based on the teachings of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. Based on the life andRead MoreImpor tance of Faith and Prayer in Islam830 Words   |  4 Pageshighlighted in the holy book of Quran. Just as without the roots, a tree cannot survive, similarly, without faith, performing highly valuable rituals are useless. The main source where Muslims gain an enormous amount of faith is from reading the holy book of Quran. One must fully believe and understand the messages written in the Quran to have complete faith in it as a Muslim individual. For centuries, the Quran has been preserved through writing and memorization. In fact, today Quran is the only bookRead MoreReligious Texts- Examining the Content of the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran1621 Words   |  7 Pagesher shoulders interlocking with her robe below. To the right of the infant, a table displays a large white book with gold-tipped pages. On the cover, prominent gold letters display the words The Holy Bible. Two of the world’s largest religions use faith-powered books such as the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran, to educate their members. Scriptures in these books have provided religious history, given spiritual guidance, and established moral theologies passed down from one generation to another. Still

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Ap Us History Court Cases free essay sample

The court upheld the constitutionality of detention camps for Japanese-Americans during World War 2. Ex part End (1944). The court forbade the internment of Japanese-Americans born in the U. S. (Nisei) Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954, Warren). Unanimous decision declaring separate but equal unconstitutional. Gideon v. Handwriting (1963). Extends to the defendant the right of counsel in all state and federal criminal trials regardless of their ability to pay. Sobbed v. Illinois (1964). Ruled that a defendant must be allowed access to a lancer before questioning by police. Miranda v. Arizona (1966). The court ruled that those subjected to in-custody interrogation be advised of their constitutional right to an attorney and their right to remain silent. Roe v. Wade (1973). The court legalized abortion by ruling that state laws could not restrict it during the first three months of pregnancy. Based on 4th Amendment rights Of a person to be secure in their persons. We will write a custom essay sample on Ap Us History Court Cases or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page U. S. V. Richard Nixon (1974). The court rejected Richard Onions lain to an absolutely unqualified privilege against any judicial process.Bake v. Regents of the University of California (1978). Ambiguous ruling by a badly divided court that dealt with affirmative action programs that used race as a basis of selecting participants. The court general upheld affirmative action, but with a 4/4/1 split, it was a very weak decision. Clinton v. Jones (1997). Rejecting an appeal by Pres. Clinton in a sexual harassment suit, the Court ruled that a sitting president did not have temporary immunity from a lawsuit or actions outside the realm of official duties.Boy Scouts of America v. Dale (2000). The Court ruled that the Boy Scouts of America could dismiss a troop leader after learning he was gay, holding that the right to freedom of association outweighed a New Jersey anti discrimination statute. Bush v. Gore (2000). The court ruled that manual recounts of presidential ballots in the Novo. 2000 election could not proceed because inconsistent evaluation standards in different counties violated the equal protection clause. In effect, the ruling meant Bush would win the election.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Waiting Room free essay sample

It was one of the hottest days of summer when i first got to visit my sister in the hospital. Hopping out of the old blue minivan that belonged to my grandfather, I found myself wishing that my sister could have been born during one of the winter months. That way I wouldn’t have had to leave the nice cool confines of my living room only to find myself standing in the middle of an old hospital parking lot, with the hot afternoon sun beating down against my skin. I turned to look at my grandfather and was unsurprised to see that he was still seated in the old blue van, taking his time getting out. I always though of my grandfather as a funny looking man. He had a thin body, a bald head, short legs, and these very large hands. His hands were so out of proportion with the rest of his body that I often wondered whether or not they even belonged to him. We will write a custom essay sample on The Waiting Room or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It had almost seemed like he had taken someone else’s hands, albeit someone much bigger than him, and just sewn them onto the ends of his arms as his own. I knew this couldn’t be true, of course, but you can never keep a kid from wondering. His face was stern and hard looking. It was easy to be intimidated by his seemingly serious demeanor at first. He had a way of smiling though, this full gown crinkle eyed smile, which would quickly soften anyone’s heart and tear down any sort of defensive wall they had thrown up before. Once my grandfather was out of the car, we made our way across the crowded parking lot, swerving and zigzagging around the many parked cars. As we got closer to the building I grabbed hold of one of my grandfathers large hands. There were many people bustling about and I didn’t want to lose him in the crowd. The hospital doors opened as we walked near,and,to my relief, welcomed us in with a gust of cool air. The first thing I noticed about the hospital was the smell. It smelt very clean and sterile. It reminded me of the way a brand new toy would smell just after taking it out of the packaging. It was cold in the hospital too. I almost began to walk back outside, seeking that warm afternoon sun i had felt before, but my grandfather still had hold of my hand and had begun tugging me towards one of the long grey desks that stood in the back of the room. We were instructed by the young woman behind the desk to have a seat in one of the any red chairs they had placed around the room. My grandfather chose a seat closest to the wall. I climbed up into the seat next to him and let out a sigh. Hearing no response from my grandfather, I looked over to him and saw that he had already closed his eyes and had his head slumped against his chest. He would probably take a nap. People of all sorts lined the waiting room walls. All of them looked either tired or impatient. An older lady with frizzy hair and dark circles under her eyes sat directly across from me. She had on an old worn out green sweater and was nervously twiddling with the ends of the sleeves. As I stared she looked up and caught my eyes in her own. I gave her my best smile and a slight wave, but all i received in return was a shaky head nod before she looked away. Feeling rejected I turned to my grandfather and gently shook him awake. â€Å"Grandpa,† I whispered, â€Å"whats wrong with that lady?† I pointed to the frazzled woman seated across from us. â€Å" Don’t point!† My grandfather said curtly and snatched my hand out of the air. I yanked my hand from his and asked again, â€Å"but whats wrong with her?† My grandfather let out a long and exasperated sigh. â€Å"She’s probably just worried and tired.† He whispered in a tone of voice that suggested I stop asking questions. Feeling brave I asked one anyway. â€Å"Why is she worried?† My grandfather let out yet another sigh. He looked to me and I could see in his face the way he was searching for an answer to give me without leaving me room for another question. â€Å"Look around you.† He gestured around the room to the different people. Confused, I did as I was told. I saw the frazzled looking woman in the green sweater. To her right a few seats down sat a hefty man and a woman who I assumed to be his wife. They both wore somber looks on their faces, and the woman had wrinkles across her forehead from frowning for too long. Across from them a thin lonely looking man with floppy hair sat hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. To his left, near the window, stood a tall thin man with dark curly hair. He stood with his shoulders tense, and would frequently look down to check his watch before looking back toward one of the black and white clocks hanging around the room. I looked back to my grandfather and waited. â€Å"Do you see?† he asked, â€Å"This is a hospital. They’re all worried. All the people here are wayting to hear about their loved one who are sick or hurt.† I looked around again before asking,† But we’re not worried, are we grandpa?† It wouldn’t make sense for us to be worried, I thought. We just came to see my new baby sister. We didn’t know anyone who was sick. He smiled that crinkle eyed smile of his and answered, â€Å"No. We’re not.† I sat back in my chair and looked across at the women in the green sweater again. She was still twiddling with the ends of her sleeves. The man and his wife still wore somber faces. The thin man with the floppy hair still looked lonely. And the tall man was still checking his watch. I silently wished for them all to stop. It didn’t seem fair for them to be so worried. It also didn’t seem fair that they all had to wait for people who were sick while I had to wait for someone who wasn’t. â€Å"Are you sure they’re not waiting to meet new babies too?† I mumbled to my grandfather hopefully. â€Å"I’m pretty sure,’ he answered before closing his eyes again. That wasn’t fair. That meant that there were more sick people in the hospital than there were new healthy babies. That there were more worried people and barely any excited people. I wondered what that said about the rest of the world and the people not in the hospital. My grandfather said there was no way to tell if there was more sad and lonely people or more happy people. I told him that I hoped there were more happy people. He grinned at that and said, â€Å" Or just enough happy people to cheer the sad people up.† My grandfather always gave out clever phrases like that. I had never thought too much about the lives of other people before that day with my grandfather. I had always gone through life just passing people by and had never taken the time to think about how others might be doing. I guess in a way I hadn’t fully come to understand the fact that other people around me had a history, or a family, or troubles of their own. It was hard to think about the size of it all. Billions and billions of people living billions and billions of different lives. Everyone was doing something all at once. What really amazed me was the fact that some people could be in the same place at the same time, like the hospital, but feel so very different about being there. Sitting in that waiting room with my grandfather I had wanted the whole world to be happy. But now I realize that even though the entirety of the population can’t all be happy at once, it doesn’t hurt to pass along a smile every once in a while.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Undertaker

Undertaker Undertaker Undertaker By Maeve Maddox After reading my recent article on caretakers and caregivers, a reader asks, How about explaining the particular use of another kind of â€Å"taker†-an undertaker, as in mortician or funeral director. If the business that is being â€Å"undertaken† [is] that of burying the dead, why don’t we call other professional services such as banker, realtor, physician, â€Å"undertakers† as well? The easiest answer to this question is that at one time we could have used the word for other service providers, but in current usage, undertaker has dwindled to only its present specialized meaning. In the 14th century, an undertaker was a â€Å"helper.† Wycliffe translated Psalm 53:6 as â€Å"The Lord is undertaker of my soul.† In the 17th century, undertaker had more than one meaning: an investor a person who acts as security for someone else in a business undertaking a baptismal sponsor. In the 19th century, undertaker could refer to: a subcontractor an investor. a book-publisher a play producer Undertaker with the meaning, â€Å"one who makes a business of carrying out the arrangements for funerals† was already in use in 1698. By 1884, someone could write, â€Å"You look as solemn as an undertaker.† Such is the human aversion to death that words closely associated with burial tend to be abandoned for other uses. The noun shroud, for example, started out in English with the meaning of â€Å"clothing.† In Aelfric’s translation of Genesis 45:22, God gives Adam and Eve â€Å"twa scrod† (two shrouds) to cover themselves. By the 16th century, shroud had taken on the meaning of â€Å"white cloth or sheet in which a corpse is laid out for burial; a winding-sheet.† Note: Shroud in the sense of â€Å"a set of ropes, usually in pairs, leading from the head of a mast and serving to relieve the latter of lateral strain† was in use in the 15th century. The ropes â€Å"clothed† the mast. Coffin is another word that started out with a general meaning that had nothing to do with death: â€Å"basket.† In a 14th century sermon referencing the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the left-over food filled â€Å"twelve coffins,† but by 1525, coffin had taken on the specific meaning of â€Å"the box or chest in which a corpse is enclosed for burial.† In the United States, funeral directors came to feel that the word coffin was too creepy for consumers, so they decided to change the name to a more pleasant word: casket. In its original sense, a casket is â€Å"a small box or chest for jewels, letters, or other things of value, itself often of valuable material and richly ornamented.† For example, the Franks Casket in the British Museum is a beautiful little 8th century chest made of whale’s bone and carved with scenes depicting the Adoration of the Magi, the Emperor Titus, Romulus and Remus, and Weyland Smith. The coffin-to-casket evolution in the U.S. is an example of a pretty word taken as a euphemism for something unpleasant, which in time comes to acquire the same unpleasantness it was supposed to obscure. At least one meaning that used to be attached to undertaker is still to be found in another â€Å"under† word, underwriter. Sometimes public radio announcers refer to their sponsors as underwriters. And in one sense, we are all â€Å"undertakers† when we undertake a new project. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational Writing10 Colloquial Terms and Their MeaningsHow Do You Fare?

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Caso de menores centroamericanos detenidos en frontera

Caso de menores centroamericanos detenidos en frontera La crisis de la frontera dejà ³ unos 70,000 menores centroamericanos detenidos por la Patrulla de Fronteriza (CBP, por sus siglas en inglà ©s), tras cruzar ilegalmente la frontera de Estados Unidos. Se estima que en el aà ±o fiscal 2015 el asunto de los menores que cruzan ilegalmente la frontera puede llegar a ocasionar a Estados Unidos gastos por importe de $2 billones (dos mil millones de dà ³lares). Por ley, cuando un menor de 18 aà ±os es detenido por la CBP su informacià ³n no se introduce en la base de datos en la que aparecen los nombres, nacionalidad y lugar de detencià ³n de los indocumentados que han sido arrestados. (Para saber si un adulto est detenido por Inmigracià ³n, aquà ­ est la base de datos en la que verificar). Tampoco se les envà ­a a los centros de detencià ³n donde estn retenidos los inmigrantes adultos.   En este artà ­culo se explica: Procedencia de los nià ±os (que determina en algunos casos quà © pasa inmediatamente despuà ©s de la detencià ³n)Razones por las que viajan a Estados Unidos (ya que algunas causas podrà ­an servir de base para una vez aquà ­ buscar una salida migratoria para poder quedarse legalmente)Lugar en el que se les da alojamientoDà ³nde encontrar ayuda legalQuà © pasa cuando se les envà ­a de regreso a su paà ­s  ¿De quà © paà ­ses proceden los esos nià ±os? Estos unaccompanied minors, como se les conoce en inglà ©s en el lenguaje de Inmigracià ³n, proceden principalmente de: HondurasGuatemalaEl Salvador De esos tres paà ­ses proceden el 74 por ciento de los menores arrestados. Y en menor medida, de Mà ©xico. Pero han llegado a la frontera menores de Asia (Sri Lanka) y frica (Tanzania). Para llegar a la frontera de Estados Unidos han viajado por semanas, e incluso meses, distancias que pueden superar las mil millas. El viaje est lleno de peligros extremadamente graves. Se ha documentado toda clase de abusos, como extorsià ³n, violaciones sexuales, violencia fà ­sica, secuestros, mutilaciones, prostitucià ³n, obligacià ³n para transportar drogas para traficantes e, incluso, asesinatos.  ¿Quià ©nes son esos nià ±os? En su mayorà ­a son varones adolescentes, pero se aprecia una tendencia con cada vez ms muchachas y nià ±os de ambos gà ©neros menores de 13 aà ±os. Se han dado casos en los que la CBP se ha encontrado a nià ±os de tan sà ³lo cinco aà ±os.  ¿Por quà © huyen de sus paà ­ses e inician un viaje tan lleno de peligros extremos hacia Estados Unidos? La razà ³n principal es la violencia, los nià ±os escapan de: las gangas (pandillas, gangs) y de su presià ³n para reclutarlos a ellos o a familiares.traficantes de drogas y toda la violencia que crean a su alrededor.situaciones de violencia domà ©stica grave Inician su camino hacia Estados Unidos porque creen que aquà ­ pueden encontrar una situacià ³n mejor y porque muchos de ellos tienen en el paà ­s a al menos un familiar (padre, padre, hermano, tà ­os, etc).  ¿Quà © sucede cundo la CBP los arresta? Si los detenidos son menores  mexicanos son, en casi todos los casos, enviados de regreso a su paà ­s en cuestià ³n de horas por un acuerdo binacional. Sin embargo à ºltimamente hay un cambio en esta polà ­tica para los jà ³venes mexicanos. Pero Estados Unidos no tienen ningà ºn acuerdo de este tipo con los paà ­ses de Centroamà ©rica. Por eso, cuando un menor de ese paà ­s es arrestado tras cruzar ilegalmente la frontera esto es lo que pasa: Queda en custodia de la CBP por unas horas o unos dà ­as. Si necesita asistencia mà ©dica, se le brinda.Pasa a estar bajo custodia del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de EEUU. A estos muchachos les acoge en centros destinados de la Oficina de Reasentamiento de Refugiados (ORR, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). En la actualidad, hay 80 centros dedicados a alojar a estos menores, la mayorà ­a estn en los estados fronterizos, pero no siempre. Algunos de ellos estn gerenciados por organizaciones como Catholic Charities y SouthWest Key. Si estas instalaciones estn llenas, como ocurre ahora donde se est alojando aproximadamente cada dà ­a a 25,000 nià ±os, se recurre a barracones militares, como es el caso de la Base del Ejà ©rcito del Aire en Lackland, Texas. Los nià ±os estn atendidos, van a la escuela en las propias instalaciones pero no pueden salir, excepto por circunstancias excepcionales, como ir a consulta de un psicà ³logo o mà ©dico. Y lo hacen acompaà ±ados.En general los muchachos estn en estas instalaciones una media de 40-45 dà ­as (antes se estaba ms). A partir de ahà ­ la mayorà ­a -aproximadamente el 90 por ciento- pasa a estar en custodia de un familiar que se encuentre en Estados Unidos. Si no tienen familiar, pueden ir a Centros de Acogida para Menores (youth shelters, en cualquier parte del paà ­s).   Al ser menores de edad sus nombres no aparecen en la base de datos de personas detenidas por la CBP.  ¿Cul es la situacià ³n migratoria de estos menores y cules son sus opciones? Han entrado ilegalmente en Estados Unidos, por lo tanto, se inicia un procedimiento de deportacià ³n en su contra. Al cabo de 1-2 aà ±os la inmensa mayorà ­a acaba siendo deportado y enviado de regreso a su paà ­s de origen. Estos son los tiempos medios de demora para los casos ante Corte migratoria segà ºn el estado.  ¿Cà ³mo se puede luchar para que no se produzca la deportacià ³n? Se estima (no se sabe con seguridad) que aproximadamente un 40-50 por ciento de estos menores podrà ­a beneficiarse de alguna de las siguientes medidas: AsiloVisas para và ­ctimas de trfico humano o violencia criminal Programa de Estatus Especial de Inmigrantes Juveniles, conocido en inglà ©s como SIJ, para menores de 21 aà ±os no casados que han sido gravemente abusados y/o abandonados por sus padres o guardianesO alguna otra medida de alivio para la que puedan calificar Cuando estn bajo la custodia de ORR pueden tener contacto con organizaciones pro bono de defensa legal, con los que establecer contacto para el juicio de deportacià ³n. Pero un gran problema es que no todos los menores son contactados. Ni tampoco los familiares bajo cuya custodia quedan mientras se tramita todo el proceso de la deportacià ³n. Son situaciones legales complicadas para las que la mejor opcià ³n es contar con un abogado especialista en estos temas. Pero ni los nià ±os ni sus familias estn, en la mayorà ­a de los casos, en situacià ³n de pagar por un letrado. Y en corte de Inmigracià ³n, por ser un asunto civil, el gobierno no pone abogado de oficio a las personas que no pueden pagarlo. Sin embargo, sà ­ que convendrà ­a intentar buscar ayuda legal, en la forma de abogados pro bono. Se puede contactar con KIND (Kinds in Need of Defense), una organizacià ³n sin fin de lucro en Washington D.C. que puede poner en contacto a los menores con abogados que los pueden representar en corte sin tener que pagar, si no tienen medios econà ³micos. Si se est en la zona del Bajo Valle de Rà ­o Grande, se puede contactar con ProBar. O pedir una cita en organizaciones como Catholic Charities para ver si pueden hacer un referido a un abogado que trabaje pro bono en estos casos de menores que llegaron sin estar acompaà ±ados de adultos.  ¿Quà © pasa cuando el juez de Inmigracià ³n resuelve? Si se concede alguna medida de alivio, se pueden quedar en Estados Unidos. Hay que saber muy bien cul se concede ya que cada una tiene sus propias caracterà ­sticas, derechos y obligaciones. Si se ordena la deportacià ³n se les enviar de regreso a sus paà ­ses en vuelos de deportados.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Ethics in Business. The analyse of the case study Essay

Ethics in Business. The analyse of the case study - Essay Example It is agreeable to say that by conviction and not through interest, we should treat others the very same way we would want them to treat us (Cory 2004:1). When adhered to, such moral values enhance the performance and profitability of the firm since it attracts and maintains customers together with their trust in the products or services offered by the business. The companies’ basic moral principles according to Cory (2004:2) â€Å"†¦are honesty, acting in good faith and in an equitable and just manner without betraying the trust of the stakeholders and by treating them as equals, practicing reciprocity, avoiding the exploitation of others, and acting from your own free will without forcing your will on your partners†. It is virtues like honesty and acting in good faith that in our case study we see Steffan, in his capacity as the project manager violating deliberately. There is need for business to develop and faithfully practice these moral values for purposes of well societal being. Unfortunately they fail to do that. Incidentally it is the managers and the CEOs who often are accused of violation of core values of the society like in the case of Steffan Larson who disregards Lauren’s advice. They are usually morally blind and instead throw their focus on profit making. This is largely so because of shareholders’ pressure for profit generation and the capitalistic economic arena in which they operate. But this notion is disputable since even in non-profit making organizations there is open deviation from set rules and regulation. They therefore do business without caring about people’s lives, the environmental, political, social, and moral values. International corporations also want to be exempted from certain core values of a given place if in their view the values will conflict with their set objects, a theory Bowie (2002: 3) calls relativism. He says that the international corporations want to

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The concept of peak oil has been devised to reflect scarcity Essay

The concept of peak oil has been devised to reflect scarcity associated with oil supplies. But surely the price of oil would be a more efficient indication of its scarcity - Essay Example In contrast to the peak oil concept, global oil production showed a decline from its peak point at 74 mb/d in 2005; however, after a short decline the figures rebounded, and in 2011 there were higher production of oil than 2005 (US energy information and administration, 2011). Peak oil is ascertained by taking into account extraction rates from each oil well, the predicted oil reserves, and total extraction rate of an oil field comprising of associated oil wells (Berdellà ©, 2011). Here the core contentious issue is that the concept of ‘peak oil,’ which had been devised to reflect oil scarcity, is an ambiguous indicator of scarcity. Instead, some economists content that oil prices prove to be a more efficient indication of the scarcity of oil. Various experts contend that oil scarcity is dependent on the rate of consumption, where constraints placed on supply side are based on product demands. James L. Smith in his research papers, using benchmark scenario, high growth scenario and low growth scenario graphs, proved that peak timing is inconsistent as an indicator of oil scarcity (2011, pp. 8-13). Observations revealed that during 2007-08 economic crisis, despite oil supplies not increasing, there was loosening in the oil scarcity factor, owing to low demand. The equation for supply-demand graph can be plotted effectively through the factor of pricing, hence making oil prices a better indicator for its scarcity. Natural oil does not have any uniform or any standardised quality, and tends to vary significantly, which range from medium quality oil, to oil with high API gravity (high quality) from Saudi Arabian fields, to low API gravity (poor quality) heavy oil from fields in South America and Canada. Despite reports of fall in high quality oil levels, as far as supply of heavy oil is concerned, there is no scarcity, and many oil fields in deep-water areas remain unexplored (Stier, 2008). The Saudi Arabian high API oils are relatively easy to extract and oil

Sunday, November 17, 2019

City of God Essay Example for Free

City of God Essay Question 1: a) Throughout the film we see Lil’ Dice evolve into Lil’ Ze. Lil’ Dice turned into Lil’ Ze when he became a man, and when he became in control of the drug scene in the slums. Lil’ Dice was just a child and did not know any better, He was influenced by all the horrible things that were happening around him while he was young. Changing his name to Lil’ Ze was a way to show his man hood and too grow up. Also so show a form of power to others, as if he could do as he pleases. Lil’ Ze became a monster due to his environment. Any child how is introduced to this type of violence at a young age could potentially react in the way that he did. Growing up, the people who he looked up too were hoods, and therefore that’s what he aspired to be. He tried to be better than them. He wanted to be the best and that’s how he became such a heartless killer. b) Tiny was portrayed as a very powerful man. He is someone people do not want to mess around with. What he says goes. In the excerpt, Tiny said â€Å"if anyone was still dealing in the area, he was ordering them to stop.†(Pg.429,p2) In this quote he is using his power to get what he wants and to start his business again. Tiny also showed no weaknesses, he showed everyone else that he wasn’t afraid of anything. Even the other gangs in the slums. In the excerpt, Tiny’s death was portrayed very differently in the excerpt than the film. Tiny was killed by other blocks gangs where as in the film, Lil’ Ze was killed by the Runts. Tiny’s demise was due to what was going on in the slums and the conflict between drug gangs. Whereas Lil’ Ze was killed by runts who had guns. The endings also differed because Lil’ Ze had been arrested where as Tiny hadn’t been. c) The film ends with the Runts killing Lil’ Ze because it shows that Lil’Ze was no longer in power and he was looked down upon by those who wanted to be him. His reign was over. This shows that the future of Favela will be filled with violence, and will only get worse in the future. Since the runts grew up in this society, they never really had a chance to avoid this lifestyle. It’s also hard to live a crooked society and get money in a proper way. Personally I have sympathy for the runts because they have to rob and steal in order to survive. They also were introduce to so many drugs, whereas Lil’ Dice was only introduced to stealing. The runts were introduced to killing, drugs, and stealing. Therefore they had no choice but to follow this path. d) The film does not glamorize the gangster lifestyle. In the typical gangster movies, people are rich and cheating the rich. They are not in a situation of poverty or struggle. They normally come from wealthy families and big cities. Whereas in City of God they are stuck in the slums and the only way to get out is violence. The only way to be rich is to drug deal. Therefore this movie doesn’t glamorize the gangster lifestyle because they are not in a good situation. Question 2: a) The reasons for joining the gang and being a leader for Knockout Ned and for Lil’ Ze are very different. Lil’ Ze grew into it, whereas Knockout Ned chose to join for revenge against Lil’ Ze. Knockout Neds reasons for joining did make it more acceptable, but then it turned him into a hood, and poisoned his mind, and he became just as bad as Lil’ Ze. b) Antunes has a major role in Knockout Ned’s gang life. When Antunes is killed, Knockout Ned sets his killers houses on fire and seeks for revenge; this causes the gang war to get bigger and more personal. Antunes was also involved in the warfare at the beginning, and therefore Knockout Ned had more reason to be involved. c) Benny and Knockout Ned are role models in their group for many reasons. Benny was smart, kind, spontaneous, and a leader. He always listened and did the right thing. He also gained a lot of respect for standing up for others and for influencing Lil’ Ze. He was the peace keeper between all the gangs. Ned however, was a leader because Lil’ Ze was after him and he joined forces with a gang. He was the one Lil’ Ze set his mind on, and therefore to have revenge, Ned took control of Lil’ Ze’s rival gang. Benny and Ned both treat their women and families properly and liked to be loved by others. They are genuinely kind hearted people. They don’t like to kill, they like to create peace. d) I feel more compassion for Benny because, after being in all this violence, he wanted to escape and leave with his girl. Then he got accidentally shot and he died. Benny didn’t like all the violence, he want to leave and go away to relax and live. I feel bad that his life ended due to an accident. I believe that he was a truly kind person at heart. Whereas Ned started out as a good person and slowly became poisoned with violence. I believed Lil’ Ze liked Benny because Benny was a brother to him. But Lil’ Ze was jealous of Ned and therefore hated him. Question 3: a) The film makes chose Rocket to narrate the film because although he was not involved in the violence, he was a part of it all. He lived with them and was not sucked into all the drugs and violence. He kept his mind on his dreams and did not corrupt himself. Rocket showed the potential that people in that society can have. If it had been viewed under Lil’ Ze’s point of view, the gangs would not be equal, the other group would have been the enemies. And the film would have had much more violence and no potential to show a way out of the slums. b) Rocket never becomes a victim of the slums because deep down he knew he wanted to be a photographer, he had dreams that he could reach. He also gained knowledge from the death of his brother to not get involved in the gangs. He would ultimately get killed if he joined. I think he has a good head on his shoulders because he was educated. He was not a lucky exception, anyone could have done what he did, but they didn’t and they joined in on the crowd. c) Photography saved his life, if he didn’t love photography, maybe he would have joined the gang. He followed his dreams and did not give up on them. He also ended up getting a good job out of taking pictures of the gang and Lil’ Ze. I believe he only gave the pictures of Lil’ Ze dead and not the cops because he didn’t want the cops to be on his bad side. I believe it was the right thing to do to stay alive in the slums. d) The factors that cause the cycle to keep going is that poverty cause people to do unthinkable things such as robbing and killing for a living. Therefore when kids are introduced to it at a young age, it becomes a normal thing for them and they show no mercy to embrace the violent side. The government plays a big role in this vicious cycle because they do not help or support the City of God. They only send more poor and homeless people to this city. They also do not enforce any proper laws to stop the violence. All they have is corrupted police. So the film blames the government for all theses problems.

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Strange Case by Robert Louis Stevenson Essay examples -- psycho, sc

The functioning of the average human mind has intrigued and plagued philosophers and thinkers over centuries, one of the most curious and fascinating studies have been made into personages with dual personalities, schizophrenia being one of the factors. Similarly, in the book, The Strange Case, as well as in the film, Psycho, the books are taken place in late Victorian London, but Psycho is in late 60’s in the USA. The respective authors in these two texts portray that duality of human nature exists in society and humanity through the use of characterization and setting. Stevenson in this story uses characterization to describe that duality of human nature exists in humanity and society: â€Å"There comes an end to all things; my evil finally destroyed the balance of my soul†¦all men's respect, wealth...murderer.†( Stevenson 51) Stevenson uses the malaise of Schizophrenia to characterize Dr.Jekyll and his dual personality Mr. Hyde. In the above quote Dr.Jekyll realizes that he has done in justice the whole time without realizing it. Mr. Hyde’s actions have been proven to be inhumane and he has been characterized a â€Å"human juggernaut†; Dr. Jekyll is not solely responsible for his actions because of his dual mindset that precludes an individual from a rational thought process. In the quote above Dr. Jekyll had everyone’s respect and love, and now society labels him as a murderer: â€Å"clubbed him to the earth†¦with ape-like fury†¦shattered†¦the body.†(Stevenson 9) Mr. Hyde is malevolent in nature, â€Å"alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil†(Stevenson 45) whereas, Dr.Jekyll is a calm character. He uses â€Å"ape-like fury†, from that he shows embodiment of a murderer. In Psycho, Norman Bates is a maniac with a dual personality. Although... ...to dark areas of the working unstable mind, and which generally are away from the norms of society and wants to experiment with other areas, this what leads to the motivation that could be the dual mindset. The exception could be for an individual who has complete control over his rationality, but is not the case in these given texts. People who have schizophrenia use violence as an essential element to soothe their mind. My reaction to both Psycho and The Strange Case has been one of horror, which I think is a normal reaction of an individual. I have experienced myself having a different personality, not necessarily a dual mindset, in and out of school. In school I tend to show less off my real emotions, than I do outside of school. Even though for me keeping up with societal norms is a ‘must do’ task, failing to keep with societies rules will fail me internally.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Killing- the only way to solve problems? Essay

At about two o’clock. The argument between the Montague and the Capulet has once more messed up the whole town. A woman with a baby said: â€Å"It is not safe to walk on the streets with children any more. This is the third time that the two (Montague and Capulet) families have been fighting against each other in open public places. If anything like that happens then it must be those two families. † Sampson who is a servant of the Capulet family, and Abraham who is a servant of the Montague were the main people of these incidents. From a witness’s information, Sampson started the fight. He went up to Abraham and annoyed him by telling him that he is better than him as a servant. Abraham did not care about what he said and walk away. Sampson didn’t get what he wanted, so he kicked the old man who is also a servant of the Montague’s family. Abraham could not stand the rudeness of him. So he asked to draw with that man. As soon as they took out their swords, all the people who are in their families took out their swords as well. They messed up all the markets. It was like a war: Chickens were flying across the streets: vegetables were making to pieces. Women with children were running away trying to protect their children. People were throwing things from the windows†¦ On of the Capulet’s servant said: â€Å"Capulet heard the noises out at the center place. He asked for long sword. And run out to join the ‘war’. When Montague heard about the fight, he wanted to fight as well. Because he knows that it must be the Capulet that they were going to fight with. His wife held him, but that doesn’t do anything. He told his wife to let him go and he went to fight as well as the rest of the family. Why can’t the two families be peace? That is a question that many people have tried to find out. Both families had been against each other since a long time ago. If one does some thing wrong, the other must have some kind of reaction to it. Conflicts and conflicts over and over again. God knows what happens next between the two families. Minutes after the fight started. Some one went up to the bell tower, and ran the bell. Prince Escalus came to the place with his train. As they go pass, all the people were running away from them, because they didn’t want to get arrested by the prince. When the prince arrived at the place where the fight took place, everyone stopped fighting. The prince spoke, and mentioned that the old Capulet and Montague have disturbed the quite of the streets. And if they ever do that again, their lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. Both Capulet and Montague ended up going back with the prince in the afternoon.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

How Is Globalization Affecting the Spread Of Diseases? Essay

Although there are several articles discussing globalization and health, it is important to understand the processes of globalization affecting health outcomes and the local and global health responses. One of the major focal point of this article has been the association of globalization and infectious disease. Although globalization is already at widespread interest on its emergence and impact, there’s still a limited agreement on what is it precisely. Globalization is a term that is behind misunderstood by many of us. Its definition is dependent upon ones arguments. The term is being contested by many people who are in big dispute regarding the issue. Some of us may define it as a process of increasing global temperature due to undisciplined chores of people. However, this meaning is just a part of its definition as understood by many of contemporary people even scientists. Globalization is manifested in the increase of international transportation, communication and other people chores. It is a complicated and multi-faceted set of processes having widespread impacts on humans. According to Saker et. al. (2004), globalization is defined as â€Å"changing the nature of human interaction across a wide range of spheres including the economic, political, social, technological and environment†¦.. the process of change can be described as globalizing in the sense that boundaries of various kinds are becoming eroded. This erosion can be seen to be occurring along three dimensions: spatial, temporal and cognitive. † It is being motivated and constrained by a couple of forces: economic processes, technological developments, political influences, cultural and value systems, and social and natural environmental forces. These forces have direct or indirect effects to the health aspects among humans at a number of different levels. As globalization experienced by the different parts of the world, some wide-range changes impacting on the health aspects remains unclear. This paper will tackle about the interrelation between globalization and spreading of infectious diseases. In addition, it will also discuss, in some cases, the management of diseases. It also aims to improve the understanding regarding the phenomenon as it influences infectious diseases. Thesis Statement Because of the alarming incidence of the spread of many diseases among different countries, many believe that one of the major causes of this spread is globalization itself by physical, natural, social, cultural, economical, political, and technological interaction between countries. Globalization: An Interdisciplinary Approach The phenomenon affects many of social aspects including health. The redistribution and movement of bacteria or viruses is one of the detrimental effects of globalization. We know that globalization is a big opportunity for the economy to boost. However, it is also the factor that promotes unfriendly social force that affects those in the periphery of societies. The two sides endorse a negative aspects but it also support for a positive effects. Then, what really is globalization, for bad or for good? If we try to scrutinize the aspect and all of its processes of globalization, we could find out that health sciences could benefit from the explicit thoughtful understanding of the phenomenon. Globalization really changed the health aspects of the whole planet. Many infected persons of a certain disease don’t know its causes or even the disease itself. Diseases are coming closer to us because of international travels become easy, simple and common place. Globalization, together with climate change, bridges the easy advancement and transfer of pathogens. Common dieses could become a plague and virulent diseases. For instance, due to the ever-changing ecosystems, vector-borne diseases such as the Bluetongue virus and West Nile Fever have spread extremely. Besides, the circulation and propagation of Food and Mouth Disease is caused by the intensification of commercial movement. Northoff (2007) said that â€Å"most of the emerging infectious diseases are not new: they began by affecting animals, but as time has passed, the diseases breached the species barrier. † Globalization as Disciplines The processes of globalization have a potential force in the influence in health, economy and politics. Globalization brings couple of positive effects in terms as developed in international relations, political economy, and health society. As being stated regarding the inference of globalization: â€Å"an understanding of global health issues at the turn of the twenty-first century could benefit substantially from the voluminous literature on globalization from international relations, including the subfields of social and political theory and international political economy. This is a rich and voluminous literature. It documents what structural changes are occurring toward a global political economy, how power relationships are embedded within this process of change, what varying impacts this may have on individuals and groups†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Mayer, 2008). It just implies that globalization is more than a mere increase in â€Å"international independence and international connectivity† (Mayer, 2008). Another negative factor it brings is the deviated patterns in diseases due to regular change social and natural patterns. Many decades and, perhaps, centuries old had established historical transformation. According to Mayer (2008), â€Å"globalization certainly contains elements of increasing global interdependency, the decline of international boundaries as deterministic social constructs, and the erosion of distance as an inhibitor of human interaction for some but not all segments of societies—though the effects of distance are highly variable, and some societies remain locally constrained. † Furthermore, the term is not only referring to the regular advances of increasing goods and people, but also to the movement of capital. According to Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infectious and chronic diseases is not locally widespread but also permeate globally (â€Å"CDC Says Globalization Will Affect Disease Spreading†, 2002). Koplan stated that illnesses and globalization are being related to one another. He said that â€Å" because globalization sets a common agenda for the public health workers of the world, more opportunities are available to developing countries that previously trailed behind most other nations† (â€Å"CDC Says Globalization Will Affect Disease Spreading†, 2002). In addition, he stated that physical borders are practically worthless. He said the biggest risk is the speed at which diseases can be multiply and extended. According to him, due to population amplification, diseases are also gained its spreading due to constant mixture of people and infectious diseases. He also added that as country reach the level of Industrialization, people also become wealthier. Affluence brings new health fear such as obesity. Most of developed countries have a high incidence of a bad health lifestyle and they have high rates of cardiovascular diseases. According to Northoff (2007), the bluetongue virus is widely spreading as it is infected the United States. The virus is an animal virus that recently arrived in the US. It just implies that no country could claim that they are free from any diseases. This non-contagious virus affects all the ruminants such as goats, deer, cattle and sheep. However, this virus is not transmitted directly between animals and no effects in humans. The bluetongue virus was first revealed in South Africa but it has already reached many countries. In fact, it already traversed the Mediterranean by the end of 1990s. The virus had been found in Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and North France and United Kingdom since the summer of 2006. The reason upon the continuous and increased pace of spread of the virus remains unclear. The virus was already acclimatized to new local insect carrier of the Culicoides genus which endures cold temperature. Indeed, some people couldn’t believe that the virus already affects European countries considering their high latitudes. According to Northoff (2007), the virus is already prevalent in Corsica and Sardinia but could even endure in northern European countries. In addition, he said that â€Å"Transboundary animal diseases† are originally restricted to tropical countries but they are already swelling due to globalization such as West Nile Virus, transmitted through mosquitoes or carried by birds, Leishmaniasis, a parasitic ailment that proliferates through the bite of infected sand flies and tick-borne Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever. African horse sickness, a disease passed on by the same midges that also carry bluetongue and African swine fever. Mosquitoes that also bring diseases such as dengue also reached European countries. Influenza, or better known as Flu, is the most common disease in animals today. In 1918 in Spain, the first great flu plague had happened. It was recorded that 40 million people died from the H1N1 strain of the virus. Also, in 1957, the H3N2 and latter the H4N2 was seen damaging many lives. Globalization brings also the resistance of bird flu, a highly pathogenic strain of avail influenza called the H5N1 virus type. In fact, in the past four years, there were 251 recorded cases of H5N1, among them are fatal. This case merely suggests that we are in the predecessor level of a Bubonic plague. Since the globalization refers to the movement of people, goods, tourism and other aspects, it also favors the widespread of animal viruses and other diseases around the planet. The exposure and immunity of viruses and bacteria causing diseases increase their mobility and resistance that international community should take it seriously. With regard, early detection of these viruses is needed as an effective defense mechanism. In order for these measures to be taken up successfully, strong political support and funding of a government is required considering most of the countries are not prepared with this new threat. The challenges that we are facing today and being aggravated by globalization, suggest that we must be aware and vigilant to find partnerships for the deterrence and control of epidemics and pandemics. These cases and the treatment of diseases and the development of preventive measures should be delve into and advanced. Collaboration may be the best strategy to be able to research, develop and provide medications to prevent and treat neglected diseases before it become a pestilence. Since diseases have no physical countries when it comes to their spreading out, international support among countries involved. Without the collaboration and cooperation of those infected countries will lead to the widespread of the diseases among other parts of the world. From time to time, it may be also necessary to convince the authorities of the countries involved that cooperation is very important. In addition, for our health security to be secured, it is essential to promote partnerships between private and public sectors. In this way, research and development of neglected diseases are increased and advanced and the spread of viruses at their source could be attacked. There are treatments of some diseases but they are very toxic, often causing death, and ordinary people couldn’t buy it for it is so expensive. Even worse, there are diseases that have no treatments which results to sudden death. Spreading of infectious Disease Some pathogens live in the environment and affect human directly. However, some pathogens, can only survive as a host. If the transmission occurs between humans, the infection is transmittable. The processes and mode of transmission is influenced by different factors. For example, according to Saker et. al (2004), â€Å"transmission of vector-borne diseases is influenced by factors which affect vector numbers (e. g. warmer temperature increases mosquito reproduction rates), contact between humans and vectors (e. g. tourism brings people to areas where malaria-carrying-immune people to areas where malaria is prevalent), intermediate host numbers (e. g. dams provide breeding grounds for snails carrying schistosomiasis), or human or animal behaviors (e. g. warmer temperatures encourage people to bathe in pools, which may be contaminated by schictosome larvae. † Pathogens are highly receptive to the surroundings. The reasons are: their ability to live and multiply depends on the existing right climatic and nutritional conditions and local conditions. Saker et. al (2004, page 10) stated: â€Å"Diverse environmental factors, such as ambient climate and the presence or absence of overcrowding, clean water or particular types of flora and fauna, influence a pathogen’s chances of flourishing and causing disease. Some pathogens thrive in warm and wet climates while others only survive in colder, drier conditions. Still others can survive almost anywhere. Thus some pathogens cause disease worldwide while others are only found in well-defined areas where the local environment is favorable to their propagation. The latter is particularly true for vector-borne diseases since here the local environment needs to support the survival and multiplication of not only the offending pathogen but also the relevant vector and often a third host as well. † Since, in general, the rate at which a single case of human illness generates new infections depends on the combination of biological and social factors. Thus, transmission is affected not only in the number of infectious agents but also by the living states of the human population. References: (2002). CDC Says Globalization Will Affect Disease Spreading. Retrieved April 26, 2008, from Boston University Website: http://media. www. dailyfreepress. com/media/storage/paper87/news/2002/02/14/News/Cd c-Says.Globalization. Will. Affect. Disease. Spreading-184907-page2. shtml Northoff, E. (2007). Spread of bluetongue confirms animal diseases on the rise. Retrieved April 26, 2008, from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Website: http://www. fao. org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000675/index. html Mayer, J. (2008) The Impact of Globalization on Infectious Disease Emergence and Control: Exploring the Consequences and Opportunities, Workshop Summary – Forum on Microbial Threats. Retrieved April 26, 2008 from Washington: Website: http://books. nap. edu/openbook. php? record_id=11588&page=197 UNESCAP. Globalization and Health. Retrieved April 26, 2008, from Bangkok: Website: http://209. 85. 175. 104/search? q=cache:K0_IsfsCTaQJ:lib_user5. unescap. org/esid/hds/issu es/GlobalizationHealth. pdf+HOW+GLOBALIZATION+AFFECTING+SPREAD+DISE ASES&hl=tl&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=ph Kerpelman, T. (2008). Aid & Trade: Containing Pandemics. Retrieved April 26, 2008, from ICVolunteers Website: : http://www. icvolunteers. org/index. php? what=news&id=302 Saker, et. Al. (2004). Globalization and Infectious Disease: A review of the Linkages. World Health Organization

Friday, November 8, 2019

Pontiac Native Americans Essays

Pontiac Native Americans Essays Pontiac Native Americans Essay Pontiac Native Americans Essay Ashley Alfalfa Connection with the Great Spirit Pontiac was a Native American born to the Ottawa tribe and allied with the French. Being during this time the invasions of land by others was very popular; the thoughts of being conquered were always in the back of Native Americans minds. Once the British came and took over Pontiac land in modern day Detroit, he decided to go on the conquest to look for this Great Spirit. How can you hope, encumbered as you are, to succeed in your design? Go down to the foot of the mountain, throw away your gun, your ammunition, your provisions, and your clothing; wash yourself in he stream which flows there, and you will then be prepared to stand before the Mast of Life. This quote is related too religious view of finding the Great Spirit and the way to God. It will allow Pontiac to find himself again as a Native American and bring back the knowledge to all his tribe to rekindle the idea of their lives before the Europeans had entered their land. L am the Maker of heaven and earth, the trees, lakes, rivers, and all things else. I am the Maker of mankind; and because I love you, you must do my will. The land on which you live I have made for you, and not for there. This is the explanation of Pontiac connection and meeting of the Great Spirit. He connects with this entity and really finds his way of life. In relation it is the same connection as Moses had with God. We publish Pontiac speech on the assumption- a guess, to be sure tha t there is a strong likelihood that we spoke words to this effect on the basis of his knowledge of the Delaware prophet. This here states that the speech provided in this anthology was an assumption of Pontiac words, which makes for an interesting debate on if this is Just an European depiction f how things were said to embed the ideas of Christianity into the minds of Native Americans through their own people. Most Native American stories are unwritten and Just verbally transmitted through generations. With this maybe the idea of a higher entity to bring Natives back to their own ways of life was Just a secret way of getting them to convert into the Christian way of life through their own stories. Later on in the speech Pontiac tells of these tablets that were show to him to bring back to his people as a guideline to a way of life. This right here is a big red flag to indicate the Ten Commandments and the way of right and wrong in the ways one should live. His spreading of this would be an easy transition for the Natives to convert into Christianity and the way of the European life style to be inflicted to the Natives at an early stage and slowly fed to them so when it came to introducing them to this new way of life and religion they would have similar beliefs and it wouldnt be as much of a transition Just a different view of how the morals are being told. Pontiac Native Americans By syllabifies

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Using the Spanish Pronoun Nadie

Using the Spanish Pronoun Nadie Nadie  is an indefinite pronoun that typically means no one or nobody.  Nadie can replace a  noun  that has been mentioned previously in a conversation or is obvious from context; it is considered indefinite because it doesnt refer to a particular person. Key Takeaways: Nadie Nadie is usually a pronoun that means nobody or no one.When used as part of a double negative, nadie often is translated anybody.Unless the context demands otherwise, nadie is treated as masculine. Although it has no gender, it is typically used with masculine adjectives unless the context requires otherwise. The antonym of nadie is alguien. Nadie Used as a Subject Nadie when used as the subject of a sentence takes a singular verb. For example,  nadie lo cree  means nobody believes it or no one believes it. Nadie es perfecto. (Nobody is perfect.)Los mujeres soon tristes. Nadie est contenta. (The women are sad. Nobody is pleased. The feminine adjective is used here because the context indicates that nadie refers to women.)Nadie quiero viajar conmigo. (Nobody wants to travel with me.)Una encuesta revela que casi nadie va a comprar el new iPhone 8 si cuesta ms de 1.000 dà ³lares. (A new poll indicates that almost nobody is going to buy the new iPhone if it costs more than $1,000.) Nadie Used as Part of a Double Negative When nadie follows the verb of a sentence, typically it is used as part of a double negative. Because standard English does not use double negatives, nadie is sometimes translated into English as anybody or anyone in such sentences. For example, No conozco a nadie translates to, I dont know anybody.  ¡No lo digas a nadie! (Dont tell anyone!)Ellos jams comprenden a nadie. (They never understand anybody.)No veo a nadie fuera de mi trabajo. (I never see anybody outside of my work.) Nadie Used in Questions When used as part of a question, nadie is used as part of a double negative. For example,  Ã‚ ¿No ha estudiado nadie?, means,​Hasnt anybody studied? Again, because nadie is being used in a double negative, the word is translated into anybody.  ¿No quiere nadie ir contigo? (Doesnt anybody want to go with you?) ¿No sale nadie para asistir a la clase? (Isnt anybody leaving to attend class?) ¿No cree nadie que Elvis todavà ­a vive? (Doesnt anybody still believe Elvis is alive?) Nadie Used as an Object Pronoun When used as an object pronoun, nadie requires the personal a. A personal a  serves as a preposition. It has no direct translation into English.  For example, No veo a nadie means I dont see anyone. A nadie me importa. (Nobody cares about me.)Estoy sola en una ciudad donde no conoce a nadie. (Im alone in a city where I dont know anybody.)Mi misià ³n no es daà ±ar a nadie. (My mission isnt to harm anyone.) Using the Phrase Nadie De In standard Spanish, the phrase nadie de, nobody from, nobody in, or nobody of, is followed by a singular noun. The Royal Spanish Academy says that nadie de should not be used to indicate one person of a group, and that ninguno should be used instead. Thus none of my friends should be translated as ninguno de mis amigos. However, in real life nadie de mis amigos is sometimes used. These examples are of standard Spanish: Nadie del equipo est feliz. (Nobody from the team is happy.)Ninguno de los jugadores est feliz. (None of the players is happy.)No hay nadie de Madrid en el foro. (There is nobody from Madrid in the forum.)No hay ninguno de los estudiantes en el foro. (There are none of students in the forum.) Nadie Used Figuratively As with nobody in the English sentence He believes hes a nobody, nadie can be used figuratively as a noun. As a noun it can be masculine or feminine as well as singular or plural depending on whom it refers to. Quiero que sea un nadie en mi mundo. (I want to be a nobody in my world.)Ahora volvà ­a a ser la doà ±a nadie que no podà ­a tener novio. (Now I would again become the Ms. Nobody that couldnt have a boyfriend.)Los sinhogares son los nadies, los olvidados. (The homeless are the nobodies, the forgotten ones.)

Sunday, November 3, 2019

America should not adopt a nationalized healthcare system because Research Paper

America should not adopt a nationalized healthcare system because - Research Paper Example Another major imbalance if government takes up medical insurance is that healthy people who take care of themselves would be forced to pay for people who overeat, smoke and drink. The philosophy, attitudes and stakes on those in power may be the deciding factor, in determining who gets what, in the future. America spends more on health care than any other country in the world. About 50 million people in America are uninsured, so we should revamp the system, say the supporters for change of the existing system. They complain about the lack of quality in the provision of insurance today. Nevertheless, plans are being proposed to bring these 50 million under the insurance net, without giving a thought to the drop in quality that would come in (Sebelious, 2009). Meanwhile, a huge debate is going on about having a nationalized health insurance policy with the government sponsoring a single payer health insurance. Let us try to analyze how far â€Å"it will lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses and our governments† (The Obama Plan. 2009). Let us have a look at both sides of the coin. The idea of change has rooted in because we keep spawning politicians who think that they could make everyone’s life better since they have taken from the more ambitious and given it out to the people who do not have it. The politicians do this because it is the best way of presenting this proposed system to the people of America (Q&A: US healthcare reform. 2009). Let me present the best of the arguments, by those in favor of changing the system, one of the sides of the coin, These arguments are based on one false fact that should be pointed out first. The burgeoning population figure of people, who lack insurance coverage, is misleading. It includes illegal immigrants, Americans who earn over $50,000, people who are eligible for Medicaid or S-chip and even people who may have been in between jobs. The figures of non-citizens are nearly 10 million and more

Friday, November 1, 2019

Reflect on Challenges and Successes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reflect on Challenges and Successes - Assignment Example How they would overcome the challenges to boost the learning process as a whole. Modifying of the curriculum to fit the learners’ best interest was part of the research. This paper was prepared from materials and articles obtained in the library. Other data collected was direct to the field study at near local schools where I attended their full-time curriculum and interacted with the learners as well. I also used books on education to relate to my field study. Through the interaction with students, also had questionnaires that were both oral and others were in written form to those who wanted confidentiality. Most of the learners came out freely and told their mind of what they thought education was like (Hopkins 2008). According to, Philpott, a Masters student from the University of Edinburgh, she comes out clearly and explains the challenges that are facing the school system. Also from the researching policy, I found that despite the existence of the comprehensive structure of roles and responsibility, several policies do advocate for educational issues of health and HIV/AIDS and biased gender. Subsequently, there is seen to be the lack of effectiveness of the communication flows, monitoring of the learners, training of the teachers and overall evaluation of the education curriculum system (Radin, 2006). Lack of trained personnel and lack of essential learning equipment to both teachers and the students due to increased poverty level that has resonated the entire school environment. Most institutions lacked qualified trained personnel. Scarcity of reading and learning materials by the developing nations is seen to be a challenging factor as well (Radin, 2006). Socio-cultural practices are also witnessed to paralyzes the education system where in some ethnic groups do not offer education to the girl child terming it a misuse of finical resources. Cases of school dropout are amongst the most

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Attack metholodgies ( network security ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Attack metholodgies ( network security ) - Essay Example Thus, the security system attackers and hackers are now using the information obtained after penetrating through the security systems to attack the target individuals or organizations and defraud them. Without full understanding of the nature of threats to the network security systems and the methods of attacks applied, it would not be possible to establish a strong security mechanism that will effectively protect the network systems and their associated data from attack. The understanding of the Network Security Attack Methodologies is therefore pertinent to the establishment of the most effective defense mechanisms and capabilities. The modern computer and network security systems are faced by diverse threats, owing to the fact that there has been a general growth in the internet accessibility and use, as well as the overall growth in the number of targets comprising of both individual and organizational computer and network security systems [1]. The attack capabilities has also increased, due to the development of more advanced hacking and attack tools, following the increased knowledge and skills of computer operation and usage that have come with the advanced technology wave. Securing the network security systems against potential threats, both for the individuals and business organizations is a present effort that seeks to protect older systems already established, while also securing the newly acquired systems. While the protection of the network security systems against known threats could be easy, there is a need to ensure the continuity of proactive efforts to detect emerging new threats and understand their defense mechanisms [2]. The understanding of the network security attack methodologies require a broad focus on who is interested in attacking, what their motivation is and what capabilities they have to exploit the network security weaknesses [3]. The network security systems are far ahead of the available defense

Monday, October 28, 2019

Taiwan: Business Environment and Investment Opportunities

Taiwan: Business Environment and Investment Opportunities AN ANALYSIS OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN TAIWAN HISTORY Pre 20th Century History Little archaeological evidence remains from Taiwans early history. People probably from Austronesia are though to have inhabited the island since 10,000 BC with migration from China in the 15th century. In 1517 Portuguese sailors reached Taiwan and named it Ilha Formosa (Beautiful Island). The Dutch invaded in 1624 and built a capital at Tainan two years later they lost the island to a Spanish invasion but returned the favour by booting the Spanish out in 1641. During the 1660s the Ming and Manchu (Qing) dynasties arrived on the scene, kicking out the Dutch and wrestling one another for control of the island. The Manchus eventually won, making Taiwan a county of Fujian province and triggering a flood of Chinese immigration. At the end of the 19th century, the Japanese decided to weigh in as well: Taiwan was ceded to them in 1895 following Chinas defeat in the Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese quashed a republican rebellion organised by the local Chinese population and went on to establish a military base on the island and to promote education and economic development. After Japans defeat in at the end of WWII, Taiwan was handed back to China. Modern History When Communist forces took control of China in 1949, the president, General Chiang Kai-shek and his Nationalist Party, the Kuomintang (KMT), fled to Taiwan to plan their reconquest of the mainland. Theyre still planning. One and a half million Chinese also left the mainland for Taiwan when Mao took control. The leaders of both Communist mainland China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) claim to be the voice of all China, but the international community has, almost without exception, chosen the mainland. In 1971 the KMT lost the Chinese United Nations seat, and in 1979 the USA withdrew its recognition of the Republic. When Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975 and was replaced by his son Ching-kuo, Taiwanese started muttering the word dynasty, and criticism of the one-party system rose. In 1986, those opposed to Chiang formed the Democratic Progressive Party and were granted seats in the legislature. Two years later Chiang died and was replaced by the first native-born president, Lee Teng-hui. Taiwanese politics is divided among those who want reunification with China (the KMT line), those who want Taiwanese independence, and those who want the status quo preserved. In 1995 relations between the two Chinas, always chilly, plummetted to a new low. Lee Teng-huis high-profile visit to the United States brought mainland China out in a rash of nervous jealousy. Determined to isolate Taiwan and sway the minds of its voters, China held intense military exercises near the Taiwanese coast. In response, the United States donned its global cop hat and sent a couple of warships to monitor the situation. Despite the regions sudden high concentration of itchy trigger fingers, the first direct presidential election was held without incident, and Lee Teng-hui was returned to office. Taiwans fortunes took a turn for the worse in September 1999 when a massive earthquake hit the island, the largest in its history, leaving over 2000 islanders dead and a rubble-strewn country. Even in this time of crisis, however, the snippy relationship between mainland China and the wannabe republic continued. A defiantly sulky China demanded that any country entering Taiwan to offer earthquake relief get permission from the Chinese government first: a demand that was met with less-than-hearty agreement from humanitarian organisations and other countries around the world. Recent History In March 2000, Taiwan elected its next president Chen Shui-bian, the candidate of Taiwans Democratic Progressive Party, who believe in a formal declaration of independence for the island. The upset ended 55 years of Nationalist rule and alarmed China, which regards Taiwan as a rebel province. In 2004, Chen Shui-bian was re-elected by a narrow margin following a possibly-dubious assassination attempt on him only hours before the election. In a concession to political opponents and a country fearful over its constant Chinese threat, Chen Shui-bian vowed to forge closer relations with China and leave the volatile issue of Taiwans sovereignty off the political reform agenda. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT IN TAIWAN To adjudge whether or not a country is suitable for investment opportunities we must use certain parameters these can range from descriptive tools like reports available from various established organizations like The World Bank or The IMF. Else we can make use of diagnostic tools like PEST analysis which we will employ to analyse the business environment of Taiwan and look at the possibility of investment opportunities. PEST ANALYSIS (P)OLITICAL SCENARIO The political status of Taiwan is a controversy over whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu), should remain the effective territory of the Republic of China (ROC), become unified with the territories now governed by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), or become the Republic of Taiwan. Taiwans political status is complicated by the controversy over the Republic of Chinas existence as a state. Currently, Taiwan, Kinmen (Quemoy), Wuchiu (Wuciou) and Matsu off the coast of mainland Fukien, and Taiping (Itu Aba) and Pratas in the South China Sea effectively make up the entire state known as the Republic of China. The ROC government has in the past considered itself to be the sole legitimate government over Taiwan, as well as its former territories on the continent that include mainland China, Outer Mongolia and Tannu Uriankhai (part of which is present day Tuva). This position started to be largely ignored in the early 1990s, changing to one that does not challenge the legitimacy of PRC rule over mainland China, although the ROCs claims have never been renounced through a constitutional amendment. Different groups have different concepts of what the current formal political situation of Taiwan is. In addition, the situation can be confusing because of the different parties and the effort by many groups to deal with the controversy through a policy of deliberate ambiguity. The political solution that is accepted by many of the current groups is the following perspective of the status quo: that is, to unofficially treat Taiwan as a state and at a minimum, to officially declare no support for the government of this state making a formal declaration of independence. What a formal declaration of independence would consist of is not clear and can be confusing given the fact that the Peoples Republic of China has never controlled Taiwan since its founding and the fact that the Republic of China, whose government controls Taiwan, considers itself a de jure sovereign state. The status quo is accepted in large part because it does not define the legal status or future status of Taiwan, leaving each group to interpret the situation in a way that is politically acceptable to its members. At the same time, a policy of status quo has been criticized as being dangerous precisely because different sides have different interpretations of what the status quo is, leading to the possibility of war through brinkmanship or miscalculation. Hence we can say that Taiwan has a volatile political situation but is stable currently. (E)CONOMIC SCENARIO Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the worlds third largest. Agriculture contributes less than 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952. Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia. China has overtaken the US to become Taiwans largest export market. Because of its conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths, Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from the Asian financial crisis in 1998. The global economic downturn, combined with problems in policy coordination by the administration and bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in 2001, the first year of negative growth ever recorded. Unemployment al so reached record levels. Output recovered moderately in 2002 in the face of continued global slowdown, fragile consumer confidence, and bad bank loans; and the essentially vibrant economy pushed ahead in 2003-04. Growing economic ties with China are a dominant long-term factor, e.g., exports to China of parts and equipment for the assembly of goods for export to developed countries. A FEW RELEVANT STATISTICS GDP purchasing power parity $576.2 billion (2004 est.) GDP real growth rate 6% (2004 est.) GDP per capita purchasing power parity $25,300 (2004 est.) GDP composition by sector agriculture: 1.7% industry: 30.9% services: 67.4% (2004 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.7% (2004 est.) Labor force by occupation agriculture 8%, industry 35%, services 57% (2001 est.) Unemployment rate 4.5% (2004 est.) Budget revenues: $67.41 billion expenditures: $76.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $14.4 billion (2004 est.) Industries electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals Industrial production growth rate 12.2% (2004 est.) Oil consumption 988,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) Agriculture products rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish Exports $170.5 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) Exports commodities computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles, plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002) Exports partners China, including Hong Kong 37%, US 16%, Japan 7.7% (2003) Imports $165.4 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) Imports commodities machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision instruments (2002) Imports partners Japan 26%, US 13%, China, including Hong Kong 11%, South Korea 6.9% (2003) Debt external $55.5 billion (2004 est.) Investment (gross fixed) 18% of GDP (2004 est.) Public debt 32.4% of GDP (2004 est.) Current account balance $21.16 billion (2004 est.) Reserves of foreign exchange gold $246.5 billion (2004 est.) Hence after having a look at the economic structure we can say that a few indicators like the availability of labour forces, growth rates, inflation rates point to the fact that Taiwan is a stable economy and hence suitable for investment opportunities. (S)OCIAL SCENARIO Although the majority of the people residing in Taiwan (84%) are descended from 17th century migrants from China, the political power (and a substantial part of the economic power) of the island has been, until recently, almost exclusively held by less than one-fifth of the population. A population who fled to Taiwan in 1949 after the communist takeover of the mainland. Almost a half-century of co-residence has seen an integration of these two populations to some degree, with both pride in Chinese heritage and culture and national pride in being a resident of Taiwan, combining successfully to date. Taiwan is a society that supports strong Confucian values, reflecting the islands predominantly Chinese heritage (the native aborigines of Taiwan make up only 2% of the population). European influences have also made their mark, in the form of trading links (and some colonial aspirations) from the Spanish and Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries. Japan has also had a more recent influence over the character of Taiwan: the island was occupied by Japan from 1895 to 1946, but this occupation although repressive at times was also a period of prosperity for Taiwan. Taiwan today is a vibrant and prosperous patriarchal society, which maintains the family as its basic foundation. Multi-generational households are the norm, with age being respected and children prized. The people are reserved, respectful and humble, although individual achievement and a hearty entrepreneurial attitude is found throughout the Taiwanese society. The practice of religious tenets, more so than pure belief alone, influences the Taiwanese character. Approximately 24% of the population is Buddhist, 16% is Taoist (Confucian) and 3% Christian. Much like other Chinese societies, respect and formality mark social relationships, and guanxi (guanji) is quite strong in Taiwan. Open conflict or direct criticism is avoided, as is any other action which could create embarrassment. Boasting or loud behaviour is to be avoided, although compliments are appreciated but usually denied. While many educated Taiwanese speak English, the national (and commercial) language is Mandarin Chinese, with many also speaking the local Taiwanese (Chinese) language. Varying degrees of English is spoken by many of the younger generation and the internationally educated. Taiwan is one of the most urbanised nations in Asia with over 60% of the population living in cities. Taipei, the capital, houses nearly 13% of the population, or approximately 2.75 million. Other major cities include Kaohsiung and Keelung. The people of Taiwan are well educated and have relevant knowledge of subjects like English and science. The society is a peaceful one and not very different from other South East Asian countries. The cities are well developed and the working conditions are conducive to conducting business. Hence investments with respect to the social structure will be a safe bet. (T)ECHNOLOGICAL SCENARIO Measures accompanying Science Technology (ST) development include the four main aspects of educating, training, recruiting, and rewarding ST manpower; the ST research environment; technology diffusion, intellectual property rights, and standards; and international ST cooperation. The goal of manpower training is to establish superior ST research and development manpower, which may be considered a RD software input. The goal of common research facilities is to provide the infrastructure needed for research, and this infrastructure may be considered a RD hardware input. Superior RD outputs can be obtained only after these two inputs are appropriately matched with funding. 1. Manpower education and training The education and training of ST development manpower includes the three aspects: (1) education in colleges and universities, (2) advanced studies in Taiwanese institutions and overseas for personnel selected by government agencies, and (3) training by vocational and professional training institutions. In addition, the Executive Yuans Implementation Regulations for Commendation of Outstanding Scientific and Technological Personnel, Executive Yuan and the Academia Sinicas Topical Research and High-level Manpower Training Program both serve to actively promote key ST research and train ST manpower. Apart from education in universities and colleges, the government also promotes the training of ST manpower via advanced studies or research in Taiwan and overseas for personnel selected by government agencies, and training by vocational and professional training institutions. A total of 37,945 students received Ph.D. or masters degrees in the natural sciences, engineering, medicine, agriculture, or the humanities and social sciences from domestic universities during the 2003 academic year. This number represented an increase of 16.3% over the 2002 academic year from this total 35,981 persons, or 94.8%, received masters degrees. See Table VI-1 for an overview of the various advanced ST manpower training and technical skills education training systems and their results in 2004. 2. Manpower recruiting In order to meet shortages of ST manpower, the government has implemented a number of policies and programs to train domestic high-tech manpower and recruit outstanding overseas manpower to work in Taiwan. It has established long-term targets for ST manpower recruiting, training, and utilization. The government has adopted simultaneous long- and short-term approaches to the recruiting of ST manpower. The Academia Sinica recruits overseas post-doctoral research personnel, foreign consultants, specialists, and scholars, and the NSC funds the recruiting of ST manpower, the hiring of post-doctoral researchers, the recruiting of research scholars, and the invitation of scientific and technological figures from China to participate in research in Taiwan 3. Rewarding Personnel The government offers a variety of grants and awards aimed at encouraging ST personnel to engage in academic research, technology development, and invention. Relevant honors include the Outstanding Achievement in Science and Technology Award, Academic Award, National Lectureship, Outstanding Research Award, and the Ta You Wu Memorial Award. Hence we can say that technologically also Taiwan is very superior and backed by Government. Technologically there should be no problems with investments in Taiwan. Therefore after doing a PEST analysis we can conclude that weighing all options Taiwan is a relatively safe place to invest resources. Now let us have a look at the various industries in Taiwan and try to zero in on an industry or a sector where a investments are a possibility.