Terry pratchett free essay sample

The man with the three lives All witches are selfish, the Queen had said. But Tiffanfs Third Thoughts said: Then turn selfishness Into a weapon! Make all things yours! Make other lives and dreams and hopes yours! Protect them! Save them! Bring them into the sheepfold! Walk the gale for them! Keep away the wolf! My dreams! My brother! My family! My land! My world! How dare you try to take these things, because they are mine! † Quote by Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men (Discworld, 30) (The famous author Sir Terry Pratchett) Terence David John lso called Terry Pratchett is an English author. He was born in 1948 April 28 in Beaconsfield, England. Terry Pratchett Is an only child. His Discworld series Is the most famous books of all the books he had published. Terry Pratchett began to write when he was 13-years old and his first book was published when Terry Pratchett was In the age of the 23. We will write a custom essay sample on Terry pratchett or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Terry Pratchett is educated as a Journalist. Though his work with interviewing celebrity could he publishes books because he got to know some people In the publishing business. In his everyday life he writes, goes walks, sits at his omputer, he say. Terry Pratchett is known for wearing long pointed black hats. His style has been described as more that of urban cowboy than city genl . In 2008 Terry Pratchett was given the title Sr. Terry Pratchetts daughter Is also a writer. Terry Pratchett writes fantasy novels and in 1996 he was the most top selling author in the 0K. Terry Pratchett Is now the second most read author In the 0K. HIS books are translated to 37 different languages. In the U. S Terry Pratchett is number seventh in the list over not American most read author. Terry Pratchett writes two books a year and he had written 43 books in the Discworld series until now. When Terry Pratchett was young his dream was to be an astronomer one day and it is maybe why he has created his own worldview/unlverse in his Discworld books the Earth has a shape as a disc and four elephants are standing under the earth to lift it. The four elephants stand on a big turtle that swims in the ocean that is under the turtle. It something who Is described In the first book of the Discworld series The Colour of Magic, from 1983. Terry Pratchett has also invented his own words that he uses in his Discworld books. Terry is not writes not only literature for adults but also for young and children. He writes also ballads. 3 The Discworld books are about a world where the Impossible can be possible and where supernatural beings takes place and new words are invented. It is like two worlds meet, All of this is told In a completely different way with new methods of writing in which the author describes something that you cannot imagine but still you get an illustration In the head by what he means and it is very strange.

Ecofeminism Movement essays

Ecofeminism Movement essays One of the most basic tenants of feminist environmentalism is that people's relationships to their environments are differentiated by gender. A review of the ecofeminist movement reveals a deep division between essentialist and anti-essentialist positions that actually obscures the fundamental flaw within the entire movement. Ultimately, the ecofeminist assertion that men and women's relationships to their environments are fundamentally different seems to be fundamentally erroneous, and fails to take into consideration more important factors like race, economics, and Ecofeminism is seen as "a feminist rebellion within male-dominated radical environmentalism" (Sturgeon, 25). Ruether notes "Ecofeminism ... explores how male domination of women and domination of nature are interconnected, both in cultural ideology and in social structures" (2). Essentially, ecofeminism at its most basic definition focuses on the ties that exist between ideologies that result in the degradation and destruction of the environment and ideologies that result in injustices To the feminist environmentalist movement, the idea that humans are somehow separate and hold dominion over nature is problematic. Ruether argues that the humans desire to change the earth itself is symptomatic of this larger issue, rooted in the idea that nature is somehow not divine and subhuman. Instead, Ruether and other feminist environmentalists tent to "assume that the earth forms a living system, of which humans are an inextricable part" (Ruether, 5). Here, humans do not hold dominion over the earth and other forms of life, part are instead an integrated part of Ecofeminism, while it essentially argues that people's relationships to their environments are differentiated by gender, has many different forms. In Ecofeminist Natures: Race, Gender, Feminist Theory, and Political Action, Noel Sturgeon notes tha...

Hazardouse agents in the work place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Hazardouse agents in the work place - Essay Example Such conditions result from excessive exposure and can only be avoided through adequate control measures which will prevent or minimise exposure to harmful agents. The process by which evidence of hazardous occupational conditions and information on control methods is translated into actual implementation of control and prevention strategies to eliminate or dramatically reduce the hazardous exposure and associated health risk, is often the result of a subtle compromise between scientific evidence of varying degree of certainty, interest group lobbying, and feasibility considerations. Workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses remain at unacceptably high levels and involve an enormous and unnecessary health burden, suffering, and economic loss amounting to 4-5% of GDP. According to the latest ILO estimates for the year 2005 there are 2.0 million work-related deaths per year. WHO estimates that there are only 10-15% of workers who have access to a basic standard of occupational health services. (World Health Organization) A potential health hazard exists when a ... WHO estimates that there are only 10-15% of workers who have access to a basic standard of occupational health services. (World Health Organization) A potential health hazard exists when a person comes in contact with any agent whose properties can cause harm to the body when excessive exposure takes place. A health hazard may result in an illness or a disease. An illness or disease is a specific malfunction of the body, or one of its systems or organs, which has a particular set of symptoms. Occupational illnesses and diseases are those caused by exposure to a hazard in the workplace. According to the module titled, "Your Body at Work" by the International Labour Organisation (UN), the human body has natural defense systems which help to protect us against many hazards or dangers. Further, these defense systems also help the body to heal or repair itself when it gets injured or sick. However, there are hazards - arising from bacteria, viruses, chemicals, dusts, vapours, noise, extreme temperatures, work processes, etc. - to which a worker may be exposed or which are surrounding him or her at work or in the general environment, that can break down and weaken the body's defense systems. Dealing with health hazards in the workplace involves three key steps: recognition, assessment and control. Recognizing the hazard means identifying those substances and agents present in the workplace which have the potential to cause adverse health effects. Assessing the hazard involves a process of identifying the actual or potential exposure of workers to the hazard and determining whether or not the exposure is hazardous. Controlling the hazard means limiting or preventing harmful exposure of workers to

The Implementation of climate change and greenhouse emission policy Essay

The Implementation of climate change and greenhouse emission policy - Essay Example South Australia`s population is relatively high, hence the need for more land and this results to the cutting and burning down of trees. It also brought about an increase in the transport sector where nearly 25% of energy resource is consumed. Poor disposal of waste matter from the industries and homesteads has resulted to the production, of carbon dioxide and methane gases produced by decaying waste product. Agriculture is a main economic activity in Australia and it has its side effects such as the production of methane from sheep and nitrous acid from fertilizer, which are harmful to the environment. This climate change sent an alarm to the government to come up with laws, and ways that will reduce the effects of climate change and the greenhouse effect. Spoehr states that, â€Å"In July 2007, the South Australian Parliament passed The Climate Change and Greenhouse Emission reduction Act, 2007†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.targets are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within Australia by at least 60 % by the end of 2050† (2009,p.177). By the end of 2014, the amount of renewable energy used and consumed will comprise of twenty percent the total. The Australian Government has come up with ways to curb the climate change, by the introduction of solar rebate. This is a system that provides homesteads with energy from sunlight to provide electricity for homes. The government came up with this incentive, so as to reduce the amount of electricity consumption in South Australia to about 33%. With the introduction of this incentive, a programme called solar hot water rebate was started in February 2010; the government replaced this programme with renewable Energy Bonus Scheme. The reduction of gas emission targets and green jobs: The Australian government aims to encourage people to volunteer in the degradation of gas emissions, and the reduction of gas emission, with a national target put into

Sociological Perspective of Body Language Research Paper

Sociological Perspective of Body Language - Research Paper Example There are several schools of thought concerning the role of nonverbal communication regarding everyday communication patterns. For example, in Nonverbal Behavior and the Communication Process (1974), Charles Duke explains the different viewpoints held by psychologists and anthropologists regarding these roles. â€Å"Members of the psychological school view nonverbal communication as simply the expression of emotions, but those individuals in the communicational school – mainly anthropologists and ethologists – are concerned with behaviors of posture, touch, and movement as they relate to social processes like group cohesion and regulation† (Duke, 1974). The study The Challenge of Non-Verbal Research (1971), by Charles Galloway, outlines the various difficulties inherent in attempting to decode nonverbal behavior, what produces the meanings, how to differ from verbal communication and under what circumstances they are used. ... s excessively noisy as a more effective means of gaining attention than shouting over the noise or of holding a finger to their lips to indicate she wishes the students to fall silent. Other examples of body language that teachers of all cultures and areas of the world use on a widespread basis include: staring at students for prolonged periods of time as a means of demonstrating disapproval, crossing their arms tightly in front of their chest too, again, symbolize disapproval and pointing at students to get their attention. â€Å"82 percent of the communication that happens in the classroom is nonverbal and hand gestures used in conjunction with speech help listeners remember the message much longer than speech alone.† (Zoller, 2004) Students, universally, have demonstrated a widespread awareness that the best method to get attention in the classroom is to raise their hands high above their heads and are often observed doing this same action outside of the classroom when they have something urgent (to them) that they want to say. â€Å"These signals are well understood by students and any observer can see the results† (Galloway, 1971). To establish how the superior (boss) in an office environment while not indicating any type of ‘classier’ styles or other symbols of position was able to express the sense of superiority was addressed in the book Body Language (1970) by Julius Fast, a study of the power and status theory. The study utilized silent films portraying two actors, one acting as the visitor, the other playing the part of a corporate senior management. It was viewed by audiences who were filling out a questionnaire concerning how they ‘read’ the scene. A number of patterns became apparent from the answers provided.  Ã‚  

The Risks Of Employing Ex Convicts General Studies Essay

The Risks Of Employing Ex Convicts General Studies Essay 1. Background and Rational for choice of 1st area. Risk of companies employing ex-convicts through the Yellow Ribbon Project. (SPRING.gov.sg) Ex-convicts are trained in courses such as Nitec certification in electronics, ISC in food preparation, ISC in electrical wiring, and NSRS in cleaning skills. They also gain work experience in Singapore Corporation Of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) industries (eg. Bakery, laundry services, multimedia etc) to remain relevant in the workforce. This benefits employers as these workers are pre-trained and able to start work immediately. It is important to promote the employment of disabled as Singapore has a small population, hence need to maximize human resource. Also, companies need to address prevailing skills shortages and problems in filling job vacancies in tight labour markets. Besides this, due to the fact that Singapore is dependent on foreign workers, ex-convicts can be employed instead, with a lower pay, to reduce their cost of production. Need for ex-convicts to be included in society and for them to be able to sustain themselves without living off others. Thus they will no longer be a burden to society, including companies. Internet sources Ruth and Bryan to find information that explains: (i) risk taken (ii) Its necessity Others Rayna and YiKai to gather statistics/evidence/ survey results to: (i) Provide evidence to show why risk is worth taking (ii) Substantiate the reasons for importance to take risk 2. Details of what happened or was done Companies interested in employing ex-convicts register an account to access the Singapore Corporation Rehabilitative Enterprises online job portal. Companies then employ ex-convicts, giving priority to those who participated in rehabilitative and aftercare programmes, provided by the Yellow Ribbon Project. Last year, a record 2,459 companies pledged to give former convicts a second chance up 13 per cent from the 2,118 registered with the Score in 2009. E.g. Logwin Air + Ocean Singapore pte ltd (Straits Times 14/2/11) Logwin Air + Ocean Singapore, an international logistics company, has hired 3 ex-convicts since 2008. Among these is Mr Abdul Rahim Daud, who was jailed for vehicle theft in 2009. He currently works as an assistant for the company, ensuring that the company does not accidentally export more goods than necessary, saving it money. His boss, managing director Jimmy Ler, says that he is an efficient worker and he is good at what he does. (+)Employed ex-convicts were already trained, so no need to allocate resources to training, save time and money. (+)They work hard as they know the 2nd chance is precious (-)Employees need to go for follow-up sessions with the Singapore After-Care Association (SACA) and Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA), takes up time. (-)Some employees may revert to old ways, threat to company (-)May tarnish companys reputation as public do not accept criminals, generally. Printed/ internet sources Rayna and Yikai to refer to website and others for employment of ex-convicts programmes. Resource Persons Ruth and Bryan to seek expert opinion about employment of ex-convicts programme. . Printed/ internet sources Rayna refers to Yellow Ribbon website on write-up of collaborations Rayna to write Bryan to vet for spelling grammer and to format document Ruth to vet that substantiation is adequate and start writing Biblio YiKai to vet for logic gaps q Group has shown that 1st area is interesting and has significant lessons to learn from. q Group has shown that an appropriate amount (not too much, not too little) of background information to 1st area is given. 3. Lessons learnt 1. The number of employers willing to hire ex-convict has jumped by nearly a third. 2. Important role families play in the rehabilitation of former prisoners. The Family Resource Centres set up in prisons are where counsellors run workshops in family, parenting and marriage for prisoners to prepare them for life outside jail. Helps them patch things up with family and reconnect with society without being a burden because they are able to support and sustain themselves with a job. 3. Rehabilitative and aftercare programmes and skills training helps to ensure that the ex-convicts will be able to help the company increase productivity and not make losses. Printed Internet sources Ruth and YiKai to find information on: (i) effect of hiring ex-convicts on society (ii) ways government and public can help Others Rayna and Bryan to gather statistics/evidence/ survey results to: (i) provide evidence to show positive welfare effect (ii) substantiate the reasons for employing ex-convicts who participated in the rehabilitative and aftercare programmes. q Specific impacts/approaches have been clearly identified. q Appropriate and relevant lessons learnt have been drawn out from each impact/approaches. 4. Background and rational for choice of 2nd area. Successful social entrepreneur wants to contribute and return back to the society. They lead other companies to employ disabled to build an inclusive society. Joan Bowen is conferred the Notable New Employer Award. The cafe and culinary centre was started in August 2009 to teach essential life-long skills to mildly intellectually handicapped young adults. The cafe operates as a social enterprise with the ultimate aim of equipping youths with special needs with a range of culinary skills so that they are able to make their mark as individuals and contribute as active members of society, says Jeanne Seah-Khong, managing director of Joan Bowen. Joan Bowen, founded by Ms Seah and her husband Khong Yoon Kay, both 55, currently has 13 PWDs on its payroll. They work as cooks, dishwashers and service attendants. To enable the PWDs to learn better, Joan Bowen provides tools like visual aids to help them overcome their handicaps in reading. Work in the cafe is structured for PWDs to work smoot hly. Through systematic training, the PWDs became so proficient in operating the point-of-sale machines, coffee machines and credit-card terminals that they were even able to tell when the machines were due for servicing, Ms Seah adds. Other employers employ disabled because of the following reasons: At the counter in the Toa Payoh KFC restaurant, a crew member taps on his I am deaf badge and, without fuss, takes your order with a big smile. This shows that hiring people with disabilities have benefits as it is believed that many have to work very hard to be accepted into the workforce and will, therefore, be less likely to leave and hence, are motivated and determined to meet employment challenges. Lights, monitors and visual cues in the kitchen alert the hearing-impaired staff when food is ready to serve. A shift manager is on duty he cant hear you either. This shows that companies will benefit as many people with disabilities are accustomed to finding alternative ways of doing things. This innovative thinking can carry over into the workplace. Thus, the cost of hiring disabled workers is not much higher than that of ordinary workers. Despite its handicap, the Toa Payoh outlet has been operating since 2003. Its success has spawned two other deaf-operated KFC branches, in Fuchun Community Centre and Jurong West Community Centre. Apart from the 300 deaf crew on its payroll, KFC also opens its doors to people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as well as the intellectually, physically and visually handicapped. Their ages range from 16 to 56. Some have been with KFC for as long as 19 years. Thus, ensures that human power shortage can be avoided as many people with disabilities tend to remain with the same employer for many years. KFC has not gone unnoticed as a PWD-friendly boss. It was appointed Ambassador for the Deaf in 2004 and awarded the Presidents Social Service Award in 2006. Thus, hiring disabled do not result in a decrease in business for companies but instead increase their business. KFC did not experience a decrease in the number of consumers. This shows that hiring disabled will not affect the business of the companies as customers will often be attracted to or remain loyal with a company that they feel is being inclusive. Statistics show that people with disabilities use less sick leave than non-disabled employees. (Journal of occupational Accidents-1984). Thus, hiring disabled has benefits as they are more productive While the 50 PWDs Hans employs are small in number compared with those on KFCs payroll, they make up almost 10 per cent of its staff. The PWDs are treated as part of Hans big family. We address the PWDs as colleagues and dont see them as a burden, says Hans deputy general manager Gan Yee Chin. Five others also got a special mention for particular exemplary qualities in hiring PWDs Joan Bowen, Eureka Call Centre Systems, Pizza Hut Singapore, Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre and Fong Shen Mould and Precision Engineering. As a whole, hiring disabled has more advantages than disadvantages as employers have found that most have not only met but exceeded exceptions- In fact, They have gone on to become very productive and loyal Employees. Need to employ disabled people 1. Diversity in the workplace employing disabled people helps the the team to be more diverse, which in turn ups the level of creativity and innovation. Furthermore, they will be drawing from a wider talent pool and there are disabled people who have skills, knowledge and expertise to contribute to the company/society. Louis Harry Survey showed that 88% of people working with a disabled colleague say that this experience is enriching, likely to modify their opinion of disabled people and to give a new sense of value to their job (60%). 2. Tight labour market limited human resources, companies have to make full use of expertise available, and employing disabled people helps them to boost manpower. Louis Harry Survey showed that 80% of people employing or working with disabled workers think that they are as productive as any other employee. 3. Contribute back to society employing disabled people will enable them to earn a steady income to support themselves or their families, also helping to boost their confidence when interacting with other able-bodied individuals. Moreover, the company will earn the respect and admiration of others because of their humanity, they are willing to employ disabled people and are not focused solely on making money. Louis Harry Survey showed that 75% of people working with a disabled colleague think that the recruitment of disabled workers in their firm gives a positive image and influences them favourably in the perception of their employer. Internet sources Rayna and Bryan to design survey for companies, which employed disabled, to gather statistics. Ruth and YiKai to interview KFC for statistics. q Group has shown that 2nd area is interesting and has significant impact. q Group has shown that an appropriate amount (not too much, not too little) of background information to 2nd area is given. 5. Strategies that can be developed from lessons learnt in (3) to apply to 2nd area. Â · Strategy 1: ESPERANZA(Hope) Features of the website: The organizer is the Asian Womens Welfare Association. The main objective of setting up the ESPERAZA is to provide a convenient platform for job matching. The website will be managed by AWWA, which the bridge between companies and disabled. AWWA assist disabled in going onto the website to look for more job opportunities, especially, people who are blind. The website is specially formatted to make it easier for the disabled (cannot sit or look at the computer screen for too long) as the job are categorized according to type of disabilities (e.g. deaf) and industries (e.g. handicraft). To ensure that companies can save money on providing skills training and disabled job opportunities to disabled according to their last talents/experiences and skills learnt previously in AWWA. Disabled visit website, know about different job opportunities and decides on interested and relevant job. AWWA alert disabled that once clicked on `confirm button, disabled will be an official employee of compan y, cannot black out, otherwise they will have a black record and remain unemployed for lifetime. Solution to reduce risk: One of the main reasons why companies hesitate hiring the disabled is cause they are unsure whether the disabled are able to fully commit themselves to the jobs. This includes resigning after a short term and so on. With the features like ‘confirm button, disabled people will take their job interviews into careful consideration. This is turn reduces the risk that the companies face when hiring the disabled. Ways to encourage companies to participate in the job search portal: Send volunteers to companies who are able to hire the disabled to conduct talks. With the talks, companies would be encouraged and ensured that the disabled are not inferior as compared to normal people in terms of efficiency and attitude wise. Lessons learnt from other job search portals Yellow ribbon project: account registration An account is needed for both the employee and the employer. This would prevent anyone from playing prank on such websites, causing inconvenience. Thus, the website would prove to be more efficient and the parties would not have to be afraid of being involved in scam cases. Australian job search portal: Most of the time, it is the employer who comes up with the requirements and the employee who have to search. With the uploading of resumes onto the website, employees are also able to have a chance of getting a job even when they are not using a computer as employers would be able to read the resumes online and decide whether they want to hire the disabled people or not. Thus, the application of allowing the disabled people to upload their resumes online would allow a higher efficiency as it would not only be a one sided issue where only the disabled people are searching for a job but also companies to search for workers. Â · Strategy 2: Rainbow Ribbon Project The Rainbow Ribbon Project is initiated to convince employers that employing disabled has more benefits than disadvantages and also as a supporting role to ensure that companies faces minimum problems with the employment of disabled. The objectives of the Rainbow Ribbon Project can be summarized in R2P: 1. Realizing potential of disabled people to ensure that employers will be able to fill up skills gaps in companies. 2. Reducing prejudice of society towards disabled to ensure that the number of consumers of companies employing disabled will not decrease and that companies will not make any losses. 3. Provide trust of employers in disabled employees to ensure that companies will make sure that their disabled employees can compete and flourish on equal terms in the workplace, maximising the use of human resource and minimising losses for the companies itself. Actions to take: To support the companies, an organization can be set-up. To minimize the extra cost needed to be paid by the companies to employ disabled, the organization will provide assistance to the disabled. Disabled will be attached to a volunteer mentor to offer guidance through taken through the entire project, which starts from helping disabled in getting a suitable job to adapting and settling down in a comfortable job. Disabled will be taken through the process of examining what they have to offer an employer and exploring careers, offered tips on finding a job, getting hired, and making that job work for them, They will be assisted to build their own resume online in RainbowCareerConnect and also link to resources for employment listings. With all these in place, companies do not have to worry and pay extra attention to the disabled employees as their welfare is taken care of, by the organization. 1. Rainbow Day The project reduces the risk of companies employing disabled as it increases the confidence of companies towards disabled. Prior to this day, companies will partner with groups of polytechnic students (School of Design and technology) and share with students areas in companies where disabled can help. After that, Students will design disabled-friendly aids base on needs of companies (e.g. light bulbs used in kitchen as indicators instead of using buzzers, very illustrative menu cards, and simple sign language posters). The Rainbow Day is for companies to witness potential of disabled through try-out of machines. On the actual day, The Coffee Bean shares success in employing disabled to manufacture BURLAP bags to convince companies the abilities of disabled. Disabled people will then visit the booths, where the Polytechnic student showcases aids designed at different booths, to gain hands-on experience. Companies witness what disabled can do when disabled try-out the aids and discover disabled suitable for employment before giving job application forms. Companies provide choice of short-term (e.g. manufacture period) and long-term employment, according to what disabled can do. With this special day in place, companies will not have to provide extra training for the disabled, helping them save cost and after employing them as they employ only disabled with skills they need. Furthermore, this day provides assurance to the companies as they are very sure that the disabled they employ will be of help to the companies, helping it to increase its productivity. 2. Run! for the Rainbow Companies employers will be the participants invited for the competition. Instead of running as a normal people, employers will be running as disabled. Employers will be asked to use or put on special items (e.g. blindfold, wheelchair) as disabled (e.g. blind, deaf, wheelchair-bound), putting themselves in the shoes of disabled people and gain a deeper understanding of the difficulties faced by them. To win the competition, the employers will push themselves hard and put in their best effort to win the competition. Hence, through this competition, companies will be assured of the commitment that disabled employees will put in as they understand how much effort the disabled will put in to ensure that he or she will not be sacked. Thus, companies will benefit as its productivity increases. 3. Rainbow award To recognize values and talents disabled bring to work place. Other than just receiving an award title, disabled will be given a chance to bring in friends, who are also limited by disabilities and are unable to get a job. This will help to increase the overall employment of disabled in the society. To ensure the companies will benefit, the awardees will be the job trainers for the new employees they recommended and must ensure that the new employees are of help to the companies. Thus, with this award, the productivity of the companies will only continue to increase as its manpower will definitely increase but not decrease. Resource Persons Ruth and YiKai to request an interview with AWWA in-charge. Printed/internet sources Bryan refer to AWWA website on how organization works. Rayna find out the different types of jobs suitable. Rayna, YiKai conduct survey for companies interested: -To get evidence that companies need to know potential of disabled before taking the risk to employ Printed/internet Resource YiKai and Ruth research on manufacturers Resource Persons Rayna and Bryan to request collaboration between DPA and polytechnics Resource person Ruth and Bryan contact person-in-charge of The BURLAP bag to gather evidence of its success q The suggested strategy is creative. q The suggested management strategy is appropriate and effective for the target audience. q The suggested management strategy is feasible and manageable. q There is a clear link between the lessons learnt from 1st area and the suggested proposal q Details of the strategy are clearly presented. q There is clear and honest evaluation of the strategy. Any other comments / considerations? There may be a lack of statistics and evidence from the website and hence we need to carry out surveys. We might not be able to get the interviews done in which case we might have to look at another location or organization that is willing to communicate with us. Economically minded organizations may not be willing to work with us as little direct benefits, then need to request help from other non-profit organizations q The group is aware of the potential difficulties they may encounter. q The project is manageable.

America Needs Environmental Equity Essay -- Environmental Racism

Introduction "...We live in a breakable takeable world, an ever available possible worldÃâ€"" These words, by poet and singer-songwriter Ani Difranco, articulate the relationship between the environment and its inhabitants. Society is constantly manipulating the environment. Our capacity for changing the environment is kept in check by the destructible aspect of nature. The changes we make, those advancements in technology, are limited. While the industrial revolution, per say, is over, industry is ever expanding, moving us into a faster, more efficient lifestyle. However, efficiency and advanced technology are not without their price, and that fee, even more so than monetary in nature, is more accurately quantified by an increased duress on the environment and its inhabitants. As industry expands, waste products increase, and often this waste is toxic to humans, plants, and animals. So-called advancements, such as pesticides, which can greatly increase crop production, may cause chronic health problems. Environmental stressors, such as smelters, chemical plants, incinerators, and landfills all result from efforts to improve the functioning of society, and all have adverse effects on the populations living within proximity of these stressors (Bullard 1994). The Problem We have decided as a collective society to further our technology and expand our industries at the cost of a less healthy environment. Because this decision is one that affects all of us, we must be willing to take equal responsibility for the harm done to the environment and to its inhabitants. Unfortunately, white members of the middle and upper socio-economic classes have not accepted the price of advancement, and have instead placed the burdens of ou... ...onmental Planning and Management. June 1996, Volume 39:2. "Less Equal than Others." Lancet. April 2, 1994, Volume 343:8901. Payne, Henry. "Green Redlining." Reason. October 1998, Volume 30:5. Bibliography Boerner, Christopher. "Environmental Injustice." Public Interest. Winter 1995, Issue 118. Bullard, Robert D. "Overcoming Racism in Environmental Decisionmaking." Environment. May 1994, Volume 36:4. Durning, Alan. Action at the Grassroots: fighting poverty and environmental decline. Worldswatch Institute: Washington D.C., 1989. "Environmental Racism?" Wilson Quarterly. Spring 1995, Volume 19:2. Sachs, Aaron. Eco-Justice: linking human rights and the environment. Worldswatch Insititute: Washington D.C., 1995. Reilly, William K. "Environmental Equity: EPA's position." EPA Journal. March/April 1992, Volume 18:1.

Reflection Paper for Philosophy of Religion Essay

Religion has been as part of society as far as its beginnings. All ancient human civilization had some sort of belief in a God or the transcendent. Beliefs have always been an issue within any human society. The belief of the transcendent gives humans a chance or hope for eternal happiness for people who abide their beliefs. But through out history, different religions and beliefs emerged which gives rise to the inconsistency. There are numerous differences between religions: one versus many gods, personal versus impersonal gods, personal survival of believers versus no survival of believers, moral codes, religious life, etc. As observable in human history, though religions often offer some sort heaven it often paradoxically entails conflicts and controversies. And despite the fact that religions supposedly gives people a sense of what’s right or wrong, atrocities have been committed in the name of religion; the hundred years war, the inquisition, jihad, ethnical cleansings etc†¦ And amidst the variety of beliefs that populate contemporary society, one cannot help to think how to take in hand the overabundance of truths that sometimes overlaps, dissent, and eventually oppose each other. There are three stances one can take. First is to (1) treat all religions as valid and true (pluralism). Another way is to (2) view beliefs in way that some are right and some are wrong (exclusivism). Finally, one can also (3) think about all religions as false (atheism). Let me take into consideration the third stance first. By arguing that all religious beliefs are false, it also means arguing that God or any form of the transcendent does not exist. And by arguing this, means rejecting all of the theistic theses that were formulated in the history of man. And this is the part where the catholic philosopher’s shear my head off, as countless theologians in history were also philosophers. With atheism in hand, the question God’s Being is also raised. Paul Tillich argues that God is Being, where â€Å"Being† represented the ultimate reality that underlies all existence, whether natural or supernatural. In fact, Being doesn’t necessarily pertain to a personal God at all. Tillich wanted  to make Being stand for the ultimate concern of all humans, conceived in the broadest sense. Furthermore, any attempt to define what Being is, by giving it the name of a particular God, fails to capture the true Being. Tillich thinks that all particular conceptions of Being that we are familiar with in the West constitute idolatry. When we give religious symbols too much importance, then we have fallen into mere idolatry. It might be plausibly argued that a religion must possess religious symbols and rituals to qualify as a religion-but, if this is true, then all religions must in a way be idolatrous. This is quite a strong and ridiculous thing to claim. But on the other hand it can also be claimed that atheism is really theism because it possesses infinite concern. The unknowable â€Å"God behind God† symbols mediate our relationship with God. God is beyond existence and non-existence. This leads us to the more theistic approach on the variety of human belief. First is the idea of pluralism which is spearheaded by John Hick. Hick’s theory holds that all religions are expressions of the same ultimate reality. However, how is it possible for all religions to be true images of the same ultimate reality? They can’t all be correct because this would be a violation of the law of non-contradiction (the thesis that something cannot possess a property and lack it at the same time and in the same way). For example, to argue that God is personal from my religion’s perspective and not personal from another religion’s perspective and thus avoid the violation of the law of non-contradiction is to say that God is not ultimately personal. Since it has just been accepted that some other religion has an equally valid view of God which contradicts my own religion’s view, this conclusion once again dents the justification for believing in the specifi c theories of God by my particular religion (in fact, many religions will reject this compromise for this very reason; namely, because the religion’s views are not really believed to be entirely true). At one point, Hick argues that the ultimate reality of God has no properties or attributes by itself, but only in relation to believers. So the properties we attribute to God are relational properties, which don’t exist or pertain to God if we don’t exist to assign those properties to God. Yet, this theory still implies that each religion’s view of that ultimate reality is not completely true since there exist other, contradictory and  equally correct relative views of God. And this undermines the importance of that particular religion’s beliefs. Also, a being that has no properties or attributes in itself seems incoherent, because, once again, the law of non-contradiction does not seem to apply to that being in the absence of any believers. Besides, a being that has no properties is almost identical to nothing. On the other hand, one can also take the path of an Exclusivist. Exclusivism states that one’s own religion is true, all the other are false. Which yet again sets it in conflict with every other thought out there: Which religion is the true religion? For the exclusivist, salvation comes from faith in that one true religion. But, there are exceptions that present several problems. Examples of these are people who didn’t hear the religion’s message. Also there are those virtuous and good people who did hear the religion’s message but rejected it. One way to solve these problems is to accept a view that still accepts that there is one true religion (and all the others are false), but who is included in that religion is increased to include all of the people covered in the aforementioned examples (â€Å"Inclusivism†). In addition, the same difficulty mentioned above, of determining which religion is the one true religion, this theory also suffers in that it seems to undermine the importance of being one of the people who essentially hears and follows the message of that one religion. Since merely being a virtuous person is enough to get into heaven, it no longer seems to be all that important to hear any religion’s message, and this weakens the motivation for following that religion. Another way is to deal with the variety of belief is to treat them as some are more right than others. Although all beliefs may hold some truth in them as what a pluralist might say, there is also the notion of some beliefs holding more sensible, plausible, and appealing aspects than others. Treating beliefs that some are more right than others will impose some sort of hierarchy among them. Being so, there is no sense to take what is less that the optimal path or any belief other than the belief on the top of the ladder. This might be attributed to a sense of rationality or a mental faculty for deciding what people should hold is true or a sense of epistemic  duty. Since belief holds such importance in a person’s personal and social life as was mentioned earlier, it cannot be helped to seek verification of what is true and what is not. Then again, an argument can arise from here asking what basis of rightness or wrongness of a certain belief is in the aforementioned hierarchy. Certainly, we cannot take an objective perspective here due to nature of the subject as argued in numerable articles about belief (belief cannot be grounded empirically). This then leaves me with no means to measure the rightness or wrongness of a certain belief. If this is so, it can be said then that the matter of belief can be left to the personal opinions and values of the believer, or simply put, belief is completely subjective. Just like understanding any other major term in philosophy of religion, completely understanding the existence of variety of human beliefs in this case would be as hard as pinning gelatin to a wall. Just as one thinks one has held the whole thing in one point, the rest of it slips away and falls apart. And in the end we are back to ground zero, stuck in a standstill conflict of being either an atheist, pluralist or an exclusivist; a sort of conflict between two extremes of anarchy and tyranny. Pluralism in its purest form can lead to anarchy of beliefs due to the equal treatments of all beliefs as in way true and valid. Exclusivism taken to the extreme may is tyranny in sense that only one or some beliefs are the plausible ones to take. And the supposedly safe answer of atheism which every other theistic argument rebukes. Alluding to the idea of the other that cannot be consumed by the I in Hegelian manner of the thesis and the anti-thesis having a compromise in the form of the synthesis, religions can neither be equalized by a common denominator nor taken separately and treated with bias. Hick, Plantinga, and Tillich tried nobly to create stable grounds by creating bases for beliefs by conceptualizing the whole idea of religions and beliefs. Yet with the contradictions to every argument presented, loose or dead ends appear due to the infinitely vast reality (and paradoxically ambiguous) of religious beliefs, thus one cannot firmly hold his belief in every ground. Therefore, it can be said that there is no safe answer. A risk then of making a mistake is not avoidable just as every evil is inevitable in the world. And just as uncertain the issue of human belief is as every  philosophical paradox goes, it is left in the riddle of choice.

Genogram: Family and Paper Social Work Essay

1. I grew up with a strong and helpful family that was always there for me. I did get into a lot of fights with my siblings, but now that I am an adult and living my own life, I realize how much I really care and love them. Thinking back on my childhood, I was raised a good life and my parents told me to be the best person I could possibly be. They showed me how to pursue a good work ethic, and how to treat others the way I want to be treated. As a child I was taught to respect my parents, teachers, and adults. To respect someone is not to agree with someone but show regard to. I was always told treat people like you would want to be treated. And showing respect is one of them. I believe respect is something that is not given its earned through the course of time. My family was what made me who I am today. 2. While reflecting on the different cultural elements that have influenced my life, it is hard to determine which would be classified as the most significant or the most influential because at different stages of my life, that priority has changed. For simplicities sake, the first influence I will discuss will be that of my parents. I was born to a Caucasian, middle class husband and wife in July of 1974. Due to being â€Å"middle class† I was taught the values of hard work, responsibility, honesty, and accountability. With two parents who felt one does not deserve what one hasn’t worked for, it was instilled in me that laziness was truly one of the worst characteristics one could possible hold. This programming has led me to be hyper-vigilant in my quest to prove my lack of â€Å"laziness.† This can be established by the fact that I am currently raising 3 children, work one full-time job, and attend college full-time. In addition to my parents influence, the fa ct that I had 1 sibling also played a significant role in my cultural programming. Having a sibling has taught me to negotiate, participate and compromise. 3. I was raised in a very safe and secure environment for most of my life. I am Caucasian, straight and a female. I was raised in the Methodist church which puts me in another dominant classification, Christian. My dad worked very long hours when I was growing up to provide for the family. While my upbringing is relatively idyllic, there are experiences and influences that have shaped my life and made me a more tolerant, understanding and yet critical person than the stereotype of people from my socio-cultural upbringing. I was taught to see others as individuals as opposed to stereotypes. I was also taught to value an individual’s right to pursue happiness. 4. A family event that we participate in is sled riding and skiing. These events have impacted our family in a positive way. It is something that everybody enjoys participating in. 5. Our holiday traditions were really helpful during my life. On New Years Eve we all would gather together to say good bye to the old year and welcome in the new upcoming year. My children and I still observe this tradition. We eat dinner together every night. Each Sunday morning we have a big family breakfast. Our family has a family night every Monday night. Where we get together, play games, and eat treats. We also eat pizza and watch a movie together every Friday night. Every year we have a family reunion. Each Halloween we go to the pumpkin patch and pick out pumpkins. 6. Every Christmas Eve we watch a Christmas movie then each child gets to open one present. On Easter we would search for hidden Easter baskets and collect the eggs that are hiding around the room. In our family our kids plan a birthday party with friends every year. We always decorate with streamers and balloons. The birthday child gets to choose his or her own birthday cake. They also get to choose whatever they want for their birthday dinner. 7. In my family we were taught that the role of the child in the family is to: go to school, learn, and grow up to be successful, listen to their parents, and go to church. 8. My mother had the most significant influence on me. She is the strongest woman that I have ever met. Her life inspired me with confidence and great motivation. Most of my mother’s life is full of misfortunes and unexpected troubles. Although she went through many hardships, she never gave up. The thing that I admire my mother most is she always kept in her mind the positive thoughts. In spite of the hard work that she does day by day, she always has a smile on her face. 9. By attending a college with a diverse student body I believe this can prepare me for my future work with families. I will be able to meet people and gain new insights on language and experience from another culture. 10. I believe growing up as a Caucasian, straight female will place a barrier in working with diverse families. I feel there will be limits to my experience but I would like to overcome them by taking classes on diversity and culture.

Crusaders essays

Crusaders essays The topic of the essay is whether I think that the first crusade was a war or a religious movement. That is a very hard question to answer. I think that it may have started out as a religious movement with all the religious frenzy that such a movement can convey. However, in my opinion the first Crusade was a war. It was a that was ostensibly using the freeing of the holy land and of helping Alexius as an excuse go to war. It was a grand cover up to gain territory. War has been used throughout most of history as an excuse. It became apparent to me that the first crusade was no exception. It was an excuse to garner land, and excuse to gain power, it was even used as an excuse to kill Jews. Even with the so-called religious leaders such as Peter the hermit. With the other leaders such as Bohemond and Raymond, Baldwin I found it was a much clearer view of their reasoning, at least to my mind. I want to analyze the motivations of the leaders of the crusades. For it is these motivations that lead me to the belief that this was just a war. I further more believe that even Urban himself knew that there would be many that stepped foreword that would use Urbans Crusade for political purposes including to a certain extent Urban himself. The calling of the Crusade was a political opportunity for Urban's pontificate, attracting loyalty from a wide range of disparate countries and asserting the Churchs role as a unifying force. That he was concerned about the leaders of his crusade once they were out of his sight is apparent. Why else would he have made so may statements about for you are also called shepherds see that you are not occupied after the manner f mercenaries (pg 51) or For if because of the sloth of your management (pg 52), and let those he said ,who are accustomed to wage private wars wastefully even against believers(pg 53). However, it is also apparent tha...

Post ww2 fiction and film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Post ww2 fiction and film - Essay Example In The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie similarly damaged people are considered, particularly the title character who draws a few to her but rejects many others. A Clockwork Orange portrays a nightmarish future world, taking several features of 1950’s/1960’s life to their logical conclusions. The title is suggestive of all these works: the people appear to be alive on the outside, but are â€Å"clockwork† (dead) within. The extent to which novels and films can reflect actual problems within society versus the fact that they are reflections of an individual author’s/filmmaker’s view of the world is one that can never be entirely resolved. In reality, novelists and directors live within societies and are thus influenced by them, yet at the same time they are portraying their individual perspectives. Three very distinct novels, such as The Prime of Miss Jean Brody, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and A Clockwork Orange, reflect often nightmarish versions of society. A common theme among all three of them is the place of the individual within society. That is, how far can the individual act in a purely independent manner versus the need to conform? Each novel tackles this question in a different manner and comes to contrasting conclusions. The main characters in each novel are indeed â€Å"individualistic†, in the fact that they follow their own course (often counter to what â₠¬Ëœsociety’ wants for them), and their often difficult fates illustrate the dangers of being an individual. The issue of conformity versus eccentricity is as relevant today as it was in post-war British society, and thus can inform a discussion of problems that are being faced today. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is set in Scotland during the 1930’s. As such it represents a consideration of the interwar rather than the post-war period., but many of its themes resonate to the latter period. The teacher of the title is determined to actually teach the young women at her

Pizza Veloce Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pizza Veloce - Term Paper Example To provide convenient solutions for ordering and getting different pizzas Products and Services: The main products that will be offered by Pizza Veloce will be the wide variety of pizzas, most which will be based on genuine, Italian recipes that have been used for several centuries. The products will also include side items and other smaller Italian dishes, as well as desserts and drinks that can be served with the foods. The services that will be available by Pizza Veloce will be inclusive of the ways in which the pizza and other food items can be delivered to the home. The first consists of services available online for easy connections and ordering. The second is based on delivery services that are available for those who don’t want to leave their home and are interested in ordering. The third will be in – house services so individuals have the option of a restaurant like atmosphere. Each of these services will be supported by technological structures for fast delive ry and a structure that enhances the making of the pizzas. Organizational Structure: The first part of the structure will be based on different departments and employees that will be able to provide the pizza making services. The first will be a team of employees for making the pizzas. The second will be a team used for the deliveries. There will also be customer service representatives that will be available for the online services and others that will provide in – store services. There will be one manager that overlook all operations at all times, specifically to make sure that there are connections with all deliveries and that workers are effective with the work. The organizational structure will then move into a CEO responsible for overlooking the main components of the operations, a vice president responsible for initiating new developments and a team that overlooks the expansion of the Pizza Veloce. This will consist of an online and offline marketing manager, human resources manager, technology manager and a liaison which will work between the office team and those who are working at the pizza company. Each of the organizational structure components will also consist of supporting technology, specifically which will change the number of employees as well as the needs which are associated with the restaurant. Expected Revenue The expected revenue that comes with the pizza is based on the amount of demand which can grow from the customer expectations. On average, a small pizzeria can expect to make $10,500 to $18,500 per week, if there is continuous demand. However, there are factors to consider with the costs of the pizzeria. For example, the cost of rent is about $8,000 per month. The cost for employees is also an average of $1200 per person per month, with an expected 5 workers per week, which equals $ per month for payment. The technology used as well as the structure is also expected to cost an average of $10,000 to install and $30,000 for yearly maintenance. The profit per year will then be at an average of $180,000 with the expenses averaging $208,000. For the pizzeria to break even, there will need to be three restaurants which open initially, which will increase the profit to $540,000 while maintaining the loss at $544,000. After the second year, the revenue will begin to gain, first by $10,000 because of the installed technology and with the expected increase in profit. There will also be options to expand the chain to continue to gain the profit after