The Ongoing Struggle For A Family Essay Example For Students

The Ongoing Struggle For A Family Essay The Ongoing Struggle for a FamilyThe most important thing in a family is that all the people in it love each other. This excerpt is from a childrens book, written by Leslea Newman, Called Heather HasTwo Mommies. This story is intended to show kids that not everyones family is thesame. Many reasons are given to dispute gay and lesbian parenting but all founded onsome of the archaic beliefs that Hitler used to kill homosexuals during W.W.II, fear andprejudice! Although having children and being parents seems like a basic human right orchoice, many people believe that the government should have the authority todiscriminate who can are cannot have children, regardless of their parenting skills. Some say that it is unnatural for gay and lesbians to have children because theyhave to go to such extremes to have them (Oppos ..199). It is kind of ironic because ithas become mainstream for heterosexual couples that are determined infertile to useartificial insemination, adoption, and even invi tro-fertilization, and when one of theseprocedures is successful the couple is said to have had a miracle, while the gay or lesbiancouple is said to be fanatical. Lesbian couples may use sperm banks, or they may becomecoparents with a gay couple that also wishes to have children. In these cases the child has4 loving and nurturing parents instead of the standard 2. Noom 2Another opposing view is that all gays and lesbians are sexually promiscuous,therefore have HIV/AIDS, and their relationships are not stable enough to have children(Oppos..199). Lesbians and gays love and form deep and lasting commitments just likeheterosexuals. To claim otherwise is to declare that lesbians and gays are somehow nothuman and ignore the reality of their lives, (New Civil..125) Laws and social viewsseem be conflicted on what they want because they say gay/lesbian relationships are notstable, but than deny them the right to marry, therefore through laws and legislation theare not promoting the behavior that they seem to require. HIV/AIDS is a horrible diseaseand truthfully is a major concern in the gay community, but it is because of thestereotypes, lack of education, and knowledge about the disease itself that this diseasewas able to attack many gay males. Although HIV/AIDS is a concern for people ingeneral the number of lesbian women with it is almost non-existent. Does this mean thatheterosexual couples that have HIV/AIDS are not having children? No, countless articlescan be found about drug using prostitutes that give birth to a baby with HIV and stillretains custody. While in 1997, a women named Sharon Bottoms loses her child inVirginia to her mother for being gay, active lesbianism practiced in the home may pose aburden upon the child by reason of Social Condemnation attached to such anarrangement the state Supreme Court stated (issues..36). All hope is not lost though, inJune of 1997 an Ohio appeals court upheld that, sexual orientation alone, has norelevance to a decision concerning the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities,(Issues..37)Many people believe that gays and lesbians shouldnt have kids because the childwill be molested and/or be mal adjusted as a youth and adult. Lesbians and gays areinherently sick and prey on children. Giving them custody of children opens thosechildren up to sexual abuse. They cannot raise healthy children, (Oppos..199). Noom 3The statistics certainly do not support these statements, Adults who sexually molestchildren are a diverse group. No one race, religion level of intelligence, level ofeducation, occupation, or income sets perpetrators apart from the rest of the population,(New Civil.. 78). One thing is clear, most often a child molester is a heterosexual malewho is acquainted with the victim (New Civil..78). Others believe that a child of ahomosexual is most likely going to be a homosexual, and even if they are not they willhave a hard time growing up due to the teasing and stereotypes of their classm ates andcommunity. Studies have proved these beliefs false, Although studies have assessedover 300 offspring of gay or lesbian parents in 12 different samples, no evidence has beenfound for significant disturbances of any kind in the development of sexual identity. they go on to say that, the same held true for moral development, intelligence, and peerrelationships, (New Civil..132). Like all children, kids from gay and lesbian familyshave .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a , .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a .postImageUrl , .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a , .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a:hover , .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a:visited , .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a:active { border:0!important; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a:active , .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u53ae6c92048f51ebb1711320cdd5770a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Personal Identity Essay We will write a custom essay on The Ongoing Struggle For A Family specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now

Death Of An Innocent Essays - Teen Dramas, Party Mom, Car Mom

Death Of An Innocent Essays - Teen Dramas, Party Mom, Car Mom Death of an Innocent I went to a party mom, I remembered what you said. You told me not to drink, Mom, so I drank soda instead. I really felt proud inside, Mom, the way you said I would. I didn?t drink and drive, Mom, even though the others said I should. I know I did the right thing, Mom, I know you were always right. Now the party is finally ending, Mom ,as everyone is driving out of sight. As I got into my car, Mom, but as I pulled out into the road the other car didn?t see me, Mom, and now I?m the one who will pay. I?m lying here dying, Mom. I wish you?d get here soon. How cold this happen to me, Mom? My life just burst like a balloon. There is blood all around me, Mom, and most of it is mine. I hear the medic say, Mom, I?ll die in a short time. I just wanted to tell you, Mom, I swear I didn?t drink. It was the others, Mom. The others didn?t think. He was probably as the same party as I. The only difference is he drank and I will die. Why do people drink, Mom? It can ruin your whole life. I?m feeling sharp pains now. Pains just like a knife. The guy who hit me is walking, Mom, and I don?t think it?s fair. I?m lying here dying and all he can do is stare. Tell my brother not to cry, Mom. Tell Daddy to be brave. And when I go to heaven, Mom, put ?Daddy?s Girl? on my grave. Someone should have told him, Mom, not to drink and drive. If only they had told him, Mom, I would still be alive. My breath is getting shorter, Mom, I?m becoming very scared. Please don?t cry for me, Mom.When I needed you, you were always there. I have one last question, Mom, before I say good-bye. I didn?t drink and drive, so why am I the one to die?

Archetypes in the Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo Mysterious, morose, cunning, rebellious, and even ingenious are only a few words used to describe Edmond Dantes as a Byronic Hero. A Byronic Hero is defined as a glorified but flawed character with immense superiority in his passions and powers. These heroes can be depicted in a variety of ways and contexts. Similar to a Byronic Hero, Edmond Dantes has suffered great wrongs and was betrayals. However, he emerges as a cruel and powerful man who believes he is taking the place of fate by having revenge on the men responsible for his suffering. In The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas skillfully uses symbolism to craft and portray Edmond Dantes as the ideal Byronic Hero. First used by Monsieur Morrel in his attempt to save the life of Dantes’s father, Dantes later uses the red silk purse when he is saving Morrel’s life and family’s honor. Right as Monsieur Morrel puts the gun to his head, Valentine runs through the door and calls out â€Å"’Father! Father! You’re saved! ’ She held up a red silk purse. ‘Look! Look! ’† (Dumas 129. ) The red purse becomes the physical symbol of the connection between good deed and reward. Morrel recognizes the purse and works out the connection between the good deed performed on his behalf and the good deed he once performed himself. Morrel concludes that Dantes must be his savior, suspecting that he is working from beyond the grave. This purse represents Dantes as a Byronic Hero because it symbolizes his own titanic passion to reward those that have done him fair and kindness. His intense drive and determination to live out his philosophy without regard to others beliefs only intensifies this immense fervor. When Dantes escapes from prison, he plunges into the ocean, experiencing a second baptism and a renewed dedication of his soul to God. Just after diving into the ocean, Dumas depicts Dantes as â€Å"†¦the best swimmer in Marseilles, and he was now anxious to rise to the surface to try his strength against the waves. To his joy he found that he had enforced inaction had not in any way impaired his strength and agility, and he felt that he could still master the element in which he had so often sported when a bay† (Dumas 80. ). Edmond Dantes can be seen as a Byronic Hero in view of the fact that the Byronic Hero does not possess heroic virtue in the usual sense; instead, he has many dark qualities. He emerges from the waters as a bitter and hateful man, bent on carrying out revenge on his enemies. He is washed in the waters that lead him to freedom and his rebirth as a transformed man is complete. The sea continues to appear in the novel even after this symbolic baptism. Byronic Heroes are often depicted as isolated from society as a wanderer or in exile of some kind. Considering himself a citizen of no land, Dantes spends much of his time on the ocean, traveling the world in his yacht. The sea seems to beckon constantly to Dantes, a skilled sailor, offering him escape and solitude. Dantes’s potion seems to have the power to both kill and to bring to life, a power that Dantes comes to rely on too strongly. The strength of the elixir is conveyed perfectly when the count states, â€Å"Only remember one thing. In small doeses it is a remedy, in large doses it is a poison! One drop will restore life as you have witnessed, five or six will inevitably kill† (Dumas 249). His overestimation of the elixir’s power results in the overestimation of his own power, his delusion that he is almost godlike. It is this misconception that ties the count to the prideful thinking and â€Å"larger than life† conduct of a Byronic Hero. The elixir is not powerful enough to bring the dead to life, just like Dantes himself is not capable of accomplishing anything of the nature. It is when Dantes realizes the limits of his potion that he realizes his own limitations as a human being. Edmond Dantes is viewed as the ideal Byronic Hero by means of Alexandre Dumas’s expertly used symbolism in The Count of Monte Cristo. The passion delivered by the red purse, the transformation caused by the baptismal waters of the ocean, and the pride and power brought by the elixir are all symbols that contribute to him being the perfect exemplar of a Byronic Hero. Because of these symbols, Edmond Dantes can be viewed and compared similarly or even superiorly to any of the Byronic Heroes if the 1800s.

How and why age discrimination operates in the workplace Essay

How and why age discrimination operates in the workplace - Essay Example It is a tragedy that age is lessening down the value of precious minds in the workplaces. Today, workplaces prefer young, fresh minds; while, those with experience are considered as old and bogus. Age versus experience is a very interesting debate; however, this is also true that workplaces are getting modern enough not to give space to the elderly employees. The value of experience is getting less; and, the value of young, gorgeous, handsome and fresh looks are in demand in workplaces today. What effect this discrimination creates on the aged employees is another important issue, because it gives rise to hopelessness and despair among them. What is interesting is that age discrimination starts at around mid-thirties which is not that big an age. It is not ethical for an employer to discard, de-select, fire, or abuse an employer because of his growing age. Ageism, is a growing concept in workplaces, and employers need to give serious consideration to it if they want experienced minds to generate ideas that are free of error and ambiguity. Unless a critical job is under consideration, like that of a pilot or a policeman, age should not be an issue. Age discrimination may be light or severe. This ranges from abusive remarks to proper bully. Severity converts it into harassment, which is totally illegal since it creates a sense of hostility and disrespect in the workplace environment. It is also important to discuss who the discriminator is. In a workplace setting, the harasser bringing about age discrimination may be the leader of the organization, co-workers, general staff such as canteen boy, and even customers. This paper tends to shed light on this important issue. Some important UK and EU laws have been described to give an overview of what measures are being taken to eliminate age discrimination in UK and EU organizations. Past research has been discussed in great detail, which helps understand how frequent age discrimination is and what are its effects. A counter-argument has also been discussed in detail to give a critical analysis. The report has been summarized in a concluding paragraph, and Harvard style of referencing has been used properly both for in-text citation and references section. This report can prove to be a beneficial study for those who want an overview of age discrimination in the workplace. UK and EU Laws regarding Age Discrimination Equality Act 2010 The Equality Act 2010 has been presented by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act is basically a unification and extension of already existing age discrimination regulations. It is in application since 2010 in all UK organizations. It not only protects older workers from discrimination at workplaces but also at other institutes like universities and trade associations (GOV.UK, 2013). Under this Act, older employees are protected in almost all matters related to workplace and job. This Act addresses both direct and indirect discrimination, and states that old age employees should be given equal opportunities of employment as young people, with the only exception that the employers have the right to reject or fire them if they have such a disability that hinders with their job performance. Employers are bound to make sure that the workplace environment is not hostile toward old age employees. They are bound to give them equal opportuniti

Effective communication with customers and staff Essay

Effective communication with customers and staff - Essay Example I am a customer – oriented person and I fully realize that any business environment needs to be designed under the scope of serving customers’ needs and expectations. I believe that the customer lies at the core of managements’ concern and agenda and for this reason I am focused on delivering customer satisfaction by being willing to listen to their complaints, eager to find solutions to their addressed problems and focused to delivering overall customer satisfaction. I have strong interpersonal skills which allow me to sympathize with others and understand their concerns or queries while at the same time I am confident in my interactions with the customers. I am a goal – and – performance oriented person and I am intrinsically motivated to achieve organizational objectives. I enjoy working in an environment that offers interactions on both levels – customers and employees – and I have developed strong communication skills. My leadership orientation will offer significant advantages to the store as I can inspire and motivate others to share a common vision for the company and the company’s goals and objectives. Through team work I can empower employees to engage to the organization and participate so as to achieve strategically and effectively the mission targeted.

Astrophil and Stella Essay Example for Free

Astrophil and Stella Essay For the sake of the cause he also borrows ideas from other poets, but finally he realizes that the only way to tell his feelings is to write his own words from his own heart. The poet relies on the success of his chosen wooing process sincerely. There is a turn after the octave. The sestet starts with the word ‘‘But’’, which suggests some kind of change. In this part, three words, ‘‘Invention’’, ‘‘Nature’’ and ‘‘Study’’, are personifies by the poet. He presents ‘‘Nature’’ to the reader as the mother of ‘‘Invention’’ (‘‘Invention, Nature’s child’’ (Line 10)). With this personalization, these two words get qualities, and this refers to the naturalness of using imagination to create new ideas. These two things are necessary conditions of each other. The third personalized word is ‘‘Study’’. It appears as the stepmother of ‘‘Invention’’. Mother would never be in good terms with stepmother. One reason of it can be jealousy. The poet to act up to this fact gives the ability of breathing to ‘‘Study’’ in order to be able to blow ‘‘Invention’’ away. There is still no inspiration of the poet for writing his ideas and feelings. The personalizations serve the aim to have something that can be the reason of the poet’s inability to write. Around the end of the sonnet the poet shows us a picture of a woman who is ‘‘great with child’’(Line12). He compares his situation with the state of pregnancy. According to him, express his feelings and write down them can be as difficult as giving birth to a child. The pregnant mother has millions of troubles and struggles during the pregnancy such as the poet has during the procedure of writing ‘‘helpless in my throes’’ (Line 12). After all his attempts fails, in the last line his Muse calls him a ‘‘Fool’’ and advises him to ‘‘look in thy 2 heart and write’’. The word ’’Fool refers to the poet. He makes stupid mistakes when he tries to use others love poems to express his feelings. There is some irony in the words of the Muse. The poet should not think so much about his feelings and about how to write them down. He just has to write down what is come from his heart without thinking about it. I think, the testimony of the Muse’s words is that people have to trust in themselves and in their abilities. 3

together :: essays research papers

Organizational Behavior Organizational behavior is the study and application of knowledge about how people, individuals, and groups act in organizations (Robbins, p.9). Organizational behavior helps build better relationships by achieving human objectives, organizational objective and social objective. Robbins, S. P. (2000). Organizational Behavior. Ninth Edition. Organizational Culture Organizational culture is something intangible, but can influences our work environments. In the workplace we can refer organizational culture as combination of its policies, beliefs, activities, and rituals. An organizational culture can support or hinder individual learning, encourage or discourage creativity, etc. Diversity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diversity is everywhere in the United States. Individuals need to understand the dimensions of culture to be effective in the multicultural environments. To achieve business excellence, corporate decisions must be based on a wide range of contributions from people with diversity in idea, backgrounds and perspectives. The various cultures in the workplace today bring richness to the environment, as the exposure to various cultures and even beyond racial and ethical differences allow people to view ideas from various perspectives to grow as a people and a corporation. Communication Communication is defined as the process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. Communication is also a technique for expressing idea effectively. A well-established communication can strengthen a group’s collective intelligence, as well as finding insights in which people often miss through traditional forms of conversation. Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency Organizational effectiveness and efficiency http://www.politicalreviewnet.com/polrev/reviews/PUAR/R_0033_3352_001_20620.asp Organizational Learning The field of organizational learning explores ways to make organizations function more effectively by encourages employees to teach their full potential.

Aid and Two Gap Model

Aid and the Two Gap Model Aid is a burning issue these days. The question of countries accepting foreign aid has intrigued economists and the general public for a quite a while. Television discussions and newspaper articles have frequently focused on this issue while politicians try to fight this matter out in the parliaments. Furthermore, many are trying to unravel the enigma of aid and its effects on growth. This paper, in the little word space provided, will try to establish a relation between aid and growth.It will do so by first defining aid and growth and then moving on to some of the important models which can be used to understand this link. We will discuss the two-gap model and then move on to the Solow and Harrod-Domar model, giving empirical examples in each case. Finally, we will analyze two countries and try to inspect the reasons for their different growth rates using the logic used in the discussed models. Aid can be defined as any voluntary transfer of resources. It c an be either public (provided by donor countries or multilateral donor organization such as the IMF and The World Bank) or private (given by NGO’s. . The Organization for Economic Corporation and Development defines aid as any transfer of money or resource that fulfills the following criteria: a) The objective of the transfer should be noncommercial. b) It should be given for the purpose of economic development. c) The terms of the transfer should be concessional (interest rate should be less than the prevailing interest rate in the market OR the maturity period should be longer than usual). Aid should not be mixed with grant which is often used interchangeably with this term.Aid is any transfer that has concessional terms while grant is a form of aid that does not require the repayment of the principal. In this paper, we will often measure aid in the from of official development assistance (ODA) which is a convenient indicator of international aid flow. On the other hand, we will measure growth by scrutinizing the percentage change in GDP. One of the most widely used framework for analyzing the effects of aid on growth is the two-gap model which holds a key position in policy decisions related to foreign assistance.The two gap model is based on the Harrod Domar equation g = s/v where s is savings rate v is capital output ratio Capital output ratio is assumed to be constant. The two gap model assumes that a developing country faces either a savings gap or a foreign exchange gap. The savings gap occurs when a country faces a shortage of savings to match Investment in attaining an intended growth rate. In such a case, foreign borrowing or aid can supplement the savings and help bridge the gap between savings and investment. This allows a country to achieve the targeted growth rate. Ft < I – S (Savings gap)A foreign exchange gap takes place when a country’s exports are not enough to finance its imports. In such situations, aid is handy as it fills the foreign exchange gap and provides countries with sufficient exchange to reach the required level of imports. At a given point in time, only one of the two gaps is binding. Ft < M – X (Foreign Exchange gap) Following this further, we fit empirical data into this model. Zambia is a developing country that has continuously received aid since the mid 1960’s. In 1992, almost 80% of Zambia’s investment was financed by foreign aid.Since, Zambia has received aid over such a long period, the two gap model predicted that its per capita GDP would reach $2300 by the turn of the century. On the contrary, its GDP per capita in 2007 remained merely half of what was expected . i. e. $1300. The fig. below summarizes the analysis of the Zambian economy. To examine whether the Zambian case is an exception or does the model always fail to predict the reality, we scrutinize on various factors which could have blocked the path of growth for this country. Zambia has be en infected by violence and instability right from its independence, with bloodshed and massacres a common feature.In addition, economic growth has been hindered by the outbreak of civil war and influx of refugees from the neighboring countries. Corruption is another problem that has stalled growth which can be seen from the fact that Zambia is ranked 101 on the corruption perception index. Very recently, Sweden and Netherlands stopped aid to Zambia due to rampant corruption allegations. All these problems add to the ineffectiveness of aid on the growth of Zambian economy which can explain why the two-gap model failed to forecast the ineptness of aid.The effect of aid on growth can also be explained using two basic but important models, namely Harrod Domar model and the Solow model. Although the upshot of aid on growth is a multidimensional and complex process we only take into account the effect of aid on variables defined in these two models. The main focus of our discussion will be the saving rate which comes out to be the most imperative variable in both these models. We start through the basic Harrod Domar model. Capital output ratio, capital labor ratio and labor output ratio are assumed to be constant.Some of the important relations are as follows: S=s. Y (2) (3) (1) g= (s/v)-(? ) S=I Where: Y is income S is total saving I is Investment ? is depreciation of capital According to this model, growth can be increased by increasing s, decreasing v or decreasing ?. We shall mainly focus on the relation of aid on growth through the savings rate channel. Countries ask for aid mainly due to its perceived beneficial effect on the savings rate. As shown, saving equals investment in the Harrod-Domar model, subsequently an increase in savings will result in an increase in investment.This increase is supposed to boost the growth rate of the recipient country. Michael P. Shields offer an interesting explanation of the relation of foreign aid on growth in his paper â⠂¬Å"foreign aid and domestic savings: the crowding out effect†. If foreign aid is expected to increase savings, then equation (3) becomes g=(s+fa)/v -? Where fa is foreign aid as a proportion of income (4) (s+fa) represents the total funds available for backing investment. According to this equation, an increase in foreign aid is supposed to increase the total saving funds and hence investment by an equal amount.This suggests that an each additional dollar of foreign aid should result in a one dollar increase in investment in the economy of the recipient country. Reality however is not that perfect and it is too generous for anyone to assume such a one-to-one increase in investment from aid. Famous economist Edward Griffin offers a criticism of such approach. According to him foreign aid should be taken so as to supplement income rather than having a direct impact on savings. In such a case, an increase in income by the amount of foreign aid fa would increase consumption by (1 -s). a, thus increasing the investment by s. fa. In such a case, domestic savings can be crowded out by foreign aid by the net amount –(1-s)fa which equals (s-1)fa. Markedly, foreign aid can crowd out private savings and investment, resulting in a decrease in growth as suggested by the Harrod Domar model. The main obstacle in the way of growth in the Harrod-Domar model is the phenomenon of aid filtering out into increased consumption (1-s). fa. Aid has to be spent on investment or has to increase the saving rate (both eventually come out to be the same) for a country to grow.To see a practical example of this, we consider Pakistan, which is a country largely dependent on foreign aid. During the period 1952-2002, the total amount of aid given to Pakistan equaled 63703 million US dollars. Ghulam Mohey-ud-din examines in his paper â€Å"Impact of foreign aid on economic development in Pakistan†, the reasons for aid not resulting in the required growth for Pakistan. He sta tes three main reasons for the failure of aid to account for growth. First of all, a staggering 58% of this total aid (approx. 6945 million US dollars) was tied to development of large projects while only 13% (approx 8281 million US dollars) accounted for non-food and BOP aid. Such a large portion of aid (58%) going towards consumption invariably meant that the effect on savings was going to be very minute. Thus, financial aid tended to crowd out saving and investment. Secondly, while the nominal aid gradually increased, in reality, aid as a percentage of gross national income fell from approximately 7. 6% in 1960 to nearly 3% in 2002. This meant that aid was not catching up to the required increase in the GNI of Pakistan.Thirdly, along with the increase in aid came the burden of burgeoning foreign debt. This required huge amounts of debt servicing which reduced Pakistan’s current account. As previously explained, aid was already not resulting in much growth due to it crowdin g out savings and investment. An additional burden of debt servicing did the government no better. Accordingly, its GDP growth rate was subject to constant fluctuations and Pakistan could never attain sustainable growth. The growth rate reached a peak of 10. 22% in 1953 but since then, the average growth has gone down with the exception of one or two years.In 2002, the GDP growth rate stood at 4. 73%. Aid during a whole half of a century could not result in sustained economic growth. Another approach that looks at the impact of foreign aid on growth is the poverty trap. Many poor developing countries face an inability to grow at reasonable rates due to getting stuck in a poverty trap, which can be defined as a self-reinforcing mechanism which causes poverty to persist. We use the Solow model to analyze how aid can be used to pull countries out of this poverty trap and onto the path of self-sustaining economic growth.We assume the basic assumptions of Solow model to be true. Thus, we assume constant returns to scale production function and diminishing returns to capital. The final and important relation of the Solow model is ? k=s. y-(n+? ). k (5) k is capital per worker n is population growth Philipp Harms and Matthiaz Lutz depart from this conventional Solow model by assuming that people have to satisfy their basic consumption needs for which savings are zero until per capita income does not exceed a certain level. The modified Solow diagram is shown belowTwo steady states are shown in the above figure. k* is an unstable steady state while k** is a stable steady state. If the country’s initial capital per worker is below the unstable steady state k*, then the country is stuck in a potentially dangerous poverty trap. Low income levels result in low saving which leads to lower investment in capital stock. Increasing depreciation ? of capital will further lower the capital per worker k and result in even lower income. This vicious cycle of poverty and lac k of growth will keep re-enforcing each other unless the country is given a push start.This push can be in the form of aid, which may impact the savings rate s as discussed in the extended Harrod Domar model. Furthermore, aid in the form of foreign capital inflow can also increase capital per worker, consequently pushing the country out the poverty trap. Now we come to the analysis of growth patterns in two Arab countries namely Egypt and Palestine. We will explore the amounts and type of aid given to these countries and then investigate their underlying effects on various growth variables based on the Solow and Harrod Domar models discussed earlier in the paper.With this in mind, we turn to the empirical evidences which show that: 1. ODA/GNI ratio for Palestine has increased during the period 2000-2005, while that of Egypt has decreased during the same period. 2. ODA/Capita for Palestine has increased to $500 during the period 2000-2005, while ODA/Capita for Egypt has come down to $15 in 2003 from $179 in 1979. 3. In Egypt, 13% of the total aid was tied whereas in Palestine 8% was tied. 4. Technical aid provided to Egypt was 44% while that of Palestine was 16% of total aid during the period 2000-2004. 5.In Egypt, education was given the highest priority among the aid allocated to the social sector. While in Palestine, Education was the second lowest recipient of aid allocated to the social sector. 6. In Palestine, growth rate of real GDP from 2003-2005 was 35. 50%, while the percentage change in real GDP for Egypt was 127. 46 for the same period. ODA/GNI ratio signifies the dependency of the recipient country on the donor for foreign aid. A large increase in the ODA/GNI ratio of Palestine meant that it was becoming more and more dependent on foreign aid for support, while the opposite was true for Egypt.Consequently, Palestinian institutions kept weakening and were not given the incentive to develop due to their heavy reliance on outward help. On the other ha nd, Egypt’s lower dependency on foreign aid meant that it was getting increased opportunities to develop its institutions and stand up on its own feet. As the ODA/capita of Palestine increased to alarming heights, it signaled the reliance of Palestine on foreign donations. This could have created a moral hazard problem for the rulers of Palestine who knew that growth would result in drawing back of aid.In such a scenario, the incentive to grow could have actually vanished. Conditional or tied aid has great disadvantages because the recipient government cannot spend the aid on their desired projects. Moreover, tied aid has to be spent on specific and predetermines projects. As discussed earlier in the paper, if foreign aid is diverted to such consumption, it has the tendency to crowd out investment and savings. Although Egypt had a greater share of tied aid than Palestine, however the small size and weak economy of Palestine meant that even 8% of tied aid had a profound effect on its growth.Egypt was provided more technical aid than Palestine. Technical aid in turns translates into higher Theta in the extended Solow model. An important relation of this model is ?ke= s. ye-(n+? +theta) k Therefore higher technical aid for Egypt resulted in higher effective capital per labor and in turn higher growth than Palestine. The allocation of higher portion of aid to education by Egypt as compared to Palestine means that Egypt is contributing more to its human capital. This will in turn again stimulate theta in the extended Solow model, resulting in increase growth rate of Egypt.In the light of above discussion, it can be said that the effect of aid on growth does not only depend on variables explained in the models above. Many other factors play a vital role in this link as well. As seen in the case of Zambia, the macroeconomic and political stability are pre-requisites which feed into this complex relation as well. The aid distribution plan should be effective an d free of corruption of all sorts for it to have an impact on growth. A major chunk of aid should be distributed towards the saving and investment channel.While our analysis has tried to determine a link between aid and development, it still carries some shortcomings. The assumptions used in the models such as a fixed capital output ratio are too stringent and do not carry much weight in the reality. Some variables such as savings rate s and productivity theta are determined exogenously, while the macro/microeconomic conditions determining these variables could also affect the impact of aid on growth. Nonetheless, the analysis provides useful insight into the complex relation of aid and growth.Economicgrowth,Capitalaccumulation,Macroeconomics,Grossdomesticproduct,Investment,Economicdevelopment,Stockandflow,EconomicsAid and the Two Gap Model Aid is a burning issue these days. The question of countries accepting foreign aid has intrigued economists and the general public for a quite a while. Television discussions and newspaper articles have frequently focused on this issue while politicians try to fight this matter out in the parliaments. Furthermore, many are trying to unravel the enigma of aid and its effects on growth. This paper, in the little word space provided, will try to establish a relation between aid and growth.It will do so by first defining aid and growth and then moving on to some of the important models which can be used to understand this link. We will discuss the two-gap model and then move on to the Solow and Harrod-Domar model, giving empirical examples in each case. Finally, we will analyze two countries and try to inspect the reasons for their different growth rates using the logic used in the discussed models. Aid can be defined as any voluntary transfer of resources. It can be either public (provided by donor countries or multilateral donor organization such as the IMF and The World Bank) or private (given by NGO’s. . The Organiza tion for Economic Corporation and Development defines aid as any transfer of money or resource that fulfills the following criteria: a) The objective of the transfer should be noncommercial. b) It should be given for the purpose of economic development. c) The terms of the transfer should be concessional (interest rate should be less than the prevailing interest rate in the market OR the maturity period should be longer than usual). Aid should not be mixed with grant which is often used interchangeably with this term.Aid is any transfer that has concessional terms while grant is a form of aid that does not require the repayment of the principal. In this paper, we will often measure aid in the from of official development assistance (ODA) which is a convenient indicator of international aid flow. On the other hand, we will measure growth by scrutinizing the percentage change in GDP. One of the most widely used framework for analyzing the effects of aid on growth is the two-gap model which holds a key position in policy decisions related to foreign assistance.The two gap model is based on the Harrod Domar equation g = s/v where s is savings rate v is capital output ratio Capital output ratio is assumed to be constant. The two gap model assumes that a developing country faces either a savings gap or a foreign exchange gap. The savings gap occurs when a country faces a shortage of savings to match Investment in attaining an intended growth rate. In such a case, foreign borrowing or aid can supplement the savings and help bridge the gap between savings and investment. This allows a country to achieve the targeted growth rate. Ft < I – S (Savings gap)A foreign exchange gap takes place when a country’s exports are not enough to finance its imports. In such situations, aid is handy as it fills the foreign exchange gap and provides countries with sufficient exchange to reach the required level of imports. At a given point in time, only one of the two g aps is binding. Ft < M – X (Foreign Exchange gap) Following this further, we fit empirical data into this model. Zambia is a developing country that has continuously received aid since the mid 1960’s. In 1992, almost 80% of Zambia’s investment was financed by foreign aid.Since, Zambia has received aid over such a long period, the two gap model predicted that its per capita GDP would reach $2300 by the turn of the century. On the contrary, its GDP per capita in 2007 remained merely half of what was expected . i. e. $1300. The fig. below summarizes the analysis of the Zambian economy. To examine whether the Zambian case is an exception or does the model always fail to predict the reality, we scrutinize on various factors which could have blocked the path of growth for this country. Zambia has been infected by violence and instability right from its independence, with bloodshed and massacres a common feature.In addition, economic growth has been hindered by the outbreak of civil war and influx of refugees from the neighboring countries. Corruption is another problem that has stalled growth which can be seen from the fact that Zambia is ranked 101 on the corruption perception index. Very recently, Sweden and Netherlands stopped aid to Zambia due to rampant corruption allegations. All these problems add to the ineffectiveness of aid on the growth of Zambian economy which can explain why the two-gap model failed to forecast the ineptness of aid.The effect of aid on growth can also be explained using two basic but important models, namely Harrod Domar model and the Solow model. Although the upshot of aid on growth is a multidimensional and complex process we only take into account the effect of aid on variables defined in these two models. The main focus of our discussion will be the saving rate which comes out to be the most imperative variable in both these models. We start through the basic Harrod Domar model. Capital output ratio, capital labor ratio and labor output ratio are assumed to be constant.Some of the important relations are as follows: S=s. Y (2) (3) (1) g= (s/v)-(? ) S=I Where: Y is income S is total saving I is Investment ? is depreciation of capital According to this model, growth can be increased by increasing s, decreasing v or decreasing ?. We shall mainly focus on the relation of aid on growth through the savings rate channel. Countries ask for aid mainly due to its perceived beneficial effect on the savings rate. As shown, saving equals investment in the Harrod-Domar model, subsequently an increase in savings will result in an increase in investment.This increase is supposed to boost the growth rate of the recipient country. Michael P. Shields offer an interesting explanation of the relation of foreign aid on growth in his paper â€Å"foreign aid and domestic savings: the crowding out effect†. If foreign aid is expected to increase savings, then equation (3) becomes g=(s+fa)/v -? Where fa is foreign aid as a proportion of income (4) (s+fa) represents the total funds available for backing investment. According to this equation, an increase in foreign aid is supposed to increase the total saving funds and hence investment by an equal amount.This suggests that an each additional dollar of foreign aid should result in a one dollar increase in investment in the economy of the recipient country. Reality however is not that perfect and it is too generous for anyone to assume such a one-to-one increase in investment from aid. Famous economist Edward Griffin offers a criticism of such approach. According to him foreign aid should be taken so as to supplement income rather than having a direct impact on savings. In such a case, an increase in income by the amount of foreign aid fa would increase consumption by (1-s). a, thus increasing the investment by s. fa. In such a case, domestic savings can be crowded out by foreign aid by the net amount –(1-s)fa which equals (s-1)f a. Markedly, foreign aid can crowd out private savings and investment, resulting in a decrease in growth as suggested by the Harrod Domar model. The main obstacle in the way of growth in the Harrod-Domar model is the phenomenon of aid filtering out into increased consumption (1-s). fa. Aid has to be spent on investment or has to increase the saving rate (both eventually come out to be the same) for a country to grow.To see a practical example of this, we consider Pakistan, which is a country largely dependent on foreign aid. During the period 1952-2002, the total amount of aid given to Pakistan equaled 63703 million US dollars. Ghulam Mohey-ud-din examines in his paper â€Å"Impact of foreign aid on economic development in Pakistan†, the reasons for aid not resulting in the required growth for Pakistan. He states three main reasons for the failure of aid to account for growth. First of all, a staggering 58% of this total aid (approx. 6945 million US dollars) was tied to devel opment of large projects while only 13% (approx 8281 million US dollars) accounted for non-food and BOP aid. Such a large portion of aid (58%) going towards consumption invariably meant that the effect on savings was going to be very minute. Thus, financial aid tended to crowd out saving and investment. Secondly, while the nominal aid gradually increased, in reality, aid as a percentage of gross national income fell from approximately 7. 6% in 1960 to nearly 3% in 2002. This meant that aid was not catching up to the required increase in the GNI of Pakistan.Thirdly, along with the increase in aid came the burden of burgeoning foreign debt. This required huge amounts of debt servicing which reduced Pakistan’s current account. As previously explained, aid was already not resulting in much growth due to it crowding out savings and investment. An additional burden of debt servicing did the government no better. Accordingly, its GDP growth rate was subject to constant fluctuations and Pakistan could never attain sustainable growth. The growth rate reached a peak of 10. 22% in 1953 but since then, the average growth has gone down with the exception of one or two years.In 2002, the GDP growth rate stood at 4. 73%. Aid during a whole half of a century could not result in sustained economic growth. Another approach that looks at the impact of foreign aid on growth is the poverty trap. Many poor developing countries face an inability to grow at reasonable rates due to getting stuck in a poverty trap, which can be defined as a self-reinforcing mechanism which causes poverty to persist. We use the Solow model to analyze how aid can be used to pull countries out of this poverty trap and onto the path of self-sustaining economic growth.We assume the basic assumptions of Solow model to be true. Thus, we assume constant returns to scale production function and diminishing returns to capital. The final and important relation of the Solow model is ? k=s. y-(n+? ). k (5) k is capital per worker n is population growth Philipp Harms and Matthiaz Lutz depart from this conventional Solow model by assuming that people have to satisfy their basic consumption needs for which savings are zero until per capita income does not exceed a certain level. The modified Solow diagram is shown belowTwo steady states are shown in the above figure. k* is an unstable steady state while k** is a stable steady state. If the country’s initial capital per worker is below the unstable steady state k*, then the country is stuck in a potentially dangerous poverty trap. Low income levels result in low saving which leads to lower investment in capital stock. Increasing depreciation ? of capital will further lower the capital per worker k and result in even lower income. This vicious cycle of poverty and lack of growth will keep re-enforcing each other unless the country is given a push start.This push can be in the form of aid, which may impact the savings rate s as discus sed in the extended Harrod Domar model. Furthermore, aid in the form of foreign capital inflow can also increase capital per worker, consequently pushing the country out the poverty trap. Now we come to the analysis of growth patterns in two Arab countries namely Egypt and Palestine. We will explore the amounts and type of aid given to these countries and then investigate their underlying effects on various growth variables based on the Solow and Harrod Domar models discussed earlier in the paper.With this in mind, we turn to the empirical evidences which show that: 1. ODA/GNI ratio for Palestine has increased during the period 2000-2005, while that of Egypt has decreased during the same period. 2. ODA/Capita for Palestine has increased to $500 during the period 2000-2005, while ODA/Capita for Egypt has come down to $15 in 2003 from $179 in 1979. 3. In Egypt, 13% of the total aid was tied whereas in Palestine 8% was tied. 4. Technical aid provided to Egypt was 44% while that of Pale stine was 16% of total aid during the period 2000-2004. 5.In Egypt, education was given the highest priority among the aid allocated to the social sector. While in Palestine, Education was the second lowest recipient of aid allocated to the social sector. 6. In Palestine, growth rate of real GDP from 2003-2005 was 35. 50%, while the percentage change in real GDP for Egypt was 127. 46 for the same period. ODA/GNI ratio signifies the dependency of the recipient country on the donor for foreign aid. A large increase in the ODA/GNI ratio of Palestine meant that it was becoming more and more dependent on foreign aid for support, while the opposite was true for Egypt.Consequently, Palestinian institutions kept weakening and were not given the incentive to develop due to their heavy reliance on outward help. On the other hand, Egypt’s lower dependency on foreign aid meant that it was getting increased opportunities to develop its institutions and stand up on its own feet. As the ODA /capita of Palestine increased to alarming heights, it signaled the reliance of Palestine on foreign donations. This could have created a moral hazard problem for the rulers of Palestine who knew that growth would result in drawing back of aid.In such a scenario, the incentive to grow could have actually vanished. Conditional or tied aid has great disadvantages because the recipient government cannot spend the aid on their desired projects. Moreover, tied aid has to be spent on specific and predetermines projects. As discussed earlier in the paper, if foreign aid is diverted to such consumption, it has the tendency to crowd out investment and savings. Although Egypt had a greater share of tied aid than Palestine, however the small size and weak economy of Palestine meant that even 8% of tied aid had a profound effect on its growth.Egypt was provided more technical aid than Palestine. Technical aid in turns translates into higher Theta in the extended Solow model. An important relati on of this model is ?ke= s. ye-(n+? +theta) k Therefore higher technical aid for Egypt resulted in higher effective capital per labor and in turn higher growth than Palestine. The allocation of higher portion of aid to education by Egypt as compared to Palestine means that Egypt is contributing more to its human capital. This will in turn again stimulate theta in the extended Solow model, resulting in increase growth rate of Egypt.In the light of above discussion, it can be said that the effect of aid on growth does not only depend on variables explained in the models above. Many other factors play a vital role in this link as well. As seen in the case of Zambia, the macroeconomic and political stability are pre-requisites which feed into this complex relation as well. The aid distribution plan should be effective and free of corruption of all sorts for it to have an impact on growth. A major chunk of aid should be distributed towards the saving and investment channel.While our anal ysis has tried to determine a link between aid and development, it still carries some shortcomings. The assumptions used in the models such as a fixed capital output ratio are too stringent and do not carry much weight in the reality. Some variables such as savings rate s and productivity theta are determined exogenously, while the macro/microeconomic conditions determining these variables could also affect the impact of aid on growth. Nonetheless, the analysis provides useful insight into the complex relation of aid and growth.

What cyber events could really cause terror in the Australian population?

The whole issue of cyber events such as attacks is complex with potential debates ranging from deployments by terrorist to disruption of information systems and computer viruses. The potential damages which can be brought by cyber events have drown concern from the government, media and the society at large. This paper seeks to explain the cyber events which are likely to cause terror in the Australian population. The efficiency and effectiveness of defense department of any country relies entirely on the effective of communication and data transfer.However, if the Australian defense communication system attacked by enemies through the interruption of the communication networks in the cyberspace and put under the enemies’ influence through remote control, it would be rendered ineffective and a threat to the national security. Further to this, radar stations would be paralyzed to a level where they cannot detect unauthorized foreign aircrafts from accessing the Australian space .In addition to this, the Australian fighter jets would become vulnerable to electronic attacks. This could result from harmful software which could be instilled in advance to the avionic systems by their enemies. In this context, such cyber events put threat to the national security of Australia. The increasingly high growing rate of cyber crimes poses a threat to the security of Australian commerce and banking institutions.This is evidenced by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization’s annual report which revealed that enemies were using the internet to access confidential business information. If these institutions were attacked, this would put the whole Australian banking system at risk of losing the investor’s confidence on keeping their financial statements confidential and subjecting them to enemies hence creating a loop hole for further attacks.Cyber attacks could also lead to access to confidential government, which could paralyze government operation s. This is evidenced by the attack of the government’s internet filtering system by enemies and the overload of the prime minister’s web side with information requests. The prime minister’s web site was also attacked and loaded with pornography information. Such events impose security threats to the prime minister and the whole population at large.

Chinese New Year and the Kitchen God

Chinese New Year and the Kitchen God The Kitchen God is assigned by Yu Huang, the emperor of heaven, to watch over each family and record what they do throughout the year. A paper picture of the Kitchen God is hung in a prominent location in the kitchen. Each year during Chinese New Year, the Kitchen God returns to heaven to report on what the family has done throughout the year. The family has a thank you dinner in which a bowl of sticky rice is placed in front of the Kitchen God. It is believed that if the Kitchen God’s mouth is full of glutinous rice, he will not be able to speak about the family’s activities. Others give glutinous rice balls served in sugar soup and brown sugar bars as a bribe for the Kitchen God to say favorable things about the family. After the thank you dinner, the picture of the Kitchen God is burned and thereby sent back to heaven. A new picture of the Kitchen God is hung in the kitchen after the start of Chinese New Year festivities.

Compare and contrast the different conception Essay

Compare and contrast the different conception - Essay Example However, there are more profound explanations and awareness that karma includes and this also varies in the three religions of Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism that all adopt it. The similarities among these important religions as well as their differences give a more insightful explanation of the different dogmas that they carry. Yuvraj Krishan writes that there are three essential features of karma. First, it is an ethical law where good would yield happiness and evil will generate suffering. Second, the soul through the person who does an act has moral responsibility over its consequences and in this sense it has the effect of retributive justice. Third, justice in the second feature is carried through punarjanma or rebirth. This is the most appropriate religious explanation on why there is inequality in the world and why some men had to suffer more from others (3). It is an effect of karma that a person may be born of a lower stature in life or even be reborn as an animal or some other life form as a consequence of karma he had amassed in his past life. Thus, one who has not merited what equates to eternal life will be reborn time and again until he reaches being worthy of such state. In Jainism, the concept of karman is refined where the mind is a product thereof. The tapas or austerity is an important aspect that is considered to be material such that it can be exhausted. â€Å"It is a consequence of the material character of the karmas that intent is not the only ingredient in committing a lapse or offence; the Jainas recognize unintentional lapses† ( Krishan 50). The Jainas are stricter in their observance of the right conduct. They practice penance as the ordinary course of life and this is the most distinguishing feature of Jainism from Hinduism and Buddhism. There are five practices in Jainism that are different for monks and for laymen. For monks they are called mahavratas consisting of what

Speaker Presentation Response Papers (the lecture is recorded) Assignment

Speaker Presentation Response Papers (the lecture is recorded) - Assignment Example Indeed, her work area broadly caters to meet the needs of the children, especially those coming from less privileged segment of society. The sports events have become major platforms through which she ensures the benefits of society in myriad ways. Deb has discussed the activities of the organization and the various ways people can contribute to make the world a better place. Kroenke supports and raises funds for various non profit organizations which are working in areas like education, health, recreation, fitness etc. It has especially been very supportive to sports and sports related activities amongst children. While being sponsors for various sports team like Denver Nuggets Basketball team, Colorado Avalanche Hockey team, Colorado Rapid Soccer team etc., they also organize sports clinics for children where they are coached by famous sports persons. Most importantly, the sports events sponsored by Kroenke and myriad other creative ways are designed towards raising funds for the c auses which benefit community. There were four issues that seemed particularly important: community relationship is a real life profession; how one can respond and make life better for others; one person can make a difference; and media is a two way sword. While each of the four issues is different, the common factor that they share is the commitment to the cause. Dowling is an exemplary leader because she is capable of motivating others to a common goal. She has termed community relationship as a profession because it needs full commitment of the person. A person who can network with variety of people and convince them to a cause to an extent that he or she becomes a positive contributor to it, is indeed a true professional. This revelation has really raised my confidence because till now, I believed that my love for community work was just a hobby or part time social work. I had never realized that it had such huge scope of expansion. Like Deb Dowling, I can also make efforts in b uilding partnership and forge strategic alliances with public and private enterprises to make significant difference in the lives of people in the community. I think being an intern in the company would give me huge exposure to the myriad way that I can contribute towards the wider welfare of society. A community has various needs, part of which is met by government and the rest must come from within the society that is endowed with more privileges in life. Cut throat business and financial success has become major goals of contemporary society. When Deb said that a person must contemplate as to ‘how one can respond and make life better for others’, she has actually given a great insight into the life of people. We are all so busy in our own agendas of life that we forget we are also part of society which may require our help. The aged, the infirm, physically and mentally challenge children and adults or the poor who cannot even afford basic human necessities like food, cloth, shelter, education etc. are few of those people who should be extended help and provided with opportunities to improve their standard of living. We have often been very touched by the plight of people living in under developed countries who die of hunger or cold. Even amongst us, we are often indifferent to the needs of others because we are losing the sensitivity and compassion. There is a Mexican family in my