Ethnic adoption Essay

Transracial adoption also known as TRA, is defined as the adoption of children of a different race or culture from their adoptive parents, has been a controversial issue in the United States. Social workers are usually the one that match the child with the â€Å"parents† when it comes to adoption. The number of adoptive parents does not relate with the number of adoptive minority children. Therefore, more parents of a different race are able to adopt them. Many social workers see transracial adoption as an ideal solution to the lack of adoptive homes for children of color. However, that is not the case with all social workers. There are some social workers that do not agree with TRA regardless of laws that have been set. They can prevent the placement of children of color with families of a different race by deciding they are not fit for different reasons. They are overlooking the reality of the situation. The reality is that there are children in America that need homes, and homes that need children. These social workers would rather have these children raised by the system than belong to a loving family all due to their argument that children should remain with their race to sustain their cultural background. Children need more than their cultural background. They need love, stability, and a good home. In America, a social worker’s mission is protecting children. When a child is neglected and needs to be removed from the home or situation their job is to find them an appropriate home. In most cases social workers view the situation as a whole and see that the child is taken care of regardless of the race of either the child or the adoptive home. In the process of finding a suitable home it’s important for the state, the child, and the adoptive home for the adoption to be successful. In any situation when making a match that will be successful it’s ideal to have as many common factors as possible. Race would be a factor in adoption to considerate when finding common ground. However, when the common factor is not available the option of looking outside of the common factor can prove to be successful. However, there are some people out there that disagree with this. The family members of the child or even some social workers will overlook the disposal of a home outside the race of the child in hopes to find a home of common race. Their argument is to place the child in an environment and culture in which they come from. In the meantime these children will remain within the system costing the system and  taxpayers money. The money used from the child being in the system is wasted as there is an available home for them to be placed in. The system the child is placed in is the foster care system. Although foster homes and foster families are adequately trained and certified by the state in which they live in to take children in their homes they are not the best place for a child. A child needs stability and a loving home, a permanent home.

Non-Hodgins Lymphoma with Case Study Example

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphocytes the white blood cells. The lymphocytes and lymph system are essential in our body’s immune protection. It is an abnormal growth rate of these cells. Since lymph is found throughout the body it is easily spread from one area to another. In 2008 there were over 66,000 new cases and just over 19,000 deaths from it (cancer. gov). It is categorized as slow growing or fast growing, as well as if it starts in the T-cells or the B-cells. Lymphomas from B cells are most common in the United States. The lymphoma can develop in any of the lymph tissues, and discovery of which kind of lymphoma determines the treatment options (cancer. org). Causes Although there are no definite causes to Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma there have cases where it has been linked to persons with another ailment. Autoimmune diseases like RA and SLE have been linked to NHL. Exposures to chemicals such as benzene and treatments in chemotherapy have been seen in trends to cause NHL. People who are immunocompromised like HIV patients and those that are on immunosuppressant from transplants are also at risk for Lymphomas. Also, people having excessive exposure to large amounts of radiation, like cancer treatments have an increased risk of developing this lymphoma. NHL is mostly seen in the older community so age is also a risk factor. Also chronic diseases may increase the chances of getting a lymphoma due to the increased risk of mutations from constantly producing new lymph cells. Some patients can be born with a disease that can lead to NHL due to a defect in their DNA. It is not likely that they can pass on the NHL to their offspring if they don’t have the underlying disease. Most often it develops independently. Discovery Lumps in the skin and lymph nodes can be discovered by the patient, their partner or doctor. Where the lump is located can also give extra symptoms. For instance, if it is found near the skin there would be a swelling in the surrounding tissue. If it’s in the abdomen it can cause severe pain and possible digestive problems. If the lymphoma is on the skin t can cause an itchy patch. If it is in the chest cavity it can cause trouble breathing. Case Study: Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Shannon Z is an active 58 yr old female. In her early twenties she had undergone chemotherapy and radiation for her treatment of breast cancer. When she noticed the lump in her neck she immediately went to see her doctor. The doctor ordered some blood tests and a biopsy of the lump. Her doctor wasn’t very concerned because fighting an infection can also cause enlarged nodes in the neck. She ordered the tests anyway because of the patient’s medical history. Along with the lump, she experienced drenching night sweats which are another symptom of NHL but she thought it was a side effect of menopause. Other signs to look for would be persistent fevers and a sudden loss of weight, usually 10 % body weight or more. An incisional biopsy is a surgical technique used to obtain a sample of the node for observation. This was used because the enlarged node was close to the skin surface. There are other biopsies available. Fine needle biopsies can also be used but often don’t provide enough sample to determine if its lymphoma or not but does not require surgery. Lumbar punctures look for lymphoma in the CNS. Bone marrow aspiration looks for the cancer inside the bone and bone marrow by removing pieces of the bone and/or marrow. Laboratory tests All samples must be diagnosed be a trained pathologist with experience in lymphomas. The most important test would be those differentiating if the patient has a cancer, then T cell lymphoma from the B cell lymphoma. If a concrete diagnosis can’t be made from looking at the cells then other methods must be used. Methods like Immunocytochemistry involve using fluorescent tags on the surface of the cells can differentiate the different lymphomas from each other and non cancerous diseases. Flow cytometry uses antibody tagging and laser beams to cause the cells to emit light if they have the antigen. This is important because different NHL’s have specific antigens. Discovery of the type of NHL helps determine the treatment route. Blood tests cannot determine a lymphoma but they do show significance of the rate of growth of the lymphoma. CT scans and MRIs provide the doctors with images of the size of the actual lymph nodes and how many growths there are through the body. Prognosis There are two staging systems for NHL. The most common is the Ann Arbor system. It uses 1-4 to stage the severity of the disease. Stage 1 has lymphoma in one area in the lymph system and one outside the system (organ). A lymphoma is considered stage 2 if it is found exclusively in 2 areas above or 2 areas below the diaphragm and organs in close proximity to lymph. Stage 3 occurs when it is found on both sides of the diaphragm and other organs near lymph. Stage 4 is when lymphoma reaches the bone marrow, CSF, or an organ not next to a lymph source. This system is used in conjunction with the International Prognosis Index. The IPI uses the age of the patient, stage of the cancer, patient everyday performance status, location of the tumors, and levels of LDH (increases as the lymphoma spreads) Good Prognostic FactorsPoor Prognostic Factors Age 60 or belowAge above 60 Stage I or IIStage III or IV No lymphoma outside of lymph nodes, or lymphoma in only 1 area outside of lymph nodesLymphoma present in more than 1 organ of the body outside of lymph nodes PS: Able to function normallyPS: Needs a lot of help with daily activities Serum LDH is normalSerum LDH is elevated (Chart provided from www. cancer. org) Treatment Chemotherapy is often used in conjunction with radiation for low levels, or with medications like Rituxan or Zavalin. Rituxan is an antibody that targets the cancerous cells. Zavalin is an antibody with a radioactive component. The antibody attaches itself and the radioactive isotope destroys the cell. These drugs are used for the more persistent lymphomas because chemo and radiation have been proven very effective against the lymphoma. Stem cell transplantation is also another option. Once diagnosed, patients are requested to have frequent physicals and blood tests to track the growth of the cancer. Resources http://www. oncologychannel. com/nonhodgkins/diagnosis. shtml http://www. cancer. org http://www. cancer. com http://www. mayoclinic. org

Gun politics in the United States Essay

To draw up case studies, it is first important to understand its various aspects. For an effective case study, one must first understand the principles of a case. It is important to understand what a case is, the types of cases there are and their purposes. Following this understanding, the methods of analyzing and discussing cases must be explored. After mastering these skills, The three stages of problem, decision and evaluation are vital to the organization of the case study. 4 ? 5 6 7 ? In all case studies we should first explore the brief synopsis of the case and its pedagogical objectives. 8 9 ? In a case method classroom, both the instructor and students must be active in different ways. The art of a case method instructor is to ask the right question at the right time, provide feedback on answers, and sustain a discussion that opens up meanings of the case. If students don’t come to class well-prepared, the case method will fail because the people responsible for making meaning from the case are not equipped to do it. ? 10 ? Case discussions are full of facts and information, but they aren’t shaped into single interpretation, the â€Å"truth†. Instructors don’t announce definitive conclusions or right answers, although they may discriminate between more and less plausible solutions. Students enter and leave the classroom responsible for the outcomes of the discussion. For students, this is a shift from the comfort of authority and single truth to the hard work of personal responsibility and the unease of ambiguity and multiple meanings. ? 11 ? Cases are verbal representation of reality. Real business situations involve uncertainty and don’t present selected and sorted information. ? A case must have 3 characteristics: 1) a significant real world business issue or issues 2) Sufficient information on which to base conclusions 3) No stated conclusions 12 ? Many cases have these complicating properties: 1) Information that includes â€Å"Noise†- false, irrelevant†¦ testimony by characters in the case 2) Unstated information that must be inferred from the information that is stated 3) Nonlinear structure 13 ? A well-written case must have these characteristics. Reader of the case must be able to: 1) Construct conclusion from the information in the text 2) Filter out irrelevant portions of the text. 3) Furnish missing information through inferences. 4) Associate evidence from different parts of the case and integrate it into a conclusion. 14 ? Noise is a characteristic of real situations. Today, we are flooded in information, much of it of little value. Every case, whether it has a large amount of information or very little, requires the reader to make inferences. This can be the most difficult transition from textbooks and lectures. ? If memorization is the primary skill of the lecture model, inference is the primary skill of the case model. Furthermore, cases do not have a linear structure and are not presented in the most logical way. ? 15 ? There are 3 possible approaches to reading the case: 1) Receive it 2) Find it 3) Make it (appropriate for cases) ? â€Å"Receive it† states both subject and its significance (fits a text such as news story) â€Å"Find it† states keys and clues to find the solution (fits a text such as mystery novel) On the first reading of the case, it can seem to be a whole that is less than the sum of its parts. Indeed, the most basic matters of fact are not clearly stated or are stated in multiple ways. Students have to read a case actively (Active Reading) and construct their own meaning based on pedagogical objectives of the case and the theories and concepts already discussed in the class. 16 ? ? ? A case is a text that refuses to explain itself; hence, a meaning needs to be constructed for it. To analyze a case, the contextual factors concerning it must first be studied in order to allow a deeper understanding of the case (Situational analysis) Contextual information helps to limit and narrow the analysis of the case. Courses are often divided up into different modules or themes defined by certain types of situations and, often, concepts, theories, and practices appropriate for these situations. Students should learn how to make a case with relevant information based on the objectives of the case or questions already given by the instructor. 18 ? ? ? The method of analyzing a text is heuristic, meaning that important aspects of the situation in which the case is set must be identified and understood. This is a term used for self-guided learning that employs analysis to help draw conclusions about a situation. 19 ? Analysis has two closely related definitions: to break something up into its constituent parts; and to study the relationships of the parts to the whole. To analyze a case, you therefore need ways of identifying and understanding important aspects of a situation and what they mean to the overall situation. ? Thinking about a case must start before you begin making it. This way, the different questions arising about the case can be answered during the reading process. For example, the framework of a certain concept may guide a product launch decision. Hence, specialized methods are advantageous in achieving well-defined purposes. 20 21 22. 23 The following will provide a starting point for further understanding the different aspects of analyzing a case: ? There are four types of situations which appear repeatedly in case: †º Problems †º Decisions †º Evaluations †º Rules (complicated for beginners) 24 ? The definition of â€Å"problem† as a case situation is quite specific, unlike its other suggestions. Problem is a situation in which there is a significant outcome or performance, and there is no explicit explanation of the outcome or the performance. A problem in a case study is when the outcome or performance is significant yet there is no clear explanation of why it has happened. The causes of these outcomes are important to know so that the situation can be improved. ? 25 ? The outcomes of the cases may be negative. This is as a result of the fact that the change effort of the manager may be self-destructive. This result may arise from weaknesses that are unapparent. For efficient problem analysis, the problem first has to be defined. This is where success can come to be seen as a problem, in its own special meaning. ? ? Next, the problem must be explained by linking the outcome or performance to its root causes. Specialized methods of business disciplines are needed as tools to carry out this analysis. 26 ? Problem analysis begins with a definition of the problem. That seems obvious, yet many cases do not state a problem. As a result, you will first need to realize that a problem does exist. After this, you must define it yourself. Next, you must work out an explanation of the problem. This can be done by linking the outcome or performance to its root causes. This is the main work of problem analysis. To carry it out, you will need to employ the relevant tools, the specialized methods of business disciplines such as Strategy or SCM or operations management. 27 ? Would Barnes & Noble have benefited (or been hindered) by its physical organizational structure and management processes in its attempt to strengthen its position as an electronic commerce product/service provider? Defend your arguments. 28 ? Many cases complicate the decision immediately. Many of these are organized around an explicit decision. The decision, however, should not be based on other situations. The existence of an explicit decision is an important distinction, because nearly all business cases involve decision. In many other cases, however, the decisions are implicit and dependant on another situation. The decisions featured in various cases vary greatly in scope, consequence and available data. An executive must decide whether to launch a product, move a plant, pursue a merger, or provide financing for a planned expansion. ? 29 ? Analyzing a decision requires the following, regardless of the dimensions of a decision: †º Decision options †º Decision criteria †º Relevant evidence ? The decision options are often mentioned in the case itself. A stated decision needs to be followed by a statement of the alternative decision options. Finding these or coming up with them can be set as the first goal of the analysis. 30 ? In making a rational decision, the appropriate criteria need to be determined. By thoroughly studying the specifics of the case with the help of specialized methods, the criteria can be derived from the case, as they are not likely to be directly stated. The criteria are then used to develop evidence so as to complete a decision analysis. The decision must be the best option between the evidence and criteria available. In decision analysis, no decision is objectively correct. The goal is to find a decision that creates more benefits than the alternatives, as well as having less severe downsides. 31 ? ? â€Å"If we are to continue outsourcing, and even consider expanding it, why should we keep paying someone else to do what we can do for ourselves? † what are the stimuli behind such a statement to reflect on eBay customer support decision? 32 ? In an evaluation, a judgment is expressed about the worth, value, or effectiveness of a performance, act, or outcome. An outcome can be the subject of an assessment. The analysis of an evaluation can be based on any unit, from an individual to a global region. ? The outcome can be the subject of an assessment. The competitive position of a company, for instance, is the outcome of numerous decisions and performances as well as contingencies such as macroeconomic conditions. 33 ? Evaluations require appropriate criteria for setting the standards for assessing worth, value, or effectiveness. These criteria can be inferred from the particulars of a situation, with the aid of specialized methods. An overall evaluation will express the best option between the evidence and the criteria. Another requirement of an evaluation is that it includes both positive and negative aspects. Both strengths and weaknesses require analyzing. ? ? 34 ? 1. Is it justifiable for a company like Amazon. com to continue investing so much money and effort in a business operation that not only has made a profit for nearly 5 years but was incurring heavier losses? (Refer to the company’s financial statements) 35 ? The key to the analyzing process is active reading in order to make a case, as it is interrogative, purposeful, and iterative, meaning that you make multiple passes through a case and each time reading with various purposes. 37 ? Three factors contribute to active reading: a goal, a point of view, and a hypothesis. Goal of Analysis – Concrete limits must be set in order to derive the desirable information form the case. In addition, a time limit can be used to make the time spent on analyzing the case more productive. the main character. This way, making a decision as a person in that situation will help making conclusions easier. compare and contrast a concrete statement against case evidence. †º Point of View – It is effective to pout oneself in the place of †º Hypotheses – This gives the advantage of being able to 38 ? The process of working on a case has five phases: 1) Situation 2) Questions 3) Hypothesis 4) Proof and action 5) Alternatives 39 The analysis can first be structured as a series of questions and then identifying the situation by reading the first and last sections. The opening or end of a case may present partial or complete descriptions of the problem as well as expressing a tension or conflict vital to the analysis. 40 Knowing the situation allows you to ask questions pertinent to a problem, a decision, or an evaluation. Hence, the stages previously stated can develop the needed understanding to ask the questions in this second phase. Making a content inventory of the case, to locate information that might be used to answer the questions about the situation, can be useful. 41 †º Problem – Who or what is the subject of the problem? What is the problem? Am I trying to account for a failure, a success, or something more ambiguous? What is the significance of the problem to the subject? Who is responsible for the problem and what might he need to know to do something about it? †º Decision – What are the decision options? Do any seem particularly strong or weak? What is at stake of the decision? What are the possible criteria? What might the most important criteria be for this kind of decision? Are any of the criteria explicitly discussed in the case? †º Evaluation – Who or what is being evaluated? Who is responsible for the evaluation? What is at stake? What are the possible criteria? What might the possible criteria be for this sort of evaluation? Are any of the criteria explicitly discussed in the case? 42 ? Instructor may decide to provide situation guidelines and questions regarding the case study for students: 1) Situation 2) Questions 3) Hypothesis 4) Proof and action 5) Alternatives 43. This is the most important phase while working on the case. This involves narrowing the possibilities to the one that seems most plausible. There are different aspects to take into consideration, depending on if you are dealing with a problem, a decision, or an evaluation. Recording your thought process can help the development of this stage. 44 ? – Make sure you know the problem that needs to be diagnosed. Consider whether the characteristics of the problem suggest causes. – Think about the frameworks that seem most appropriate to the situation. Quickly review the specifics of the frameworks if you are not certain about them. – Pursue the diagnosis by looking at case information through the lens of the cause you are most certain about. – For each cause, make a separate pass through the case looking for evidence of it. – If the case has a lot of quantitative evidence, to what case is it most relevant? If you do not have a case relevant to the quantitative evidence, formulate one. Work up as much relevant, high-value quantitative evidence as you can. – In a case with a protagonist (central character), consider whether she is a potential cause. If you think she is, work out how she contributes to the problem. Problem 45 Energy = 2/3 consulting + all of technology service Industry = 1/3 consulting + all of certification 46 ? Decision – Review the criteria you have come up with so far. Which do you have the most confidence in? – Review the decision options. Do any seem especially strong or weak? – Apply the criteria that seem to identify the most evidence in the case. – Investigate the strongest decision option with the criterion you have the most confidence in. or, if you are reasonably certain about what which is the weakest, see if you can quickly dismiss that option. – If the case has a lot of quantitative evidence, which criterion is most relevant to it? If you do not have the criterion relevant to the quantitative evidence, formulate one. Work up as much relevant, high-value quantitative evidence as you can. – If there are conflicts about the decision between individuals or groups, think about why it is. Look at the decision from the point of view of each of the parties to the conflict. – If the protagonist is in a difficult position in relation to the decision, consider why that is. 47 48 49 ? Evaluation – Review the criteria you have come up with so far. Which do you have the most confidence in? – What are the terms of the evaluation going to be? Do any stand out in the case? – Do you already have a sense of the bottom-line evaluation you favor? If you do, what are the reasons for the preference? Pursue those reasons. – Start by applying the criterion that seems to identify the most evidence in the case. – Investigate the most positive range or the most negative with the criterion you have the most confidence in. – Investigate the most positive rating or the most negative with the criterion you have the most confidence in. – If the case has a lot of quantitative evidence, which criterion is most relevant to it? If you do not have a criterion relevant to the quantitative evidence, formulate one. Work up as much relevant, high-value, quantitative evidence as you can. 50 08 😕 ?†¢  «  » ( )? ?†¢  «  » ( )? ?†¢  «  » ( )? ?†¢  «  » ( )? 😕 ?15? A hypothesis drives a different approach to the case. You will start proving something you have already found out. Evidence supporting the hypothesis can be found in this stage. After this, the evidence can be assessed and a decision option can be drawn up, also finding the actionable content of the decision made. The last phase involves questioning your own hypothesis. This means reading your hypothesis and evidence with a critical eye. In this way, you can be the one who notices the weaknesses in the first place. †º †º Problem – Can the problem be defined differently? Would that make a difference to the diagnosis? Are there any holes in the diagnosis – could there be causes missing? What is the weakest part of the diagnosis? Could an entirely different diagnosis be made? What would it look like? Decision – What is the biggest downside of the recommended decision? How would you manage the downside? What is the strongest evidence against the recommendation? How would a case for the major alternative look? 55 †º Evaluation – Have you been objective and thorough ? If a hypothesis, after all these stages of analyzing and evaluation, fails, looking at alternative ideas can help to come up with another, stronger, hypothesis. This can be made into a useful learning experience for gaining more expertise. Such a case may arise if you perhaps overlooked important information or not used specialized tools effectively. about the evaluation findings that oppose your overall assessment? Think how a different overall evaluation might be proved. Have you accounted for factors that the subject of the evaluation could not control? 56 ? Potential for further discussion 57 ?†¢ 02 0102 ? Deepwater Horizon , 11 ? 71 . 3 002 ? ? .? ?85? ? The variables that influence the path and quality of a case discussion include the instructor, the students, the case, and a host of other possibilities such as the physical setting, the time of day, or the proximity to exams. The only variable that you can control is yourself. Case discussions are the most important part of Industrial Engineering and Business studies classrooms. This method encourages students to apply their learned theories and be able to contribute as part of a group to converse in a business matter. Therefore, skills to communicate and participate are very essential. 60 ? ? A case is a condition explained in which the students attribute with giving their own opinions about it, as well as listening to their peers. It is important for everyone in the case class to contribute in the discussion and comment on it. 61 ? Unfortunately there are some students who do not find it comfortable to participate in the class and feel threatened. This could be due to several reasons. ? The language used in the class might be different from their mother’s tongue and therefore give them the fear of making a mistake in front of their native speaker peers. They might have the fear that they do not have enough knowledge and background about business as others do, and therefore make themselves look silly by making a useless comment and several other reasons, which limits students from participating. Strategies have been used by instructors to overcome these kinds of fears. 62 ? ? Preparing comments and speeches are among the tactics used to overcome fears. Students prepare all their comments and what they want to say before the class and write them down, ready to be said. They will feel comfortable thinking they will have a valuable point to make. This is not always right. A discussion is not predictable, and the preparation might not work very well. The discussion might go into a totally different path in which the prepared points are irrelevant. On the other hand a flexible plan preparation can be helpful. It only causes problems when it is â€Å"over prepared†. ? 63 ? Another tactic is to enter the discussion with a delay, which is after listening to the peers and the professor and trying to make a comment relevant to theirs. This is not a very good way. In fact, it makes it harder to enter a discussion, thinking that only a perfect comment will give him the power to break into the discussion. Therefore the earlier the student starts participating, preferably from the first class, he will feel more comfortable. ? 64 ? Case method exposes risk which is shared by everyone. Risk isn’t purely negative; it is a motivator to do the hard work the case method requires. The most valuable advice about case discussion is to speak up early. Speaking up early not only reduces the nervousness of being in the spotlight It also assists you in setting realistic expectations for yourself. †º Setting a limit on your case preparation has several benefits: it puts a healthy pressure on students to use the time well; and it encourages students to pay attention to how you analyze a case. †º Read the case actively. Reading passively is one of the most important obstacles to efficient analysis. 65 ? In addition, students can try to get to know each other outside the classroom. This reduces their fear and strangeness towards each other. ? They can meet outside the classroom. This will definitely change the environment in the classroom. Building a social network is important to case discussion. Students surrounded by classmates who clearly respect them will probably be at least a little more willing to take risks in discussions. The often subtle but damaging influence of stereotypes about gender, personal appearance, and many other characteristics can be muted when people get to know each other as they are instead of what they are projected to be. A classroom friend can encourage a quiet student to speak up or to take bigger risks with his/her comments 66. Regardless of business seriousness, it is also  helpful to be funny at some points, and make others enjoy the class with a little humor. participation. However it should be accompanied by participating. It is important to listen to everyone carefully and contribute equally, and do not hesitate to talk whenever an idea pops in the mind. †º Listening is the most important factor of 67 †º Take a little time after class to think about the discussion before the memory of it fades away, you’ll capture more of the value of the classroom experience. The short-term benefit is greater clarity about the issues that link on case to another and lends coherence to a course. In long run, these takeaways become your personal bible for leadership. is the product of useful contributions over a period of time, not occasional bravura performance. †º You need to be patient. Effective collaboration 68 ? In conclusion, it is important to first analyze and discuss a case to develop one’s understanding of it. Afterwards, the knowledge gained can be employed to draw up the planning of the casebased essay. Finally, using the guidelines outlined, the different aspects of the case analyzed can be used to write up a well-researched essay. 69 ? Ellet W (2007) The Case Study Handbook: How to Read, Discuss, and Write Persuasively About Cases (Boston: Harvard Business School Press) ECCH Case Study Workshop 2010 ? 70 View as multi-pages TOPICS IN THIS DOCUMENT Scientific method, Casebook method, Case study, Qualitative research RELATED DOCUMENTS How to analyse case study †¦ How to analyse a case study Step 1: Get a general impression †¢ Which organisations and industries/sectors does it relate to? †¢ Is the organisation doing well or badly and how has it performed in the past? Is it an organisation that has an unbroken record of success or has it fallen on hard times? †¢ Look at the development of the organisation over time. What strategies has it pursued? Which have succeeded and which have failed? How successful has the†¦ 4076 Words | 3 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Case Study Guide Ukzn Westville South Africa †¦ UKNZN, SCHOOL OF MIG- DISCIPLINE OF MAKERTING AND SUPPLY CHAIN SCMA 305 2013 CASE STUDY GUIDE ANSWERING CASE STUDIES The following problems that have prevented companies to be successful are as follows: 1. The inability to recognize important problems; 2. Difficulty in formulating the main problem; 3. The inability to actually visualize or understand the situation; 4. The inability to communicate with other managers and†¦ 4076 Words | 7 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Case Study †¦ Introduction to Case Study by Winston Tellis+ The Qualitative Report, Volume 3, Number 2, July, 1997 (http://www. nova. edu/ssss/QR/QR3-2/tellis1. html) ——————————————————————————– Abstract This paper is the first of a series of three articles relating to a case study conducted at Fairfield University to assess aspects of the rapid introduction of Information Technology at†¦ 4076 Words | 20 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Case study †¦? Case Study Evaluation Protocol and Procedures Evaluation of the overall quality of each case study will be made on the following criteria: CASE STUDY PARTS CRITERIA Abstract Summary paragraph introducing the project, building, hypothesis, highlights of findings. concise brief of the parts to the case study. Introduction Description of building, background†¦ 4076 Words | 3 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT MGMT591 Case Study Analysis †¦? Case Study Analysis: Building a Coalition Aldranon English II aldranon_englishii@yahoo. com MGMT591 ­_68800_20150301 Glenn Palmer March 22, 2015 Abstract This is an in-depth analysis of case study involving the Woodson Foundation. The analysis will evaluate the structure, environment (internal and external), strategy and implementation of tactics surrounding the program. This is only my interpretation of the program’s strengths†¦ 4076 Words | 6 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Case Analysis Study †¦ Case Study Analysis Paper Prepare a 1,400 to 1,750-word case study analysis paper based on the University of Phoenix Material, â€Å"Case Study for Student Analysis,† located in Week Two of the COMM/215 [pic] page. Below is a detailed description explaining how to prepare a case study analysis paper. ____________________________________________________________ _________________†¦ 4076 Words | 6 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT How to Write a Case Study †¦ Write a Case Study Analysis By Karen Schweitzer, About. com Guide See More About: †¢ case studies †¢ case study analysis †¢ mba classes Ads Wetting Balance TestingSolderability Testing & Analysis Components -PWB- Assemblywww. standsgroup. com Requisite OrganizationFree research and information from the RO International Institute. www. requisite. org Novi Team BuildingIdealna zabava za†¦ 4076 Words | 4 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Case Study Writing Fromate †¦ Writing a case study report Josephine Hook, Research & Learning Coordinator Josephine. Hook@monash. edu (Source: www. office. microsoft. com) Outline ? What is a case study? ? Approaching a case study assignment ? The structure of a case study report ? Key elements of a case study report What is a case? A case might be: ? A†¦ 4076 Words |

Physical anthropology - A Feline Paternity Suit Assignment

Physical anthropology - A Feline Paternity Suit - Assignment Example Then if the kitten #1 has GG or Gg then it will have short tail but when gg then it will have long tail. Therefore possible genotypes are GG, Gg and gg. From the information provided, Kitten #2 is almost exactly like its mother meaning that in almost every aspect, the mother’s gene was dominant over the neighbors’ cat. It therefore means that the illustrated traits and phenotypes is exactly as that of the mother. For ticking, the kitten will give birth to two kids having agouti and the other one non-agouti since it has two dominant genes inherited from the mother who is also agouti. Therefore the ratio will be 2:1. Looking at the phenotypes of the Kitten#3 there is high chance that the gene of the father and mother was at balance in almost every aspect, especially when comparing it with Kitten#2 which resemble the mother but has different phenotypes as that of Kitten#3. In the case of agouti, the Kitten does not resemble the mother therefore the trait resulting into this phenotype was from the father. In this case, the gene for non-agouti is N and that for agouti is n. For color density, the Kitten must have taken the trait of the father because we already know that the mother has dense color. Therefore in this case, let the gene for dilute color be D and d for dilute color. The kitten is different from the mother based on the stripe color. The genetic information provided above shows that the mother has a stripe color of black which contradicts with information regarding Kitten#2 who we were told resemble the mother but still has brown stripes. Since the mother is an all black cat, it therefore means that during crossing over, the gene of the mother was recessive over that of the father and could not result in all black cat. It therefore stands that father’s gene for all white cat was dominant. Alternatively, there could be a possibility of co-dominant allele which will alter phenotype when they exist in heterozygous state. Let’s refer to the

English composition 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

English composition 2 - Research Paper Example And just like the physical world, online problems became present that the call to regulate the cyberspace mounted. Also the issue about the ethical use of the internet came into question. The digital personality which Netizens assumed in the cyberspace loosened up with their personality becoming invisible. And â€Å"the growing incidence of online fraud and identity theft, privacy incursions, copyright infringements, trademark violations, domain name disputes, spamming, computer viruses, inadequate or vaguely defined consumer protection laws, and terrorist-related and pornographic websites has fuelled such concerns† (David 2006). These issues necessitated internet governance to regulate the decentralized, scalable and even anarchaic nature of the cyberspace. Since the cyberspace’s geopolitical demarcation is virtually erased, the question of how to control and maintain a set of behaviors according to an acceptable standard became an imperative. But as how to do it still remains the questions; of whether a big government should intervene or the industry itself should regulate and police themselves. This brings to mind the geographic relativity of laws. For example, laws governing e-commerce and speech in the United States may differ or may not even exist say that of the Middle East country and vice versa that the enforcement of cyberspace regulation may prove to be a challenge if not impossible to implement. Such, many concerned parties proposed to adopt an intergovernmental regulation to create a cross-border harmonization of internet governance policy for greater efficacy. There is however other interest groups that espouse the idea of self-imposed regulation of cyberspace conduct. Among these is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in the United States whose mandate is to develop a bottom-up consensus on the usage of the internet among the private sector. Though it differed in

World Vision Advertising Managerial Objectives Essay

World Vision Advertising Managerial Objectives - Essay Example To begin with, World Vision is among the many organizations that provide relief and support to the marginalized or underprivileged members of the society. The company has achieved these objectives bearing in mind the challenges it encounters in its endeavors. Lack of government support is the main challenge that affects the organization. Therefore, donors are the main source of support and funds for the company. It is also difficult for the company to have volunteer employees (see World Vision International 2012). Therefore, the marketing objective should target volunteers, potential donors and other sources of funds. This is only possible through creating awareness in the targets about the company. The management should use the benefit of the company being a Christian organization to influence different people for support. People always want to help but lack organizations that they can trust. Therefore, the management should use some of the children that the organization has helped to try to influence potential donors to support its activities. Children and women are the most vulnerable members of the society and the combination of religion and provision of care will attract many parties. To achieve this objective, the company can use a series of advertisement to try to lure supporters and volunteers into the company. The adverts should mainly feature children, which captures the attention of many individuals in the society. The best advert is the one that captures the attention and concern of individuals in the society. World Vision enjoys the benefits of a Christian organization. Christians share the notion that helping those in need is part of their moral obligations. The management should embark on a campaign that targets Christian societies and organizations. This is through enlightening the societies about the mission and vision of the company

The Last Lecture (Youtube video) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Last Lecture (Youtube video) - Essay Example True to his assertion he lost the battle to his disease in July 25, 2008. The lecture of this invincible man created history. In the lecture he mentioned about his childhood dreams, the process through which he achieved them and how he guided others to achieve the same. He detailed the outstanding moments of his life, the eminent t people with whom he interacted and explained how he had learnt much from others. He dedicated the last lecture to his 3 children Dylan, Logan, and Chloe aged 5, 3 and 1.At the very beginning, Dr. Pausch made reference in gratitude to his dad. He mentioned about the 10 tumors in his liver and informed the audience that he had about 3-6 month’s lifespan to his credit, though he was lucky enough to avail treatment from the best doctors in the world. He had realization that the game was going to be up soon, but he put the poser to the audience why worry about that today? During the course of the lecture, he was in excellent spirits; his responses were sterling, though he knew what was going on within his body. He mentioned about his love for the family and the reason why he bought a lovely house in Virginia, a better place he thought for the family, down the road. He recounted his childhood dreams his Football fantasies, his achievement as an author in the World Book Encyclopedia, working for Disney etc. He expected that the children should be part of the Football Team and play it, not from the physical fitness point of view, not only because it was a game, but it was the learning center of qualities that mold a youth into a good human being. The lessons in teamwork, perseverance, sportsmanship and other positive qualities were important. He gave lots of importance to the process of indirect learning. He paid handsome tributes to his parents who built him and enabled him to achieve his dreams. His mother was always a source of encouragement for him and whenever he was in dire straits, she came to his

Paraphrase for Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Paraphrase for Discussion - Essay Example In the case where multiple tubes are placed in a staggered pattern, just as in the experiment, each additional row progressively creates more turbulence on the other proceeding rows. Thus, this increase in turbulence leads to an increase in heat transfer for each tube rows. A keen look at the rate of increase in heat transfer from one row to another will reveal a decreasing trend with more decrease realized in those rows farthest from the first row of the heat exchangers. This is attributable to the fact that all the flow in the in the first row of heat exchangers is at first laminar before being converted into turbulent. On the other hand, the subsequent rows function as a turbulence generating grid, which therefore increases the turbulence in the entire heat exchanger. Still, for each additional row encountered, a larger percentage of the flow hitting a particular row is already turbulent before the hit leading to a release of just a small of percentage of the flow for conversion to turbulent flow. For instance, if 60% of laminar flow is converted to turbulent for each row that the flow encounters, the returns will be diminishing. This implies that for the first row, 60% of the flow will be turbulent whereas for the second and third rows only 78% and 84% respectively will be converted. Finally, the other factor that affects the heat transfer coefficient is the difference in temperature between the surface of the element and air. Since the heat transfer coefficient varies inversely with the difference in temperature (see equation 5), this implies that transfer coefficient for a given heat transfer increases as the temperature difference decreases. The second experiment was conducted to examine the effect of heat transfer as a function of location on a cylinder. A cylindrical probe was used to measure the heat transfer as a function of angle. The measurements were taken for uniform flow in an air tunnel. A

Emotional Intelligence Self Assesment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emotional Intelligence Self Assesment - Essay Example In all these, my performance was largely dependent on the impact of my personality on the people around me. In sum, I have been able to summarise my strengths and weaknesses into four main categories. In terms of strengths, I have I posses the characters of trustworthiness, and teamwork and cooperation. With regard to my weaknesses I possess the characters of poor communication and lack of self-confidence. The positive attributes of my characters have always provided the necessary synergies for growth and excellence. On the other hand, the negative qualities have often posed challenges in my performance within various discourses. Trustworthiness is an attribute that promotes the element of harmony at the work place. It is a positive trait that attracts people to others towards the pursuit of common goals. Trustworthiness provides the glue that holds people together towards a common purpose (Goleman 81). It encourages processes of leadership, delegation and team work. My quality of trustworthiness has been most evident in situations that required cooperation and group work. I rate myself at 9. I have always believed in the abilities and honesty of others. At social and professional associations, friends often remark that I bestow a lot of trust in my groups and colleagues to such levels that enable me to win favours and the confidence of the organization. Sometimes I have often felt that I risk running down processes by bestowing unchecked trust to people of varying levels of competencies. However, I retain the belief that positive working relationships can only be achieved through the cultivation of trust and confidence to the environment and the people around. This, I believe, fits well into the discourse of professionalism and work ethics. Teamwork and collaboration are key determinants of success. An organization will always have people of varying levels and kinds of competencies. Embracing teamwork and collaboration helps people to adjust

The effect of the recent financial crisis and regulatory implications Essay

The effect of the recent financial crisis and regulatory implications for ( your jurisdiction of choice ) but not US or UK ((( I would prefer Dubia ))) - Essay Example the structure and the principles of the financial markets have been proved to have a critical role in the increase of the pressure against the economies internationally; however, there are countries, like Dubai, which managed to keep their economy strong; The effects of financial crisis can be divided into two different categories: a) the effects referring to the national economy and b) the effects related to the firms and individuals that have interests on specific investments. Failures in the regulation of crisis in regard to the economy and the private sector have been identified; these failures have led to the instability of the markets or firms involved1; at the next level, the financial crisis have led to the differentiation of the role of risk – as a decisive factor in the development of financial policies. In this context, it can be noted that the financial crisis has led to the differentiation of the political decisions in regard to the rules that govern the markets worldwide. On the other hand, Claessens et al. (2010) supported that current crisis has many similarities with the financial crises of the past2; under these terms, the countries that have faced similar crises in the past should be more ready to face the c urrent recession; however, in the case of USA the above ‘rule’ has not been verified. Moreover, the view of Claessens et al. (2010) can lead to the assumption that countries with no previous experiences of financial crisis are likely to fail in handling the recent recession; Dubai had not face such a crisis in the past; the crisis hit the country recently, i.e. after having affected all other countries; this fact cannot be easily explained. However, through the case of Dubai it was revealed that experience in crisis does not guarantee the effectiveness against a crisis; the country managed to exit the crisis even if the relevant pressure was extremely strong. Dubai is country characterized for the power of its economy; the financial

Human Development- Psychological and SocialConsequences of Obesity Term Paper

Human Development- Psychological and SocialConsequences of Obesity - Term Paper Example evelopment, this study will first discuss basic information about obesity followed by discussing the psychological and social consequences of obesity. After discussing the factors that contributes to high rate of obesity, some of the recommended ways on how obese individuals can effectively control their weight will be tackled in details. Obesity is defined as â€Å"an excess of body fat that frequently lead to a significant impairment over a person’s health and longevity† (House of Commons Health Committee, 2004). In general, a normal weight is computed using the Body Mass Index (BMI) wherein the normal range for an adult should be between 18.5 to less than 25 (BMI 18.5 to 25 kg/m2). BMI measurement between the ranges of 25 to less than 30 (BMI 25 to 30 kg/m2) is considered overweight and BMI measurement that exceeds 30 (BMI ≠¥ 30 kg/m2) is considered obese. The application of BMI method is computed based on the height of a person and age including the waist circumference. Based on the computation result, obesity can be classified either as: (1) Class I (BMI 30 to 34.9 kg/m2); (2) Class II (BMI 35 to 39.9 kg/m2); and (3) Class III (BMI ≠¥ 40 kg/m2) (Berg, 2003; NHLBI, 1998). (See Appendix I – Body Mass Index on page 20) There are quite a number of techniques that can be used in measuring body fat. Among these techniques include the use of bioelectrical impedance, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and the total volume of the body’s water content (Berg, 2003). Since these methods are quite impractical to use, medical practitioners simply adopt the BMI method. Aside from the use of BMI method, medical practitioners can also use the formula â€Å"weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared multiplied by 703 or weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared† (Berg, 2003). Obesity is a serious health problem since it could lead to negative affects related to a person’s physical health, emotional well-being, and psychosocial functioning

Differences Between Pr and Advertising Essay Example for Free

Differences Between Pr and Advertising Essay Differences Between Advertising and Public Relations Advertising vs. public relations, these two industries are very different even though theyre commonly confused as being one and the same. The following ten properties just scratch the surface of the many differences between advertising and public relations. 1. Paid Vs Free Coverage * Advertising: The company pays for ad space. You know exactly when that ad will air or be published. For Example: Infosys gives an ad in The Hindu on Wednesdays in the Opportunities column. So it has the liberty and control to opt whether they want to give the ad on a particular Wednesday or not depending on their requirement. * Public Relations: Your job is to get free publicity for the company. From news conferences to press releases, youre focused on getting free media exposure for the company and its products/services. For Example: Tata Nano is the best example of this. Till now Nano was not advertised and all its publicity is through PR. 2. Creative Control Vs. No Control * Advertising: Since youre paying for the space, you have creative control on what goes into that ad. Any feature of the ad can be designed according to the way you want to portray the image of your company. For Example: Close-up portrays a youthful image through its advertisements, whereas Cadbury (which earlier had largely targeted the youth) has shifted its focus and now projects its chocolate as something for the whole family to enjoy during times of rejoicing. * Public Relations: You have no control over how the media presents (or misrepresents) information about your organization. For Example: Reliance did not have a control over the news which was published regarding the conflict between Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani and had to pay for it in form of loss in the share price (initially). 3. Shelf Life * Advertising: Since you pay for the space, you can run your ads over and over for as long as your budget allows. An ad generally has a longer shelf life than one press release. * Public Relations: You generally submit a press release about a new product once. You only submit a press release about a news conference once. The PR exposure you receive is only circulated once. An editor wont publish your same press release three or four times in their magazine. 4. Wise Consumers * Advertising: Consumers know when theyre reading an advertisement theyre trying to be sold a product or service. The consumer understands that we have paid to present our selling message to him or her, and unfortunately, the consumer often views the selling message very guardedly. * Public Relations: When someone reads a third-party article written about your product or views coverage of your event on TV, theyre seeing something you didnt pay for and view it differently than they do paid advertising. Where we can generate some sort of third-party endorsement by independent media sources, we can create great credibility for our clients products or services. 5. Creativity * Advertising: In advertising, you get to exercise your creativity in creating new ad campaigns and materials. Some jingles in the ad have a long bonding with the product. Few Examples: Surf comes with a series of new ads from time to time. Britannia’s jingle is well remembered and is branded even in its website. * Public Relations: In public relations, you have to have a nose for news and be able to generate buzz through that news. You exercise your creativity, to an extent, in the way you search for new news to release to the media. For Example: Apple iPhone is an example of this. Apple created a huge buzz in the market exercising creativity to and extend and the result was a huge demand for the Iphone much before its release date. 6. Target Audience or Hooked Editor * Advertising: Youre looking for your target audience and advertising accordingly. You wouldnt advertise a womens TV network in a male-oriented sports magazine. * Public Relations: You must have an angle and hook editors to get them to use info for an article, to run a press release or to cover your event. . 7. Special Events * Advertising: If your company sponsors an event, you wouldnt want to take out an ad giving yourself a pat on the back for being such a great company. This is where your PR department steps in. Public Relations: If youre sponsoring an event, you can send out a press release and the media might pick it up. They may publish the information or cover the event. 8. Writing Style * Advertising: Buy this product! Act now! Call today! These are all things you can say in an advertisement. You want to use those buzz words to motivate people to buy your product. * Public Relations: Youre strictly writing in a no-nonsense news format. Any bl atant commercial messages in your communications are disregarded by the media.

Intersections Of Gender Maps For Lost Lovers English Literature Essay

Intersections Of Gender Maps For Lost Lovers English Literature Essay This article proposes a reading of Nadeem Aslams Maps for Lost Lovers as a novel of multiple critiques on the situation of Muslim immigrants in Great Britain. Using the solution of the case of the eponymous lost lovers as the starting point for the narration the novel relates how the Pakistani immigrant community deals with the loss of the couple and the challenges the honour killing poses to their religious beliefs. In the narration the two main characters, Kaukab and Shamas, represent two conflicting perspectives on life in the diasporic community and the coping with the tragedy. By focusing on the setting and the created atmosphere in the novel and connecting it to the intersections of gender and religious identities this article aims to point out the ways in which Aslams novel gives the reader insights into the Pakistani immigrant community of the novel and how it, by subversively reconfiguring the patriarchal society, exerts manifold criticism on the Muslim immigrant community a s much as on the failing multicultural British society. Das Ziel dieses Artikel ist es, verschiedene Interpretationsansà ¤tze des Romans Maps for Lost Lovers vorzustellen, die auf der Kritik an der Situation muslimischer Einwanderer in Großbritannien basieren, die Nadeem Aslam eindrucksvoll in seine Erzà ¤hlung einfliessen là ¤sst. Der Roman, der die Auflà ¶sung des Ehrenmordes an den namensgebenden à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Lost Lovers zum Ausgangspunkt der Erzà ¤hlung wà ¤hlt, erlaubt durch seine Erzà ¤hlstrategien durchaus unterschiedliche Lesarten. Durch die Fokussierung der Erzà ¤hlung auf hauptsà ¤chlich zwei Protagonisten, Kaukab und Shamas, die grundverschiedene Einstellungen zu dem Leben in der diasporischen Gemeinschaft widerspiegeln und ihre persà ¶nlichen Ansichten wiedergeben, erlaubt Aslam dem Leser die Ereignisse in der patriarchalen Gemeinschaft durch ihre Perspektiven wahrzunehmen und zu interpretieren. Die dabei aufeinanderprallenden Wertesysteme geben Einblicke in die verschiedenen teils radikalen Positionen innerha lb der Gemeinschaft, die letztendlich zu der am Anfang stehenden Katastrophe fà ¼hren. Durch eine verbindende Analyse des Handlungsorts und der vorherrschende Atmosphà ¤re des Romans mit der Intersektion von Geschlechts- und Glaubensidentità ¤ten zeigt dieser Artikel die vielfà ¤ltigen Mà ¶glichkeiten zur Interpretation und vollzieht die verschiedenen Kritiken die der Roman an der die Integration verweigernden pakistanischen Gemeinschaft und der versagenden multikulturellen britischen Gesellschaft à ¼bt. Introduction In conjunction with almost daily news-coverage on terrorist attacks by fundamental Islamist groups in the Middle East a growing suspicion against Muslim communities in Europe can be noticed. In the wake of 9/11 and 7/7 the strong foundations of European multiculturalism seem to have been unsettled. Even in Great Britain, which has a long history of immigration from the South Asian subcontinent, racism against Muslim communities is worsening, as has recently been found in the report by the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance on the United Kingdom.  [1]  Stereotypes and prejudices against so-called parallel societies, as some closed immigrant communities have come to be designated, are repeatedly underscored, for example by public discussions about the right of Muslim women to wear the traditional burka or a veil.  [2]  In such a precarious socio-historical context a novel like Nadeem Aslams Maps for Lost Lovers  [3]  seems to be adding fuel to the fire. Maps for Lost Lovers, Aslams second novel and winner of the Pakistan Academy of Letters Patras Bokhari award of the Government of Pakistan, centres on a South Asian immigrant community in an unnamed British town. The narration sets in after the disappearance of the lovers Chanda and Jugnu and the ensuing arrest of Chandas brothers for the alleged murder of the couple. In the year that follows the honour killings of the lovers, who lived in sin according to Islamic law because Chandas husband could not persuaded to divorce her even though he had left her years ago, Maps for Lost Lovers dramatises how the Pakistani inhabitants of the tightly-knit community try to cope with the anguish the disappearance of the lovers and the uncertainty concerning their fate brings over them. Wavering between the unlikely hope that the couple just fled the community to enjoy a peaceful life and the almost certain knowledge of their deaths although their bodies were not found, the characters of the novel also have to deal with the challenges to their religious beliefs posed by the murders and the question how to abide to Islamic laws in exile. Although the narration portrays some of the worst aspects of life in Pakistani communities honour killings, religious obscurantism, gender inequities to name only a few it is however also a book of great humanity and compassion  [4]  . These few aspects of the Pakistani community depicted in Maps for Lost Lovers, which Kamila Shamsie pointed out in an interview with the author, will be the starting point of the following analysis. This paper sets out to examine the immigrant community, which is based on the obedience of the Islamic law, and illustrate how an atmosphere of claustrophobia is narratively created in the patriarchal society. In a second step I will point out intersections of gender and religious identity and gender inequities that are reinforced by the Islamic belief of the communities. Further, I will try to show how the characters, on the one hand, fall victim to the gender roles their belief assigns them, but, on the other hand, also use and subvert these roles to shape the community in traditional and religious ways that reinforces the patriarchal structures of the community and promotes religious obscurantism. By focussing on the atmosphere of the patriarchal society as well as the gender roles presented in the novel I aim to show the diverse levels of criticism Aslam offers for interpretation in Maps for Lost Lovers. It is my main argument that the novel offers at least three ways for reading: first, it can be read as backing up suspicious looks at Muslims in British streets and confirm the stereotypes presented by the media. Second, it can be read as inherent criticism of colonisation in that certain structures of the British Empire are being invoked, reproduced and proven to be leading to catastrophe. And last, the novel can be read as a criticism on immigrant communities in Britain and their desperate wish to avoid integration. An interweaving of these possible readings of the novel will show the potential of the novel to help fix the foundations of European multicultural societies. Dasht-e-Tanhaii, or The Desert of Loneliness The eponymous lost lovers of the novels title are Chanda and Jugnu, who disappear before the narration sets in and whose fate remains unsolved for most part of the story. In the absence of the couple the rest of the community and their reactions function as a foil for the lovers decision to forsake the laws of Islam in order to be together and their readiness to bear the consequences of their choice. In the wake of their disappearance the rest of the community is torn between mourning the loss of members of their community and a sense of righteousness that the lovers have been punished for their indecent behaviour. Especially Jugnus older brother Shamas and his wife Kaukab, who live next door to the house of Sin (MLL 59), move into the centre of the omniscient narrators attention. Through a varying focalization on the two main characters, Shamas and Kaukab, and a further complementation through isolated points of view of other, minor characters such as Shamas and Kaukabs children and Suraya, the woman Shamas has an affair with, a multifaceted narration of the year following the arrest of Chandas brothers for murdering the lovers is presented. The created open perspective structure of the novel, the various individual perspectives within the text and their relation to each other, gives insights into the norms and value systems of the characters and the perspective of the omniscient narrator and thus allows inspection into the workings of the represented society.  [5]   The unspecified English town in which the drama around the lost lover unfolds is renamed Dasht-e-Tanhaii by the diasporic South Asian community. The inhabitants of the town have come to England from all over the South Asian subcontinent, representing the manifold nationalities that had come under the rule of the British Empire. Translating as The Wilderness of Solitude or The Desert of Loneliness (cf. MLL 29), Dasht-e-Tanhaii is a telling-name for the neighbourhood. Although the characters share a similar cultural background and the experience of exile, their religious differences and the fear to have to interact with white people paralyses them. Representatively for the community Kaukab relates that she had made friends with some women in the area but she barely know what lay beyond the neighbourhood and didnt know how to deal with strangers: full of apprehension concerning the white race and uncomfortable with people of another Subcontinental religion or grouping. (MLL 32) The inability to interact with people of a different skin colour or different religious beliefs renders it impossible for the people of Dasht-e-Tanhaii not to be lonely. The neighbourhood is further described as very quite, as it hoards its secrets, unwilling to let on the pain in its breast. Shame, guilt, honour and fear are like padlocks hanging from mouths. No one makes a sound in case it draws attention. No one speaks. No one breathes. (MLL 45) The claustrophobic atmosphere created in the novel forces the characters to spend their lives in solitude, always afraid their neighbours might learn about their secrets. Another interesting aspect of the setting of the novel that further contributes to the claustrophobic atmosphere is the concealment of the name and location of the English town in contrast to the renaming through the immigrants. The appropriation of the metropolitan neighbourhood through the diasporic South Asian community and a setting of strict limits to isolate it from the rest of the town  [6]  , reverses the imperialist colonization of the immigrants home countries. The renaming of streets and landmarks within the neighbourhood further supports this argument and highlights the reverse appropriation of social space. As in Lahore, a road in this town is named after Goethe. There is a Park Street here as in Calcutta, a Malabar Hill as in Bombay, and a Naag Tolla Hill as in Dhaka. Because it was difficult to pronounce the English names, the men who arrived in this town in the 1950s had re-christened everything they saw before them. They had come from across the Subcontinent, lived together ten to a room, and the name that one of them happened to give to a street or landmark was taken up by the others, regardless of where they themselves were from. But over the decades, as more and more people came, the various nationalities of the Subcontinent have changed the names according to the specific country they themselves are from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan. Only one name has been accepted by every group, remaining unchanged. Its the name of the town itself. Dasht-e-Tanhaii. (MLL 29) As Cordula Lemke has pointed out, the process of the multiple renamings according to the various cultural backgrounds of the immigrants transforms the neighbourhood into an enormous palimpsest  [7]  . Taking up the street names the British introduced in their colonies on the Asian subcontinent, naming a road after a German writer, and transplanting them to the immigrant community in Britain can be read as a strategy of decolonization. With the originally British structure of the neighbourhood is left scarcely discernable underneath the different names, this process accentuates the transitional status of all cultures  [8]  . Analysing the map  [9]  and cartographic discourse as a demonstration of the empowering strategies of colonialist rhetoric  [10]  , Huggan argues for the palimpsest to illustrate the deficiencies of the colonialist strategies: The contradictory coherence implied by the maps systematic inscription on a supposedly uninscribed earth reveals it, moreover, as a palimpsest covering over alternative spatial configurations which, once brought to light, indicate both the plurality of possible perspectives on, and the inadequacy of any single model of, the world.  [11]   However, the process of renaming the streets in this novel also significantly resembles the developments of the different countries of the subcontinent under the British rule leading up to the partition of India in 1947. From a peaceful living together the situation of the immigrants changes to a silent coexistence without much interaction just like on the subcontinent itself where the former Indian nation splits up into India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. And exactly as on the subcontinent it is the religious beliefs that now segregate the people where they, before the partition, had belonged together.  [12]  Therefore, in occupying parts of the British town and renaming its streets the neighbourhood, on the one hand, subversively replicates the colonial situation on the subcontinent. On the other hand, however, it also relives the traumatic experience of a society being divided along religious lines.  [13]  In the doubling of post-colonial criticism the narrative in tensity of Aslams writing becomes clear and challenges the reader for an interpretation. The possible interpretations that are invited by the renaming of the British streets, namely the subversive criticism on the Empire and the imitation of the colonial situation to stabilize and promote the rigid religious division of the community, can both be argued for. What the interpretations share, however, are the sense of loss and an essential sadness, which Edward Said ascribes the exile.  [14]   At bottom, exile is a jealous state. With very little to possess, you hold on to what you have with aggressive defensiveness. What you achieve in exile is precisely what you have no wish to share, and it is in the drawing of lines around you and your compatriots that the least attractive aspects of being an exile emerge: an exaggerated sense of group solidarity as well as a passionate hostility towards outsiders, even those who may in fact be in the same predicament as you.  [15]   In this piece, written for Harpers Magazine twenty years prior to the novel, Said describes exactly the situation of the characters in Maps for Lost Lovers. In the blind defensiveness of their traditions and beliefs, the immigrants of Dasht-e-Tanhaii are passionate in their racism against the white inhabitants of the town and condemn their exile in Great Britain for all the evil that has happened to them. Kaukab knows her dissatisfaction with England is a slight to Allah because He is the creator and ruler of the entire earth as the stone carving on Islamabad airport reminds and reassures the heartbroken people who are having to leave Pakistan but she cannot contain her homesickness and constantly asks for courage to face this lonely ordeal that He has chosen for her in His wisdom. (MLL 31) The loss of their home country and the realisation that they will never go back to Pakistan fills the women with a feeling of unbearable loss. Whereas they manage to bring back the colours of their parental homes and rename the streets so that they do not sound so unfamiliar, there are too many things in exile, which they cannot replace. The constant feeling of loss, which makes the immigrants in Dasht-e-Tanhaii refrain from leaving their solitude, is the ubiquitous atmosphere of the narration and as such is already introduced in the opening of the novel by Shamas. Among the innumerable other losses, to come to England was to lose a season, because, in the part of Pakistan that he is from, there are five seasons in a year, not four, the schoolchildren learning their names and sequence through classroom chants: Mausam-e-Sarma, Bahar, Mausam-e-Garma, Barsat, Khizan. Winter, Spring, Summer, Monsoon, Autumn. (MLL 5) The loss of the season, of a structuring part of a year, a part that marks the passing of time, and is as irretrievable as the lost lovers, reflects the stasis of the society of Dasht-e-Tanhaii. In missing a part that marks the passing of time, change and development have become impossible for the inhabitants of the community. In the knowledge of missing a season, the structure of the novel, which is divided into four parts, each named after one of the four seasons in England, seems like a constant remainder that Maps for Lost Lovers is all about encompassing loss. Correspondingly, Said points out: a life of exile moves according to a different calendar, and is less seasonal and settled than life at home.  [16]   The thus created atmosphere is a fertile soil for the kind of religious fundamentalism some of the characters, especially Kaukab, the sister-in-law of the murdered Jugnu, prefer to integration. The immense fact of isolation and displacement, which produces the kind of narcissistic masochism that resists all efforts at amelioration, acculturation, and community  [17]  , which Kaukab claims for herself, leads to what Vijay Mishra has termed the diasporic imaginary  [18]  . Mishra theorizes that, in order to preserve the loss of the diasporic experience communities construct racist fictions of purity as a kind of joy and pleasure around which anti-miscegenation narratives of homelands are constructed against the reality of the homelands themselves.  [19]  The unknown British town is constantly contrasted with Pakistan and depicted as foreign territory, in which the laws of Islam have become the sole source of orientation for most of the inhabitants. Kaukab, as the rest of th e community, therefore exalts the Pakistan of her memory to an idealised nation in which Islam still figures prominently in everyday life. If her children were still living at home, or if Shamas was back from work, Kaukab would have asked the matchmaker to lower her voice to a whisper, not whishing her children to hear anything bad about Pakistan or the Pakistanis, not wishing to provide Shamas with the opportunity to make a disrespectful comment about Islam, or hint through his expression that he harboured contrary views on Allahs inherent greatness; but she is alone in the house, so she lets the woman talk. (MLL 42) This diasporic imaginary, the glorification of Pakistan, serves the immigrants as a role model for their society. As Islam prescribes they recreate the patriarchal social structures in which the women wait at home for their husbands to return and are afraid to be seen talking to men on the street, daughters are being arranged to marry their cousins in Pakistan, lovers of different religions forbidden to marry (cf. MLL 9), husbands agreeing to medical procedures on their wives for fear of immigration authorities (cf. MLL 14) and fathers renouncing their daughters for living in sin after three failed marriages to Pakistani men (cf. MLL 176). In this strict Islamic law-abiding community the gender roles of the characters seem to be as traditional as the rest of the customs the immigrants live by. However, in the following section I will argue that in the patriarchal society with the claustrophobic sentiment it is not only the male characters that drive on the strict Islamic code of beha viour but even more so the women who obstruct any kind of integration. Intersections of Gender and Religion in Maps for Lost Lovers Analysing gender identities in a novel such as Maps for Lost Lovers is, as the previous discussion of the atmosphere of the novel has shown, closely interlinked with religious identities within the community. With the discussion of gender roles and gender identities in relation to power structures has been an established field of research for literary scholars, a terminological distinction between different religious identities within Islam appears to be helpful for the further analysis.  [20]  Therefore I want to draw attention to the difference of the terms Muslim and Islamist, as spelled out by Miriam Cooke  [21]  . Cooke points out that the two terms, which might inadvertently be confused, hint at a significant distinction. To be Muslim, according to Cooke, is an ascribed identity: Those to whom a Muslim identity is ascribed participate in a Muslim culture and community without necessarily accepting all of its norms and values.  [22]  While Muslims can be secular and only occasionally observe some of the rituals, Islamists achieve their sometimes militant identity by devoting their lives to the establishment of an Islamic state.  [23]  This opposition, which arguably attracts criticism of essentialism, in this analysis, however, will serve the purpose of breaking up common stereotypes concerning the intersection of gender and religious identities. It is the aim of the following analysis to show that the intersections of gender identities and religious identities, which would be expected in patriarchal societies as the one depicted in Maps for Lost Lovers to draw the picture of male Islamists and female Muslims, are being subverted to point out the dangers of religious fundamentalism and how it c an lead to religious obscurantism. The arising question of religion and feminism has posed itself as difficult field for research, especially for postcolonial feminists. Ania Loomba has pointed out two significant developments in this field: Many postcolonial regimes have been outrightly repressive of womens rights, using religion as the basis on which to enforce their subordination.  [24]  Especially in Islamic countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran or Afghanistan national identity is based on the Islamicisation of civil society, an alliance between fundamentalism and the State, which entails severe curtailment of freedom for women.  [25]  However, she also sees a development that tries to harness womens political activity and even militancy to right-wing movements and especially to religious fundamentalism. In various parts of the world, women have been active campaigners for the Hindu, Islamic or Christian right-wing movements.  [26]  These two opposing developments, however contradictory they seem, deal with stereotypical assumptions as the figure of the immigrant woman victim  [27]  , as for example jurist Leti Volpp has analysed and debunked. Kaukab and Shamas as well as Suraya, the characters the narrator focalizes upon for the most part of the novel, through their personal perspective give a very interesting insight into their conceptions of the intersections between gender and religious identity.  [28]  They represent different positions on the spectrum between secular Muslims and Islamists and interestingly provide a one sided picture of the gender distribution amongst these religious identities. Shamas, who opens the narration, was brought up as a Muslim yet considers himself a non-believer (MLL 20) and instead of drawing on religion for moral and ethical support as the rest of the community, he turns to communism (cf. MLL 324).  [29]  His secularism makes him a mediator between the different religious groups of Dasht-e-Tanhaii. He uses his outsiders position to move about freely between the mosque and the Hindu temple of the community. Further, his general openness and willingness to interact with people of different religious and cultural backgrounds, which again renders him an outsider to the community, makes him become the only connection to the British society: The director of the Community Relations Council, Shamas is the person the neighbourhood turns to when unable to negotiate the white world on its own, visiting his office in the town centre or bringing the problem to his front door that opens directly into the blue-walled kitchen with the yellow chairs. (MLL 15) This position, as mediator between the immigrant community and the British society, on the one hand makes him a person of respect in the neighbourhood. On the other hand, his secularism arises suspicion, even in his own wife who disapproves of his criticism of Islam and even blames her father for choosing an unbelieving husband who is not even a proper Muslim in her eyes (cf. MLL 34). His worldliness and openness further, in the eyes of his wife, make him a bad father to their three children: Oh your father will be angry, oh your father will be upset: Mah-Jabin had grown up hearing these sentences, Kaukab trying to obtain legitimacy for her own decisions by invoking his name. She wanted him to be angry, she needed him to be angry. She had cast him in the role of the head of the household and he had to act accordingly  Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ . (MLL 111) Even though Kaukab, in accordance with her own upbringing, expects Shamas to fulfil his role as head of the family his performance does not seem satisfactory to Kaukab, as Mah-Jabins remembrance shows. Shamas thus disappoints the expectations on his character as believing Muslim and head of the family. When Suraya, Shamas secret love affair, comes back to England from Pakistan, where her husband had divorced her in a drunken stupor, her sole aim is to find a man who will marry her for a short period of time and then divorce her again so that she can return to Pakistan to her first husband to remarry him (cf. MLL 149). As the Islamic law states that she has to be married to another man before her first husband can take her back, she is desperate to quickly find somebody before her first husband changes his mind and does not want her back. When Suraya meets Shamas he is immediately drawn to her. Finding her scarf on his way back home from the town centre, where he regularly picks up the newspaper, his paper falls into the river he walks along while bending down to pick up the scarf. Hes suddenly lighter, his muscles relieved, the fingers holding nothing but that scarf which has butterfly blue lozenges along its crenulated edges. (MLL 135) Suraya takes advantage of the physicalness of this first encounter, in which Shamas seems to shift off a burden, maybe the burden Kaukab has put on him with her expectations, and starts an affair with him. While Shamas actually enjoys the tenderness of their encounters, Suraya just wants to trick him into marrying her and is not reluctant to lie about being pregnant. She thus exploits her femininity and her religious beliefs to get Shamas to commit adultery and thus fulfils her own personal needs not caring about the consequences of her actions or Shamas feelings (cf. MLL 254). Suraya just legitimises the affair with the Islamic law and her wish to remarry her first husband. In contrast to the secular Shamas and the moderate Muslim Suraya, Kaukab is a strict Islamist, justifying all her actions and her behaviour with her belief in Islam. With her religious bigotry she puts off her three children who, in the course of the narration visit the house only once. In the course of that visit her estranged children get into a heated discussion with Kaukab about the status of women in Pakistan and in which she has to defend herself against reproaches of her family (cf. MLL 323 ff.). Her misconducts, as for example poisoning her youngest son with bromide because a Muslim cleric told to do so (MLL 303 f.), or marrying her only daughter to a violent man in Pakistan and not seeing where she could have done wrong (cf. MLL 326), which stem from her religious obscurantism come to a climax when Shamas is being attacked by a group of Islamists who Kaukab had once secretly charged with finding her sons. In her blind belief in Islam she finally blames Shamas for her childre ns hatred (MLL 328) and tries to take her own life. Even when it comes to her own physical health she does not deviate from her faith:  Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚  Kaukab has reached that age where her womb is slipping out of her vagina and must be either surgically removed or stitched back to the inner lining of her body  Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ .  Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚  Her womb the first dress of her daughter, the first address of her sons is a constant source of pain these days and she comes down the stairs carefully. She tells herself that she must bear up patiently, that a person is like a tealeaf: drop it into boiling water if you want to see its true colour. She reads verses from the Koran when the pain looks as though it is about to increase. (MLL 260) In contrast to the imagination of the woman usually cast as mothers or wives  Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚  called upon to literally and figuratively reproduce the nation  

The atrocities of blood diamonds

The atrocities of blood diamonds The Atrocities of Blood Diamonds The name â€Å"diamond† comes from the Greek word, â€Å"adamas†, meaning unconquerable. Suitably diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man, it is made up of milky-white pure carbon crystals. Diamonds have always been a sign of wealth and prosperity. It is also a traditional expression of love. However, it is financing and profiting vicious political militias. People all around the world own these diamonds, and have never heard of Sierra Leone. Blood diamonds, also called â€Å"conflict diamonds,† are diamonds that are illegally mined and traded by rebel groups to fund militias that are against governments. To fully understand the eminence of these gems, and ultimately realize their role in violence, its important to know where they come from. Blood diamonds are mainly associated with the African countries of Angola, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. These precious stones have been around for a century or so, but it wasnt until it financed both civil wars in Angola and Sierra Leone in the 1990s, that international attention was drawn to the horrors of these diamonds. Ever since then diamond-connected violence in Africa has been systemic and massive. (Gale) Due to human right abuses, child labor, fueled violence, and environmental destruction of blood diamonds, the government should fully enforce the prevention of trading conflict diamonds within the diamond industry.   After the country gained independence from Portugal in 1975, Angolas civil war raged for nearly thirty years. (GALE) The opposing divisions made an agreement to cease-fire, and held a multiparty election. Well-known rebel leader Jonas Savimbi ran for presidency, but was defeated. Believing that the election was unfair, he took his rebel group, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), and took control of two-thirds of Angola, including majority of its diamond mines. With the diamonds, he funded the guerrilla warfare. UNITAs diamonds were smuggled out of Angola through the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Campell 4) Sierra Leone is a small nation on the West African coast with a population of over four million people. It used to be a leading country with strong academic and artistic achievement, and entrepreneurial abilities. However, with a great decline, it is now the worst place to live in the world, and it continues to get worse. The country is terrorized by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) who is motivated by two factors: 1. Government failure to attend to the needs of the citizens; and 2. Conflicting ideas about who should control the states mineral resources. (Banant) Initially RUF claimed to fight a corrupt administration, however the rebels quickly realized that the most effective route to power lay in Sierra Leones diamond mines. Foday Sankoh, a former corporal of the Sierra Leone army, leads the RUF. He was imprisoned for seven years for being part of the coup attempt against Siaka Stevens. (Meredith 107) By 1994 the RUF had control of massive parts of Sierra Leone and its mines. They smuggled the diamonds into their neighbor, Liberia. From there is sold into the world market. In 2007, Zimbabwe emerged as a hotspot for large-scale diamond smuggling. The countrys diamonds surfaced in South Africa, where it was reported as legitimate diamonds and was exported around the world. However the Zimbabwe government vigorously denied these charges. In the past two years with further evidence of corruption, the violence in the nations diamond fields continues to spur international concern. Human Rights Watch conducted studies that show that police officers in Zimbabwes fields to end the illicit diamond smuggling were actually responsible for the killing of artisan miners and locals. In October 2008, under the control of President Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwe military killed over 200 people to take over the Marange diamond fields. Today De Beers a London based company, controls over two-thirds of the worlds diamonds. This company became involved with the diamonds from Africa right after their discovery. Rhodes, the creator of De Beers envisioned controlling the whole diamond market. He was able to complete his monopolistic goals by 1880. With the formation of the London Diamond Syndicated, Rhodes was able to match supply with demand. It provided him important information about the diamond market allowing him to create an artificially controlled supply of diamonds. In return, the merchants were guaranteed certain amount of diamond supply from Rhodes mines. (Johnson) The rebels have committed nefarious crimes against humanity. The RUF uses a brutal tactic as a tool to terrorize the civilian population into submission and break-apart families and communities. People are abducted, men are captured to work in the mines, boys are recruited into gangs, and women and girls act as domestic sex slave to the fighters. The war from 1991-1999 has claimed over 75,000 lives, caused   500,000 Sierra Leoneans to become refugees. (Johnson)   Nearly 80% of the Sierra Leones population of 5 million people have been displaced. ( Campbell) According to research done by â€Å"Physicians for Human Rights†, nearly every village in Sierra Leone under the rule of RUF has been profoundly impacted by the tumult. Rape of women and girls was widespread and vicious during the conflict in the 1990s, and is reportedly continuing to this day. Out of twenty women interviewed, twelve were raped. The rebels had beaten them to cause disorientation and to break their resistance. (Bell) Those lucky enough to escape from the rebels or who was release from some reason, suffer from various consequences. Sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AID are rampant in this commonality. Trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and alienation from their communities, scar the lives of these victims. A high percentage of the survivors are pregnant or are single mothers of â€Å"rebel babies†, a constant reminder of their horrible suffering. (Johnson) They face bleak futures without the medical attentions and humanitarian assistance that they need. Mutilation of men, women and children is a fun game for the rebels. Teams are dedicated to capture and mutate citizens. Sierra Leone President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in 1996 pleaded for his countrymen to â€Å"join hands† for peace. As a response the RUF dismembered their victims by cutting of their hands and dumped the parts on the steps of the presidential palace. (Campbell XV) Mà ©decins Sans Frontià ¨res (MSF) was created there, a camp for amputees and war wounded. (Meredith 116) Sankoh forcibly recruited combatants from the children who were abducted during village raids. They went through indoctrination with dugs and training to kill. In many cases they were forced to kill their own families. Girls were forced to become soldiers wives (Meredith 563) Child soldiers was a key part of the Sierra Leone conflict. Half of the RUF were 8-14 years old. (114) The Rarry Boys were thousands of unemployed youths who roamed the town of Freetown. They had a horrible lifestyle full of gambling, drugs, theft, and anger. (117) Martin Meredith a historian on the topic of blood diamonds said this famous quote, â€Å"Joining a militia group is both meal ticket and substitute education. The pay may be derisory, but weapon training pays quicker dividends than school ever did. Soon the AK47 brings food, money, a warm math, and instant adult respect.† Young men join these combat groups to substitute for their lost family and friends. Child combatants are often considered id eal recruits by armed groups because they are relatively easy to manipulate, unlikely to question the groups motives, and arouse little suspicion, according to the advocacy group Refugees International. Children because by the very nature of their immaturity are often induced to commite some of the wars greatest atrocities. (Atwood NP) Majority of the diamonds are harvested using the exploit of children and communities as labor force. The workers are subject to brutality and degrading working conditions, and quite often death. The few that mine voluntarily get a very small income, the unlivable wage is way below the extreme poverty line. Small-scale miners are estimated to produce 20-25% of the minerals worldwide. This type of mining is usually illegal considering that is under extreme dangerous and unhealthy conditions. There is no safety equipment or proper tools allowed for the workers. The miners are deprived of basic needs and there is a lack of sanitation. The mortality rate of child and young adult has vastly increased. Children are considered as cheap labor and can do dangerous tasks that adults cant do. They are often sent into small mines that are too small for adults. They are given dangerous and physically challenging jobs. Everyday they risk their lives to landslides as weak ropes only protect them. A recent study in Angola found that 46% of miners are under the age of 16 because of war and poverty. These children suffer many consequence, and work until they are replaced, often by children younger than themselves. In March 2003, UN reported that child labor in the diamond mines needed great support. (Roberts NP) With the end of civil war in Angola, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe, the nations should have continued to greater economic development. Years of peace had almost doubled the diamond production in Angola while the annual diamond financial contributions to government tripled. The communities near the mining sites in Angola struggles to survive with little government spending. A report from Partnership Africa Canada in 2007 reported that there was no public schools, water supply systems, or health clinics. Road were ruined and agriculture did not exist. In Congo, half of their foreign exchange earning are from the export of diamonds, however from the 700,00 people that mine, the majority of them are unregistered. President Siaka Stevens turned the diamond industry into his personal preserve in the 1970s. He had a whole system with Lebanese dealers and local traders. In 1994 the RUF overran bauxite and titanium mines, cutting the government from its last reliable source of income. Sankoh had control of a large part of the diamond fields. (Meredith 565) The RUF has profited about $25-125 million per year by delivering the stones into the worlds diamond market. (Campbell XXII) The mines in Africa produced about $300 million per year. But because the diamond fields were in the hand of private entrepreneurs who smuggle it out of the country, the government makes only a small income. Diamond mining has wreaked environmental havoc throughout African countries and around the world. There is a lack of control and regulations of the mining system that the environment is neglected. The landscape has completely altered because the pits dug have not been refilled once mining in that area is over. Topsoil is not preserved which is needed to re-deposite on reclaimed land so that vegetation can be planted. (The Environmental Literacy Council) The diamond mining also relates to energy uses, which emissions contribute to global climate change. With the ninety years of environmental damage in Angola, large tracts of land have been devastated. The local water is poisoned and indigenous populations are forced to relocate. Abandon mining pits are full of water that is mosquito infested. The pits are left opened and unmanaged to runoff into rivers and streams. The UN Security Council has established the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) consisting of 17,500 peacekeeping troops, notably without any U.S troop involvement. When RUF leader Sankoh was arrested, he was replaced with Issa Sesay. The RUF made efforts of demoblization in May 2001 by releasing hundreds of abducted children. However RUF broke apart and on November 2002 cease-fire was signed. UNAMSIL was deployed and in January 2002, the war was declared over. (Meredith 114)   The UN Security Council on July 2000, voted to impose a ban on diamonds from Sierra Leone, the same as that of Angola the previous year. And in 2001, diamond exports from Liberia was imposed sanction from the Council. Finally after public outcry, the Kimberley Process was created in 2003 to address the problem of the blood diamonds funding violent civil wars. The Kimberley Process is an international certification system that has established standards for countries to pledge the yield of importation and exportation of these diamonds. It included representatives of seventy-one of the worlds dominant diamond producing countries. (Roberts NP) This system tracks the route of a diamond, from the mine all the way to the retail shop; attempting to avoid the trade these tainted diamonds. With this new precaution, the quantity of blood diamonds in the market lowered to 1% in 2007. However despite the Kimberley Process, conflict areas such as Cà ´te dIvoire continue to use diamonds to fund vi olence. The Kimberley Process hasnt been successful in overseeing human rights abuses. Currently it still ignores cutting and polishing centers as an entranceway for blood diamonds to enter the general circulation of diamonds into the market. (NP) According to Global Witness a humans rights group, inadequate government regulations over factories enable illicit diamonds to slide into legitimate channels of trade. Global Witness, who had lobbied for the establishment of the Kimberley Process, admitted that the system was not sufficed.   Many others also question the effectiveness of these protocols. According to Amnesty International, â€Å"government controls in the United States and in other countries are not strong enough or enforced effectively to stop rebel groups from exploiting diamonds to fuel conflict.† (Nyathi NP) In June 2009, Namibia hosted a conference of officials of the diamond producing countries to review the Kimberly Process. In mid 2009, the Kimberley Process ordered a review mission Zimbabwe. This investigation affirmed that Zimbabwe was executing non-compliance with the Kimberley Process standards. (Dugger NP) It was recommended that Zimbabwe be suspended from the scheme to prevent Zimbabwe from legally exporting blood diamonds. Despite the fact, Zimbabwe has not been suspended from the faction and its diamonds still continue to sneak into the worlds supply of diamonds. In August 2009, the Kimberly Process conducted a mission to Angola, the latest one being in 2005. (NP) Investigators discovered many accounts of rape and brutality against miners from nearby countries.   Human right groups uncovered that many violations especially to many immigrants. (NP) These conditions demonstrate that the Kimberly Process is inadequate and isnt doing its job to prevent the abuses in the international diamond trade, as well as cooperation from the governments to stamp out diamond-related violence. In 1998 sanctions were put in place to ban the trade of Angolan diamonds. However it has since been lifted and small scale miners continue to work inhuman circumstances under the control of private security firms who are hired by large diamond trading companies. Rafael Marques, an Angolan journalist documented the cases of torture, sexual abuses, and assassinations on just one mining site in Lundas. Amnesty International reports extreme rights violations by soldiers and police in the diamond mines. The United States is currently working on the legislation for the Clean Diamond Act to eliminate the conflict diamonds from its markets. This act bans any diamonds that come from an unknown origin. However the main reason why there is still a problem is because of the structure of the diamond industry. De Beers still control majority of the market and they dont have incentive to regard this issue of these stones, because blood diamonds are such a small portion of the worldwide diamond sales. As illustrated above with the atrocities that have occurred in Sierra Leone and other African countries, it is obvious that action still needs to be immediately taken to once and for all eliminate the stones causing all these deaths and destructions.   Chairman of the Sierra Leone Panel of Experts, Martin Chungong Ayafor said, â€Å"Diamonds are forever† it is often said. But lives are not. We must spare people the ordeal of war, mutilations, and death for the sake of conflict diamonds.à ¢â‚¬  Dramatic solutions need to be made now in order to stop this worldly trend. Ways to fully stop blood diamonds in its tract is to have a well-structured certificate of origin regime to ensure that only legitimate diamonds are being traded. There needs to be additional controls by Member States and the industry to guarantee that the regime is enforced. Including with the standardization of the certificated would be monitoring of the regime and legislations against those who fail to adopt. There needs to be a combined effort from the government, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, arms manufacturers, diamond traders, and diamond customers. They need to demand a strict enforcement of sanctions, and to encourage real lasting peace. By no longer purchasing these gems, it would be cutting off sources of funding for the rebel groups and eventually ending the cycle and promoting lasting harmony.