Communication and Professional Relationships with Children, Young People and Adults Essay

Unit 301 – Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults. 1.1 – Effective communication is important in developing positive relationships with children, young people and adults because it ensures strong relationships between on another and helps create a positive working environment. By demonstrating and modelling effective communication skills with others you will create positive relationships. It is important that we know how to communicate to one another in a polite, friendly manner even in moments of stress. If we have positive relationships with children, young people and adults we are more likely to communicate information to one another. By thinking about the different ways we can communicate to each other this will ensure positive working relationships are carried out. 1.2 – If we can ensure children, young people and adults are comfortable in our company this will encourage relationship building. It is important that we build on positive relationships with one another to create a friendly, happy and positive environment to work in. Children, young people and adults can pick up on unfriendly or negative atmospheres so by ensuring that we are relationship building with one another and are creating positive relationships through effective communication the whole setting will benefit. There are a few key points that ensure a positive relationship. These include; Effective communication, Being considerate, Maintaining a sense of humour, Showing respect, Remembering issues which are personal to them, Taking time to listen to others and Being clear on points. All of these key points will help build positive relationships with others. 1.3 – When working in different social, professional and cultural contexts it is important that we learn how to adapt the way we communicate in different situations. When working with others it is important that we consider the context in which w e are working. For example, if I was in a meeting I would use more formal language and behaviour. If I was communicating with a parent it would be more informal and more personal. It is important that all practitioners are aware of different types of communication with adults. For example, if I had a professional conversation over the phone, I would ensure that I listened well, I was attentive and responded well when speaking to the other party. When dealing with other professionals there will be meetings and discussions as well as more informal communication at times. On some occasions non-spoken forms of communication can be an issue if they aremisread by others. For example, how quickly someone responds to an email or phone message. It is also important that we are aware that different cultures will have their own norms of behaviour which will extend to gestures, body language and eye contact. 2.1 – In order to have effective communication with children and young people you need to demonstrate a number of skills. Children learn to communicate through the response of oth ers: If they do not feel that their contributions are valued, they are less likely to initiate communication themselves. Whilst communicating with children and young people it is very important that you make eye contact and actively listen. Body language is extremely important. When interacting with children and young people you should get down to their level. Children are aware of facial expressions and how approachable you are. It is important that we as practitioners smile and react in a positive way to what children are saying. It is important that we allow children the chance to communicate and make sure that they are given sufficient opportunities to talk. As practitioners we should always react and comment on what children and young people are saying. On some occasions you may need to repeat back to pupils to check our understanding, particularly if they have used incorrect language. One of the main skills is to always be interested in what children have to say and ensure we respond and question children to maintain conversation. For children to be able to communicate effectively we should encourage them to ask questions and put their ideas forward. 2.2 – In order to build relationships with children, you will need to adapt your behaviour and communication accordingly. By effectively communicating and interacting with children of all ages, cultures and abilities it will help them feel secure and valued. A) It is important that you adapt the way you communicate when interacting with children and young people of different ages. When interacting with younger children they may need more reassurance. They may also need to have more physical contact as a result. Children of different ages will require varying levels of attention. It is important that we know how to adapt our vocabulary and we consider how to interact positively with children and young people as we listen and respond to them. B) When working with children you will be dealing with children in a variety of different situations. It is important that we adapt our verbal communication accordingly. For instance, if a group of children and me are carrying out acircle time activity it is important that all the children are engaged and focused and that I have dealt with any distractions before they interrupt my activity. However, when talking to children in more social situations such as lunchtime or free play, it is important that we use this time to create and develop positive relationships with children, although we should always speak to them in a way which maintains the relationship of professional carer to child. C) When working with children who have communication differences it is important to ensure care and sensitivity. Some children will need to take their time and may feel under pressure when they are speaking. It is very important that we adapt the way in which we communicate accordingly to the child’s individual needs. Some children may not have many opportunities to speak, or may be anxious or nervous. If they have a speech disorder, such as a stammer, or conditions which make communication difficult for them, they should be allowed to take their time and not feel rushed. It is important that we try not to fill in words for them or guess what they are going to say, as this may add to their distress. When working with children who have communication differences you may need additional training such as makaton or sign language. This is so you are able to communicate effectively. In some cases where children have special educational needs you may need to have additional equipment in order to communicate with one another. 2.3 – When communicating with adults and with children there are many similarities, always maintaining eye contact and interest, responding to what they are saying and treating them with courtesy and respect. However when communicating with children it is very important to maintain the relationship of carer to child and what this means in a preschool setting. Children will always see adults as carers no matter how well you get along with one another and we have to ensure that our relationship with them will always be on a formal basis when in school and out. When communicating with children we need to be clear so they understand what is expected of them and so they can learn to communicate themselves. When communicating with children it is important that the vocabulary and verbal expressions we use are at the right level for all children. It is also very important that we as carers do not encourage physical contact when communicating with them. It can be very hard to avoid this with young children as they will often initiate hugs. In this situation it would be inappropriate to tell them not to. However we should not offer physical contact with children or be overly physical with them at any time. 2.4 – There are many ways in which we can adapt communication to meet different communication needs of adults. It is important that we are sensitive to the needs of other adults, particularly if they have communication difficulties. It is important that we adapt the way we communicate. Sometimes we will do this without even realizing. For example, if I am speaking to a parent or carer who has a hearing impairment, I will make sure that I am facing them and I am making eye contact so that they can lip read. It is important that when working with adults that have communication needs we observe, reflect and adapt our means of communication. If a parent speaks English as an additional language (E.A.L) we may need to have a translator and meet together if the information we are communicating is complex or difficult to convey. 2.5 – When managing disagreements, it is important that we do so carefully so that bad feelings do not persist afterwards. In many cases, disagreements are down to lack of communication or miscommunication with others. Poor communication can cause conflict within in certain areas, between carers and children and young people and between carers and adults. The best way to resolve areas of poor communication is to discuss them to establish a cause and then find a way forward together. The important thing to do is not to ignore the problem or talk to everyone else about it except the individual concerned. Sometimes adults may not have the same ideas about the purpose of an activity or meeting, or come with a different idea in mind. It is important to always clarify the aims of what we are there to do and why. Different values and ideas can cause disagreements between parents and settings. It is important that we work alongside parents and explain or clarify why things need to happen in a different way at nursery. Sometimes adults can act in an aggressive way if they are not sure about what they are doing or lack in confidence. It is very important that we are sensitive to this and offer encouragement and support. 3.1 – In settings we ask parents and carers for a variety of information so that we are able to care for children as effectively as we can while they are with us. These records include Record of information, Health and medical records and records for children who have special educational needs. These records are confidential and are only used for the purpose for which it was gathered. If theinformation needs to be passed on to others for any reason, parental consent will need to be given. This is asked for when a child starts nursery and their parent or carer will fill out a consent form. This information is confidential and can only be shared with people with a right to access it. For example, the child’s key worker, line manager or an external agency. The Data Protection Act 1998 is a legislation that all child care settings must adhere to along with Every Child Matters. Within Peter Pan Nursery we ask all parents to sign a consent form which allows practitioners to take photographs for the evidence of the child’s development and for displays. It is very important that all practitioners are aware that you should not pass on any information about the child or their family to other parents, other professionals unless their parents have been consulted or visitors. 3.2 –When all parents / carers hand over the child’s record of information, health and medical records and any records of special educational needs we ensure that they are aware that all this information is kept in a file which is in a locked cabinet in the office and is confidenti al. We make all parents aware that the only time any information is passed on without the parents’ consent is when we feel that the child may be in need, if the child is at risk or is being abused. Also if the child has any medical conditions then certain information may be passed on to other carers. For example, if a child has asthma or epilepsy. At Peter Pan Nursery we have information boards in each of the units displaying photographs of children with their medical conditions or allergies in an area of which only carers can access. 3.3 – At Peter Pan Nursery we have a policy in place called ‘Whistle blowing’. This means that if you think there is a suspected case of child abuse or if you think a child or young person is at risk or a practitioner is behaving in an unusual way then it is important to blow the whistle and tell the line manager. If another practitioner confides in you, it is important to remember that there are situations in which you may need to tell others. It is very important that if a child, young person or adult confides in you, you must at all times tell the individual that you will not be able to keep confidentiality if they disclose something to you in which you cannot keep to yourself for these reasons.

Machiavelli Vs Lao-Tzu

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) was a political philosopher as well as a  statesmen during the time of the Renaissance. He is most famous for writing his political  views in The Prince (1513), which has become an important part of modern political  philosophy. The Prince offers advice to the monarch in order to keep himself in power.  His recommendations are polices that discourage mass political activism by channeling  the people around him to use their energies for private pursuits. Machiavelli wanted to  influence the monarch by showing him that he can better keep his power by  judiciously using violence, understanding and respecting his subjects private property  and traditions, and by promoting materialistic prosperity. Machieavelli believed that a political life is not governed by a set of morals  or a religious absolute. The monarch can be excused sometimes for using acts of violence  or deception for a means, which would not be ethical if he were a civilian. The Prince  was written at the height of the Renaissance when intense political conflict between the  dominant cities and states of Florence, Milan, Venice, the Papacy, France, Spain as well  as the Holy Empire. This incendiary conflict ended in massive political intrigue, violence  and blackmail to which Machievelli concluded with a plea for unity in Italy as well as an  end to foreign involvement. The great differences between Niccolo Machieavelli and Chinese Taoist  Philosopher, Lao-Tzu, is their beliefs on how a government should be run. Machieavelli  refers to what a prince should have as he places a totalitarian government. He believed  governments should be very structured and controlled as well as powerful. Lao- Tz  belief is that one person cannot have total control and they should let everything run its  course. Machievelli argued in his book that, Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus  Livius that a republic would, be strengthened by their conflicts if they engage in open  political participations and debates. Machieavelli’s, pragmatic view of ethics and politics is a Prince should  be more practical than moral. A prince must learn to be cunning and deceitful to maintain  his power. He believed it is more important for a prince to be feared than loved by his  people. This is in direct contrast to Lao-Tzu’s belief in living life with goodness and  respect to others. He did not write a guide to his views like Machieavelli, because he  wanted his philosophy to be a natural way a human being should live. He believed a  person’s behavior in his or her life should be influenced by their instincts and conscience. Lao-Tzu believed that humans as well as the universe are governed by  unseen outside forces. The key to one’s truth and freedom is simplicity. He  encouraged followers to seek out and to understand the laws of nature, to build up power  among themselves, as well as to utilize that power to lead their life with love without  force. The differences are even clear as how these philosophers are remembered. Machieavelli’s views of ethics and politics, lead people to misinterpret these views as to  describe anyone who deceptively manipulates people in an opportunistic way. I.E.:  Machieavellian. Lao-Tzu is said to have went off on water buffalo to the desert, saddened  by the evils of man. It is said that when he arrived at the gate of the Great Wall of China,  where he was persuaded by the gatekeeper to record his principals of philosophy. This   recording became the ancient Chinese text â€Å"Eighty-one sayings of the Tao-Te-Ching.† -Works Cited- http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=oty2JfReC3cC&oi=fnd&pg=PR14&sig=XiQAr4hiJRUoIy5ZSvNRW_4fhXg&dq=%22Grint%22+%22Leadership:+Classical,+Contemporary,+and+Critical+Approaches%22+#PPR11,M1 Leadership: Classical, contemporary, and critical approaches By Keith Grint; Published 1997 Oxford University Press.                                                                                                                              

Compare and contrast perfect competition and monopolistic competition Essay

Compare and contrast perfect competition and monopolistic competition. Also Explain how equilibrium is determined in the Keynesian Income Expenditure - Essay Example nother very important characteristic of the Monopolistic competition is that each firm tries to create difference in its product from the other by advertising, propaganda, attractive packing, nice smile, etc. The entry of new firms in the monopolistically competition industry is relatively easy. There are no barriers of new firms to enter the product group or leave the industry in the long run. In perfect competition model, it was assumed that there was large number of firms producing homogenous product. In the case of monopoly, there was only one seller of a product. Both these models were thus polar extremes and were considered satisfactory for the market price analysis in economic theory. Under perfect competition, the demand curve which an individual seller has to face is perfectly elastic, i.e. it runs parallel to the base axis. The competitive seller being unable to affect the market price sells its output at the prevailing market price. Hence marginal revenue equals the price of the product. The average-revenue is identical to its marginal revenue. Thus under perfect competition MR=AR=Price and the three curves coincide and are perfectly elastic. This is, however, not the case under monopoly. The monopolist is the sole supplier of a product in the market. He has full powers to make decisions about the pricing of his product. He is a price taker. If he lowers the unit price of his product, his’ sale is increased, if he raises the price, he will not lose his entire sale (Lawrence). The simple Keynesian income expenditure model builds two main suppositions: 1. Prices, incomes and the attention rate are all settled 2- production is demand determined –extra capability will be employed by firms to provide as a great deal output as clientele desire to

User Manual for Marymount Online Functions Assignment

User Manual for Marymount Online Functions - Assignment Example It is intended for students who have not explored the various functions, features, and terminology and course registration process of the online application software. This manual focuses on the function of how to obtain Marynet, Grades for 14/SP. Several requirements are needed to be able to use this manual. You will need either a PC, Laptop, Tablet or a smartphone with an installed adobe program that will allow you to read this manual. No additional programs and software is needed. Most importantly, you will need to have internet connection to be able to access the online application. The sections and topics in this manual are interelated, therefore, you should read and understand preceding topics and sections consecutively. It is also recommended that you read the manual keenly understanding all the procedures accurately. For better understanding, most procedures have been illustrated using screenshots and pictures alongside their descriptions. Should you have any additional questions and clarifications, the FAQ section answers soe of the common questions . New and custom terms unique to this manual have also been defined and explained in the glosary. Before you can be able to perform any functions in the online application, you must log in to the system. To do so use the following address to open the login web page: https://bb.marymount.edu . Simply click on the link to be able to log in. The following webpage will appear. Type your user name and password on this screen then click login to log in to the system. In case you experience any problems while logging, such as forgetting your password, simply click the â€Å"Reset My Marymount Password† link. Once you login you will be able to access the Main Menu from where you can select the actions you wish to perform. The following screen appears that will allow you to select the appropriate function to perform. After selecting

Bare Bone Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bare Bone Analysis - Essay Example This is augmented by the partial dilatation which results in a sufficient opening to permit the fetus to descend into the pelvic canal. Furthermore, the patient undergoes premature progression and formation of myometrial gash junctions, in addition to inflammatory mediator enthused contractions. The other pathophysiology effect is atypical placental implantation and augmented ligamental laxity that results in back pain (Chao, et al, 2011). Physiology A normal physiologic scenario is one that is affected by innate human capability of the mother and fetus. Unlike in this scenario, Braxton-Hick or pre-labor contractions normally subside with rest or fluids and do not thus transform the cervix during actual labor contractions do. The mucus plug which keeps the cervix closed is lost, since the body facilitates the uterus contraction. Aches and provisional quick groin pains occur due to gentle straining of the ligaments attached to the pelvic bones, plus lower back. In addition, oxygen sup ply during labor is normally reduced due to interferences of supply of oxygenated maternal blood to placenta by the contractions (Kaimal, et al, & Cheng, 2011). There is also an increase in maternal blood supply, couple with lowering of systemic vascular resistance from blood vessels due to mounting intensity of hormones. Thus, cardiac output increases considerably leading to a decrease in blood pressure. Renal clearance is usually elevated resulting in lower-than-normal serum levels from renal markers referred to as blood-urea-nitrogen and creatinine (Kaimal, et al , & Cheng, 2011). Predisposing Factors There are numerous predisposing factors that could have led to Patience condition. First, the fact that she lost two previous pregnancies to first trimester miscarriages exposed her to preceding second-trimester dilation and evacuation, in addition to uterine anomalies like outsized fibroids and mullerian abnormalities. Second, Patience could have gone through short inter-pregnancy timeline of less than six months, considering that she may possibly have had a cervical injury, cervical insufficiency, diethylstilbestrol, or previous cervical surgery. Therefore, the premature effacement or shortening of vaginal section of Patience cervix and dilation could be due to structural weakness in her cervix) exposure, and anatomic abnormalities of the cervix (Maloni, 2012). Thirdly, fetal abnormalities or even untimely placental separation could be a causative factor, and are thus making the abruption. Other features could be demographic factors given that previous studies reveal that nonwhite races have a high probability of preterm birth, especially in Black race (Maloni & Damato, 2004). The concerns about anemia could possibly imply existence of uteroplacental insufficiency, such as hypertension, and this brought about trichomonas condition. Furthermore, she could be having low pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index, and her prenatal care was not as continuous or no ne at all. Others include, grave maternal infections like, urinary tract infection, placenta previa, bacterial vaginosis or intrauterine growth constraint. Moreover, hormonal changes especially mediated by maternal and fetal stress could also be a factor (Chao, et al, & Leven, 2011). Treatment Modalities Treatment modalities can begin with offering Patience prophylactic pharmacologic therapy, so as to extend her gestation and decrease her chances of getting respiratory distress syndrome or even intra-amniotic infectivity. Medicines are

Sentencing Guidelines Reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sentencing Guidelines Reform - Research Paper Example Likewise alternatives have been looked at for offenders of non-violent crime, such as community service. The Need for Sentencing Reforms The prison population has been rapidly growing for many years, with an increase of 7% in the period from 2000 to 2005 (King, 2007). The cost per day per prisoner of keeping criminals incarcerated is significant making the increases in prison population detrimental to the budgets of many states. In addition, there are costs associated with building new prisons if the population increases to that extend, and the associated space and land use. This places heavy demand on policy makers to try and determine sentencing laws and reforms that will limit the prison population. Punishments for crime are developed for multiple reasons including political, such as trying to win votes in an election, however one of the predominant drivers is decreasing the level of crime. The potential outcomes for committing a crime play a large role when individuals decide whe ther to follow through with a crime. For example, crime and punishment can be viewed as part of an economic model, where those who consider crimes weigh up the benefits of the crime versus all the potential costs. If the punishment for crime is high compared to the reward, then they are more likely to reconsider, this is especially true if the likelihood of prosecution and punishment is high (Reynolds, 1990). For this reason changes in sentencing must look at a balance between keeping the number of prisoners low, but still providing effective punishment and deterrent for crimes. In addition, punishment for crime can act to change behavior in criminals. For example, drug offenders are often driven largely by a need which comes from their addiction, and thieves may be responding to greed. Prison life may change this desire in a portion of those who are incarcerated, giving them time to think about who they are and what they are doing. Programs within prison and outside of it that focu s on breaking addictive behaviors, such as treatment options for drug offenders can also be very productive methods of reducing crime rate. This is because without the addiction driving them, many criminals that committed drug offenses will no longer have the same strong need or desire to. Finally, incarceration is not an effective solution in all cases. When a crime is committed out of a perceived need, particularly in the case of drug addiction, incarceration acts as a punishment, but does nothing to reduce the likelihood of re-offense. When the criminal is released, the drivers that caused him to offend in the first case are still present, and re-offense is very likely. Drug Based Sentencing Reforms Sentencing reform legislation has focused on criminals who have committed low level offenses. This section will examine some of the types of legislation in more detail. Thirteen states passed legislation that looked at increasing the available options for drug treatment for the large number of non-violent drug-based crimes. Of these states, nine passed laws that created or extended sentencing diversion for drug offenders. Sentencing diversion involves sentencing sending the criminal to a facility or a program that worked with them in treating their drug problem. This was already present in a number of states, but sentencing reforms worked to clarify ambiguities within the law, thus allowing sentencing diversion to be used in an increased number of cases. Louisiana established a different sentencing diversion model for drug crimes than is used in other states. The model in this state allows for the sentence to be diverted and the individual to begin the treatment program without a statement of guilt, or a

Racial Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Racial Diversity - Essay Example The main aim of this report is to understand using a real life company, the different kinds of discriminations that employees face at work, the make up of the group i.e. the racial make up of the group, the existing problems and issues and the solutions used by management to resolve the issues. The company chosen for this research is Wal Mart. The next section will deal with a brief about Wal Mart and a little about the employees. Wal Mart is the biggest retailers in the world. Wal – Mart has wide operations spread across 14 markets, 7390 Wal – Mart stores. They company employees over 2 million associates. It is the largest employer in America. The company claims to give importance to the employee’s growth and careers. The company’s website claims to provide the employees with a competitive pay, skills development and health benefits for the employee and family. Articles and studies have shown that the company pays employees a salary which is way below the poverty line and employees have confessed that they cannot live out of the pay received from Wal – Mart alone. The average hours worked by employees is around 40 hours a week. However the pay received is very low and for some of the employees it is just enough to live out of a Dodge truck (Greenhouse, 2005). A study showed that even though employees were given hikes in salary they did not really benefit from the hikes. Wal – Mart has instituted a new payment method. The company has placed a range for every job level and once an employee reaches the top of the pay range, the salary freezes and chances of pay increase is completely eliminated. The promotion system is also very poor and employees working for almost 13-14 years in the company and have not been promoted (Gogoi, 2006). Wal Mart’s main vision for the company is to become leading retailers in the world. The

Extended definition about family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Extended definition about family - Essay Example There are different types of families, and they are in many settings. The functions and meanings of families depend on their connection to other societal institutions. A common family is a nuclear family, which also refers to conjugal families in the North America and Europe. To sociologists, there is a difference between the nuclear family and the conjugal family. According to them, conjugal families are relatively independent of the relatives of parents and of other families, while the nuclear families are the ones, which maintain a quite close relationship with their relatives.Extended family is also another family, which can mean people who are related by blood, and can refer to people who are related, and their relationships extend beyond the domestic group and do not fit into the conjugal family. These families refer to the normative structure, which is found in a society.All societies show some differences in the composition and outset of families. Sociologists, historians, an d anthropologists dedicate themselves to the understanding of variations, and changes in the family that result after some time. There is also another type of family called the bourgeois and is a family structure, which arises out of the sixteenth and seventeenth century from the European households. This family is formed from the marriage between a man and a woman under strictly defined gender roles. In this type of family, father is given the responsibly of looking income, while a woman has to take care of family matters.... This family is formed from the marriage between a man and a woman under strictly defined gender-roles. In this type of family, father is given the responsibly of looking income, while a woman has to take care of family matters. The huge transformation that led to current marriage in Western democracies was due to the religio-cultural value system provided by Judaism, early Christianity, Roman Catholic laws, and the Protestant Reformation. In some societies, there exist families, which are headed by the same sex. Although there is increasingly acceptance of the families headed by the same sex in the western societies, the heterosexual families are still the norm against which the same sex families are compared to. The rules of heterosexual marriage, which has encouraged same-sex partnerships to think critically about familial relationships, egalitarian strategies of family practices, and to invent creative family forms (Haviland, Prins & Walrath 242). There are also families, which ar e called blended families or stepfamily. These are families, which have mixed parents, whereby, one or both parents have remarried, and have children of the previous family in the present family. The affiliate of the couple to whom the child is not naturally linked is the stepparents. If the stepparents legally adopt the partners’ children, they become their legal parents. In this case, they may stop using the terms stepparent. However, some emotional issues that are common to stepfamilies may continue to be a problem. Family members should bond with their stepfamilies as with the biological families. Additionally, there are traditional and non-traditional families. The traditional families are those

Law for Managers- Lifting the Corporate Veil Essay

Law for Managers- Lifting the Corporate Veil - Essay Example This essay talks about an association of persons or an organised body can acquire legal personality in the few ways that are recognised by the law. There are mainly three ways in which this can be effected and these are: by way of separate Act, general enabling Act or by conduct. Legal personality can be acquired by virtue of separate Act obtaining within a particular legal framework of a given country or in terms of a general enabling Act such as the Companies Act which is used in many countries. This is modelled under the English common law. Many of the English common law of companies were readily accepted by different countries which adopted this form of law as their guiding principle in the legal framework and these were also accepted by the courts with little or no modification. It can also be seen that an association of 20 persons can also acquire legal personality by conducting itself as a legal person in compliance of certain requirements. On its formation, the company as a s eparate entity acquires the capacity to have its own rights and duties. Once the company has been incorporated, it can be treated as an independent person with rights and liabilities that are appropriate to itself. The brief facts of the leading case were as follows: Salomon was the sole proprietor of the prosperous company and he decided to turn the business into a limited company after realising its great potential. Salomon received  £10 000 in debentures from shareholders which were secured by a bond of the company’s assets. ... The brief facts of the leading case were as follows: Salomon was the sole proprietor of the prosperous company and he decided to turn the business into a limited company after realising its great potential. Salomon received ?10  000 in debentures from shareholders which were secured by a bond of the company’s assets. However, the company faced a downturn of events and had to be liquidated through the sale of the assets. The sale of assets was far short to cover the debentures whereby the liquidator suggested that creditors had to be paid first before the debentures. Thus, the shareholders were left in the cold. Apparently, the court ruled in favour of Salomon on the reasonable ground that the company was just like Salomon. It was treated as an individual person. This given scenario aptly illustrates the magnitude to which this the concept of legal personality has come under criticism for shielding the erring company directors. Though it is generally accepted that upon incorp oration, the company comes into existence as a separate entity, many divergent views have emerged which challenges the legality of this particular concept in as far as the operations of a particular company are concerned. Strydom (2007) posits to the effect that this legal provision gives more power to the directors and at times it often disadvantages the unsuspecting shareholders of that particular company. Given such a scenario, it can be noted that some directors can take advantage of this unfavourable balance in the law which can result in losses being incurred by other people. In as far as fraud is not suspected in the demise of the company, the court can rule in favour of the director since he or she can be treated just like an individual person. The company is protected as

Survey of job Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Survey of job - Assignment Example They cited large pay and stability of income in choosing a job in the private sector as well as the training they could get from it in addition to their education. They also cited doing what they would like to do and have professional satisfaction. They cited that the prestige in working in their home country lies in the corporate world and business. Most works first in the corporate world to get an experience and feel of the business world then put up their own business. Business is also perceived well in their culture and is desired by many to be the road towards financial success and being in control of their time (that is, they do not have to wake early morning to go work and experience the heavy Manila traffic). Regarding working in the government, they were asked if it is possible to get jobs in the government even if you are from a middle-class family. They said yes for as long as the prospective applicant is well connected. They mentioned that while there are some middle class background Filipinos can get into the government with their own merits, most still depends on one’s connections. If one has connections either from relatives, family friendship or political patrons it is almost certain that one can get into the government. Most of them frown on working for the government because government is generally perceived to be corrupt and incompetent. There is prestige in working for government in their home country. They also worry that their education may become useless because of the bureaucracy. The backgrounds of the respondents vary with some taking business administration, some in line with education and engineering. In their culture, most honest jobs in the corporate and business world is respected and has prestige if one is good at it. They generally strive for jobs that they believe they like with all of the jobs including law, business, education and corporate having the same level of

Female Circumcision Essay Example for Free

Female Circumcision Essay Many women in different parts of the world have faced circumcision, commonly known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Africa is a continent that has extensively reported cases of FGM, and other parts of the world that practices some indigenous culture, especially the Muslim dominated Middle East countries. The age at which a woman undergoes FGM varies from one region to another, such that a child after being born could be subjected to FGM , while in other areas, a woman who gets her first born is made to undergo the practice. The communities that practice this custom hold high regards for the practice as it demonstrates transition period to womanhood. Therefore, this practice is made to ensure that a circumcised girl is taught the practices that would lead her to being a good wife and mother (IRIN, 2009a). One commonality among the different members of the community who practice FGM is that the major aim is to make a woman remain a virgin until her marriage time, since the removal of her genitalia reduces her sexual desires. In most of the communities carrying out this practice, men prefer to marry circumcised women, meaning the parents have to make their daughters marriageable by circumcising them. Therefore, it can be argued that it is the men who make this practice to prosper. On the other hand, it is the role of the elder women, (mothers and grandmothers) to organize for the circumcision of the young girl, and in some areas, midwives undertakes this role (IRIN, 2009a). This research paper will thus look at how FGM has been practiced in Kenya and the fight against the practice among some communities that hold high regards for the practice. FGM in Kenya Despite laws being put in place to fight FGM, especially the Child’s protection Act of 2001, this practice is still very common and continues to be practiced in various parts of Kenya (IRIN, 2009b). Even though there are many organizations in the country to educate the communities on the dangers of the practice, still the practice has not been stopped and to some extends being practiced underground. However, there have been increased campaigns by various bodies together with the law enforcement agents to see that the practice comes to an end. Kenyan women are circumcised as a rite to passage into womanhood. Many girls in Kenya who come from the communities that practice FGM do not continue with their education. This is because the moment a girl undergoes this practice, she is deemed to be fit and ready to get married. It is because of this that there are several communities that have as young as between twelve and fourteen years getting married to very old men so long as the men are able to pay bride price. It has turned out that men are using their daughters to get wealth through bride price paid; hence a girl circumcised is worth more price than uncircumcised girl. Because of this attachment, some girls are found to voluntarily undertake the practice since it is presumed to increase a woman’s respect (IRIN, 2009b). Maasai is one of the indigenous communities in Kenya that have strongly held to the FGM practice. There are many people from the community (both men and women) who are highly educated, but are afraid to talk openly against the vice in the community because of the fear of social repercussion, especially for leaders who want to get elective posts like in politics. Community members believe that one cannot be a true Maasai if they are not circumcised. Among the Maasai, FGM is considered to bring honor to the circumcised and her family. This is because such a girl is eligible for marriage, which raises her status and the family in general. There have been increased criticism from the international community against the Maasai practice, but the community hangs on the practice, despite the government of Kenya criminalizing FGM. The Maasai community does not hold any regards for uncircumcised woman in the society no matter her level of education or even the post she holds in the society. It is even amazing to find that some male candidates in Kenyan politics use the issue of FGM against women who are not circumcised claiming they are not fit to be in public offices. Such issues make fighting FGM to be a very difficult task (IRIN, 2009b). Even though there are many hardliners who have stood in the way of fighting FGM, the efforts of those fighting the practice has started to bear fruits in Kenya, and especially among the Maasai communities. There are some aspects that are associated with FGM that the community has slowly been changing. For instance, the practice involved the use of one knife for circumcising various girls. But because of the teachings concerning HIV/Aids, the circumcisers have been convinced that it is dangerous to be using a single knife for several people, and have thus started using a single knife for each girl. There are only a few circumcisers who still use one knife for different girls, according to a survey done by Maendeleo Ya Wanawake (MYWO), a women organization that has been at the forefront campaigning against FGM in Kenya. Although this change appears, slight, it is a show in the right direction that the Maasai community can be convinced to change unnecessary and harmful cultural practices to the better course of the society at large (IRIN, 2009b). There are various measures that have been put in place by the organizations fighting the FGM practice in Kenya to see that this practice comes to an end. One mode has been the introduction of the alternative rites of passage. In this practice, all the activities, teachings and practices that the girls are undertaken during the circumcision period are taught to the girls who are of age to be circumcised, but excluding the practice of cutting their genitalia. MYWO has held these alternative rites passage practice yearly among different communities in Kenya. In these activities, girls are taught traditional methods of becoming a good woman, while other formal education programs are again incorporated into the teachings. There are many communities that have adopted this system of alternative rites of passage, but among the Maasai communities, it has been received with a lot of mixed reactions, thus only causing limited success. The concern and the major reason for the Maasai and other communities to practice FGM is basically to reduce sexual urge among the girls, so that they can remain pure until their marriage time , and once married, be faithful to their husbands. This concern does not seem to be raised in the case of using alternative rites of passage (IRIN, 2009b). Religious leaders have also of late been at the forefront in the fight against FGM practice. Muslim dominated region of North Eastern Kenya has been also known to have high percentage of female circumcision. However, of late, the Muslim religious leaders have taken up the initiative to teach their followers of the importance of doing away with FGM practices. The religious leaders campaigns mostly on Fridays when they offer the religious teachings. The leaders have played a major role in informing the women that FGM is not an Islamic requirement, hence has to be abandoned. The council of Imams and other Muslim religious leaders has chosen to be undertaking their campaigns on Fridays because it is the time many Muslims gather together as community for their prayers. This is also considered a cheap approach of reaching many people, than having to undertake expensive workshops in hotels (IRIN, 2007). Like the Maasai, the campaigns in the North Eastern Kenya have received mixed reactions among the community members. There are those who feel that the practice should be stopped, while others feel that the practice is aimed at protecting the girls, hence it has to be preserved at all costs. Many girls in the North Eastern region of Kenya lead miserable lives since they are forced to get married immediately they are circumcised, and they do also have poor lives to lead in their marriage, since they face problems like divorce, for not satisfying their husbands sexually and birth related problems associated with FGM practice (IRIN, 2007). Conclusion Kenyan government made FGM an illegal offence when it passed the child’s protection Act of 2001, but due lack of enforcement of the law by prosecuting the those who carry out the practice, FGM has continued among different communities like the Maasai who hold a lot of regards to their rituals, hence living according to the traditional rules and refuse to embrace modernization. Nevertheless, with the increased activities of the outside world within the communities practicing FGM, their influence is slowly changing the perspective of the community especially among the younger educated generation who do not want their daughters to undergo the practice like themselves or their wives. Therefore, this practice is bound to come to an end, but it will take time to change the minds of the indigenous people. Reference: IRIN (2007). KENYA: Religious leaders join anti-FGM fight, retrieved on 25th February 2009 from, http://www. globalexchange. org/countries/africa/kenya/4648. html. IRIN (2009a). In-Depth: Razors Edge The Controversy of Female Genital Mutilation. AFRICA: When culture harms the girls the globalisation of female genital mutilation, retrieved on 25th February 2009 from http://www. irinnews. org/IndepthMain. aspx? IndepthId=15ReportId=62462. IRIN (2009b). In-Depth: Razors Edge The Controversy of Female Genital Mutilation. KENYA: FGM among the Maasai community of Kenya, retrieved on 25th February 2009 from http://www. irinnews. org/InDepthMain. aspx? InDepthId=15ReportId=62470Country=Yes.

Anti Head Lice Essay Example for Free

Anti Head Lice Essay Abstract. The present study focused on the separation and identification of the active compounds against head lice from the hexane extract of Annona squamosa L seed. Chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques revealed that two major compounds of the hexane seed extract were oleic acid and triglyceride with one oleate ester. The yields of these compounds were 13.25% and 7.74% dry weight, respectively. The compounds were tested in vitro against head lice, comparing to the crude hexane extract of the seed. The triglyceride with one oleate ester and the crude hexane extract diluted with coconut oil 1:1. These compounds were found to kill all tested head lice in 49, 11 and 30 minutes, respectively. The triglyceride ester can be used as a marker for quantitative analysis of the active compound for quality control of the raw material A. squamosa seed and its extract. This first finding will be useful for quality assessment and the chemical stability of the antihead lice preparation from this plant. INTRODUCTION Annona squamosa L. (Custard apple) is a plant belonging to the family Annonaceae. It is popularly cultivated in all parts of Thailand, especially in the northeast, as a sweet fruit. The seed of this plant is well known for killing head lice in many countries (Boonyaprapasara, 1998). The human head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) is a small insect causing a public health problem, especially in poor sanitary conditions. In Thailand, research has shown the anti-head lice activity of A. squamosa. Puapatanakul (1980) reported that the extract of custard apple seeds in coconut oil at the ratio of 1:2 can kill 98% of head lice within two hours, while the leaf extract shows less potency. Gritsanapan et al (1996) found that the petroleum ether extract of the leaves and seeds dissolved in coconut oil at a ratio of 1:1, kill 90% of head lice in vitro by 53 and 26 minutes, respectively. A 20% cream (oil/ water) preparation of petroleum ether extract of custard apple seeds can kill 93% of head lice Correspondence: Wandee Gritsanapan, Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, 447 Si Ayutthaya Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. Tel: +66 (0) 2644-8677 ext 1500, 5530; Fax: +66 (0) 2644-8701 E-mail: [emailprotected] 532 within 3 hours (Areekul and Chaikledkaew, 1994, personal communication). Gritsanapan et al (1996), reported that 20 g of 20% freshly prepared cream can kill 94.5Â ±9.1% of head lice within 3 hours of application to school girls’ hair. Tiangda et al (2000) found the cream preparation of custard apple seed is biologically stable for at least 12 months. However, it is easier to control the quality and stability of the preparation by quantitative analysis of the active chemical components. The active compounds of A. squamosa seed extract have not been reported elsewhere. The present study, therefore, is focused on the isolation and identification of the anti-head lice components in the seeds of A. squamosa. MATERIALS AND METHODS Preparation of plant extracts A. squamosa seeds were purchased from Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand in October 2004. The samples were identified by comparison with the herbarium at Forest Herbarium, Department of National Parks, Wild-life and Plant Conservation, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Bangkok. The voucher specimen (WAS 0704) has been deposited at the Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol UniVol 37 No. 3 May 2006 A NTI-HEAD L ICE EFFECT OF A. SQUAMOSA versity, Bangkok, Thailand. The seeds were washed and dried in a hot air oven at 55Â ºC for 24 hours. The dried seeds were ground in an electric mill. Extraction and separation of major compounds The powdered seeds of A. squamosa (1.1 kg) were macerated with hexane (23 l) for three days at room temperature. The mixture was filtered and the filtrate was concentrated by a rotary evaporator and evaporated in a hot water bath until a constant weight (282.4 g) was obtained. The extract (75 g) was separated using silica gel column chromatography (400 g silica). Hexane (CH2Cl2 (1:1) 100% CH 2Cl 2 : CH 2Cl2 : MeOH (1:1)) was used as an eluent. Fifty milliliter fractions were collected and the fractions with the same TLC pattern (SiGF 254 hexane: ethyl acetate 10:3) were combined. The fractions containing two major spots (R f 0.20 and 0.72) were eluted in 100% CH2Cl2 fractions. To isolate pure compounds, the fractions containing major compounds were combined and concentrated. The mixture wa s further fractionated using silica gel column chromatography (200 g). Isocratic elution by hexane: ethyl acetate (10:3) was performed (approximately 25 ml per fraction). The fractions with the same TLC pattern were combined to yield five fractions. The second and fourth fractions gave compound AS1 (38.7 g) and compound AS2 (22.6 g), respectively. Compounds AS1 and AS2 were purified to give pure compounds. Testing for anti-head lice activity of pure compounds and crude extract The hexane extract and the two major pure compounds were tested for anti-head lice activity according to the method of McCage (2002). The extract and pure compounds were separately dissolved in coconut oil at dilutions of 1:1 to 1:8 w:w. The same amount of each solution (0.05 ml) was put in a Petri dish and spread in a thin layer over a 2 cm2 area. Seven equal sized head lice collected from school girls’ hair were placed in the Petri dish containing solutions of the extract and the two major pure compounds. Non-moving head lice, which were determined as dead lice, were counted every 5 minutes until all the lice were dead. A commercial anti-head Vol 37 No. 3 May 2006 lice cream, Hexinâ„ ¢, which is gamma benzene hexachloride (1% w/w) and coconut oil were used as a positive and negative controls, respectively. RESULTS Compound AS1 was a pale yellow oil, yielded 13.25% w/w of dried seeds. TLC (SiGF254, hexane:ethyl acetate 10:3) had an Rf value of 0.20 (Fig 1). The EI mass spectrum had a molecular ion peak at m/z 283.2 [M+1] and a prominent peak at m/z 264.3. The IR spectrum of compound AS1 revealed absorption peaks at 3000-2930 (O-H stretch), 2850 (C-H stretch), and 1700 (C=O stretch, carboxylic) cm-1. The 1H NMR spectrum of compound AS1 indicated the presence of one methyl proton at ÃŽ ´ 0.90 (3H, t, H-18); a methylene proton group at ÃŽ ´ 1.26 (20H, m, H-4-7 and H-12-17); two methylene proton groups at ÃŽ ´1.65 (2H, m, H-3); four methylene proton groups at ÃŽ ´ 2.00 (4H, m, H-8, 11); two methylene proton groups at ÃŽ ´ 2.35 (2H, t, H-2); two olefinic methane proton groups at ÃŽ ´ 5.35 (2H, m, H-9,10) and the broad peak of a hydroxyl proton at ÃŽ ´ 10.15 (1H). The 13C NMR spectrum and Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT) exhibited 16 carbon resonances, revealing the presence of thirteen methylene carbons, one methyl carbon, two olefinic methine carbons and one carbonyl carbon. These spectral data suggested that compound AS1 was a fatty acid. Comparing the NMR spectra of compound AS1 with Aldrich Library (1993) of 13C and 1H FT NMR spectra, confirmed the molecular structure of AS1 was an oleic acid (Fig 2). Compound AS2 was also pale yellow oil, yielded 7.74% w/w of dried seeds. The Rf value (SiGF254, hexane: ethyl acetate 10:3) was 0.72 (Fig 1).The 1H NMR spectrum looked similer to the AS1 spectrum, with additional signals at ÃŽ ´ 4.15 and 4.30. The IR spectrum of compound AS2 showed bands at 2925 (C-H stretch) and 1746 (C=O stretch, ester) cm-1. 533 S OUTHEAST ASIAN J T ROP MED P UBLIC H EALTH Table 1 Head lice killing time of the crude extract and pure compounds from Annona squamosa seeds (n=3). Test sample Dilution (w:w) Killing time (min) 30.67Â ±4.04 34.33Â ±4.04 41.00Â ±3.61 55.00Â ±5.00 49.33Â ±3.06 54.67Â ±5.51 59.00Â ±6.56 61.33Â ±4.16 11.00Â ±1.00 12.00Â ±2.00 16.00Â ±1.00 22.33Â ±2.52 180 180 1 2 3 Hexane crude extract 1:1 1:2 1:4 1:8 Oleic acid (AS1) 1:1 1:2 1:4 1:8 Triglyceride with one oleate ester (AS2) 1:1 1:2 1:4 1:8 Coconut oil (-ve control) Not diluted Hexinâ„ ¢ (+ve control) Not diluted 1 = AS1, 2 = AS2, 3 = hexane crude extract. Fig 1–TLC chromatogram of AS1, AS2 and hexane crude extract. H After comparing the NMR spectra of compound AS2 with Aldrich Library (1913) of 13C and 1 H FT NMR spectra, compound AS2 was felt to be a triglyceride with one oleate ester (Fig 2). The hexane crude extract of compound AS1 (oleic acid) and compound AS2 (triglyceride with one oleate ester) from Annona squamosa seeds showed in vitro anti-head lice activity as summarized in the Table 1. The data show that the triglyceride with one oleate ester was the most active compound against head lice. It killed all tested head lice within 11 minutes when diluted with coconut oil to a ratio of 1:1. Both the Hexinâ„ ¢ and the coconut oil killed all the head lice within a period of 180 minutes. H COOH (CH2) 7 H3C (CH2) 7 Oleic acid O CH2O CHO CH2O C R1 R2 Oleate Triglyceride with one oleate ester R 1, R2 = H/ other fatty acid Fig 2–Structure of separated compounds from Annona squamosa seed. DISCUSSION The triglyceride with one oleate ester in coconut oil (1:1) was significantly more active against head lice than gamma benzene hexachloride 1% cream and the hexane crude extract. These data are supported by previous reports (Gritsanapan et al, 1996; Tiangda et al. 534 2000). This result is useful for the standardization of Annona squamosa seed and its extract. The active compound may be used for the qualitative assessment of the chemical stability of the custard apple cream preparation. This is the a first report of the active anti-head lice components from A. squamosa seeds. Vol 37 No. 3 May 2006 A NTI-HEAD L ICE EFFECT OF A. SQUAMOSA REFERENCES Aldrich Chemical Co, Inc. The Aldrich Library of 13C and 1H FT NMR Spectra. 1st ed, 1993. Boonyaprapasara N, Chokchaicharoenporn O, eds. Samunprai Maipuenbaan. Vol. 2. Bangkok: Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, 1998: 454 (in Thai). Gritsanapan W, Somanabandhu A, Titirungruang C, Lertchaiporn M. A study on the antiparasitic activities and chemical constituents of extracts from the leaves and seeds of custard apple (Annona squamosa Linn.). Proceedings of Third NRCT- JSPS Joint Seminar, 1996: 209-15. McCage CM, Ward SM, Paling CA, Fisher DA, Flynn PJ, McLaughlin. Development of a paw paw herbal shampoo for the removal of head lice. Phytomedicine 2002; 9: 743-8. Puapatanakul O. Clinical studies of Annona squamosa seeds and leaves for the treatment of head lice. 1980: 37 pp (in Thai). T iangda C, Gritsanapan W, Sookvanichsilp N, Limchalearn A. Antihead-lice activity of Annona squamosa seed extract. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 2000;31 (suppl 1): 174-7. Vol 37 No. 3 May 2006

Junk and Fast Food

Junk and Fast Food Junk and fast food sale should be limited or banned in public schools as these food items have no nutritional value. Regular intake of junk food causes obesity and many other health related problems for children in the future. The main cause for the increase in sales of snacks and junk food is its increased availability and misguidance of nutritional value. Vending machines are installed in public schools which has given a boost to the sales of junk food. This junk food not only lacks in nutrition, but also it is the main cause of obesity in the young population and rise in heart problems in the adolescents. Nutritional Quality of Junk and Fast Food There is a conflict between the education of healthy diets at childs home and classroom and the availability of junk and fast food at lunch such as burgers and chips (Hoerr, 386). Not only the children consume the junk food available but also they consume soft drinks which are an added unhealthy intake. Young teenagers studying in public schools are the heaviest consumers of junk and fast food. They obtain around 25 to 40 percent of their total energy from junk and fast food (Hoerr, 386). The vended junk and fast foods are the least dense in Vitamins, fiber, protein and iron (Hoerr, 386). Type of items that are usually available for sale at the public schools is bakery sweets, candies, chips, biscuits and burgers. All these items are calorie filled with little or no nutrition. Nutritious food helps the child in school to gain energy as well as nutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamins and proteins. These nutrients are good for health of the child and keep the child active. A proper meal in the school allows the child to obtain these nutrients that are necessary for a healthy body and brain. Rise in Demand for Junk and Fast Food The total sale of vended snacks and other fast food available at the public schools increases continually every year (Hoerr, 386). Since the 1990s the sale of junk food and snacks has been predicted to rise every year by the food marketers. Marketers of the fast food and junk items have got a new market to focus on which is the adolescents in public schools. Fast food and vended snacks have become a popular choice for the youngsters, who need readily available food, when they feel hungry, and food which can be consumed easily and quickly (Hoerr, 386). This increasingly popular fast foods and snack items are the main factors which lead to obesity in the young people attending schools. Regular intake of this type of junk food with no nutrients causes obesity in children and other health related problems. According to a survey in New York and Atlanta, of the total 18% of daily fat calorie intake, the junk food contributed to almost half of the fat intake in adolescents (Hoerr, 386). Therefore half of the daily fat intake can be avoided by stopping the intake of junk food and fast food. The snacks marketers are now targeting public schools as their new target markets for increasing their sales of their junk and fast food items. Through the installation of unrefrigerated vending machines in public schools, the marketers were able to increase the sale of junk food products. Not only this, but through the misinterpretation of nutritional value of their products, they are able to make the adolescents consume junk food in place of breakfast. 6% of the youngsters (Hoerr, 386) who were surveyed in New York and Atlanta said they took junk food in place of breakfast. Obesity and Other Health Issues The availability of junk and fast food in public schools allows more calories for each meal (S.B Communications, 95) for the children and youngsters. Physical exercise has been diminished in the schools because of the introduction of new activities such as computer studies and gaming. Our lifestyle has become more and more dependent upon technology. Technology and innovation has given birth to new transport methods which are faster and require less walking to get to your destination. Children used to go out and play for fun and entertainment. The adolescents had other outdoor activities which helped in burning their fat intake, but nowadays the youngsters have other replacements such as computer games, internet and television. These platforms require no physical activity and therefore the fat intake from junk food does not get utilize. These were some of the reasons because of which the youngsters are getting more obese and gaining fat in their bodies. However, the main reason for the increased number of cases in obesity is the rising trend of having junk and fast food in replacement of meals. In the 1970s, a typical child used to watch television for an hour daily but nowadays a child watches television for three hours (S.B Communications, 95). This caloric intake of junk and fast food combined with no physical activities, has caused an increase in obesity rate to 20% from 5% (S.B Communications, 95) since the 1970s. The rate for African American adolescents is even higher and has reached 35% (S.B Communications, 95). The only way to reduce these rates is to restrict or completely ban the sale of junk and fast food in public schools. The regular intake of junk and fast food does not only increase a persons weight but also causes other health concerns. Especially in young adults, the regular consumption of fast food can reduce the ability of the body to fight the germs as there is very less nutritional intake. This causes the bodys defenses to be weak against any germs attacks. Other health issues that the regular consumers of fast food and junk food can experience are cardiac unrest, Coronary Artery Risk Development, increased waist circumference, lower insulin resistance and imbalance between the developments of High-Density Cholesterols and Low-Density Cholesterols in body. Although obesity causes some of the above mentioned diseases and health issues, but the person consuming junk food regularly is bound to have some or all of these health problems. Most of the junk foods have high sugar contents, which reduce the resistance of insulin to produce controlled sugar for the body. The adolescents and children in public schools can develop these diseases at a very early stage because of junk food intake. Hence junk and fast food items sale should be banned or at least restricted in all the public schools to protect the youngsters from developing these diseases and falling prey to obesity. Junk Food and Education on Nutrition According to a faculty member of Department of Nutrition, University of Nevada, the children and youngsters should be taught the basics of nutrition and how important it is to get involved in physical exercise (Omaye, 108). According to this member of faculty, labeling food as junk and trying to get it out of the schools is not important (Omaye, 108) as education on basic nutrition and exercise is. I would strongly disagree to the view point of this faculty member and would support the suggestion of US Dept. of Agriculture which has defined â€Å"competitive foods to be those other than the ones served in the school lunch/breakfast program and offered at schools† (Omaye, 108). The US Dept. of Agriculture has suggested that alternatives to the current fast food should be developed and offered at public schools. This competitive food will be more nutritious and healthy than the junk and fast foods available for sale at the public schools nowadays. On the other hand, the faculty member in University of Nevada, Department of Nutrition, has suggested not to restrict the sale of junk food in public schools instead the children should be taught about the nutritious foods and importance of exercise. This is very similar to suggesting that drugs should be available for sale to the children but they should be taught about the adverse affects of abusing drugs. We should understand that most of the children and the adolescents are not mature enough to think about the adverse affects of the junk food and fast food. They like the taste of the junk food and the convenience of having fast food whenever they feel hungry. Trends towards Nutritious Snacks According to the research conducted by Hoerr and Louden in 1993, there is a demand for healthy and nutritious snacks in public schools (Hoerr, 389). In their research, they placed vending machines labeled ‘healthy snacks near to the junk food vending machines in a number of public schools. They recorded more sales from the vending machines selling healthy and nutritional snacks than the one selling junk food. This clearly shows that the youngsters have a preference for nutritious snacks over junk and fast food. Although some nutritious snacks are available in the market, but they have not been able to eye the competent junk and fast food brands in the market. One reason for the poor success of nutritional snacks is the unavailability of vending machines at the places where junk food vending machines are placed. Another reason for their failure is that not many nutritious snacks have been developed for unrefrigerated vending machines (Hoerr, 389). Conclusion According to a study conducted by Marcia Dadds, almost one third of the school children in New York are overweight (Dadds, S63). Most of the students did not like the lunch offered at school and spent $3 to $7 (Dadds, S63) on fast food meals. Although most of the students know about the health, appearance and weight problems that the junk and fast food cause but still they are unable to give it up because of the established taste. Because of the problems the fast food and junk food cause to the health of children and because of no nutritional value, it should be available in a restricted manner or completely banned from public schools. Other alternatives such as nutritious snacks should be embraced by the public schools for the betterment of health and future of the children.

After Various Writings By Rich :: essays research papers

After various writings by Richard Rodriguez and Octavio Paz, I have come across several realizations. Who am I? Should I be a part of a nation and a â€Å"system† that does not value me, or should I be a part of a nation that does not acknowledge my existence? The United States as a nation does not value me, and Mà ©xico does not even know that I exist. These are difficult matters to discuss. We are all in search of our own identity. However, some of us are placed in a situation that makes it very difficult and confusing to know or understand. I have always asked myself, â€Å"Who am I?† I should put it in more crude words, â€Å"Where do I belong?† After this specific question is asked, I begin to realize that I have problems coming up with a response. My parents were born in Mà ©xico, and thus, they are Mexican. Sometimes I feel I belong here in the United States, but other times I feel more attached to Mà ©xico. I am a Mexican-American. However, I feel that I am denying in some way my heritage and my culture by saying that I am. I am denying my parents. I say that I’m Mexican because in a sense I am. I am also an American. I am a Mexican-American. What do these terms put together imply? They should imply that the person is Mexican and American. The term â€Å"Mexican-American† is the very reason why I find myself confused about who I really am. I need to search for my own identity, which leads me to the purpose of this essay. Rodriguez and Paz have discussed this particular problem of identity. All three have different viewpoints. Some of their ideas are similar but mostly contradictory, especially in the case of Rodriguez and Paz. As I was reading, I was able to relate to what they had to say, and in a much bigger sense, I was able to understand and know who I am. I was able to find my self.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Paz, self-discovery is most than anything realizing that we are alone. Paz argues that our being or our identity becomes a problem and a question. It becomes a problem because of several reasons. We just don’t simply wake up one day and realize that we don’t know who we are. There are individuals who are placed in difficult situations that allow for these questions to arise.

Laundry :: essays research papers

Fold your shirt Find a flat, open space to fold your clothes. A bed, or a clean table or floor are all good spots. Put each folded garment out of the way in a clean space as you finish with each piece. It's best to fold items when they are still warm. Lie the garment on a flat surface and smooth out the wrinkles. If smoothed when warm, they'll stay that way. Shirts: Hold the shirt by its shoulders. Flap up and down once or twice so it hangs straight. Lay it face-down on the folding surface and smooth out any folds. You can do an extra neat job by pulling gently on the side seams to smooth out the back. Now start folding. Fold the shirt lengthwise along the line of the outer edge of the collar or neck band. Smooth the sleeve out, using your fingers to pull at the seam, making it slightly taut. Fold the other side over. Fold it lengthwise, along the line of the outer edge of the collar. Repeat the sleeve-smoother technique. Fold the shirt in half. Take the bottom edge of the shirt with both hands and fold it up to the collar. You're done--onto the next one! To Fold a Shirt: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lie the shirt flat. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fold arms over until they meet in middle of the shirt. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fold shoulders over until they are equal with each other. To Hang a Shirt: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hang the shirt on the hanger as shown above. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Or, if there are clips on your hanger, clip the shirt on the shoulders. To Fold Socks: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Place one sock on top of the other. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grab three of the top layers of elastic with one thumb, while holding one layer with the other. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Roll your thumbs away from each other until the elastic on the sock is fully turned inside out. To Fold Underwear: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fold the two sides of the garmet together until they meet. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fold over once more if necessary. Folding laundry is an important skill that every person should know since it will be imperative when it comes time to do your laundry in college. Having your laundry folded crisp and tight is very important. You always want your clothing fresh and neat every time you get dressed. It is a good idea to fold clothing while they are still warm because this will help avoid wrinkles and make for a smoother fold. The longer you wait to fold your laundry the more wrinkled and dirty it will get.

Anna Karenina - The Complex Character of Constantine Dmitrich Levin Ess

Anna Karenina - The Complex Character of Constantine Dmitrich Levin    In the novel Anna Karenina, written by Leo Tolstoy, both major and minor characters played important roles through out the story. One protagonist, Constantine Dmitrich Levin, caught my interest as being a compassionate, moral character. Constantine Dmitrich Levin is a complex character whose direct and indirect characterization emphasizes a search for balance. Constantine Dmitrich Levin, often called Levin or Constantine, later Kostya by Kitty, is a farmer in eighteenth century Russia. He enjoys his work and avoids the city at all costs. He is madly in love with Princess Catherine Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya, normally called Kitty, but she rejects him in hoping that Count Alexey Kirilich Vronsky, normally named Vronsky, a man who has shown great interest in her, will propose marriage. Both are discarded but reconcile their feelings and eventually marry.       The novel Anna Karenina directly depicts Levin as a strongly built, honest worker, who dislikes the immoral views of the aristocracy. Levin enjoys his choice of work in the fields and begins to trust the peasants who assist him in his farming duties. He believes that working outside the cities provide a more noble lifestyle. Levin considers peasants to be more independent that those in urban areas and considers the peasants more morally correct.       Seeing the waiters busy over washing up the crockery and setting in order their plates and wine-glasses, seeing their calm and cheerful faces, Levin felt an unexpected sense of relief as though he had come out of a stuffy room into the fresh air (Tolstoy, 695, part 6, chapter 28).    Work p... ...her; he wishes the peasants to control their lives with self-interests, not by the interests of the government because the general welfare may not benefit the peasants or him.       Of the two protagonists of the novel, Anna Karenin and Constantine Levin, Levin is the one I admire most. Directly depicted as an honest, moral man, Levin is well liked among people he meets and does not try to escape to a fantasy world as Anna did. The novel goes in-depth by indirectly depicting him to be a philosophical thinker and an atheist, who is torn apart by his beliefs. The manner Tolstoy describes Levin is appealing, for I admire all of the qualities he possesses and that is why I chose him for my character of study. By using both direct and indirect characterizations, Tolstoy aimed to depict Levin as the role model for Russians in the eighteenth century.

Economic development Essay

Economic development and economic growth are both indicators of the economic position of the country. Economic growth is the growth in gross domestic product and economic development is related to growth in the standard of living and poverty. As you can see economic growth and economic development are not the same thing, economic development is far more than just growth in GDP as it involves indicators that are not purely economically related. However economic growth is an indicator of economic development but there are also several other factors that represent economic development. These indicators are; life expectancy at birth, infant mortality rate, daily calorie supply per capita, adult literacy rate, number of doctors per 1000 people, average years of schooling, availability of clean water, freedom of press, immunisation rates and levels of discrimination. As you can see these are generally not economic indicators but when they are combined they form the economic development figure. There are fifteen barriers to economic development, the first of these being a lack of physical capital. Lack physical capital is a significant barrier to the development of a country for several reasons. There is already a shortage of capital that further leads to less capital being produced; this creates significant problems for developing countries. In these countries the income levels are low leading to low savings and therefore little money for investment in capital. This lack of capital furthers the low productivity therefore the employment remains low. This also leads to a lack of demand for goods and services the low demand means that less needs to be produced therefore less capital needs to be produced. This then forces the country into a cycle of underdevelopment. This consequently creates a barrier for the country to develop. An example of this is in most less developed countries where they are in constant times of war and civil unrest. Their capital is destroyed through war making it difficult for the country to produce more capital. Also, Sierra Leone, the worlds least developed country, as shown by the human development index, has a GDP per capita of US$159 this creates significant problems for the economy and its development. A lack of human capital is the next barrier to development. This barrier is created through a lack of education and training of the population. It also relates to the general heath and wellbeing of the population. If the labour-force are getting sick then they are unable to work and therefore decreasing the labour capital. A current example of this situation is in South Africa. In South Africa the micro-economic impact of AIDS is very serious and is getting worse. Among skilled workers HIV prevalence is expected to peak between a fifth and a quarter percent by the year 2000, which is consequently depleting the number of skilled workers creating the lack of capital development barrier. These problems are also leading to a rise in insurance bills and the costs of health benefits rise. This therefore diverts government savings to pay for health care and as a result the availability of funds for investment will fall. AIDS is predicted to knock 0.3 to 0.4 percent off the annual growth rate. As you can see this is a severe barrier to development in these less developed countries. A strategy to this barrier is human resource development. The next barrier to development is a lack of savings. This also causes low levels of investment due to the low income leading to low savings. This low level of savings is also caused by several other reasons such as; poorly developed financial markets, holding of savings in traditional non-money forms, the purchase of unnecessary luxury items, cheap family labour reducing the incentive to save for investment and the general indebtedness of the population. The low incentive to reinvest profits by businesses also reduces the savings. Budget deficits by the government to make up for the low taxation revenue are also decreasing the amount being saved. When there is a lack of savings caused by any of these causes it forces the need to borrow form overseas that consequently leads to problems with the balance of payments. An example of lack of savings exists in Nigeria. In Nigeria there are severe problems with their currency. These begin with significant fraud problems also the majority of trading is done with cash in which until recently the currency did not exceed the equivalent of 50 cents. The next problem is that they don’t believe in banks, the only use of banks is to exchange foreign currencies for tourists, which leads to a lack of funds for investments. Also, Local traders keep all working capital stuffed in coca jars, as they believe business opportunities will disappear in the time it takes to make a withdrawal. Banks do not allow credit due to the fear of not being repaid. All of these factors contribute to a large barrier to development simply due to a lack of savings. This could be solved through improving the financial system. Another barrier to development is a lack of taxation revenue. A lack of taxation creates barriers as it means the government has little finances to use on economic development. The high unemployment, very low-income levels and difficulties in tax collection cause this lack of tax revenue. The government is then forced to collect tax mainly from customs duties, sales taxes and excises. These taxes can prove to be very inflationary and are also regressive. Another problem with these taxes is that they discourage investment and the creation of employment. Nigeria also has a problem with the collection of taxation. Most Nigerians that can afford to avoid paying taxes, as they believe that their money will be flinched by the corrupt government. This creates severe problems for the country, as there is no money for the government to use in investment to promote economic development. Improving the financial system will also help solve this barrier. The next barrier to entry is a lack of infrastructure. Less developed countries rarely have a sufficient supply of necessities such as roads, ports, sewerage, power schools or water- facilities etc. The main reason that this infrastructure is not being made is that the government simply cannot raise the funds to finance them due to their lack of taxation revenue. Another reason maybe that the government has chosen to finance defence spending or if they are in time of war, in which most LCD’s are. A lack of infrastructure restricts the free flow of goods and services and reduces the productivity of the labour force that further restricts the economic development of the country. In Africa infrastructure is very underdeveloped compared to the other less developed regions. They have 6 phone lines for every 1000 people compared to the average of 54 for other developing regions. Also their power supply is far less than the average of 300kw per 1000 peoples with 80kw this significant ly stops their development. In Nigeria there are serious problems with infrastructure causing business uncertainty. Telephones rarely work and the electric comes in periodic vengeful surges. Nigerian firms, particularly the state-owned ones due to the lack of taxation, devote little effort into maintaining their infrastructure and it therefore ends up breaking down. Reliable firms are so hard to come by that firms barter contacts: we’ll let you share the electricity from our generator if you can help us find spare parts for it. Firms wanting to set up in Nigeria face the problem known locally as BYOI (bring your own infrastructure) this shows how much of a problem infrastructure is in Nigeria. A lack of infrastructure could be solved in many ways such as encouraging enterprise, human resource development or improving the financial system. A lack of entrepreneurs is another barrier to economic development. Enterprise is essential in order for development to occur, as it is one of the key factors to production. In the less developed countries there tens to be a lack of entrepreneurs for several reasons. The first of these is the fact that there is a limited opportunity to make a profit, due to the lack of demand. The next reason is that the businesses not easily financed due to the low level of savings. The lack of infrastructure available also distracts these entrepreneurs. Another reason to the lack of entrepreneurs is that cultural beliefs often place little importance on monetary gain and entrepreneurs are thus given little status. The number of entrepreneurs is also reduced by the lack of education in these countries. The final reason is that it is risky for an entrepreneur due to the political and economic instability. An example of a lack of entrepreneurs is also in Nigeria as it closely relates to the lack of the infrastructure. The lack of infrastructure adds at least 25 percent onto a firms operating costs if it choses to set up in Nigeria, this is a significant deterrent for firms to set up and should be solved if the county wants to achieve economic development. A strategy that could be adopted to help this situation is encouraging enterprise. The next barrier to economic development is a lack of technology. There are several reasons why these less developed countries are not more technologically advanced. The first reason being that most new technology will involve some investment in capital that is lacking in these less developed countries. Also another problem is that the new technology will need skilled labour to operate it but skilled labour is also of shortage in a LCD. The next reason is that companies don’t really want to adopt labour saving technology when they already have cheap labour and there are high unemployment rates. The final reason that there is a lack of technology is that new technology is used to facilitate the achievement of economies of scale and the small markets in LCD’s reduce the incentive to mass-produce. The governments however, have managed to encourage technology into these LCD’s and most currently use modern technology that compliments the labour so workers maintain their jobs. A lot of the modern technology used in these counties is generally used in the foreign owned industries where they mass-produce in order to export to advanced markets. Over population and rapid population growth is another factor that causes a barrier to development. In these less developed countries the birth rates are often five times higher than in the more developed countries. The advances of medicine have also caused a fall in the deaths, which leads to a higher population growth. The growth of these countries is generally around 2 percent and their growth is usually below this figure, which therefore worsens the situation, and the real GNP per capita often falls. In the more advanced countries they generally have population growth of around 0.5 percent and their economic growth will usually be higher than that. This is where the widening gap occurs pushing less developed countries further away from more advanced countries. This high growth of the population also has the effect of increasing the labour force, but as there is little demand for labour the unemployment rate will tend to rise. Also, most of this population is below 15 or above 65 meaning they are unable to contribute o production but still need things such as food, water, clothing and shelter. This creates a problem known as dependency burden making development even harder. Governments in these LDC’s fight a tough battle with a rapid growing population and are always trying to slow this rate but they face several problems such as poor education, communication, lack of contraception and cultural attitudes. Africa is currently the fastest growing of all the developing regions with a growth rate of 3 percent over the past decade but with this high growth rate comes several associated problems. Africa has one doctor for every 20,000 people compared to an average 5000 people in developing countries and its infant mortality rate is the highest at 96 per thousand births almost double the developing countries average. Africans also have a life expectancy of 52 years where the average for developing countries is 64. As you can see that the effects of a high population are not beneficial to a developing country. This barrier to development can be solved with the population control strategy. The next barrier to development is inflation. Inflation in these countries is caused by the scare amounts of goods and services relative to the high population consequently causing demand pull inflation. The domestic supply is unable to match the domestic demand. The inflation rates in many of these countries gets above 200 percent compared to that of around 5 percent in most advanced countries. This high inflation has many unwanted effects such as decreased living standards and a reduction in real income, it also tends to redistribute the income from the poor to the wealthy therefore increasing the income inequality that already exists. A high inflation rate also causes the investment of non-productive assets such as antiques or gold, this money is therefore taken out of the economy reducing the funds available for investment. These high inflation rates also cause a reduction in the competitiveness of exporters and import competing firms that therefore leads to an increase in the countries current account deficit. Another effect that inflation will lead to is a falling exchange rate, which if the country has a large foreign debt will make it even harder to pay. Inflation is very high in most of the African countries and causes severe problems to their economy and development progress. Balance of payments problems is also another barrier to development of these less developed countries. The majority of LCD’s have problems with their external balance as the little income they do earn is used on imports and used to pay off interest on their foreign debts. As these countries are in deficit they are continually forced to borrow from overseas to finance their payments worsening their current account deficit even more. Many of these countries are also suffering from worsening terms of trade that also decreases their export revenue and thus further worsening their balance of payments. The WTO worldwide reduction of tariffs will help to assist this but government policies need to be implemented to seriously boost export revenue and turn the consumers away from imports. The strategy to help the balance of payments is import replacement. The next barrier to development that LCD’s face is a depletion of their natural resources. Many of these countries are highly dependent on one major export to create export revenue, create growth, employment and income and the reduction in the current account deficit. This creates problems as they may deplete natural resources without considering future production. This reduces the potential for further future development and growth. In Mauritius, they have cleared 25 percent of their forests in the last 19 years purely for export. This causes massive environmental effects and also is a serious concern, as when the resources run out the country’s economy will fail to stay afloat. This is the same in many less developed countries including many African counties and their dependency on oil. It can be helped with export development to have a wider range of exports and less dependency on one major export. Another significant barrier to economic development in these less developed countries is corruption and poor administration by the government. Corruption is a very common problem in LDC’s. The problem associated with this is that aid and government revenue is not all used in promoting growth, corrupt leaders and government officials take most of it. When a government is corrupt it causes most of their aid to be withdrawn forcing them to reform their political structures. This withdrawal of overseas assistance causes depletions in general living standards of the country. Another problem with these governments is that they know little or nothing about economics. These leads to several problems including poor administration and efficiency these lead to a poor ability to promote development. An example of this is in Nigeria where it has been estimated that in the last twenty years over two billion dollars of oil revenue from the country has been embezzled. This is mainly due to their last dictator who ordered the Nigerian Central Bank to deposit 15 million dollars a day into his own Swiss bank account. This works out to twenty percent of GDP and when you take into consideration that their NFD is over 40 percent of GDP, the country is not left with much money. A strategy that has been put into place for this specific barrier is the refusal to lend money to Nigeria from IMF. Natural disasters are another barrier to development in less developed countries. The effects of natural disasters such as floods or droughts have a much greater impact on less developed countries compared to that of advanced countries. Most LCD’s are prone to these natural disasters, which is a significant factor to their underdevelopment. In India they have times of severe droughts and flooding where 80 million people were affected. This has severely decreased their agriculture production and is consequently creating a barrier to their development. There is not much that can be done about natural disasters but do adjust to them and to adopt new ways to cope with them. Another significant factor preventing the development of less developed countries is war and civil unrest. Many LCD’s are in constant war and civil unrest, this causes several problems with development. The first of these problems is that entrepreneurs are discouraged by the countries instability also important infrastructure is destroyed and governments spend their little taxation revenue on maintaining order or producing weapons. Economies in war torn countries are unlikely to be operating at full capacity making it hard for development to occur. In Rwanda civil wars in the nineties have claimed the lives of almost 1,000,000 Rwandans. Most of the aid to the country was invested in weaponry and therefore not used in promoting economic development, as it should have been. This is how civil wars can create barriers to development. The only solution to this is to end the wars and focus the spending into promoting economic development. The final barrier to development is a lack of press freedom. Press freedom involves the exchange of ideas, criticism of government and increased awareness of world events and developments. This is something that most LCD’s do not have and therefore their economic development is limited. In Mexico the government allowed Televisa to have a monopoly in the television market if they didn’t play any anti-government shows and supported the government. In the eighties journalists were killed by the police in Mexico City if they published any anti-government articles. This is serious problem in these less developed countries and is usually the result of government corruption. The first strategy to promote economic development in these less developed countries is export development. This strategy involves assisting those producers who export to overseas markets. An increase in export development will earn foreign exchange and create unemployment and income and also help to solve problems with the balance of payments. The next strategy to promoting development is import replacement. Import replacement involves the shifting of demand away from imports and towards the domestically produced products. This can be done in several ways including the induction of tariffs on imports making them more expensive relative to the domestic product. This also encourages foreign investment as the foreign firms wish to have the same protection. Assisting domestic producers financially is another way of promoting this economic development, by subsidising and offering tax incentives to local producers it will increase their competitiveness with imports by the lower costs of production. However, replacing imports is only a short-term solution and therefore policies promoting long-term development must be applied. Human resource development is the next strategy to development. This development involves improving the size of the labour force and also the skills of the labour force. The labour force can be increased through improved health care and skills can be attained through things such as training and education. In Nigeria the World Bank is currently funding an $80 million project into their education as well as building a better and more consistent water supply. Also In Malaysia education investment has been amongst their highest priorities for decades, they have spent $731 million on improving their education levels to the level they are currently at Another way to promote economic development in these less developed countries is through encouraging enterprise. In most LDC’s there is a lack of entrepreneurs, in order to increase the quantity there are several solutions such as improving management and leadership training and tax incentives, subsidies and free loans. Cuba has introduced a group of people called the cuentapropistas, 170,000 entrepreneurs marking the arrival of a new business sector in the islands socialist economy. They account for 8% of the labour force and manage to put food on the table for one in ten Cuban’s. These new small businesses have been a result of reduced subsidies to state enterprises, increased foreign investment, and introduction of incentives in the agricultural sector and the legalisation of dealings in foreign currency. This has already had positive signs on the Cuban economy with growth in 1998 at 8 percent some 31percent higher than two years previous. Population control is another strategy to economic development. Rapid population growth is unwanted as it creates problems such as inflation and scarcity and therefore more poverty. There are plenty of methods that can be put into place to slow population growth. Some of these methods include maximum children policy such as China’s one child policy and free supplies of contraception. The Grameen bank is another contributor to helping population control in Bangladesh. The bank issue loans to woman and as part of the conditions to borrowing the money they must agree to have small families. This has proved to be a successful program all across the world and has helped to promote the small-scale development of many less developed countries. The next strategy to promote economic development is increasing the agricultural productivity. Agriculture is usually a major sector in the less developed countries and thus improving its productivity will significantly promote development. Improving the agriculture productivity can be done in many ways. Some of these include merging small farms to create larger more efficient ones and encouraging owner operators to increase the incentive to improve productivity there also several other ways in which these countries can improve their agricultural productivity. With 75 percent of the population living in rural areas, improving the efficiency of India’s agriculture is the key to attaining high growth and reducing poverty. Accelerating rural development and poverty reduction requires cutting spending on input subsidies; investing in rural infrastructure; providing more effective rural services, especially to the poor and socially excluded; improving management of water, forests, and other natural resources; liberalizing the rural economy, including the rural financial system. In the heart of India’s poorest region, the Bihar Plateau Development Project is increasing access to much-needed irrigation and safe drinking water by tribal communities and raising their incomes through the diversification of rural livelihoods. The project aims to reach 4.5 million people through a variety of institutional mechanisms, including water and sanitation committees, water user associations, and income generation schemes, all aiming to transfer skills and enhance people’s capabilities so that the benefits may be sustained once the project ends. This is one way in which India is proving to increase its agr icultural productivity. Another strategy to promoting economic development is by adopting intermediate technology. If a less developed country invested in new technology it may be forgiving employment possibilities, as most new technology is very labour intensive, this will consequently lead to a fall in employment. As these countries have an abundance of labour it is much easier, cost effective and better for the economy if they use intermediate technology that still requires high levels of labour. An example of this is Fred Hollows, Hollows uses local resources to create employment income and economic growth through the training of people to perform the medical tasks and also employment in the factories where the lens are created. The final strategy to promote economic development is to improve the financial system. In these economies there is a lack of savings and an insufficient financial system, this creates major barriers to development. Thus policies need to be adopted to improve this situation that promote growth and employment without generating high levels of inflation. The World Bank’s Executive Board approved a $506 million loan to support financial sector adjustment and reform in Colombia. The loan is part of a revised World Bank strategy for Colombia that includes intensified lending to help the country promote peace, ease the impact of the recession on the poor, and rebuild after their earthquake. It is also part of a $1.4 billion package to help bolster Colombia’s economy. â€Å"This financial sector adjustment loan reflects the World Bank’s confidence in Colombia’s wide-ranging reform strategy, which is critical to its effort to overcome the recession,† said An dres Solimano, director of the Bank’s program in Colombia. The financing of many of these strategies is usually funded through institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund institutions. The World Bank is a major force behind the development of less developed countries as it gives issues discounted loans to most of these countries. Another way that these countries can fund their development is through overseas aid. The are large amounts of money flowing out of the developed countries from governments and other aid organizations as aid into the less developed countries hoping to achieve economic development. For all of these less developed countries to achieve economic development, an effort from all developed countries with aid and advice must be contributed, but until then the world will not have any chance of abolishing poverty. References: – IFC – Building the private sector in Africa – The Economist January 15th 2000 – survey Nigeria – World bank – Rwanda development project – The Economist May 27th – Aids impact in South Africa – World Bank – Cuba’s Cuentapropistas – World Bank – India’s development – The Grameen Bank – Economic Development in Bangladesh – The Economist May 27th – Growth is good – The Economist Feb 22nd – Televista – World Bank press release, 11th June 1998