The Port of Singapore: a Reflective Essay

[Company Address] 08 Fall The Port of Singapore Prepared by : Rajib Das, Student # 38410098 This document discuses about the Port of Singapore and the strategic importance of its location to the modern traders. It also discusses the government incentives and the Advanced Information Technology that the port has been using to attract new shipping companies in the recent past. Anything beyond is not discussed for the limitation of the term paper. Table of Contents The Port of Singapore3 Singapore: Strategic Importance of the Geographic Location†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 The Adoption of IT 6Government Incentives9 Competition10 Conclusions11 Appendix12 Citations16 The port of singapore Over the last 40 years, the world has been awestruck with the unbelievable growth of the island nation into a major transportation epicentre of global trading. In the 1970s ,the Port of Singapore pioneered the first container port in the history. By 1980’s the port h it its first milestone of handling 1 million TEUs and within the next 10 years by 1990’s (Port of Singapore Annual Reports), the port was handling 5 million TEU (Twenty foot equivalent container units)per annum.Today, about 20 years after the big landmark, the port handles over 28 million TEUs (Port of Singapore Annual Reports) per year making it the second largest port in the entire world after the Port of Shanghai in terms of Container traffic. The container shipments from the Port of Singapore comprise of one fifth of the world’s container shipment volume (Authority). The port also takes immense pride in shipping half of the world’s annual crude oil supply. In terms of total cargo volume, the port handles about 500000 thousand freight tonnes per year (Authority) which makes it the second busiest port in the world after the Port of Shanghai .Today the Port Singapore is connected to 123 ports of the world spreading over 123 countries and 6 continents, making it one of the most important ports of the world. Singapore: Strategic Importance of the Geographical Location The importance of the Geographical location of Singapore has been largely significant since trading started between Asian, North American and the European continents. The Singapore Strait has been used heavily for trading by the Romans, Chinese, Arabs, Greeks and the Indians since time immemorial (Gupta).After the Suez Canal opened in the mid 1800s, the Singapore Strait have become a vital linkage of trade between the powerful European nations and East Asia. The Singapore Strait is attractive to traders because it is the shortest and cheapest sea-link between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean (Gupta). With the advent of the large Japanese car manufacturing industry , the textile industry of South Asia and the heavy outsourcing of the North American manufacturing plants in the last 30 years, Asia is no longer a continent which mainly exports low-valued raw materials to be processed in the West.The flow of more expensive manufactured goods from the East to the West have proliferated in the last 30 years. (Sie) As a result, shipping and transportation costs have become even further less inelastic fostering the immense growth of the shipping industry of Singapore. Although it is often not in the limelight, but the South-east Asian nations have a large base of oil- refineries which have led to the heavy shipping traffic of the crude oil through the strait of Singapore. Taiwan has a oil refining capacity of . 54 million b/cd and South Korea has a capacity of 1 million b/cd alongside Singapore.Japan and China tops the list with a capacity of 4. 7 and 2. 2 million b/cd respectively. (Olson) Apart from China which has a self-sustaining production of crude oil, every other nations depend on the Middle-Eastern countries for their oil supplies. Japan alone imported 130 million tonnes and 195 million tonnes of crude oil from the Middle-East and the African natio ns in the years 1990 and 2010 respectively (Olson). Owing to these heavy demand for crude oil, the Port of Singapore has been responsible for transporting half of the world’s oil supply in the year 2010.Owing to it’s prime geographic location and heavy government incentives and a base of Information Technology discussed later in the paper, majority of the exports from Singapore is based on re-exports from other countries . There are about 60000 ship movements annually in the Strait of Singapore. In 2010, the Port of Singapore transhipped 17447,000 TEUs which constituted almost 82 (Statistics)% of Singapore’s annual export . Today, the port of Singapore is the busiest Port in the World in terms of transhipment of containers.Port of Singapore : Operations The Port of Singapore has 6 terminals to accommodate all types of vessels-ocean liners, lighters, cargo freighters, coasters, break bulk carriers and container ships. The 6 terminals are Keppel Terminal, Brani Te rminal, Pasir Panjang Terminal, Sembawang Wharves and Pasir Panjang Wharves . The Wharves terminals can facilitate all kinds of vessel while the other terminals are specialized meant for the containers vessels. The Port of Singapore’s container’s facilities are listed as follows: * Number of Terminals: 4 Area: 436 hectares * Designed capacity : 24700 kTEU * Quay cranes: 143 * Maximum draft: 16 m * Quay length: 12800 m According to the Global Competitive Report published by the World Economic Forum, Port of Singapore ranked the best port in terms of facilities and received a rating of 6. 76 out of a maximum 7. The adoption of information technology Over the last few years The Port of Singapore has invested heavily in Information Technology which means that processes now are much faster, more reliable and more cost effective for the consumers.Making the most out of the latest automation technology, information technology and wireless communications, the Port of Singapore combined it’s large domain knowledge in container operations with the latest technology such as CITOS(Computer Integrated Terminal Operations System), PORTNET and Flow through Gate Technology. CITOS(Computer Integrated Terminal Operating System) Singapore Port’s massive network and heavy shipping traffic is very efficiently controlled by Computer Integrated Terminal Operations System(CITOS).CITOS is a Resource Planning System that keeps track of every asset from prime movers to yard cranes to quay cranes to containers and drivers. Before CITOS was introduced, resources were allocated to a certain place in the port and they stayed there unless it was needed somewhere else. With CITOS, resources can be much easily coordinated and allocated. 60 different vessels harbour the Singapore Port on a given day. Although a lot of these vessels arrive out of schedule, CITOS make sure that they don’t have to wait in the harbour for a minute.When any shipping line applies fo r a berth, the ship stowage and the shipping connection information is sent to the port through PORTNET . The CITOS system begins planning the berth of the shipping line almost 72 hours prior arrival which means that the system also compute other alternatives in case that the vessel is off schedule. This means that for almost all the vessels that harbour the Port of Singapore, there is almost zero waiting time. (Authority) Once a ship is harboured, the quay cranes operated by the CITOS system start discharging containers destined for other ports and load boxes brought in by other vessels.Once containers are unloaded on the dock, they are not randomly stacked on the yard. The Information about the container is fed into the system and CITOS generates a ship stowage and yard layout plans base on the following factors in order of importance : * Special requirements (e. g. Dangerous goods, tight connections etc) * Destination * Ship stability (for further stowage planning) * Size * Weigh t The CITOS system provides many competitive advantages to the Port of Singapore. It allows the system to keep track and locate every single container on the port.It allows the maximum use of land and optimize efficiency. Last, but not the least, it ensures maximum utilization of each individual resource since it is pre-planned by the system beforehand. PORTNET PORTNET is a network service that provides internet connectivity to the entire port community with a single sign-on network portal. The system provides interconnectivity between vessels, freight forwarders, government agencies and haulers. This helps them to synchronize and manage information much better.PORTNET Singapore has about 8000 users who use the system to get real time, detailed information on all port, logistics and shipping processes and use it to make critical decisions in their business. The main functions of PORTNET Singapore is summarized below: * Enable shipping companies to monitor their own performance * Pro vide a documentation portal between the consumers and the shipping company, * Managing efficiency for transhipment processes of the vessels * Supporting real time information exchanges between shipping line alliances. FLOW THROUGH GATEThe Flow through gate system is a sustainable paper-less system that helps truck drivers to identify the specific containers that is needed to be loaded onto the truck within a span of 20-25 seconds. On average, the system processes about 8000 trucks per day. Before the driver arrives at the dock, he submits a requisition for the containers through the PORTNET system. After the driver arrives at the Port gate, he verifies his identity through a fingerprint biometric reader or by punching in his unique identification number. The gate scan’s the truck’s dashboard and identifies the truck.The Container number Recognition system captures the container number with a close circuit camera. The system then matches these information against the in formation provided during requisition and clears the truck for entry. After the driver enters the port, the system sends a text message to the driver’s mobile phone with the precise information about the location in the dock where the containers would be ready to be stacked onto the truck. Government incentives The Government of Singapore had a major role to play in the boom of the shipping industry in the last 40 years.Singapore has 5 Free Trade Zones to encourage Re-exports of goods from other countries. Under the Free Trade Act goods could be cleaned ,sorted, distributed, repacked, assembled or sold in accordance with the Act. Under the Act, transhipment goods can be stored in Singapore free of charge with very little custom bureaucracies. In 1991 , The Singapore government enacted the Approved International Shipping(AIS) Enterprise incentive under which shipping companies based on Singapore could be exempted from corporate taxes for the initial 10 years and can be renewed even if they don’t own their own vessel.In 2009, the Government of Singapore announced their goal of making Singapore the ‘’global maritime knowledge hub’’ of the world. Since then the government have heavily invested in research and development of Information Technology in the shipping industry and the Port of Singapore. It has introduced the Maritime Cluster Fund which offers financial funds for training ,various research, engineering and innovation under this field. Such HR incentives have definitely smoothened the transition of a lot of shipping companies to Singapore in the last two and a half years.COMPETITION As discussed earlier, the Singapore Strait have grown massive importance in the last few decades. Today, Singapore faces massive competition from the neighbouring ports especially from the port of Tenjung Peepas in Malaysia. In the early 2000, 10 % of the Singapore’s container volume moved to the port in Malaysia owing to the che ap handling charges in the neighbouring country. Statistics shows that, handling charges were about 30-40% lower than Singapore. Many of the neighbouring ports have below-par facilities compared to the Port of Singapore.Hence many of these ports can afford to have much lower handling and receiving charges. Although Singapore have a much better reputation, the comparatively more expensive nature of the Port of Singapore is going to continue to pose a threat to the port in the years to come. COnclusion The Port of Singapore has a great reputation being the trade epicentre of the world and for being one of the best sea port in the world. Although the port has an excellent past reputation, the 21st century will bring about new challenges and competition from neighbouring ports such as Malaysia.The Government of Singapore is doing its best by harnessing advanced Information technology at the Port and providing different government incentives to hold it’s competitive standing. In r esponse, many of the foreign companies such as Clarkson, Swiss Re, Shipowners’ P&I club and Rolls Royce have moved their marine headquarters to Singapore in the last few years. As the supremacy for leading ports unfolds, more shipping companies will be taking government incentives and Information Technology for granted.Today more firms are showing interest in ports which have established legal, financial and logistics sector. It will be interesting to see ho the Port of Singapore respond to these new challenges in the years to come. Appendix Table 2. Containers handled at the PSA terminals (source: PSA annual report 2000) Year| Million TEUs handled| 1989| 4. 36| 1990| 5. 22| 1991| 6. 35| 1992| 7. 55| 1993| 9. 04| 1994| 10. 39| 1995| 11. 84| 1996| 12. 93| 1997| 14. 12| 1998| 15. 1| 1999| 15. 9| Appendix 2: Port Rankings according to the World Economic Forum Table 1.Ranking of ports on port facilities as presented in the global competitiveness report published by the world econ omic forum Rank| Country| Rating for port facilities are extensive and efficient (1 strongly disagree, 7 strongly agree)| 1| Singapore| 6. 76| 2| Netherlands| 6. 64| 3| Canada| 6. 42| 4| Germany| 6. 38| 5| Hong Kong SAR| 6. 38| 6| United States| 6. 27| 7| Finland| 6. 26| 8| Belgium| 6. 17| 9| Denmark| 6. 16| 10| New Zealand| 5. 82| Appendix 3: 14. 1 SEA CARGO AND SHIPPING STATISTICS 2000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Vessel Arrivals Number 145,383 130,318 128,922 128,568 131,695 130,575 127,299Shipping Tonnage (‘000 GT) 910,180 1,151,791 1,314,990 1,459,221 1,621,065 1,784,669 1,919,408 Total Cargo (‘000 tonnes) 325,591 423,268 448,504 483,616 515,415 472,300 503,342 General 199,577 262,265 281,393 314,917 336,425 280,349 313,683 Bulk 126,014 161,003 167,111 168,699 178,991 191,951 189,659 Total Container Throughput (‘000 TEUs) 17,087 23,192 24,792 27,935 29,918 25,867 28,431 Bunker Sales (‘000 tonnes) 18,651 25,479 28,379 31,546 34,936 36,387 40,853 Singapor e Ship Registry (End of Period) Number 3,335 3,219 3,249 3,553 3,843 3,950 3,978 ‘000 GT 23,043 32,963 34,793 39,603 43,702 45,632 48,783Works Cited Authority, Port of Singapore. www. singaporepsa. com. Gupta, Sen. The Malacca Straits and the Indian Ocean: A Study of the Strategic and Legal Aspects of a Controversial Sea-lane. New Delhi, 1974. Olson, Hal F. â€Å"â€Å"Tanker traffic and shipping routes†. † n. d. â€Å"Port of Singapore Annual Reports. † Port of Singapore, 1970-2010. Sie, Chia Lin. â€Å"â€Å"The Straits of Malacca and Singapore: Navigational, Resources, and Environmental Considerations†. † Southeast Asian Seas: Frontiers for Development, 1981. Statistics, Singapore Department of. â€Å"†Yearbook of Statistics? .† 2011.

Job Discrimination

Job Discrimination in organization Definition Discrimination can be define as the wrongful act of distinguishing illicitly or illegally among people not on the basis of individual merit, but on the basis of prejudice or some invidious, unpleasant or morally reprehensible or wrong attitude. The main economic definition of â€Å"employment discrimination† implies that it is efficient and leads to unusual and narrow empirical methods. From a legal perspective one can note that this definition does not advance equality.Other such definitions relate discrimination to specific market failures. This paper argues that economic theory could base its definition on the fundamental theorem of welfare economics and market functionality. Since society constitutes markets by use of law, this definition indicates some additional legal means to address problems of discrimination. Gary Becker defined employment discrimination as different pay for equally productive individuals (based upon membe rship in a certain group). Becker’s definition cited the cause for unequal pay as discriminatory tastes.Others argued that there may be another cause at times: some information problems that are correlated with the said social groups. Description The discrimination in employment must involve 3 elements. First, it is a decision against one or more employees/prospective employees that is not based on individual merits (ability to perform job,) or other morally legitimate qualifications. Second, the decision derives solely or in part from racial or sexual prejudice, false stereotypes, or some other kind of morally unjustified attitude against members of the class to which the employee belongs.Third, the decision has a harmful or negative impact on the interests of the employees, (no job, no promotion or pay rise) Reference (Business Ethics 7th edition by Manuel G. Velasquez 2012) EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION: SOME ECONOMIC DEFINITIONS, CRITIQUE AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS by GARY S. BEC KER. Milton Friedman ed. , 2nd ed. 1971 Becker, Gary S. 1971, the Economics of Discrimination, 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Critically Examine the Geopolitics of Humanitarian Aid Within the 21st Century.

Critically examine the geopolitics of humanitarian aid within the 21st century. How have responses to famine changed over time and what are the key challenges to famine prevention today? Geopolitics have played a huge role in humanitarian aid in the current century. Because humanitarian aid is largely sponsored by western countries it poses a huge problem in the form of a â€Å"parochial form of theorizing†1 that supports the interests of the richest countries of the world. For the purpose of this essay I will begin by examining the problems that have arisen in the most recent years of humanitarian aid assistance.This arises from conditional aid, whereby donor countries or organizations impose conditions in order for recipient countries to receive this aid. Followed by this is the secularization and polarization of the aid industry where organizations are constantly in competition for finite resources. Lastly the 21st century has seen foreign militaries carry out humanitarian aid missions which jeopardizes the neutrality and impartiality which is so essential in carrying out aid to anyone who is in need. Secondly this essay will look at how humanitarian aid has changed over time.For the purpose of this short essay I will look at the 1998 famine in North Korea whereby humanitarian aid was given, only under political concessions. Disguised as aid, the humanitarian assistance given to North Korea was used as a political tool that undermines the fundamental ideas of humanitarian aid. The basic theorizations of humanitarianism put a deep emphasis on adherence to principles of impartiality and neutrality and assistance based solely on need. Adherence to these principles has been the biggest problems of humanitarian aid over its history, but never more so than in the 21st century.Aid in recent years has been based on conditionality which essentially means that in order for nations to receive aid, these nations have to adopt conditions that that the donor nation imposes. This means that aid is not offered on the basis of those who need it, but is based on policy that supports the donors giving aid. Therefore critics see these policies, although framed as humanitarian in principle, as very far removed from humanitarian. In essence it is foreign policy that is advantageous to the donor. Some such policies that come from conditionality are trade liberalization, that can ruin domestic economies and increase unemployment, and capital account liberalization that would open less developed economies to investments from multi-national corporations. Such investments have little impact on the majority of people in these countries and generally only benefit the corporations themselves and a small group of elites in the recipient countries. This supply of aid, especially in the events of crisis is in complete contrast to the fundamental principles of humanitarian aid. One of the most problematic concerns of aid in the last ten years has been the politi cization and secularization of the aid industry. Over the last twenty five years humanitarian aid has become heavily institutionalized. This has led to more effective logistics and delivery systems. However it has also created institutions that are perhaps not so concerned with providing aid to those in need, but acting in the interests of governments or big businesses that are the donors of the resources. Humanitarian organizations such as NGO’s and now foreign military forces are often in competition with local organizations which has led to valuable resources being wasted because of constant competition for aid . 5Because of this, NGO’s neutrality (one of the most fundamental principles of humanitarian aid) is severely compromised because the boundaries between relief and development, war and peace and political objectives are not easily defined.Thus, NGO’s in these most recent years have struggled to adhere to the basic humanitarian principles of providing t o those most in need because their ideals are compromised by the secularization and politicization of aid organizations. 6 Perhaps one of the most fundamental problems of humanitarian aid in the 21st century is the fact that it is often no longer carried out by NGO’s, but is in fact coordinated by foreign military forces. In cases such as Iraq and Afghanistan the United States military assumed a huge role for the distribution of disaster and humanitarian assistance alongside their military objectives.If foreign militaries are carrying out humanitarian aid alongside military objectives, then there is no way that aid can be supplied to whoever is in need in ways that are impartial, neutral and independent. This new system whereby foreign militaries are responsible for supplying aid has created huge security problems for not only the military, but for the people who are receiving aid. Opposing factions to foreign military time and time again in Afghanistan and Iraq have targeted civilians receiving aid to further their own agenda. These are the problems that exist in the humanitarian aid industry today, but these problems have developed over a course of many years and responses to famine and humanitarian disasters have evolved over time. Thirty years ago disaster relief and humanitarian aid were not considered to be of huge significance on a geopolitical scale. During the 70’s and 80’s although humanitarian crisis existed, the geopolitics was more focused on the cold war and respecting the sovereignty of nation states.Although crisis in Africa, East Pakistan and Guatemala (to name a few) were made aware to the international community , they were sidelined by the real political concerns defined by the cold war. Throughout the 1970’s, 1980’s and even the 1990’s international opinion and more importantly international law, respected the fact that governments, even of highly prone man-made and natural disasters had the respon sibility, will, interest and ability to protect their own citizens.Any humanitarian aid that was given in these years was seen as assistance to these governments to look after their own citizens. Essentially 25 years ago, the concept of ‘humanitarian intervention’ without the concurrence of the affected state would not have been considered and certainly would not have been sanctioned by the United Nations or the International Community. 8 Since the 1980’s humanitarian aid and responses to famine have changed not only in thought, but institutionally.In the mid 1980’s there were approximately 280 governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental aid organizations. Today that number is over 1000. As well as this huge expansion of organizations there has been a dramatic increase in aid expenditure. In the last two decades humanitarian assistance has tripled from approximately two billion to six billion dollars. 9 Because of this huge increase in the funding of aid the competition between organizations can sometimes have disastrous consequences because the organizations are competing for finite resources.This is increased by for profit organizations that are competing for lucrative humanitarian and development contracts. Many donors of aid motives are not for the needs of the people that are in need of these resources but are aligned with domestic considerations or international interests that are a world apart from the specific needs of those people affected by disaster or emergency. 10 The famine of North Korea in 1998 is a perfect example of conditional humanitarian aid, and how it is driven not by humanitarian principle, but a clever tool for geopolitical gains.The North Korean famine shows how humanitarian aid today has changed to become an important political tool in contrast to two decades ago whereby any humanitarian crisis was sidelined because of the geopolitical context of the cold war. 9 In times of famine it is important t o emphasize that the likelihood of a starving nation to accept emergency aid under any condition means that conditional aid can be seen as a political tool to establish a diplomatic, political or even military presence under the disguise of humanitarian aid. 11 This was such the case in the North Korean famine.From 1995-1998 North Korea was hit by a series of national disasters that resulted in a large scale famine. Rough estimates say that by 1998 North Korea lacked about two million tones of grain needed to feed its people. According to the world food program the rate of moderate to severe malnutrition of children in North Korea was about sixty per cent by mid 1998. 12 By mid 1998 the United States and South Korea realized that it could use the famine in North Korea as a political tool to penetrate the isolated North and offer aid on terms that benefited themselves.The United States and South Korea offered food aid on terms that North Korea had to enter into reunification and peac e talks and not break out of the 1994 agreed framework designed to end the North’s nuclear program. If the North refused to adhere to these conditions, no food aid would be given. Another condition was that the shipments of aid would be covered with stickers and logos from the United States and South Korea. Although this may seem insignificant it was a huge propaganda tool for the donor powers.It could serve as an undermining of the North Korean regime that had told its people for decades that the South and the United States were undermining their nation. 13 The slow response to give aid put the US and South Korea in a strategically advantageous situation to further its political goals. If North Korea didn’t accept United States conditions the famine would continue and the possibility of an internal break down of the state increased. If the North accepted the terms on which the donors offered, the aid functioned as an important political tool.It meant North Korea had t o give concessions and that the people of North Korea could see the failure of its regime and the kindness of the western powers that they had been told for so long were there enemies. Thus, humanitarian aid was not offered to support those people starving, but was rather used as a political tool to further the donor states own political agendas under the guise of humanitarian aid. In actual fact, the aid was so far removed from what humanitarian aid in its purest sense really was. 4 So much was this aid seen as a political tool that in 1998 the South Korean government banned non governmental groups from fundraising to support those starving in the North. 15 This is undeniable proof that political aims were the underlying focus of the ‘conditional aid’ rather than aid to help the starving North Korean population that was stricken by famine. The key challenges to famine prevention today are huge and include a combination of factors that are not easily unchanged.First of all, humanitarian aid is now such a lucrative industry that competition for contracts means that organizations are in constant competition for finite resources, the resources that are needed in times when famine strikes. Secondly, as long as foreign militaries carry out some humanitarian aid then the adherence to neutrality and impartiality that is so fundamental to the aid process is essentially undermined. Military goals will always be aligned alongside objectives that are not necessarily aligned with those of starving people.And finally, as long as conditional aid is used as a political tool, then humanitarian aid faces huge challenges. In a time when people need aid, if governments are focused on geopolitical goals and furthering their own agendas rather than helping those in times of famine then humanitarian aid is essentially a guise and is merely a political tool for donor governments to use to further their own agendas. 1 Robinson, J. (2003) ‘Postcolonising geography: tactics and pitfalls' Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography p273 2 When does aid conditionally work?Gabriella R Montinola. Studies in comparative international development, vol 45, 2010, pp 358-362 3 ibid (same ref as above) 4 International Human Crisis: two decades before and two decades beyond. Randolf C Kent. International Affairs Volume 80, issie 5, 2004 p 851-870 5 Aaltola, M. – Responding to emergencies and fostering development: the dilemmas of humanitarian aid Third world planning review. – Liverpool University Press. – 0142-7849   Vol. 22(1), 2000, p. 111-112 6 International Human Crisis: two decades before and two decades beyond. Randolf C Kent.International Affairs Volume 80, issie 5, 2004 pp 851-870 7International Human Crisis: two decades before and two decades beyond. Randolf C Kent. International Affairs Volume 80, issie 5, 2004 851-870 8 Reshaping humanitarian assistance in the twenty first century. Tim O’Dempsey and Barry Munslow. Pro gress in Development Studies 2009 9:1 pp 1-2 9 Randolf C Kent. Pp 851-870 10 Aaltola, M. – Responding to emergencies and fostering development: the dilemmas of humanitarian aid Third world planning review. – Liverpool University Press. – 0142-7849   Vol. 22(1), 2000, p. 111-112 11. G.M Guess. The Politics of United States Foreign Aid, London: Croom Helm, 1987, p3 12 Lischer, Sarah Kenyon. Dangerous Sanctuaries:  Refugee Camps, Civil War, And the Dilemmas of Humanitarian Aid. Cornwell University Press. 2006. Pp 3-9 13 Emergency Food Aid as a Means of Political Persuasion in the North Korean Famine Mika Aaltola Third World Quarterly  , Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr. , 1999), p 374 14 Emergency Food Aid as a Means of Political Persuasion in the North Korean Famine Mika Aaltola Third World Quarterly  , Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr. , 1999), pp 372- 386 15 Korean Herald, 13 May, 1997

(1) Is Inequality inevitable (2) From Karl Marx', Max WEBER', Vilfredo Assignment

(1) Is Inequality inevitable (2) From Karl Marx', Max WEBER', Vilfredo Paretto',and Emile Durkhein' theories,discuss the explanations which are characterizing social class and stratification - Assignment Example sidering the overall differences in the social class, wealth, social status, religion as well as gender and color are some of the key variables making inequality an inevitable thing within any society. Social stratification is a concept outlining the ranking of people or group of people within society. Social stratification and inequality therefore is considered as one of the oldest concepts as societies, over the period of time, clearly categorized their citizens based on certain standards and criteria. Various scholars have therefore attempted to understand the phenomenon of inequality and outlined the social and economic characteristics of inequality. The work of Karl Marx, Max Weber, Vilfredo Paretto, and Emile Durkheim is considered as the major works to outline social stratification and inequality. These scholars therefore outlined and explored the idea of whether inequality is inherent within societies and how societies can progress to achieve equality. Social stratification is considered as the central part of the human organization and the earliest writings on the subject too outline this concept. Aristotle even discussed about the natural ranking of the free and slave people. Even during the age of enlightenment, major philosophers of that time such as Locke and Rousseau discussed about how feudal system within the European society at that time produced social stratification and inequalities. (KERBO) The word stratification has a root of Strata which naturally refers to the ranking of people or group of people within a given population. It is however, critical to understand that social stratification not just signifies the universal inequalities however; It also outlines some legitimation behind the inequalities existing within the societies. Many scholars therefore suggested that the social stratification is a system with predictable rules behind it which consciously rank people according to different criteria. It is also argued that without a

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Describing the dilemma faced by the industy relative to health care Essay

Describing the dilemma faced by the industy relative to health care benefits - Essay Example Healthcare benefit plans hence vary with states or organizations. With the dynamic business environment, most organizations have resorted to technology to fight for their lives in the highly competitive markets and industries. However, the best way to keep being relevant in a business is always through having the best human resource. The best human resource is that which is healthy, innovative and highly motivated to execute the endeavors of the organization. Long-term profits are ensured by proper medical plans to an organization’s employees (Wurman, 2004). Every organization rates their risky situations differently. Generally, a sound healthcare plan encompasses; services of the ambulance, emergency, health cure, mental healthcare services, maternity, newborn care services, drug and substance abuse, guidance and counseling among others. In addition, varying healthcare insurance plans such as Health Maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations in varying proportions provide the healthcare cover to organizations (Wurman, 2004). The benefits of provision of healthcare benefits to employees are numerous. Manufacturing organizations for instance operate in highly risky environment. Employees in such organizations therefore are prone to injuries. The best way to keep the best human resource in such a risky environment is by instilling a motivating factor. Being healthy and assured of health benefits is a motivating factor to individuals. Employees are easily motivated to industriously work hard and take risks whenever need be. Risk taking assists in innovation and creativity (Clemens, Cutler, & National Bureau of Economic Research, 2013). This, in turn improves the profitability of the organization. Organizations with employees having health covers always have their human resource intact as they only occasionally lose their employees to sick leaves. An organization is better placed in acquiring

Behaviorism vs. Cognitivism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Behaviorism vs. Cognitivism - Essay Example The primary aim of this paper is to outline the differences between two schools of academic psychology--behaviorism and cognitivism. I will first outline and explain two experiments purporting to explain human cognition by Jean Piaget. I will then explain how behaviorist B.F. Skinner might object to this methodology. Finally, I will address some possible responses to Skinner that Piaget could use to defend the scientific integrity of his experiments. Jean Piaget is often referred to in academic psychology as a â€Å"developmental cognitivist†. A developmental psychologist is one who scientifically studies changes in human personality, thinking and perceptions over the cross of a lifetime. Piaget’s research tends to focus on the development of human children--specifically the intelligence and cognitive capacities of children. Thus he can be said to be a cognitivist, in that he seeks to discover underlying thought processes by observing behavior. In two of his main works, The Construction of Reality in the Child, and The Child’s Conception of Number, Jean Piaget sets up a series of experiments, which purport to demonstrate the differences in cognitive and intellectual processes between adults and children. In the first experiment I am going to examine, Piaget attempts to explain the ability of children to discriminate between quantities of objects. He does this by placing two lines of candy next to each other--one with the candy arranged in a line spread further apart, and one with the same amount of candy in a line placed more closely together. The children are asked to determine which line contains a greater amount of candy. The results were that â€Å"Children between 2 years, 6 months old and 3 years, 2 months old correctly discriminate the relative number of objects in two rows; between 3 years, 2 months and 4 years, 6 months they indicate a longer row with fewer objects to have "more"; after 4 years, 6 months they again discriminate co rrectly† (Piaget). Piaget concluded that children gain the capacity to discriminate between quantities of objects at 2 years, 6 months, but for whatever reason, are unable to use this ability effectively for this task between ages 3 and 4. The second example of an experiment by Piaget I would like to discuss, seeks to demonstrate how children view the relationship between space and object: The child is presented with a model, about one square meter in size, representing three mountains in relief; he is to reconstruct the different perspectives in which a little doll views them in varying positions that follow a given order...when he is asked what the doll sees from a particular position the child describes what he himself sees from his own position without taking into account the obstacles which prevent the doll from seeing the same view. When he is shown several pictures from among which he is to choose the one which corresponds to the doll’s perspective, he chooses th e one which represents his own (Piaget). This experiment shows that young children lack the capacity to understand spatial relationships, relative to an observer other than their own. The child does not attempt to envisage how a particular object might look from the perspective of the doll, but defaults back to a description from their first-person point of view. Piaget concludes that the behavior observed here could best be explained by the developmental stage the child has reached. He points out that â€Å"the egocentrism and objective relativity in question here concern only the relationships between the child and things, and nothing in sensorimotor action forces him to leave this narrow realm† (Piaget). In other words since the child has only reached the point in life where she always encounters objects in relation to herself, even if you ask questions about the relation between an object and another observer, the child will not understand. Behaviorism is a school of thou ght in psychology that can be thought of in contrast to cognitivism. Rather than observing behavior

Paid Employment and Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Paid Employment and Identity - Essay Example According to Kirpal (2011), the company and occupational categories are the source of work-related identity formation processes. Employees form identities as they engage in their job and as they interact with their colleagues and customers giving them a source of commitment, motivation and effective job performance (217). People are also judged according to the work they do rather than who they are and a result people are in continuous search for the right job which brings meaning into their lives. This depends on what individuals view as meaningful work to them and the community as a whole. The question that begs an answer then is what constitutes meaningful work? Klein (2008) observes that content and meaning of work for individuals evolves as technological and economic circumstances change thus making it difficult to find meaning in work and form identities. This paper will explore how paid employment affects identity based on the contextual nature of identity. Identity Identity i s defined by Goffman (1959) as an impression management where we monitor all aspects of behaviour of people we encounter. Identity is therefore like a theatrical performance where actors try to convince the audience that their actions are real when in reality they are not authentic. Actors thus identify the things to be taken into account, act on basis of these identifications and attempt to fit their actions with others in the situation (Burke, 2006). Just like in performances, the actors in society have roles to play and they attach meanings which are derived from culture or from own understanding to themselves while performing the roles. However, the individuals must negotiate meanings derived from own understanding with others who have different views such that self meanings correspond to role behaviour. For example, in a work setting if the role of the worker means service to others, then the worker’s actions or behaviour should match the meaning by attending to customer s needs promptly. Jensen (2011 p. 163), defines identity as â€Å"a process of recognizing and being recognized by those who count.† The nature of identity in this case is relational as individuals try to distinguish themselves from others. For example, in a work situation an individual tries to identify himself by distinguishing himself from non-work situation therefore an individual constitutes his context of development. Jensen also acknowledges that individuals have various identity options which vary across cultural contexts but the individual has to explore the most convenient identity from the available options and make a decision to adopt the chosen identity. According to Goffman (1959), choosing the right option requires negotiation with the other pathways available. For example, people can negotiate on the requirements to fill a certain position or occupation hence set a criterion for identifying with that option. In traditional societies, options were limited as ch ildren followed the path of their parents through apprenticeship hence identified with parent’s occupation. For example, a child from a poor background or uneducated parents was also not educated hence ended in same occupation as parents. However, Rehn (2009) acknowledges that children learn differently from adults and should not be ignored as they also form a

Giovanni's Room novel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Giovanni's Room novel - Essay Example It is said that this issue took a long time before Descartes decided to highlight the issue in the air. On the other hand Cartesian Dualism only works on a specific factor that is if there is dual existence of man. According to the philosophical view of mind, dualism puts emphasis on the difference of radical manner between mind and matter. The issue is that there is denial of some facts in the nature of dualism. An argument states that the mind is not the same as the brain while others say that the mind is not a product of the mind. Talking of dualism, according to Descartes, man is consisted of two aspects which are matter or body and mind. These are the main factors that keep the aspect of dualism to prosper in the real world. Body or matter is the physical substance that does several physical things such as walking, talking and playing the accordion. On the other hand, mind is known as the substance of non-physical nature that has a thinking capacity, a doubting capability and it has the ability to remember several issues. It is sometimes related to the soul. In the novel Giovanni’s room, Baldwin expresses the issue of body and mind in so many issues thus going hand in hand with the argument by Descartes. For example, in the novel, time is an important aspect that is brought to show how David is out of time in making certain decisions. This shows that David is unable to think so as to make the right decisions. This means that David’s mind is not representing the roles of the mind of having the capability of thinking. Baldwin uses this scene to give a show on the issue of mind and its roles. Additionally, it is also shown in the letters written by David’s father to David urging him to make up his mind on what he is doing for his life. At one time David’s father repeatedly reminded David of his age and urged him to go back to America. This means that David

Singapore's Macroeconomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Singapore's Macroeconomy - Essay Example Singapore as a country is devoid of natural resources. In its foreign policy, Singapore has incorporated polices to strengthen its relation with the members of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Singapore also maintains a strong association with the United Nations Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) to improve trade relations with Latin America and East Asia. So, from the very beginning, it had focused on the development of capital intensive methodologies for further growth (Australian Government, n.d.). The Nominal GDP of Singapore in the year 2012 was recorded as 276.52 billion dollars (International Monetary Fund, n.d.). This has even surpassed the prediction by IMF, which had forecasted the GDP to be around 270 billion dollars. Analysis of the country’s business cycle The GDP of the country is tabulated in the following table. Table 1: Real GDP of Singapore Year GDP current prices in US Dollars Growth Rate 2000 94.31 9.04 2001 87.70 -1.154 2002 90.64 4.202 2003 95.96 4.58 2004 112.70 9.159 2005 125.43 7.37 2006 145.75 8.764 2007 177.58 8.857 2008 189.96 1.701 2009 185.64 -0.98 2010 227.38 14.76 2011 259.85 4.889 Source: (Econ Stats, n.d.) The above table shows the GDP of Singapore at current prices in US Dollars. This paper has considered the GDP growth over the last ten years. The formula that has been used for the calculation of growth is: Rate of Growth of GDP in current year = (GDP value in current year – GDP value in base year)/ GDP value in year base year It can be clearly seen from the table that Singapore’s GDP has been following an upward trend throughout, except a little slump in 2009. The slump can be explained because of the adverse external environment in the World economy. Since then, the economy of Singapore has made a steady progress as can be seen from the rising trend in the GDP. Figure 1: Graphical presentation of GDP Source: (Authors creation) The graph above gives a visual representa tion of the GDP values. It can be seen from the figure that the economy of Singapore had faced a slump in the GDP growth in 2001. This is primarily because of the fact that the country went into recession in the middle of 2001. The chief reason behind this was the slower growth of the US economy, particularly in the electronic sector, which had slowed down the exports from Singapore to not only the US, but also the rest the European countries (Arnold, 2001). Since then, the economy of Singapore had shown a consistent performance. The main reason behind this exceptional growth was not the increase in total factor productivity, which had mainly driven the growth for other Asian countries. The root of growth and a stellar performance for the Singapore economy was the high level of capital accumulation. The growth can be mainly attributed to the mobilization of resources. The development strategies adopted by the government were strategic and vibrant which had mainly propelled the econo my to its growth. In a research conducted by Professor Vu he, it was found that the contribution of the capital-input in the growth process has been around 47%, while labor contributed to around 36% of

The Christian Church Essay Example for Free

The Christian Church Essay The Christian Church was born out of the legacies of the Greek, Roman and Jewish cultures. Through God’s providence and perhaps advantageous timing, the Christian Church entered a world prepared for the truth of God. The Greeks provided a universal language and philosophy that supported the acceptance of the Church. Roman laws, organization, and commitment to peace created proper surroundings for the Church to flourish. Lastly, the Jewish religious principles, helped form the backbone of the Christian Church. Through a detailed examination of the language and philosophy, organization and structure, and religions views of the early Christian Church we can determine that the Greek, Roman, and Jewish Cultures all contributed to the birth and spread of the Church. The Hellenistic culture of the ancient Greeks contributed its philosophy and language to the Christian Church. Alexander the Great built an empire united by a common thread: Greek ideology, language and culture. This process of assimilation by which Greek culture was transplanted to the east became identified as Hellenization. The popular Greek language became a medium on which the Christian religion could flourish, as the language created a disposition of acceptance. The Greek language was the contemporary language associated with a well-established culture. Though the Greek religion was considered one-dimensional and simple, its language allowed the Jewish and other eastern religions, which would eventually contribute to Christianity, to communicate properly. The dominant Greek philosophical ideals of the time, which where Stoicism, Platonism and Epicureanism, all contributed greatly to the evolution of the Christian Church. One early Christian by the name of Clement of Alexandria wrote: Philosophy has been given to the Greeks as their own kind of Covenant, their  foundation for the philosophy of Christ the philosophy of the Greeks contains the basic elements of that genuine and perfect knowledge which is higher than human even upon those spiritual objects. (Miscellanies 6. 8) Clements’ statement demonstrates how important Greek philosophy was to the Christian religion. Great philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato added important concepts and teachings to the Christian faith. The Greek culture was instrumental in providing a well-known and respected language for the Christian Church, as well as many significant philosophies, which contributed to the birth and spread of the Church. The Roman Empire provided efficient structure and organization, which catalyzed the growth of the Christian community. In the year 509 B.C. after multiple monarchs had failed to satisfy the Roman society, the Republic of Rome was founded. The republic divided the power of Rome among a group of Assemblies, two consuls and the Senate. The Republic government flourished for 376 years, but in 133 B.C. it collapsed to civil war. After years of fighting, betrayal and violence, a powerful authority named Augustus founded the Roman Empire. Augustus brought peace and prosperity to the Roman world. This great time for the Roman Empire was called the Pax Romana, a revolutionary era where the Christian religion gained the ability to expand its administration. During the times of the Pax Romana, travel across large distances became very efficient and safe for new public highways were introduced throughout the Roman Empire. Such highways made the spread of the Christian Church much easier than before. Suddenly, messages and people could travel vast lengths very quick. Direct highways in the Roman Empire enabled Christians to unite, communicate and gain power and information. Rome also served as a protected area for early Christians to live and worship God. The Empire’s structure and law under the reign of Augustus supported the importance moral conduct and justice, key concepts that would eventually become part of the Church’s purpose. The Roman structure and law was influenced by the dominant Stoic philosophy. Stoics believed that the highest good that man can achieve is to live a life of virtue in harmony with reason. This Stoic belief would ultimately aid in the Christian understanding of the Natural Law. It is true to establish that the Roman Empire’s structure, law and organization greatly helped facilitate the birth and spread of the Christian Faith. The Jewish culture formed the religious foundation of the Christian Church. The Jewish people were the chosen people of God, the true descendants of Abraham. The early Christians were originally members of the Jewish faith. Many of the Jewish principles of religion continue to exist in Christianity, such as their firm monotheistic belief. Perhaps the most important Jewish relation that helped initialize the Christian Church is the life of the Messiah Jesus. The word Christian did not exist until 40 years after the crucifixion, Jesus was born and died a Jew. The origins of Christianity evolved from the heart of Jewish culture. Jesus challenged the customs of the day by teaching revolutionary interpretations of Jewish scripture. Although they did not call themselves Christians yet, Jesus’ followers founded the beginning of the Church. Jesus used modified and logically understood Jewish scriptures to inform the people of God that salvation was at hand. The entire Old Testament originates from the Jewish written Tanakh. Much of our Christian models such as heaven and hell, angels and devils, and respect and love for human life come from Jewish tradition. Through Jewish religious conception and Jesus’s role in empowering and teaching early Christians, it is true to conclude that the Jewish faith directly aided Christianity to commence and develop. A clearer understanding of the Roman, Greek, and Jewish contributions to the Christian Church allows us to identify the significant impact such cultures have had on the Church. An analysis of the language and philosophy, organization and structure, and religions views of the early Christian Church enables us to conclude that the Greek, Roman, and Jewish Cultures all contributed to the birth and spread of the Church.

Corporate social responsibility motivations and country factors Essay Example for Free

Corporate social responsibility motivations and country factors Essay Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an increasingly important issue for all businesses around the world. CSR covers economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities of firms. Explain the factors that may motivate an MNE to adopt CSR in its international business strategy and operations. How might the country context influence the types of CSR initiatives undertaken? Support your answer with real world examples or cases. While corporate social responsibility (CSR) has existed for a long time, it has garnered attention only in the last two decades as an important aspect of doing business. Academic research on CSR has evolved over the years, indicating a change in how CSR is viewed as time goes by. In the earlier years of CSR research, academics sought to identify a link between CSR and financial performance (Aupperle et al. 1985; McGuire et al. 1998), as though CSR had to be rationalised in order to exist. But moving forward to the present, CSR has been undoubtedly recognised as a need by many organisations, and research has shifted from discussing â€Å"macro social effects to an organisational-level analysis of CSR and its impact on organisational processes and performance† (Lindgreen and Swaen 2010, p. 1). In other words, CSR research has moved from questioning the â€Å"why† to â€Å"how† of doing CSR, reflecting the growing prominence of the practice. CSR involves the â€Å"economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary expectations that society has of organizations at a given point in time† (Carroll 1979, p. 500). These programs are des igned to fulfill a basic economic or social need as expected by the community, honoured by the company in goodwill so as to position oneself as a positively value-driven entity (Swanson 1995; Wood 1991). CSR initiatives can be derived out of self-interest, or external pressure from institutional economics (Meyer and Rowan 1991; North 1992) or when a company decides to rise above its economic function to help and aid stakeholders (Trevino and Nelson, 2004). While there are many reasons for a company to engage in CSR, it ultimately assists the corporation in enhancing its legitimacy (Wood 1991) and fit with society at large (Zensisek 1979), creating a symbiotic relationship between stakeholders and companies (Tuzzolinio and Armandi 1981). Unfortunately, CSR has no consensus definition (Dahlsrud, 2008). It is important to recognise from this that CSR  is a complex and multilayered concept that requires examination from various angles. In this essay, CSR will be understood as a firm’s obligations to act responsibly to all possible stakeholders in the market environment. This essay will now seek to explore the motivations behind pursuing CSR programs by a business organisation, d etermining how various stakeholders and the general public can influence this decision and how the broader country context can affect how a company participates in CSR. In the corporate world, companies are fully engaged in CSR initiatives, with more than 80% of Fortune 500 companies addressing CSR issues (Esrock and Leichty, 1998), reflecting that CSR is more than an ethical or ideological necessity, but also an economic one. As such, more companies today have realised that â€Å"not only doing good is the right thing to do, but it also leads to doing better† (Bhattacharya and Sen 2004, p.9). While it was infamously argued previously that the main purpose of a company was to make profits and thrive economically (Friedman 1970), enterprises now have the option to do so and at the same time, contribute meaningfully to society at large. The reasons for a MNE to engage in CSR initiatives are multiple. Stakeholder theory (Donaldson and Preston 1995) can be used as a skeletal framework to understand where demands for CSR arise. Demand derives from two main groups: consumers and stakeholders. Stakeholders of a company include its investors, employees, suppliers and even the local environment that it is located in. The consumer demand for CSR will be addressed first. CSR engagements may result in producing a good that has socially responsible attributes, such as dolphin-free tuna or a non-animal tested product. It could be in less obvious means, such as a clothing company not ultilising sweat shops or child labour in producing its goods. When consumers buy products that bear such attributes, they believe they are â€Å"indirectly supporting a cause and rewarding firms that devote resources to CSR† (McWilliams and Siegel 2001, p. 119). Consumers are able to identify better with a company that engages in CSR activities and feel a stronger connection or attachment to such firms. Consumer oriented CSR also involve intangible attributes, such as reputation. Having a strong reputation has been linked to attracting more customers, retaining and motivating employees, gaining favour with analysts and the media amongst many more reasons (Bhattacharya and Sen 2004). CSR has come to matter in building a reputation for corporations. The Reputation  Institute ranks the world’s most reputable companies based on the RepTrak ® system. RepTrak ® analyses seven dimensions of corporate reputation: Citizenship, Innovation, Governance, Workplace, Leadership, Products/Services and Financial Performance (Reputation Institute 2013). Of which, three of these dimensions (citizenship, governance and workplace) fall into the CSR category, and analysis has shown that â€Å"42% of how people feel about a firm is based on their perceptions of the a firm’s CSR practices† (Smith 2012, para. 6). The Body Shop, Patagonia and Ben Jerry’s are some examples that stand out in their respective industries having built reputations centring on socially responsible practices. Hence, it is easy to see why consumers drive the demand for companies to engage in CSR activities. Stakeholders too, demand for CSR for various reasons. McWilliams and Siegel (2001, p.122) have posited that employees will support â€Å" progressive labour relations policies, safety, financial security, and workplace amenities, such as childcare. Workers are searching for signals that managers are responding to causes they support†. Nintendo has numerous employee well-being programs in place where all employees can receive support in various aspects of their lives. Free training in life-saving skills and first aid, and subsidies for work safety shoes, transportation costs and even gym memberships are provided to help employees achieve work-life balance and a better well being (Nintendo, 2013). It has been observed that CSR initiatives in a firm typically lead to greater employee work satisfaction where job attitudes are improved and productivity is increased, and is used as a way of attracting talents to a company (Bhattacharya, Sen and Korschun 2012). Valentine and Fleischman (2008) have observed that CSR also plays a part in mediating the relationships between ethics programs and job satisfaction. Taken holistically, effective organisational ethics and CSR activities will incite more â€Å"positive beliefs in the fir m, as well as the immediate work context and culture† (Valentine and Fleischman 2008, p. 167). As observed then, employees play an important role in creating a demand for CSR in firms as they stand to benefit from such programs intrinsically. For both stakeholders and consumers then, CSR programs create an organisational identity that becomes relatable. When companies engage in CSR that underpins their mission and values, stakeholders are able to see an element of themselves in the organisation,  which leads to increased support for the company. As already observed, this can lead to stronger purchase intention in customers, or increased job satisfaction in employees. The largest motivation to pursue CSR for a company though could lie in developing a competitive advantage. While CSR could be executed simply by donating to charities as corporate philanthropy, some firms have recognised CSR as a strategic tool to use and develop in order to answer not only a societal need, but a business issue as well. Strategic CSR is now a form of social innovation, and by answering crucial problems in society that leads to real, long-lasting change; a company will reap the benefits of a better workforce, a new market or higher consumption while adding value to society (Kanter 1999). The need to recognise that economic and social objectives are not distinctively opposing but complementary will lead to CSR that can potentially bring about a social benefit and improve competitiveness (Porter and Kramer, 2002). There are two main business advantages that arise from CSR. Firstly, it presents an opportunity to test out a new technology. Secondly, it provides the opportunity to build political capital by influencing regulations, presenting itself as a market leader or to strengthen relationships with government officials (Kanter 1999). This was exactly what Bell Atlantic did through Project Explore by going into schools to test out their new High-bitrate Digital Subscriber Line (HDSL) technologies with personal computers in the early 1990s. This provided a test ground that would get their technology into the real world and also presented itself as a demonstration site to political leaders for Bell Atlantic to petition favourably for their proposed statewide technology communications plan (Kanter 1999). Bell Atlantic managed to help schools by providing them with computers and new technologies, bettering education and technology literacy, while still achieving a business agenda. The competitive context of a company and its business environment can benefit greatly when economic and social goals are seen as mutually linked. Porter and Kramer (2006) identify four key areas strategic CSR can affect competitive context positively: factor conditions, demand conditions, context for strategy and rivalry, and lastly, related and supported industries. Improving education, in the case of Cisco, enabled them to educate students in computer skills that resulted in a high quality, yet cost effective curriculum due to Cisco’s expertise. Whilst all students from Cisco’s Networking Academy may not work for Cisco, the industry at large benefits. Furthermore, well-trained network administrators who graduate from The Cisco Network Academy create demand for higher quality service and solutions (Porter and Kramer 2006, p. 85). CSR can influence in the creation of a more productive and transparent environment for competition (Porter and Kramer 2006, p. 85), such as Transparency International, where corporations have pledged to disclose and deter corruption in the world. This aids in building fair competition and higher productivity. Finally, a company can benefit by supporting a related industry. For example, American Express funds travel and tourism academics in the recognition of its reliance on the hospitality industry for travel-related spending on its credit cards (Porter and Kramer 2006, p.85). These examples show how CSR can result in tremendous payoffs when executed effectively. While immediate stakeholders c an drive the motivations for CSR initiatives, it is important to consider how the country a company is operating in can affect how CSR activities are chosen and implemented. The different social and cultural differences in each country should be salient enough for managers to acknowledge that CSR cannot be entirely universal, especially in the case of global MNEs. Furthermore, different social needs and problems will be inherent in each country. For example, the prevalence of AIDS/HIV is critical in South Africa. As such, it is only appropriate that companies with a presence in South Africa address this issue; with the likes of Toyota, Sappi and Mercedes-Benz deploying CSR programs that help employees tackle the pandemic of AIDS/HIV. British Petroleum (BP) (BP 2013), a global oil company, undertakes CSR initiatives that are identified as locally relevant, tailoring to the needs of their host communities and societies. A quick glance of their case studies shows various CSR programs ranging from workforce rights in Brazil to community relations in Turkey. While addressing locale-specific issues would be the most effective method of CSR, other factors may e ncourage or hinder such intention. The legal environment can affect the way CSR is implement in a country greatly. It changes either through strong intervention whereby social responsibility is legally stipulated, or a severe lack thereof, which leads to voluntary action by other players (Campbell 2007). France and Brazil are two examples par excellence of how the government can play a key role in creating CSR  demand, albeit in opposite directions. The French government has influenced how CSR has developed and emerged greatly by playing an active role in passing legislation, amongst other policies that requires French companies, including subsidiaries of international firms, to be socially responsible and accountable (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p. 448). On the other hand, Brazil’s history of a military government has fostered a passive environment where innovation is stifled, including that of encouraging improvements for society (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p.449). As such, private actors such as Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are most active in Brazil to encourage CSR programs to Brazilian companies. While the legal environment can affect how CSR is implemented in a country, it can also affect what type of CSR is initiated. Although France has passed mandates to enforce listed companies submit reports on social and environment impacts, the main area of concern belies in employment rights (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p. 450). Similarly, Brazilian companies are also strongly focused on employee relations and well-being, that being the key principle of CSR in Brazil (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p. 451). CSR then is only translated into one dimension of obligation and other dimensions, though equally pressing; take a backseat in the case of France and Brazil. Different priorities in a country culturally can affect how CSR is implemented. In such scenarios, international NGOs come in and encourage other concerns to be addressed. This helps to bring harmony to the imbalance within the CSR activities focused in countries such as France and Brazil. For instance, international environmental NGO, the World Wildlife Fund, has collaborated with French companies to allow the use of their logo, one of the most recognisable brands in the world, on products that meet their standards (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p.452). This has encouraged firms in France to meet environmental standards that was not previously crucial in CSR portfolios. Through this, French companies are more receptive to practicing CSR that is not inherent to their usual procedures. Despite the particularity of each country and how CSR is ideally done based on local demands, the reality of the matter is that CSR is not always practiced this way. Global MNEs typically have general and universal guidelines on what CSR activities should be undertaken in host countries, and most managers have to be given permission to pursue local CSR from the parent company . Universalism in CSR practices by MNEs creates linearity and  coherence for all stakeholders, but can result in less powerful CSR practices. On the other hand, localised programs may end up being fragmented or ad hoc. There is undoubtedly differing perspective on which approach is preferable, as each holds its argument convincingly (Muller 2006). As suggested by Husted and Allen (2006) then, the key difference between global or local CSR is the community that demands it. Another key factor that affects the way CSR is conducted is the development of CSR in a globalised world. It has been recognised by scholars (Gugler and Shi 2009; Jamali 2010) that CSR is fundamentally Anglo-Saxon both in history and development. Hence, CSR has a strong presence in the United States and United Kingdom, but is still lacking in both conceptual and practical thinking in countries based in the Southern hemisphere. Jamali and Ramez (2007) has noted that numerous issues with CSR in the Lebanon context. Firstly, CSR is typically executed in tangent to the parent company’s mission and values. While it is not necessarily a bad move to have a universally applicable CSR issue identified by a parent company, this may lead to a lack of agency by foreign subsidiaries to pursue CSR that is truly important in a specific context. Hence, CSR in Lebanon is still largely based on altruistic means and charitable giving, which is considered a low-level and basic method of implementing CSR. Interviewed companies by Jamali (2007) did not track the performance of its CSR outputs, showing that CSR is not implemented for a genuine purpose of serving a long-term positive impact to society, but to address the obligatory needs in order to build a positive corporate image. Due to the lack of understanding from global perspectives and North-driven ideology, countries may derive value and meaning from CSR in their own terms (Gugler and Shi 2009). China has come up with their own standards because of the dilemma of being the â€Å"world’s factory† and cannot comply with various standards demanded from different suppliers, it becomes too costly to be effective. In this instance, the Chinese government has developed various rankings and best practices for Chinese companies, and goes as far as prohibiting international certifications unless approved by the right local authorities (Gugler and Shi 2009, p.15). By doing so, Chinese companies do not face foreign pressure to comply with standards that are unfeasible for their modus operandi. Overall, this essay has shown that there are numerous motivations for companies to practice CSR. Answering demands to  achieve higher satisfaction in consumers and employees, helping to build a reputation and in its most strategic form, creates a competitive advantage for companies are some of the benefits that a company can yield through effective CSR. While there are numerous ben efits of conducting CSR, CSR implementation is highly diverse due to the various legal, socio-economic and cultural factors that each country brings. Furthermore, due to the development and history of CSR, CSR is still very much in its infancy stage in the Southern hemisphere and pressure to develop a CSR programs similar to current ones in the Northern hemisphere becomes unrealistic and untenable. As such, other actors such as international NGOs may step in to realign and create focus for different needs, or countries may come up with their own compliance standards as a global benchmark to ease doing of business internationally. This has shown thus far how CSR is highly complex as a practice, varying from simplistic to more complex approaches, and once again changing within localities due to the needs and issues to be addressed. As CSR continues to develop, one should take notice of how CSR might change in developing countries and how globalisation continues to affect how companies may choose to conduct CSR. References: Aupperle, K. E., et al. (1985). An empirical examination of the relationship between corporate social responsibility and profitability. Academy of Management Journal 28(2): 446-463. Bhattacharya, C., et al. (2012). Using corporate social responsibility to win the war for talent. MIT Sloan Management Review 49. Bhattacharya, C. B. and S. Sen (2004). Doing better at doing good: when, why and how consumers respond to corporate social initatives. California Management Review 47(1): 9-24 BP (2013). Sustainability. from http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/sustainability.html. Campbell, J. L. (2007). Why would corporations behave in socially responsible ways? An institutional theory of corporate social responsibility. Academy of Management Review 32(3): 946-967. Carroll, A. B. (1979). A three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate performance. Academy of Management Review 4(4): 497-505 Dahlsrud, A. (2008). How corporate social responsibility is defined: an analysis of 37 definitions. C orporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 15(1): 1-13 Donaldson, T. and L.  E. Preston (1995). The stakeholder theory of the corporation: Concepts, evidence, and implications. Academy of Management Review 20(1): 65 Esrock, S. L. and G. B. Leichty (1998). Social responsibility and corporate web pages: self-presentation or agenda-setting? Public Relations Review 24(3): 305-319. Friedman, M. 1970. The social responsibility of business is to increase profits. New York Times Magazine, September 13: 32–33, 122, 124, 126. Gugler, P. and J. Y. Shi (2009). Corporate social responsibility for developing country multinational corporations: lost war in pertaining global competitiveness? Journal of Business Ethics 87(1): 3-24. Institute, R. (2013). Reputation Institute The Reptrak system. from http://www.reputationinstitute.com/thought-leadership/the-reptrak-system. Jamali, D. (2010). The CSR of MNC subsidiaries in developing countries: Global, local, substantive or diluted? Journal of Business Ethics 93(2): 181-200. Jamali, D. and Ramez, M. (2007). Corporate social responsibility (CSR): theory and practice in a developing country context. Journal of Business Ethics 72(3): 243-262. Kanter, R. M. (1999). From spare change to real change: The social sector as beta site for business innovation. Harvard Business Review 77. Lindgreen, A. and V. Swaen (2010). Corporate social responsibility. International Journal of Management Reviews 12(1): 1-7 McGuire, J. B., et al. (1988). Corporate social responsibility and firm financial performance. Acade my of Management Journal 31(4): 854-872. McWilliams, A. and D. Siegel (2001). Corporate social responsibility: A theory of the firm perspective. Academy of Management Review 26(1): 117-127. Muller, A. (2006). Global versus local CSR strategies. European Management Journal 24(2): 189-198 Meyer, J. and B. Rowan. (1991). Institutional Organizations: Formal Structure as Myth and Ceremony, in P. J. DiMaggio and W. Walter (eds.), The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis (University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London), pp. 41–62. Nintendo (2013). Nintendo of America Employee Welfare and Well-being. from http://www.nintendo.com/corp/csr/#welfare. Porter, M. E. and M. R. Kramer (2002). The competitive advantage of corporate philanthropy. Harvard Business Review 80(12): 56-68. Porter, M. E. and M. R. Kramer (2006). Strategy and society. Harvard Business Review 84(12): 78-92. Smith, J. (2012). The companies with the best CSR reputation. from

Triggers of Energy Conflicts

Triggers of Energy Conflicts Title of Essay: Energy Conflicts are inevitable As the global prices for finite energy resources steadily increase, a proliferation of energy projects have sprung up in all regions across the world. Many of these high profile projects, most notably fracking in the U.S.A and Great Britain, have largely been the result of governmental plans for domestic economic development, with an end goal of â€Å"consolidating particular political agendas† (,). Other projects have focused primarily on bringing more renewable and suatainable resource solutions into play in regions where no previous exploitation had taken place. Such _ has noted that as the number of energy developments have increased, so too have â€Å"accompanying conflicts†, which are more often than not excaberated by external political, social and, of course, environmental factors. These conflicts quite often vary in their dynamics, however an underlying feature seems to be an inherent flaw in governance regarding the management of energy companies. Conflicts both at local and national levels have revolved around an array of issues, ranging from deep rooted opposition to the location of such energy projects to the very proceeses involved in harnessing particular resources. In less developed countries such as Latin America and India, the marginalisation of certain societal groups is strikingly apparent. However, as stated by Lustig (2011), â€Å"the last decade saw some improvements in terms of reducing the rising trend in inequalitythat could be traced back partly to improved education levels and increased transfers to the poor† (). Energy conflicts consistently relate back to these aforementioned social and political influences and can generally be divided into three major geographical categories: local, regional and national. All of these categories have implications on a geopolitical scale. For example oil projects is frequently used as a tool for building political alliances across borders. Sometimes conflicts, which are decades old, may re-ignite and therefore it is not always new investments within the energy sector that give rise to conflicts. On a national level, the exact distribution of energy revenues among institutions and/or economic groups fuel significant disputes. Local level disputes oftentimes offer up unique and insightful case studies on environmental conflicts. The reason being that, although these local conflicts unfold in the actual geographic sites of energy developments, the have been known to have national consequences if not dealt with in an appropiate manner. More importantly, these local conflicts tend to highlight existing failures within states, such as historic economic inequalities and weak insitutional frameworks. Unless addressed in a timely manner, these conflicts have pe rsistently presented awkward challenges for governmental energy policies and have even threatened the stability of some governments. Triggers of Conflict: A primary reason why environmental conflicts can be regarded as inevitable is due to the sheer mulitude of triggers that can ignite disputes. Oftentimes, these triggers are provoked simutaneously, which can pose difficulties in producing strategies for conflict resolution or mitigation. The foremost trigger to energy conflicts appears to be the level of opposition to a certain project. Such_ claims that this particular trigger is the most intricate of all, mainly due to the fact that the level of opposition with regard to energy developments frequently range from an absolute rejection to a total acceptance. In the case of fracking in Balcombe, opposition to the energy operations of the drilling company Cuadrilla was based solely on the negative environmental and social effects linked to fracking. On the other hand, approval on the pro-fracking side was spurred on by the prospects of econmic benefits and the creation of employment. However, as other energy conflicts, there exists move ments that occur in between the two extremities of approval and rejection. These frequently take the form of negotiations between the two opposing sides. Non-governmental organisations such as Greenpeace and the World Resources Institute are recent examples that have radicalised their direct actions across the world, while still gaining traction as negotiators for environmental issues. These, combined with non-homogenous views within the community vis-à  -vis the energy development on their lands, have often resulted in protracted conflicts. The level and nature of involvement of international non-governmental organizations in the conflict. International NGOs not only have grown in power and sophistication over the last twenty years but, because of their strong environmental focus, they have become particularly active in the Amazon. They have played a fundamental role in supporting communities in their negotiations with companies and governments. However, they have also at times be en accused of contributing to the escalation of conflicts through the imposition of agendas that did not fully represent the demands of local communities. Historical greivances, coupled with prior attempts at energy developments in an area or region, contributes significantly as an enerfy conflict trigger, especially in places that have experienced social or even enviromental damage as a result of such projects. In attempts to prevent history from repeating itself in cases Old grievances, or the history of previous energy projects in the area. In areas with a history of social or environmental damage from previous energy projects, local inhabitants tend to be more active in opposing similar new developments for fear of a recurrence of past negative externalities. Communities affected by old projects also tend to be more radicalized. The best example is widespread opposition to new dams, which builds upon the deep scars left by similar projects in the past. The Chixoy Dam in Guatemala, built in the 1970 to 1980s, entailed the forced displacement of more than 3,445 people, mostly indigenous, with no viable resettlement plan. That project also included allegations that the forced relocation included human rights violations by the then-military government. Another example is the legendary Yaciretà ¡ hydroelectric power plant built between Argentina and Paraguay in the 1970s; it displaced as many as 50,000 people. The environmental and social standards of the company involved in the energy projects. In the past decade, Latin America has seen a proliferation of both small oil companies and large national oil companies (NOCs), some of which have shown less stringent social and environmental safeguards relative to the big majors. Many of these junior companies are not publicly listed; this leaves them less concerned about their image and less subject to shareholder pressure to perform as well as the largest corporations do. Furthermore, they generally operate under more restricted budgets than their larger counterparts and the contractual span of their oil projects is much shorter, meaning that they may not have the time, the resources, or the interest in engaging in long-term relations with the local populations. The degree to which companies and governments comply with agreements reached with local communities. A government or a company’s failure to comply with a previous commitment with a community leaves locals feeling betrayed and is very often a source of conflict. Trust is eroded and difficult to rebuild. Communities often protest the breach of contract with force or violence. The extent of law enforcement. A brewing source of conflict is the improper enforcement of national laws or international conventions to which the country is a signatory. National laws may be either overlooked or not properly applied. Typical examples of this are oil projects developed in protected national parks, with full disregard for the laws that shield these socially and/or environmentally sensitive areas. At the same time, an overabundance of overlapping laws sometimes creates confusion as to their application, leaving them practically inoperative. These situations, combined with governments’ failure to comply with international legal standards—such as those imposed by the ILO 169 Convention and the U.N. Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (see box on page 5)—could lead populations affected by the energy developments to resort to violence as they seek answers to their problems. Indigenous communities often accuse governments of infringement of their right to free prior and informed consent, as granted by those international agreements. Very often, consultations are conducted after the license has been granted to the private energy operator and it is too late to object. Adding to the tensions is the slow pace of the legal system, which can take decades to settle a case, as illustrated by the lawsuit against Chevron that started in Ecuador 17 years ago and has still to be resolved. The availability of institutional mechanisms to mediate conflicts. More often than not, countries lack well-functioning institutions with the capacity to effectively mediate conflicts. An exception is the Peruvian Ombudsman Office, an organization with an unusually high level of legitimacy among all the stakeholders and with proven success in de-escalating conflicts. Local NGOs have also participated in mediating conflicts but usually with lower success rates. With all these triggers in mind, a so called elephant in the room still exists in relation to energy conflicts and that is the potential for economic and social disadvantages, which often leads to a political exclusion of sorts. This is more prominent in developing countries, whereby local communities are presented with the enormous task of bartering with global energy companies such as Shell and Chevron for healthcare and educational funding. These services, expected to normally be provided for by the government, is largely basic. Negogiating with energy companies therefore become the only method available to these communities in order to improve their living standards, or at the very least, gain access to basic state services. However the realistic results of such interactions are very seldom perceived as fair and as such, conflicts detroriate at local, regiona and national levels. Such_ has noted that unless these local conflicts are â€Å"addressed with the seriousness and depth they deserve†, then the ability of local communities to mobilise at national levels could be a major cause for concern for government stability. One need only look as far back as 2009, when the city of Bagua in Peru experienced violent conflicts between police and indigenous tribes, as a result of their oppostion to American resource exploitation in the Amzaon itself. This essay identified five triggers of energy conflicts as well as three major types of conflicts within this sector. The national and regional conflicts often receive the most attention from the public and from the media, however it is within local conflicts that the potential to reach national importance exists, unless the conflict is addressed properly. This paper identified four types of energy related conflicts in Latin America: geopolitical and border conflicts at a regional level; revenue conflicts at a national level; and local conflicts that carry the potential to reach national importance unless properly addressed. Geopolitical and border conflicts normally receive the most attention from the general public and the media. However, revenue and local conflicts carry a greater risk of destabilizing the region because they build on largely unresolved inequalities, weak governance, and increasing radicalization of the indigenous movement. Energy project expansion is necessary for economic growth in Latin America, where installed hydroelectric capacity remains very low and large oil and gas reserves await development. However, these infrastructure needs also constitute a tremendous risk factor as most of the still-untapped oil and water sources are in environmentally and socially sensitive areas. These social and environmental frag ilities, combined with a dire economic reality and historical marginalization of the communities affected by the energy developments, result in gradually increasing conflictive situations. Unless addressed rapidly and properly, these conflicts could pose important challenges to Latin America’s political stability and to the region’s economic growth prospects.

Human equality does not trump that of Nature Essay -- Persuasive, W

My argument that I will make will be that the speaker arrives at the conclusion that he, as well as the human race, is equal to nature. Through the use of a series of examples, I will make my point that both the human race and nature are considered to be equal in array of aspects that are debatable. Through a series of questioning from the child that is reflected back to the child by the speaker, the speaker attempts to take a crack at the meaning of nature’s evidence. E.g. in section 6 the child poses a question which seems to be directed at the speaker, " what is this grass?" Fetching it to me with full hands; How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he."(99-100) The tone the speaker held was once jubilant and self-praising that ousted the need for criticism of natures grass or it’s flags, and stated " I celebrated myself, and sing myself, â€Å"(1) He does not question and analyze the world as it evolves and blossoms around him until he m oves from his loafing phase. Instead the speaker insists upon observing the motions of nature for example " I loafe and invite my soul, I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass."(4-5) This simple observation is not matched with any sort of debate from the speaker. Instead the speaker leans and loafs and does nothing but enjoy himself in the whims of the summer grass. In the speaker’s effortless state, I would claim that he is similar to a child who coddles in the act of doing nothing. This glorification of the speaker goes out on a whim and outstretches to welcome a deserving partner to join in the loafing as specified in section 5 " Loafe with me on the grass, loose the stop from your throat, not words not music or rhyme I want, not custom or lecture... ... life. The life of a human is then set to change regardless of nature’s input or any other human’s inputs for that matter because every human life holds different meanings and routines. Whitman drives my point home in saying â€Å"And to die is different from what anyone supposed and luckier†. (130) Whitman seems to be implying here that no one can predict the way one person will die and in that sense we are lucky to live a life that is left unobserved on a constant basis and to be at peace is a true gift to be cherished, which goes hand in hand with our death. In the end I would say the speaker has come to recognize nature as having some amount of power, but an equalitarian outlook on life seems to be a viewpoint that Whitman peers through by posing a series of questions that are open-ended and aimed at checking and balancing the power of both humans and nature. Human equality does not trump that of Nature Essay -- Persuasive, W My argument that I will make will be that the speaker arrives at the conclusion that he, as well as the human race, is equal to nature. Through the use of a series of examples, I will make my point that both the human race and nature are considered to be equal in array of aspects that are debatable. Through a series of questioning from the child that is reflected back to the child by the speaker, the speaker attempts to take a crack at the meaning of nature’s evidence. E.g. in section 6 the child poses a question which seems to be directed at the speaker, " what is this grass?" Fetching it to me with full hands; How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he."(99-100) The tone the speaker held was once jubilant and self-praising that ousted the need for criticism of natures grass or it’s flags, and stated " I celebrated myself, and sing myself, â€Å"(1) He does not question and analyze the world as it evolves and blossoms around him until he m oves from his loafing phase. Instead the speaker insists upon observing the motions of nature for example " I loafe and invite my soul, I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass."(4-5) This simple observation is not matched with any sort of debate from the speaker. Instead the speaker leans and loafs and does nothing but enjoy himself in the whims of the summer grass. In the speaker’s effortless state, I would claim that he is similar to a child who coddles in the act of doing nothing. This glorification of the speaker goes out on a whim and outstretches to welcome a deserving partner to join in the loafing as specified in section 5 " Loafe with me on the grass, loose the stop from your throat, not words not music or rhyme I want, not custom or lecture... ... life. The life of a human is then set to change regardless of nature’s input or any other human’s inputs for that matter because every human life holds different meanings and routines. Whitman drives my point home in saying â€Å"And to die is different from what anyone supposed and luckier†. (130) Whitman seems to be implying here that no one can predict the way one person will die and in that sense we are lucky to live a life that is left unobserved on a constant basis and to be at peace is a true gift to be cherished, which goes hand in hand with our death. In the end I would say the speaker has come to recognize nature as having some amount of power, but an equalitarian outlook on life seems to be a viewpoint that Whitman peers through by posing a series of questions that are open-ended and aimed at checking and balancing the power of both humans and nature.

Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the Modern World :: Physician Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia and the Modern World      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A long time ago, culture was universal and permanent.   There was one set of beliefs, ideals, and norms, and these were the standard for all human beings in all places and all times.   We, however, live in the modern world.   Our ethics are not an inheritance of the past, completed and ready for universal application.   We are in the situation of having to form our own beliefs and meanings of life.   This struggle is now obvious in the contemporary discussions of euthanasia.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of the controversial discussions involving euthanasia, the question of legalization is an often argued one.   Whether euthanasia ought to be illegal is different from the question of whether it is immoral.  Ã‚   Some people believe that even if euthanasia is immoral, it still should not be prohibited by law, since if a patient wants to die, that is strictly a personal affair, regardless of how foolish or immoral the desire might be. [Rachels, 56]   My position is almost identical.   I believe there are some instances in which euthanasia is immoral, but I believe it should unquestionably be legal.   In the following paragraphs, I will display the position of the opposition to the legality of euthanasia as well as the position of the supporters.   I shall attempt to prove that, yes, euthanasia should be legal. There is a strong opposition against the legalization of euthanasia.   The main argument against the legality of euthanasia is sometimes known as the slippery slope argument.   People argue that if euthanasia was legally permitted, it would lead to a general decline in the respect for human life.   It is professed that we would kill people in the beginning simply to put them out of extreme agony.   This is the ideal.   But the opposition states that the killing of people wouldn't stop here.   The killing could perhaps escalate to mass murder of innocent victims.   When would the killing stop?   This is what scares the opponent. The opponents argue that once something is accepted, we have no right to deny other similar practices.   This is when doctors and patients would start taking advantage of the new law. Therefore, the first step should not be taken.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I disagree with this notion and believe that there would hardly be any