Case Study Of Garmin Uses Technology Help Promote...

The sum of many is always greater than the sum of one. Utilizing group think can position the company with a unique innovative idea. Currently Garmin uses technology to help promote collaboration between departments and also offices. There are multiple telecommunication technologies that allow for this to happen. At Garmin we currently utilize virtual teams in order to come together and accomplish multiple goals. These teams are designed in order to save the company on travel costs by giving the ability to work remotely via web meetings or conference calls. Garmin has done a great job of promoting these teams with video conferencing so that you get an understanding of who you are working with. Opportunities for Garmin in order to†¦show more content†¦At this point in my experience with Garmin I would not have any additional recommendations for the company to improve upon it research and development area. With the advancement of technology in the work place many analog tasks have been converted to technology which is aiding the advancement. Through almost all departments of the business technology has emerged as the key factor in future growth. I believe that throughout the proposal my suggestions will aid in the growth of the company in the following ways. Throughout this proposal I have put more ideas on the table. This effort is better than a group of like-minded individuals. I also included varied perspectives from different departments and segments of the business. By including employees, managers, shareholders and customers I have been able to give a clearer picture of the context and potential pitfalls. Working with multiple levels of the organization my proposal gains buy-in support from the primary stakeholders. These primary stakeholders have a lot to gain from increasing the technology impact with the business. In the proposal for streamlining the technology suite for customer service, sales and marketing I believe that this would be fair for everyone. Meaning that he ends result would affect them all the same, giving each respective team more access and nimbleness to share information internally and externally. Within this proposal IShow MoreRelatedConsumer Lifestyle in Singapore35714 Words   |  143 Pages............................ 28 Male Grooming ....................................................................................................................... 29  © Euromonitor International CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SINGAPORE Passport II Use of Hair Care Salons, Spas, Nail and Beauty Parlours ..................................................... 30 Chart 11 Chart 12 Value Sales of Beauty and Personal Care Key Categories 2006-2011 ...... 31 Regional Ranking of Per Capita Sales of Mens Grooming

Chandas Secrets-the Stigma of Aids - 1429 Words

Stigma is shown throughout many subjects; obesity, mental illness and the most powerful and worse stigma; the stigma of AIDS. The stigma of AIDS is clearly shown through a powerful story set in the middle of the African HIV and AIDS pandemic. The novel Chanda’s secrets accurately demonstrates the stigma of AIDS by portraying characters blinded by fear, being ashamed, feeling sinful, and living in denial. The stigma is shown through a maturing young girl’s point of view, seeing others and as well as herself confronting the different ‘symptoms’ of the stigma and what steps both she and the other characters took to overcome them. To begin with, being blinded by fear is associated with the Stigma of AIDS. Most people are blinded by fear when†¦show more content†¦Mrs. Tafa did not want Chanda being around Esther because she knew what would be said behind Chanda’s back. She knew what rumours would be spread, what gossip would be exaggerated. She also said this because she did not what the neighbourhood to know she was living next to children who associated with AIDS infected people. This is a method on how the author chose to show that being ashamed is part of the stigma of AIDS. Likewise, sin/feeling sinful is also part of the stigma of AIDS. In small, sub Saharan African villages such as the ones previously mentioned, having such a well known, yet feared disease could begin questions, and judgemental opinions to be made. If a person has the virus, it could send a message that the person has been ‘sleeping around’. To further explain how sin is part of the stigma of AIDS, Mama was thought of as somewhat of a whore/slut by her family, because she had four husbands, when she was originally supposed to marry the man her parents picked out for her. Lilian’s family believes that because she refused to marry Tuelo, a curse was brought upon her. They concluded that her loved ones were dead because she dishonoured the family and ancestors. They believe her children and husbands died as a form of punishment. An example of Mama feeling sinful would be when just as Auntie Lizbet is just about to leave for Tiro and she says to Mama â€Å"as you sow , so you reap sister. The sins are visited uponShow MoreRelatedChandas Secret- Stigma1512 Words   |  7 Pages20th December 2012 Final draft AIDS- The stigma of life Since the invention of medicine, never have human beings needed to face as a big challenge as the present: The AIDS epidemic! When people have HIV virus and it continues to develop seriously, the HIV virus badly damages their bodies’ immune systems, which leads them to the risk for opportunistic infections, meaning they easily get sickness without any protection. In this period, their disease will turn into AIDS, which has taken countless lives

Crisis Communication and Emergency Management †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Crisis Communication and Emergency Management. Answer: Introduction The rise of social media has a great impact on the process through which a customer makes decisions regarding purchases along with making interaction with the brands with the customers with the help of purchases cycle. Most of the organizations understand the concept of promotion using social media. However, few people comprehend the way to make value for particular attribute. In the present study, use of social media in order to manage business is described. Newman (2017) stated that Emirates Group is one of the top global brands with strong corporate culture. The organization has entered through cargo shipping and continuously enhances as well as renews their services in the airline. In addition, the organization manages the requirements of target audience and decision for focusing on diversified market. The company does not provide several places in the USA. However, it focuses on their high-end acquisitions as well as diversification. However, the company does not provide facilities for budget travelers as well as personalized services (White 2016). The company has developed continuously for new generations and advanced airline with the aviation services. The competitor organizations for instance Gulf Air and Eihad are considered as major threats. In present situation, it becomes difficult to manage customers effectively as competence is increasing day by day. Rapid development of information and communication technology helps organizations to communicate with customers and know their demands. However, it becomes difficult to use appropriate social media tool that can provide competitive benefits to the organization. Reaching consensus Social media produces a massive amount of data related to the customers in real time (Piotrowicz and Cuthbertson 2014). Through daily activity as well as social listening, related customer data as well as use of information makes the business smarter. On the other hand, it increase brand awareness as well as loyalty. Social ads are considered as one of the most inexpensive ways in order to promote business as well as distribute content. These are powerful in terms of targeting options so that it is helpful to research to right audience. Apart from these, use of social media is helpful to generate higher converting leads. Social media is also helpful for increasing sales as well as customer retention by making regular interaction along with timely service. In addition, use of social media is helpful to provide rich customer experience. A report by Aberdeen Group has shown that the organizations involving in social customer service can gain more profit. Social media such as Twitter is also one of the largest places for an active group of people known as trolls. These people have the sole intention of negatively impacting anyone who is not aligned with their ideals. The queries or the feedback posted by an unhappy customer might be a troller in disguise. They might post various comments on the twitter account page of Emirates Airlines. This will impact the business of the company as not many people are aware of the concept of trolling and might consider the negative feedback from such a person as true (Pearlson et al. 2016). On the other hand, there is immediate future as well as long term to be the best in the projects. There are various process lied in the success of the organization. Knox, Marston and Imort (2016) commented that provided birth to social media. Social media has been used in various context associated with distinctive technologies and the thing for accomplishment. Hajli (2015) stated that the process makes the web-based technologies in order to transform as well as media monologues into the social media dialogues. The social media technology supports democratization of knowledge as well as transforming information from the content consumes to the producers. Hence, people can rely more on the social media in order to learn regarding the events. There are several social media websites like Facebook, Orkut, MySpace, Google+, LinkedIn, Youtube and Twitter (Siamagka et al. 2015). LinkedIn is used for mainstream social networking sites. On the other hand, Facebook, Orkut, MySpace and Google+ have the purposes for mainstream performance. Wikipedia is used as the open-source online source encloypedia. Managing change Kavanagh and Johnson (2017) stated that various advantages are generally observed as it raises marketing return on the investment as well as development of product quality. The social CRM form has technological standpoint bridges with traditional CRM. Hence, complete picture can be developed when various elements weaved across social media and integrated as the part of operations. Organizations working closely with the customers need to co-create ideas for product service. Kotter 8 step process is helpful to analyze the strategy taken by Emirate Airline. In the first step, it is required to create urgency. For change to happen, it assists the entire organization to work on it. Development of the urgency plan would be helpful to achieve the need of changes. It is important to identify threats and develop scenarios for future. Analysis of the opportunities could be exploited through it. In the second step, it is required to develop a powerful coalition where it is required to convince people that change is essential. Finding effective change leaders in the organization is helpful for the organization. Use of Twitter can be useful to influence people requiring work as a team. In addition, using Twitter is useful for creating vision of change. Communicating the vision as using Twitter is helpful to generate strong competition with others. On the other hand, removing Obstacles as privacy and security issues need to be assessed (Stieglitz et al. 2014). Moreover, creating short-term wins as short-time benefit for using social media for customer management is helpful for the organization. Apart from these, develop on the change of demands and anchor the changes in making corporate culture is required to achieve for implying social media as Twitter for the organization. While adopting social CRM, there are several challenges. The vital part is privacy of the user data. Using social listening tool can only access public data. There are regulations for preventing storage as well as usage of the information. Social media uses the applications for newer channels like micro blogs as well as communities that lead to higher customer association with the organizations as well as brands (Stieglitz et al. 2014). However, the ID of social media requires to be verified for preventing information with the unauthorized persons. It also provides different aspects that look to the readiness for adopting SCM for gaining future opportunity. Planning IS development Customer relation management tool is used for understanding the role of social media in business. In the current context, Emirates Airline has been selected as case study organization. Moreover, as an internal solution Yammer is considered. The use of twitter in customer relation management is described in the study. However, there are several limitations faced by Emirate Airline in using Twitter as customer management tool. The most important limitation is selecting mixed method approach as it can lead to make the process effective. On the other hand, in order to clarify tendency of the process, it is required to make direction of the process (Simon et al. 2015). Cross-functional strategies would be helpful for creation of enhanced shareholder value by making proper relationships with the customers as well as customer segments. CRM is viewed as the strategic management approach concerned with the use of data as well as technology along with the process of integration. Strategic management approach is helpful for diffusion of the knowledge of customers. In order to sum up the attempts for establishing the functions and management of the process, long-term relationship as well as customer exchanges for customer relationship lifecycle would be useful. The perspectives are sales, relationships as well as management activities for differentiating each other in the process. The network perspective includes highest depth of the asset of customers as well as scope of the process (Parveen et al. 2015). It is important to give attention on the perspectives for important interactions between the organization as well as its customers. A holistic approach can be helpful for making cross-functional approach, which is supported by strategies and technologies along with the process involved in the system. There are several advantages of using social media platforms in order to provide beneficial value. Westerman, Spence and Van Der Heide (2014) mentioned that generation of proper market intelligence for current as well as future requirements can be helpful for market orientation. Stemming from the implication of market orientation is one of the approaches for gaining better relationship in marketing principle implied a competitive benefits gained as well as sustained by fulfilling the demands of the customers. Sharing is one of the comparable ideas of information reciprocity where consumer interacting as well as sharing information is encouraged by multiple activities. It leads to a positive effect on the ability of the organization. Sharing SM tools can be helpful to give advantage on the user exchange. Dealing with outsourcing Emirates Airlines has one of the largest customer bases among other competitor airlines that currently dominate the global airlines market. Social media can be used to reach the highest number of customers who use their services (Xu et al. 2016). IBM has signed ten-year technology service agreement with Emirates Airline that is approximately $300 million. In this perspective, it is important to develop effective communication plan that could be achieved with the help of social media. People check their social media accounts more frequently than their email accounts and therefore social media is one of the greatest tool that can be used to promoting a healthy customer-airlines relationship. Emirates Airlines can use Twitter to connect with their customer base to handle their queries and any issues that they might have faced while using the service at Emirates Airlines. The customer can post their queries or issues on the Twitter account page of Emirates Airlines. A select team of experts will attend to such queries and would solve them within a fixed amount of time. Such a technique is useful as most of the time the customer might face technical troubles while calling the company and the calls does not always connect to the right department who would sole the issue (Prpi? et al. 2015). Many times, it has been observed that connecting to the right department to solve a particular issue takes time and the customer might not be able to always afford such time. It onl y takes a few seconds to post a complaint or a query on the account page and therefore it saves a lot of the customers time. Dealing with privacy Twitter has one of the highest user base and therefore it can be safely expressed that most of the customers of Emirates Airlines will be able to sue this tool. Familiarity is one of the best tools that can be used by a company to make a customer comfortable in an unknown environment. Therefore, a customer might be hesitant to call or email to leave a feedback to the company, they would be easily using their Twitter access to do the same. Leaving a few words of feedback on the Emirates Airlines Twitter account page will therefore be beneficial for the customer and for the company. However, several issues like dealing with privacy are one of the major challenges of the organization. Hence, it is required to use DPA principle for using social media in marketing management. The first principle of Data protection principle needs to be processed lawfully. Second principle shall be obtained for more specified process. Third principle shall be adequate, related as well as not excessive related to the purpose of the organization. Personal data in Twitter of Emirates Airline need to be accurate, whereas fifth principle processes personal data. Seventh principle implies technical as well as organizational measures. On contrary, eighth principle help to ensure personal data that should not be transferred out of the nation or territory. Channeling the feedback to the correct department has always been an issue in large companies. Most of the times, the call ends up at the wrong department or the email is lost among a huge stack of other more important emails. Therefore, the tweet on the Twitter holds an individualistic approach and the members at the company see to it that the feedback or the query of the customer reaches the correct department (Wang et al. 2018). The most important factor being understandability of the priority level. Every organization has to deal with different issues every day and it is the responsibility of the managers to segregate the issues based on their priorities and then act accordingly. Due to this segregation, it is seen that most of the time the customers might not be given enough priority (Ngai et al. 2015). However, customers are the source of revenue and must be treated with the highest priority among all other operations and using Twitter will definitely assist in achieving that. Increasing awareness Marketing strategies can be integrated with the Customer relationship management. CRM allows such marketing strategies whereas other marketing tools do not allow it. The company can solve the query or the feedback by the individual customers within a stipulated amount of time and use that to advertise their competency to their existing customers as well as to their potential customers. Shore, Bernstein and Lazer (2015) commented that customers can be reached out and communicated with easily using Twitter. Studies show that people are more open to replying to messages on Twitter than an email that they have received. The human mind works in such a manner that makes answering or getting a directed reply in a group or public chat group as more rewarding. The Social media tools such as Twitter utilize this aspect of the human behavior. The customers of the company will openly share their feedback and reply to messages if it is seen by them that they are being paid attention to. Social media is very easy to use. However, implementing it effectively to serve the objectives of the company might be tough. The people chosen to handle the queries from the social media must be adept and diplomatic in their approach to the different problems that they might face while representing the company on such a huge platform. Additional training might have to be provided to the staff who are not familiar at handling social media and the CRM. Training is an absolute necessity when it comes to handling an important portfolio in a company such as Emirates Airlines whose revenue is entirely dependent on the satisfaction level of their customers. Investing in information Using a CRM with integrated social media like Twitter is more helpful for large companies such as Emirates Airlines, as it aids in minimizing information overload. Information overload generally happens when there are a lot of information to sort through that has arrived through emails. Information overload is one of the factors that affects many companies and creates a situation with poor customer management skills. Emirates Airlines can therefore use this tool for effective customer management as they will not be facing any information overload due to using the social media. All the queries will be viewed and solved by the right person at the company and none of the feedback will get lost in the huge mass of emails. Social media is currently one of the most highly used platform that the people are using to connect with each other worldwide. Twitter is one of the platforms and there are several others such as Facebook and LinkedIn. The following is a list of recommendations for Emirates Airlines: It is highly recommended that Emirates Airlines expand their social media presence from Twitter to Facebook. This is because there might be some users who would be using both of the platforms at the same time. However, the probability of that happening is very low. Most of the users are either on Facebook or on Twitter. Therefore, if Emirates Airlines expand their presence from Twitter to Facebook, then they would be connected with those existing and potential customers who use Facebook only and not Twitter. The company would be able to establish a more stable relationship with the customers on both the platforms. Facebook however also consist of trolls who would be defaming the company on their Facebook page by posting various fake news and socially unacceptable and upsetting comments. LinkedIn is another social media platform that has a lower number of users than Facebook or Twitter. However, all of its users are either corporate executives or business conglomerates. Large business conglomerates mean a large base of potential customers who can be approached to provide airline services. Emirates Airlines will be able to generate a huge number of revenue through targeted marketing strategy using this platform. The users of this platform generally do not use other forms of social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook. This is because those platforms might have some content that the LinkedIn users are unwilling to view. Report findings From the above discussion, it can be concluded that social media has an important role for managing customers in efficient way. In the present context, use of Twitter has been evaluated as customer management tool for Emirates Airline. In addition, social media holds unprecedented potential for the organizations in order to get the customers closer and facilitate the increased revue, cost minimization as well as market feedback research. CRM assists business in streaming operation as well as enhance dealing with customers. Nowadays, consumers like to use social CRM in order to share information regarding interests. A suitable training module must be implemented by the company to train its employees in using social media both at a commercial level and at a personal level. This training module can be used to incorporate a subtle marketing as well as customer relationship regime in the company. The employee base and their connections across multiple social media platforms can be used for this purpose. The fundamental tactics behind this strategy is that the employee can partake in their individual attempt to satisfy the customers of the company by redirecting the queries and the feedback to the companys social media pages. It must be advocated that this method will benefit the company and will be serving to achieve the common goals and objectives. However, in dire situations the company can also incentivize the process as that would motivate the employees to work effectively in the situation. Therefore, by using this targeted approach, the company will be able to solve their queries, utilize their valuable feedback and use the opportunity to generate more business leads and a huge business pipeline. LinkedIn provides an added advantage as the platform is devoid of any troller. This is primarily because the platform only allows professionals. References Hajli, N., 2015. Social commerce constructs and consumer's intention to buy.International Journal of Information Management,35(2), pp.183-191. Kavanagh, M.J. and Johnson, R.D. eds., 2017.Human resource information systems: Basics, applications, and future directions. Sage Publications. Knox, P.L., Marston, S.A. and Imort, M., 2016.Human geography: Places and regions in global context. Pearson. Newman, T.P., 2017. Tracking the release of IPCC AR5 on Twitter: Users, comments, and sources following the release of the Working Group I Summary for Policymakers.Public Understanding of Science,26(7), pp.815-825. Ngai, E.W., Tao, S.S. and Moon, K.K., 2015. Social media research: Theories, constructs, and conceptual frameworks.International Journal of Information Management,35(1), pp.33-44. Parveen, F., Jaafar, N.I. and Ainin, S., 2015. Social media usage and organizational performance: Reflections of Malaysian social media managers.Telematics and Informatics,32(1), pp.67-78. Pearlson, K.E., Saunders, C.S. and Galletta, D.F., 2016.Managing and Using Information Systems, Binder Ready Version: A Strategic Approach. John Wiley Sons. Piotrowicz, W. and Cuthbertson, R., 2014. Introduction to the special issue information technology in retail: Toward omnichannel retailing.International Journal of Electronic Commerce,18(4), pp.5-16. Prpi?, J., Shukla, P.P., Kietzmann, J.H. and McCarthy, I.P., 2015. How to work a crowd: Developing crowd capital through crowdsourcing.Business Horizons,58(1), pp.77-85. Shore, J., Bernstein, E. and Lazer, D., 2015. Facts and figuring: An experimental investigation of network structure and performance in information and solution spaces.Organization Science,26(5), pp.1432-1446. Siamagka, N.T., Christodoulides, G., Michaelidou, N. and Valvi, A., 2015. Determinants of social media adoption by B2B organizations.Industrial Marketing Management,51, pp.89-99. Simon, T., Goldberg, A. and Adini, B., 2015. Socializing in emergenciesA review of the use of social media in emergency situations.International Journal of Information Management,35(5), pp.609-619. Stieglitz, S., Dang-Xuan, L., Bruns, A. and Neuberger, C., 2014. Social media analytics.Business Information Systems Engineering,6(2), pp.89-96. Wang, Y., Kung, L. and Byrd, T.A., 2018. Big data analytics: Understanding its capabilities and potential benefits for healthcare organizations.Technological Forecasting and Social Change,126, pp.3-13. Westerman, D., Spence, P.R. and Van Der Heide, B., 2014. Social media as information source: Recency of updates and credibility of information.Journal of Computer?Mediated Communication,19(2), pp.171-183. White, C.M., 2016.Social media, crisis communication, and emergency management: Leveraging Web 2.0 technologies. CRC press. Xu, Z., Zhang, H., Hu, C., Mei, L., Xuan, J., Choo, K.K.R., Sugumaran, V. and Zhu, Y., 2016. Building knowledge base of urban emergency events based on crowdsourcing of social media.Concurrency and Computation: Practice and Experience,28(15), pp.4038-4052.

Partial Democracy and Governance Assessment in Egypt

Since the revolution that took place in 1954, Egypt has had three presidents namely: Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak. Hosni Mubarak became the president in Egypt after president Sadat was eliminated by the leaders of the Islamic Jihad group, who viciously differed with his policies.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Partial Democracy and Governance Assessment in Egypt specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Before becoming the president in Egypt, Mubarak had served in the military and even as a minister of defense in the country. For over thirty years now, the leading party in Egypt has been the National Democratic Party. Even if the state constitution depicts Egypt as a democratic country, in the real sense it is not. The regime is usually authoritarian, given authority by elections. On 25th January 2011, mass demonstrations against Mubarak and his government exploded in Cairo and other towns in Egypt. A week later, Mubarak declared that he would not vie during the presidential election scheduled in September. He also guaranteed constitutional changes. However, this did not persuade the majority of demonstrators as they wanted Mubarak to leave the office instantly. The protests went on and on 2 February, brutal clashes happened amid pro-Mubarak and anti-Mubarak demonstrators. Later on, Mubarak left the seat and he is currently awaiting trials for the crimes sued against him. In this paper, we shall conduct the first step of a partial democracy and governance assessment (DG) for Egypt during Mubarak’s regime. We shall examine consensus, rule of law, competition, inclusion and good governance. We shall then make a conclusion that summarizes the key points that will be discussed. Consensus A sophisticated consensus on the basic values, standards and rules of how a community will be ruled is the foundation on which protracted democracies are constructed. The course of institut ional transformation supported by Egypt’s most powerful businessmen shares significant aspects of harmony with the reforms recommended by followers of Islamic constitutionalism and liberal constitutionalism (Alaa Al-Din Arafat, 2009).Advertising Looking for report on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These groups support the formation of a more liberal nation with valuable constraints on its authority; a lucid and unprejudiced lawful code; and fortification of political and civil privileges. Nevertheless, there is no analogous consensus on the significance of expanding public involvement in politics. This verity implies that democracy and liberalism have become de- connected in the Egyptian instance. Liberalism is expected to progress gradually in prospect, while democracy is expected to progress slowly and irregularly. This course may finally result to democracy in prospect, especially if liberalism improves the private segment’s autonomy from the state and forms a more independent and politically vigorous middle class (Alaa Al-Din Arafat, 2009). Conversely, constitutional changes in 2007 were exclusively disappointing to the democrats. They felt that Egypt should stay as a hybrid regime with legal and institutional restrictions on the managerial authority. Rule of Law The constitution in Egypt grants for a well-built executive. Power is vested in a designated president who in turn appoints the prime minister, the vice presidents, and ministers. The judiciary in Egypt emphasizes that the state is supposed to respect the law and be controlled by it. In this light, the law is essential in ensuring that the government observes impartiality in its affairs with the public. For a long time, judges in Egypt have powerfully defended their autonomy. The judiciary has formed an extensive body of jurisprudence that usually seeks to fortify the independence and veracity of the courts. This b ody also seeks autonomy in control of special courts including: the Court of Values, the Emergency State Security Courts and the Socialist Public Prosecutor Courts. These bodies were formed largely to evade the ordinary judiciary and allow the government to prosecute its rivals before specially selected judges using slick methods that augment the possibility of conviction. Furthermore, judicial rulings in Egypt include a huge number of cases that guard fundamental rights of due procedures. The Court of Cassation guards’ resident’s right to lawful representation if prosecuted, the right to timely and just trial, freedom from illegal search and arrest and freedom from suffering. As ruled by the executive courts, no person is supposed to stay in an official record of suspects for an indefinite period.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Partial Democracy and Governance Assessment in Egypt specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the same time, no person can be regularly subjected to examination or detention without the appearance of exact evidence validating suspicion of crime. This court also asserted that it has the power to decide on whether an individual’s name should appear in the inventory of those deemed risky to security. The Supreme Court Council (SCC) has given related rulings, holding that investigations may just happen with a court order, and that residents may not be incarcerated or deprived of professional chances on the grounds of sheer suspicion. SCC verdicts have also avowed the presumption of virtuousness in addition to a resident’s right to trial and gentle treatment while under custody. The degree to which these rulings guard entity rights forms one of the most tolerant aspects of Egyptian jurisprudence. Nevertheless, these rulings boast significant distinctions from liberalism. The liberal notion is based in the principle that entity rights lie at the center of political order (Rutherford, 2010). States are formed to guard these rights inside a structure of ordered liberty. The state may not breach them except for a case whereby there is a persuasive public requirement to do so. Egyptian judiciary lacks paramount stress on entity rights. In several rulings, the judges fail to declare the doctrine of basic rights that leads the law and the nation. Individual rights are usually rationalized in terms of their role in safeguarding the safety of the society. Competition Whereas consensus makes a foundation of general perception, shared values and the established order that underpins the organizations and structures via which democracy can be experienced, competition is the system that persons living in democracies use to create and challenge ideas, advocate diverse interests, arbitrate diversities, prioritize predilections, create policies, and balance authority. Competition happens in all sectors and at all heights of society, and wi thin constructions that are both formal and informal.Advertising Looking for report on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Competitive parliamentary elections in Egypt characterize the greatest reaction from an authoritarian government that is surrounded by numerous political issues (Brownlee, 2007). A principal cause for this is that elections alleviate imperative shapes of distributional arguments, especially over access to loots within Egypt’s big class of elites who cover the major source of support for the government (Blaydes, 2008). However, the moderation of distributional argument is not the sole functional advantage of a competitive electoral promotion in Egypt. Elections cause dominance via official channels, offer vital information for the government, provide a central point for the relocation of wealth to state workers and the public and improve the international status of the autocrat while intensifying his political grip (Blaydes, 2010). This does not mean that holding elections eliminates the entire risk of an authoritarian headship; there subsists a trade-off amid the intra-elite serenity and other practical benefits as well as costs associated with the manner that elections intensify state-society affairs, chiefly relations amid the country and followers of its prime opponent, the Muslim Brotherhood. Inclusion Egypt boasts an authoritarian regime. The multiplicity of trade unions is never permitted, and the formation of charitable unions and political parties is usually restricted (Soliman, Daniel, 2011). However, there are 13 authorized political parties although the New Democratic Party (NDP) has remained to be the leading party since its inception in 1978. The Muslim Brotherhood has also made significant efforts into the political institution, but so far it has not succeeded the NDP. In fact, the Muslim Brotherhood is legitimately prohibited by the Egyptian law since it has a religious basis. Furthermore, state bodies are usually subjected to the president, who has absolute authority. In reaction to the growing fame of Islamist unions, the Mubarak gover nment has faltered on its strategies towards the Islamists (Smith, 2008). The regime has opted to pursue a policy of greater litheness towards the inclusion of faith in cultural existence. Even though there has been some discourse with the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamic groups for a long time the height of contact amid the Muslim unions and the regime varies with the political atmosphere (Smith, 2008). Nevertheless, the regime’s reaction to the Islamists has been met with lots of criticism. Good Governance Some scholars consider Mubarak’s regime to be more flexible than the regime that prevailed during the reign of his predecessors (Africa Institute of South Africa, 2008). Mubarak’s political pluralism has expanded the nation’s democracy. At present, the media enjoys the freedom of expression, the judiciary works autonomously and many political parties have been born. Besides, the civil society has been revived. When Mubarak came into power, the cou ntry was in huge debts. As a consequence, he initiated reform programs which emerged successful. Mubarak’s regime was able to control inflation and reduce the debts. Mubarak was also able to preserve peace with Israel and maintain close relations with America. He retained Egypt’s loyalty to the Camp David peace practice and re-affirmed the pose of Egypt as the leader of Arabs. During Mubarak’s reign, Egypt was re-positioned to the Arab League. At the same time, Egypt held a moderating task in the Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations (UN). Egyptian political bodies have developed over time to contain changing situations and realities. Egyptian societies have also demonstrated a level of path dependence, implying that there is a sustained prejudice in political bodies (Bowker, 2010). In fact, the desire to shun costs allied with undoing an already established body, such as elections, may have essentially motivated the ruling regime to invent approaches that have made the already established bodies to work for solidity (Douglas, 2006). Given the multicolored institutional alternatives allied with the electoral process, Mubarak’s regime appears to have experienced little as an outcome of this institutional adhesiveness (Bowker, 2010). The evolving character of these bodies implies that political change has occurred within the historical restraints of Egypt’s institutional bequest. At present, the Egyptian government operates on approximately half of the national revenue as compared to the time when Mubarak initially came to authority. Income from the Suez Canal, gas and oil profits and foreign support are never adequate to nourish the state assets and boost low tax incomes. Financial crisis is a problem for any authoritarian government, as its solidity relies not merely on political subjugation, but also on acquiring the loyalty of parts of the residents. For a long time, the Mubarak government made efforts to stop the dec reasing rentier revenues and restructure civic expenditures in an effort to lessen the political overheads of the fiscal decline. Finally, the account of Mubarak’s regime is purely one of a demonstrated capacity to delay, a restricted success at forestalling the unavoidable political results of financial crisis and a shifting political economy. In conclusion, this DG assessment highlights several facts about Egypt. First, the multiplicity of trade unions is never permitted, and the formation of charitable unions and political parties is usually restricted. The course of institutional transformation supported by Egypt’s most powerful businessmen shares significant aspects of harmony with the reforms recommended by followers of Islamic constitutionalism and liberal constitutionalism. These groups support the formation of a more liberal nation with valuable constraints on its authority; a lucid and unprejudiced lawful code; and fortification of political and civil privile ges. Nevertheless, there is no analogous consensus on the significance of expanding public involvement in politics. Second, the judiciary in Egypt emphasizes that the state is supposed to respect the law and be controlled by it. Judicial rulings in Egypt include a huge number of cases that guard fundamental rights of due procedures. The Court of Cassation guards’ resident’s right to lawful representation if prosecuted, the right to timely and just trial, freedom from illegal search and arrest and freedom from suffering. There exist special courts in Egypt including: the Court of Values, the Emergency State Security Courts and the Socialist Public Prosecutor Courts. Third, competitive parliamentary elections in Egypt characterize the greatest reaction from an authoritarian government that is surrounded by numerous political issues. A principal cause for this is that elections alleviate imperative shapes of distributional arguments, especially over access to loots within Egypt’s big class of elites who cover the major source of support for the government. However, the moderation of distributional argument is not the sole functional advantage of a competitive electoral promotion in Egypt. Fourth, the regime has opted to pursue a policy of greater litheness towards the inclusion of faith in cultural existence. Mubarak’s political pluralism has also expanded the nation’s democracy. At present, the media enjoys the freedom of expression, the judiciary works autonomously and many political parties have been born. Besides, the civil society has been revived. Finally, the evolving character of political bodies in Egypt implies that political change has occurred within the historical restraints of Egypt’s institutional bequest. Egyptian societies have also demonstrated a level of path dependence, implying that there is a sustained prejudice in political bodies. Given the multicolored institutional alternatives allied with the el ectoral process, Mubarak’s regime appears to have experienced little as an outcome of this institutional adhesiveness. References Africa Institute of South Africa (2008). Good governance-African political elites: the search for democracy and good governance. Johannesburg: African Books Collective Alaa Al-Din Arafat, A. (2009). The Mubarak leadership and future of democracy in Egypt. London: Palgrave Macmillan Blaydes, L.A. (2008). Competition without democracy: elections and distributive politics in Mubarak’s Egypt. Los Angeles: University of California Blaydes, L.A. (2010). Elections and distributive politics in Mubarak’s Egypt. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Bowker, R. (2010). Egypt and the politics of change in the Arab Middle East. London: Edward Elgar Publishing Brownlee, A. (2007). Authoritarianism in an age of democratization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Douglas, R. (2006). Change and politics in Egypt. London: Sage Rutherford, B. (2010). Egypt after Mubarak: liberalism, Islam, and democracy in the Arab world. New York: Oxford University Press Smith, K.E. (2008). Inclusion-European Union foreign policy in a changing world. 2nd Ed. New York: Polity Soliman, S. Daniel, P. (2011). The autumn of dictatorship: fiscal crisis and political change in Egypt under Mubarak. Stanford: Stanford University Press This report on Partial Democracy and Governance Assessment in Egypt was written and submitted by user Jed1d1ah to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

That school uniforms are necessary essays

That school uniforms are necessary essays The Macquarie dictionary defines the concept of uniform as; dress of the same style, materials and colour worn by a group. One particular type of group that uniforms are necessary for are students. Uniforms are a good idea for schools because they make life easier for school children. Uniforms are essential for school students because they allow students to all look the same and not have to keep up with the fashion while at school. If uniforms were non-existant, students may be victimised by others because of the clothes they choose to wear. Focus may be placed on the clothes people wear instead of on schoolwork, which is what school is all about. This is damaging to students' studies because school's purpose is to educate, not to be a fashion parade. The students get used to wearing the school uniform and just don't really think about it and just get stuck into their schoolwork. Having a uniform makes everything easier because nobody can really complain as they all have to wear it. Everyone wearing the same uniform allows students to be easily identified. If everyone was wearing different clothes, nobody would know where a student was from. For example, when on an excursion, if someone gets lost, they can be easily recognised and can find their group by their distinctive uniform. This helps the teachers and the school to control and look after the students. Also, all students wearing a neat and well-presented uniform reflects well on the school and presents a good image. Wearing a school uniform can save money and time. Each morning, students do not need to decide what to wear, they simply get dressed in their uniform. This makes getting ready for school hassle-free for students. Time wasted on deciding what to wear could be better spent on doing schoolwork. Parents may be annoyed that uniforms are expensive, especially in private schools where prices can be quite high. They may think ...

Inevitable Globalization

Inevitable Globalization Globalization, according to the basic dictionary definition, is the expansion of activities or ideas to a worldwide scope. The Economist once called globalization â€Å"the most abused word of the 21st century,† and in many respects the way the term is treated in the popular and academic press makes the concept seem a great deal more complicated and murky than it really is. GLOBAL WARMING ESSAY Globalization is nothing new; according to Yale University’s Nayan Chanda, the term first appeared in about 1962 but is actually a normal process of human civilization that has been going on for thousands of years. Historical Perspective on Globalization Globalization, according to the basic dictionary definition, is the expansion of activities or ideas to a worldwide scope. In Nayan Chanda’s view, the process of globalization actually began when the first humans started to spread from the species’ point of origin in Africa to other parts of the world, beginning about 50,000 years ago. Globalization in the form we would recognize it probably started with Alexander the Great; his short-lived empire in the 4th century B.C. was the first in which we can clearly identify the permanent changes in disparate cultures because of their interaction. We, humans, are naturally expansion-minded, and the process of globalization can be attributed to three essential motivations. The first is economic; we are driven to increase our prosperity. The second is political; we seek to expand our range for the sake of security, to increase our power, and to spread our ideas about how we think humans should organize themselves, through concepts of government and religion. The third is our natural curiosity; we are a restless and adventurous species, and can’t help wondering what lies beyond our horizons. Malaysia today is an amalgam of native Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures, with a government system that is a hybrid of the British Parliamentary system and a centuries-old confederation of Muslim Sultanates and is one of the world’s biggest sources of a strategic crop – rubber – that is native to South America. And most of the â€Å"fusion of influences† that created a national culture that is still somehow uniquely identifiable happened a century or more before the word â€Å"globalization† was even invented.  Our world is what it is because of globalization, and it is not at all a recent development. Globalization in the Pax Americana There have been four great periods of globalization in history (see History Essay). These paxes, for lack of a more imaginative word, were all characterized by the presence of a superpower, long periods of relative peace in which armed conflict was at least limited or localized, a significant and rapid improvement in general standards of living, and enormous advances in travel and communications technology. PERIOD I The first was the Pax Romana, which began with the accession of Caesar Augustus in 27 B.C. and ended with the death of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (who was not, despite what the otherwise-entertaining movie Gladiator depicted, smothered with a pillow by Joaquin Phoenix) in 180 A.D. PERIOD II The second was the Pax Mongolica in the 13th and 14th centuries, during which Genghis Khan and his immediate descendants imposed a sophisticated and orderly administration stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Black Sea, securely connecting Europe and Asia. PERIOD III The third was the Pax Brittanica, the century between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the start of World War I when Great Britain was at the height of its imperial power. We live in the fourth, the Pax Americana, which began at the end of World War II. PERIOD IV In our time, globalization has been characterized most by rapid and accelerating advances in communication. Air travel replaced sea travel as the main means of reaching other continents in the early 1960’s, and barely a decade later had also replaced trains as the preferred means of long-distance land travel. The explosive growth of television after World War II initiated the first real global communication system; for the first time in history, events could be witnessed simultaneously by people all over the planet. The Internet, which we sometimes forget has only existed in a commonly useful form for only about 20 years, changed that global ability to receive information as-it-happens into the ability to create and participate, and in the past few years, to do so with fewer and fewer physical barriers – portable computers and smartphones now make up the majority of Internet-connected devices in the world, by a considerable margin. GLOBALIZATION  ESSAY In every one of Mankind’s â€Å"pax† ages, the movement of people and goods follows the movement of ideas, and vice versa. In our age, this is reflected in the growing influence of supranational governance over national sovereignty when it comes to economic matters. Institutions such as the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and multi-state organizations like the EU, the GCC, and the ASEAN have more to do with determining the economic courses of individual countries than do their own citizens – a supreme irony in an age which is also characterized by growing democratization and civic participation. Is Globalization Really a â€Å"Natural† Process? Just because globalization is inevitable doesn’t mean it’s beneficial to everyone. Every great period of globalization in history has been marred by inequity, oppression, and general misery for some people. Entire cultures were wiped out in the Roman and Mongol expansions, and the colonial experience of many cultures under British rule was painful in a lot of ways. The United States did not grow to the political, economic, and cultural power that created the Pax Americana without ruining a lot of lives as well, virtually destroying a continent’s worth of diverse, sophisticated Native American cultures as it expanded. In our age, we have seen brutal conflicts in Southeast Asia, in the Middle East, in Central and South America, and in large parts of Africa. Despite living in a relatively peaceful and prosperous world, we also live with the threats of terrorism from various forms of extremism, new diseases, and risks to health and safety created by our own technological prowess, and far too many people still live with the ancient threats of famine, abject poverty, and hopelessness. The difference between our age and the ones that preceded it is that not only are we aware of the imbalances between groups and classes of people and how what we do creates those imbalances, the advances in communications mean that the disadvantaged have a better chance of being aware of it, too – and more to the point, have a better chance of calling attention to their plight. Being â€Å"against globalization† is a futile point of view; it is a basic human aspiration. But knowing what globalization really means, and pursuing it in a manner that causes the most benefit and the least harm, are goals we as a species can and should pursue.

Financial Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Management - Case Study Example Every foreign exchange market is in a position to mitigate the risk of uncertainty occurred due to the variations in the exchange rates on cash flows of both payables and receivables. â€Å"Under the hypothesis of efficient foreign exchange markets, the validity of the Purchasing Power Parity theorem may take care of the company’s uncertainty with respect to the mean value of its foreign currency portfolio. The remaining uncertainty, i.e. the variance of the value of the foreign currency portfolio around its mean, can be reduced by hedging† (Soenon 2006). Under this kind of marketing, generally, there should be equilibrium between the estimated cost of hedging and the actual cost. In addition, the chances of risks and uncertainty will be higher in case of exchange rates and its variations. It is necessary to consider the uncertainty caused by fluctuating exchange rates on cash flows both payable and receivable. This is due to the fact that one of the important tools with the finance manager to determine the changes in cash in hand and at bank is the cash flow statement. The statement of cash flows, both inflows and outflows can be analyzed to reveal significant relationships. Cash generating efficiency is the ability of an organization or a company to generate cash from its current or continuing operations. To evaluate this, fundamentally, certain ratios are used. Similarly, free cash flow is significant in this regard. It is the amount of cash that remains after deducting funds a company must commit to continue operating as its planned level. Such commitments must cover current continuing operations, interest, income tax, dividend, and net capital expenditures. When the free cash flow is positive, it means that the company has met all its planned commitments and has cash available to reduce debt or expand. A negative free cash flow would mean that the company needs to sell investments, borrow money or issue stock, in a short term, to carry on its finance at the planned levels. Besides measuring the cash efficiency and free cash flow with the help of cash flow statement, the financial analyst also calculates various ratios on cash figures rather than the earnings of the company. Such major ratios are- 1. Price per share/free cash flow per share 2. Operating cash flow/Operating profit 3. Self financing investment ratio, which is the internal funding/ Investment activities (net). It helps to indicates how much of the funds generated by the business are reinvested in assets. It is evident that the concepts of investment and risk are related to each other. Every business entity aims to maximize its returns. The business that deals with the investment in different securities by the investors is beneficial to a great extend but at the same time is quiet risky. More

Technology Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Technology - Annotated Bibliography Example The article entails a strategy for increasing the applications of NII technology. The article recognizes the role of South-East  Asia  Regional  Office in offering leadership on health matters. Moreover, the article notes that the South-East  Asia  Regional  Office analyzes evidence-based policy options and offers technical support to countries and monitors health trends across the globe. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2014). Health Communication and Health Information Technology. Retrieved from: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/health-communication-and-health-information-technology?topicid=18 The article argues that health communication and health information technology play a fundamental role in health care delivery, public health, and shaping our opinion on health. The source seeks to prove that health communication strategies and health information technology can enhance population health outcomes, health equity, and health care quality. The source is important and reliable since it depicts the significance of health communication and health information technology on health sciences. The source relies on secondary sources to support its arguments. The article establishes how advancements in mobile and wireless technologies support mHealth that has the potential to transform global health care delivery. The article seeks to determine the status of mHealth in U.N member states. The article derives the advancement of mHealth and its impact on healthcare delivery. The source is important and reliable since it addresses the impact of technology in health sciences and medicine. The source relies on a survey of four aspects and fourteen categories of mHealth to derive its findings. Lasker, R., Humphreys, B., & Braithwaite, W. (2006). Making a Powerful Connection: The Health of the Public and the National Information Infrastructure. Retrieved from:

Recreation and Sports Essay Example for Free

Recreation and Sports Essay Everyone has a favorite kind of leisure, whether it is reading a book, taking a walk, or just watching T. V. , leisure is something that everyone has experienced. For me, my favorite kind of leisure is deer hunting. It is not only something I have done my whole life, but it is also something that has been a bonding experience in my family, and that has grown into a passion over time. Growing up in the Piney Woods of East Texas finding a place to hunt was never a problem. I remember getting up on cold fall mornings with my grandpa going out to the woods, and just sitting, listening, and waiting for the forest to come to life. My dad and grandpa first started taking me hunting when I was around 5 years old, so you could say that I was exposed to hunting at a young age. Hunting has always been a way that the men in my family have bonded, although all of the women in my family love the outdoors none of them were ever very eager to hunt. Another thing about living in the Piney Woods, as hunting may be seen as an expensive sport in other parts of the world and the country, as long as you had a gun and a hunting license, it was not hard to find a place to hunt. As a child hunting with my relatives, I never was really involved in preparing for hunting season. As I grew older I began to become more and more involved in the work it took to get ready for the season, such as planting oat patches, and setting up corn feeders. This helped me to grow in y leisure, because it helped me to feel more relaxed because I was using something that I had worked hard to fix up for my recreation. When I turned 13 years old I started to hunt by myself, this helped me to develop more respect for hunting because I had more responsibility hunting by myself, because I was making decisions on my own. Being able to hunt by myself also increased the time that I could hunt, because being younger than my dad and grandpa, I could go hunting after school and on weekends when they had to work. This increased the amount of leisure time I had. When I was still in high school I structured a lot of my time around hunting. If I didn’t have any kind of practices or any work to do at the school, I would usually plan to go hunting. Football and FFA took up a lot of my time but I molded hunting around the free time I had. If I had homework I would usually do it in the deer stand just to be in the quiet and have an opportunity to get my work done without distractions. When I got into college it became and has been harder for me to go hunting as much as I would like to. I have learned to mold when I go home by when I can hunt, so AM away football games are usually when I go home to see my family but also to hunt. Deer hunting has also helped me to build relationships with other adamant deer hunters like myself, while I have been in school, and helped me to gain some new friendships. Hunting has been a big leisure since I was a young age, and has been a leisure that my family could enjoy together since I was young. It is leisure that has grown over time and has turned into not just leisure, but a passion. The famous actor Jack Nicholson once said, â€Å"I don’t think many people have a very good understanding of leisure and the importance it plays in our lives. † For the most part I think we take leisure for granted, we don’t think about all the good things leisure can do for you. For example, leisure of hunting has given me a close relationship with my family, as well as something to pass on to my kids when I have them, and it is something that I will be passionate about for the rest of my life.

Yangtze River :: essays research papers fc

The Yangtze   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  China, the worlds biggest country, is so large it is the home to the fourth longest river in the world. China alone has over 100,000 miles of inland waterways that are open to navigation. The country's most important inland waterway is the Amur River, but that is nothing compared to the Yangtze River.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Yangtze is one of the most economically important water way of not just China, but of the world! Unlike the Amur River the Yangtze River is not icebound in the winter and because of that it accounts for over 40% of the nation's waterways. At 3,716 square miles long it places as the fourth longest river in the world, and the longest river in China and in Asia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though this river is a great source for transportation, it wasn't until 1961 that it became officially one of the 15 principle waterways. With 243.7 cubic meters of annual runoff and mild winters around the river it's not a real stretch to believe that the river contributes to almost half of the crops and irrigates a little under 70% of the country's gross volume of rice. It also contributes to much of China's cotton, wheat, barley, corn, and hemp. There are also many large cities next to the Yangtze, many of which have a population of over 1,000,000 people. These cities would consist of Nanking, Wu-han, Chung-king, and Ch'eng-tu.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The river's course begins in the Tibetan Highlands. In these highlands the people there are mostly in Agriculture and Cattle Farmers. The summers are warm and the Winters cold. The growing season lasts for 4 or 5 months in the summer. The people are predominately Chinese with many minorities. They Minorities consist of the Dungans, Nepalese, and Indians.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Here in in the high mountains of the Tibetan Highlands is the sources for this mighty river. The T'ang-ku-la Sun-mo, in the T'ang-ku-la mountains, is 18,000 feet above sea level. The second source is the Ulan Muren. The Ulan Muren is actually a Tibetan which it is more commonly called by, but the Chinese name is Wu-lan-mu-lun. This source is the southern source, but it is also the main source.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The upper course of the Yangtze begins in the Tibetan Highlands and flows through a spacious scenic valley spotted with lakes and resivours. At the end of the Highlands the river character changes. It descends from the great altitudes and winds it's way South of Pe-yen-ka'a-la Shan.

Popular Piety Refers to Religious Practices Essay

1) Popular piety refers to religious practices that arise and occur outside of the official faith. Typically the term is used within the context of the Catholic Church forms of popular piety can be seen from as far back as Ancient Rome when the people would practice pious exercises to their goods, family and homelands. 2) –Sinulog is an annual festival held n the third Sunday of January in Cebu city and maasin city, southern Leyte, Philippines. The festival commemorates the bisayan people’s pangan origin and their coceptance of Roman Catholicism. -Santacruzan religious historical beauty held in many cities, towns and even small villages throughout the Philippines during month of Mary. -Simbang gabi or misa de Gello is a nine-day novena, honoring Mother Mary is a centuries old-of Jesus Christ, it begins on Dec.16 and ends on the mid of the 24th of Dec night which is the midnight mass. -Black Nazareno known to devotees in Spanish as Nuestra Padre Jesus Nazareno is a life dark wooden scripture of Jesus Christ carrying the cross believed to s miraculous by many Filipino Catholics. -Pahiyas is the time when people in Lucban, Quzon give thank to san isidro Labrador for a good harvest – pahiyas means â€Å" decor† every may 15 the fronts of house are elaborately decorated with brightly colored. 3) Because some confided their petitions were granted. Whatever the intentions may be, it certainly is an opportunity to thank the Lord for blessings received, especially for reaching another Christmas and a New Year. The nine-day Misa de Gallo is also one of the best ways of preparing  spiritually for the blessed season of Christmas which has become more and more materialistic and commercialized.

Mapping System

Coconut tree is considered as a â€Å"Tree of life†. Philippines on the other hand, is among the second largest producer of coconuts in the world. The country comprised of 7, 107 in the islands. Monitoring and locating the coconut trees is an ideal of making the geographical Mapping system. Geographical Mapping defines as a visual representation of an area. It is a symbolic depiction in highlighting in relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions. In relation to this, geographical mapping of coconut trees is a visual representation of different plantations of coconut trees specifically in District II in the province of Negros Oriental. In geographical Mapping it can sees the lands of the plantations of the coconut trees, and vacant lands. Based on the interview with Mr. Trasmonte, Director PCA Negros Oriental, he cited the file management of coconut plantation in the province. Currently, they are having some concerns regarding in storing the information and records of planters. Aside from that, there is no existing system that provides concrete location of the coconut plantations. In this case, the organization experienced difficulty most especially in implementing their projects. By the implementation of Geographical Mapping System using Google Map concrete location of coconut plantations and vacant lands in Negros Oriental specifically in District II will be visible . In this case, a web-based solution that provides detailed information is applicable for this project. In addition, the geographical mapping provides transparency of information regarding the status of the coconut trees. Aside from that, coconut trees have products that is needed for the survival of the communities. And it would enhance or increase the production of products of the coconut trees.

The Progressive Era essays

The Progressive Era essays What do Lincoln Steffens, Ida M. Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, Alice Paul and Samuel Hopkins Adams all have in common? All five contributed to exposing the truth behind the progressive eras corrupt politics and social injustice. They were an elite group known by society as muckrakers. Journalists who in the twentieth century dared to challenge the evils of business, life and government and unearth them to the middle class. Unafraid of these powers their articles appeared in many reform newspapers and magazines, especially McClures. Together and solo they attacked corporate abuses, city government, working conditions and many other heated issues. Each specializing and taking interest in his or her unaccompanied battle. For instance, Ida M. Tarbell, a writer and editor of a handful of publications took it upon herself to tackle the Standard Oil Company. She described their methods of eliminating other competitive businesses as cutthroat. Publishing two volumes on her nemesis history in 1904, examining the corporations dominating trusts and intriguing strategies. Lincoln Steffens, also a writer, was responsible for the ingenious and very famous articles Shame of the Cities (1904), The Struggle for Self-Government (1906) and Upbuilders (1909). Steffens pieces were instantly successes and helped gain support for reform. Both journalist and author, Samuel Hopkins Adams, preached on the hidden secrets behind the scrupulous patent-medicine industry. Fearless, he also confronted President Warren G. Harding and the sins of his leadership, in his 1926 novel Revelry. In the twentieth century it was rare for a common middle-class society member to stand up for what they believed. The people you have just read about were an influential few. Not only did they protest for themselves, but for all hardworking, trusting, right deserving Americans. They contributed to reforming a time of strict faiths a ...

Four Ways to Find New Markets

Four Ways to Find New Markets Youve signed up for all possible newsletters that promise to  introduce you to the magazine of your dreams one that pays well,  publishes fast and edits nary a word. Whats more, youve actually  tried all the magazines touted Or perhaps youve exhausted your permissible quota of stories that can  be submitted to these dream magazines. (Two in a year. Yeah, right.  What are you supposed to do for the remaining ten months?) Or perhaps youve sold first rights and would now like to sell  reprints to other magazines to make a quick, painless buck. Whatever the reason, you need more wonderful magazines to submit  stories to. Only, where do you find them? With more than 5,500 markets in my personal database, Ive become  something of an expert in sniffing out potential venues for  publication. Want to know my secret? Actually there are four: 1. Peek into your own backyard. Has your work been published online? Web magazines often have a  section that hyperlinks to other similar e-zines. It goes 2. Take a helping hand from your competitors. Diligently read the

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Business strategy - Essay Example Disruptors also play a major role for gaining competitive advantages. Disruptors break old boundaries of business and implements new things into business. This case study describe about the rhetoric structure and disruptors of Ford Company. By managing knowledge effectively the Ford implemented a disruptor which created a competitive advantage for the company. The company’s different rhetoric structure contributed a lot to enhance its products and business process. Ford invented a very innovative technology which helped the company to design its one of best selling truck. The company used aluminium in a high quantity to make the body of truck. It became an important feature for the company for saving its cost. The competitor of Ford does not have such features in its product. It helped the company in many ways to gain its market. The case study chosen revolves around best-selling pick-up truck of Ford. Ford F-150 contributed majorly towards global profit margins of the company. The company gained competitive advantage through designing a vehicle of aluminium. This was a rare concept and helped in reducing fuel consumption rate to desirable extent. Automobile industry is a part of oligopoly market structure. This industry is dominated by big five players such as General Motors, Ford, Honda, Toyota and Chrysler. There are certain key objectives of Ford’s competitors which can be stated as acquiring maximum profit share, technological leadership, growth of market share and service leadership. Ford comprises of 8 brands – Ford, Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Aston Martin. Differentiation techniques have been adopted by the organization in order to stay competitive in the market place. Safety, advanced technology and innovative designs are the basis of their competency set. P orter’s five forces model can be applied on Ford in order

Young Entrepreneurs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Young Entrepreneurs - Assignment Example His latest project in the solar-powered (LED) lantern has been described by many as the greatest innovation in recent time to cushion those who cannot afford the electricity. This project also aimed at providing light to school going children from poor families who could not stand the smoke of the local kerosene lamp The idea of developing the solar-powered lantern was originally presented by Wadongo at a local congress of young innovative youth’s forum in Kenya and was picked as a promising one with the potential to solve the problem in their communities. Wadongo did a lot of his research on the design and the sizes that most suited the targeted population. Through his various attempt to design the sustainable product that would not only last for long, but also provide a cleaner source of energy, he came up with something that has been appreciated worldwide. His bright idea that only started in a small village in Kenya has been recognized worldwide in various forums. According to the locals, Wadongo’s project is one that has helped more children go back to their schools and the impact being felt almost immediately. The performances have increased in most schools that have adopted the use of the solar-powered lantern. According to Wadongo, his project has not reached its peak yet w ith several additions intended to be made. He wants to extend the scheme to cover more areas in the country, and the same time sells his solar tapped power to major towns. He said that â€Å"this approach will work best for him due to the frequent power blackouts experienced in those towns’’. His idea was driven by the fact that 90% of the country’s power is generated from hydropower stations and the need for other reliable means of power generation was needed. According to Wadongo, the current power rates in the country are very high, and the consumers will welcome any form of cushioning. With the rates currently at Ksh 75 per Kw unit, he intends

Topics in cultural studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Topics in cultural studies - Essay Example This was especially evident in the strong resistance that missionaries had to face, as well as the general attitude that greatly condemned adapting to the western religion or culture significantly. The reason for this might perhaps be that India and China were far more developed than Africa. They had stronger roots within their own society and they had a strong sense of identity and development, both cultural and otherwise. Africa on the other hand was relatively more primitive than these countries and there were also fewer people. Furthermore, Africa experienced a considerable amount of syncretism owing to the interconnections and interactions that arose during the slave trade movement (Curto & Soulodre-La France, 2005). That's why when the encountered western culture, they were far more ready to adopt it, and had far fewer reasons to resist it. India and China had their own cultures and religions and they had developed them over hundreds of years, and so they did not take to adapti ng to foreign cultures that easily. What legacies have the differences in types of encounters and degrees of cultural change left today? The effects of the different sort of reactions syncretism faced in Africa and China and India have left a significant impact on them even today. China and India are both highly integrated nations, because they have a strong sense of self-identity and a unique cultural integrity, on which they can build their basis of individuality and take their stand of independence on. Neither is easily influenced by outside factors, and each has a distinct sense of common identity among its people, giving rise to a sense of unity and oneness of thinking, evident in the harmony the people of each country have with each other. Africa on the other hand doesn't seem to have such a strong sense of self-identity and legacy. Although on a very small scale, various communities have managed to retain a unique cultural identity, by and large, African culture has adapted v arious elements of American syncretism particularly in terms of religious dominance. This is also true when viewed inversely, that is African syncretism in America, as African culture has also left a significant impact on American culture, but when viewing Africa itself, it seems fairly evident that Africa considerably lost its own unique sense of identity when undertaking American influence. Of course now that Africa is again regaining some sense of identity, this unique sense of culture also seems to be returning, with the Africans referring to their own ancient uniqueness more and more, but the religious dominance and syncretism is still evident and has left its on mark on African culture (Greenfield, Droogers & Droogers, 2001) by breaking the strong foundation that a region's cultural identity provides it, which can be observed in culturally strong nations such as India and China. Had syncretism not occurred in the Americas, how might modern culture be different? North America h as experienced more syncretism than perhaps any other prominent society of the modern day era. This is in terms of religion as well as culture syncretism. When colonists from all over the world arrived in America, they laid down their roots and foundations, each setting up

Weapon Trafficking When Will It End Politics Essay

Weapon Trafficking When Will It End Politics Essay The news that people hear coming from Mexico, especially in recent times have not been very positive. The continuing violence along the U.S.-Mexico border has escalated even more dramatically within the past few years, mainly because of the Mexican governments constant efforts to cut off Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTO). The violence associated with Mexican DTOs continues to hurl major challenges and obstacles towards U.S. law enforcement, while at the same time threatening the citizens on both sides of the border. Drug trafficking may be the root to these problems, but the firearms used to perpetrate crimes in Mexico are being illegally trafficked from the U.S. across the southwest Border and is causing serious problems as well. There needs to be a complete removal, or at the least a reduction of the illegal arms passing through the border, but this can only occur through an improved sense of security and supervision and regulation of the arms market. Not only will the f ailure to bring improvement to this situation raise the level of violence and deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border, but will further diminish what the border was made to stand for, in promoting free trade and globalization. To start off, Mexico itself has very strict gun laws, especially the gun-ownership regulations. Very rarely will you witness citizens carrying guns with them or around the house, because of the serious issues that revolve around the possession of these weapons. Since the countrys already existing constitution makes it legal for the citizens to bear arms, the conditions it places on the actual ownership, through amendments to the constitution prove to be much more strict and limiting. The fact that only one body is permitted to sell weapons, and it is run by the army makes it even harder to attain or own these weapons (Ellingwood). Although these rules and regulations are given to the citizens of this country, it does not mean that the weapon-smuggling situation is completely under control and taken care of; as you will learn later on, there are definitely a few ways around any law or institutional arrangement, and the involving parties definitely know how to make the most of the ways around the system by utilizing many types of illegal trade. Yet the violence in the northern border states of Mexico seems to be produced not only by weapons being brought illegally from Mexico, but also by those weapons trafficked illegally from the United States. Since these dangerous firearms are still not legally available for sale in Mexico, it leaves it up to the various drug cartels to smuggle them through the U.S. or Guatemalan borders, or even by sea as a last resort (Money, Guns). A good number of these firearms are brought in by foreign countries by cartel members that participate in these illegal trades and theft and then they are smuggled to Mexico a few at a time. Now in a neighboring country, such as our very own, where most people who own guns have the right to bear arms and are protected by the rights, a small number of gun shows are put together and showcased nearly every weekend of the year. States like Texas, Arizona and California are considered to be the three main source states and hotspots that supply for the vast majo rity of the guns that are bought and snuck into Mexico (Gunrunner). To be able to absolutely prevent these guns from making their way south is a pretty tough battle that challenges the power of the second amendment rights of US citizens against the ever so bloody battles and increasing numbers of Mexican victims of these mini wars that are killed everyday by these brutal weapons that are bought here in the US (Gun Control). As far as the locations where these guns are purchased from, the Gun shows that are put on by the source states take place a couple of times a year, as mentioned earlier. For example, in Arizona, the gun shows occur almost every weekend. They are often times organized by a variety of different groups and unified organizations. One of the well known organizations goes by the name of the Arizona Arms Association, and since they are a group that is most importantly legal and allowed, they are given the power to partake in private transactions between gun owners and citizens. In being able to utilize such a network of these strawmen, the native Mexican arms traffickers have the potential to collect over a dozen of different weapons each weekend (Cartel). After they gather these weapons each week, their next move is to smuggle them into Mexico, which is usually executed using over land routes with a wide range of vehicles and means of transportation that are able to hold a quantity of weapons that are much smaller across the various border crossings. This type of smuggling, in which smaller groupings of guns are smuggled across the border, is known to be called ant trafficking, and continues to serve as one of the biggest reasons why it is so hard to actually detect these weapons that are being pushed down south from the U.S. region of the border. Now focusing back on the gun show, in the positions of the vendor, some private vendors are often entered into the world of the gun trade by taking on the role of a supplier, where he/she takes the orders ahead of time and to make deliveries at a later time, which would most likely take place at an upcoming gun show or event (Gun Control). These people then round up the repeat clients and gradually produce the majority of the supply source for the arms traffickers which have been reported by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also known as the (PAYAN). Once again, as mentioned earlier the main issue with this is that these transactions are not always closely and precis ely monitored, and so more times than not it puts the salesperson in a position where he/she is able to recognize interested buyers who are likely to be purchasing weapons for a third party. These so-called strawmen who serve as salesmen are the main suppliers and catalysts of these illicit and dangerous weapons that flow southbound, which they sell off to or illegally hand to gun traffickers who then round up and separate into groups and categories of the shipments at certain border crossings. Once they reach their destination in Mexico, the weapons smugglers are ready to make thousands and thousands on their merchandise (Gun Control). For example, an already used AK-47 assault rifle may sell for around 400 U.S. dollars and possibly more. In addition, an AR-15 rifle also has the potential to sell for 800 U.S. dollars up to 2,000 U.S. dollars, but that depends mostly on the model number of years it has been in production for that specific weapon as well as other options and accessories such as the scope or trigger. In Mexico, these weapons start to become more valuable and rocket in re-sell price, and in some rare cases as much as a whopping triple or more, according to the ATF (Gun Control). So an AK-47 rifle that has been purchased in Arizona for about 500 U.S. dollars might go for as much as 1,500 U.S. dollars or more once it crosses the border (Gun Control). At border crossings, Mexican customs agents are usually in the perfect position to interrogate and have the right to detect all smuggled weapons, but their can be a gut-wrenching one at times. Many times, these agents are given a pretty harsh ultimatum which goes by the name of Plata o plomo, meaning silver or lead which then translates into take the bribe or take a bullet. This message, is often times sent by Mexican organized crime groups and targeted to those who patrol the Mexican side of border crossings, known as plazas (Cartel). So here is another factor in why it may be difficult at times to put a halt to the weapon trafficking. Since these Mexican cartels are so menacing and uncooperative, the custom agents who are given the task to detect weapons, are presented with life and death decisions. Certain happenings like these just add on to the fact that it will be difficult to put an end to this war. These kinds of encounters are vital in understanding the rise of violence along the borders, because agents should not be in a position to be fearing of their lives. In the US, the second amendment advocates and supports the gun shows that many people consider an excuse to make weapon smuggling allowed and operating. While the political views surrounding tracing and information sharing can be a bit complicated, the procedure of buying the guns and the required background checks has been reorganize and restructured. These background checks are not required at gun shows because the sales are oftentimes considered to be made between two private and unlicensed individuals instead of a licensed dealer and an individual, which usually takes place in legitimate gun stores where a background check is indeed mandatory. Even the background checks that are made in gun stores are simple and quick (Gunrunner). For example, when a customer at a store is ready to make his/her purchase, the seller of the product is supposed to make a phone call to an ATF hotline, where the person gives out the proper information to the person talking on the other end of the hotl ine. Usually, this process should take less than five or ten minutes, but within the past couple of years, this background check has transformed into a slow and grueling process (Gunrunner). As for the strawmen, who buy off the weapons from law abiding gun merchants serve as a stepping stone into the crooked world of the grey market, where the weapons stay put until they are smuggled into Mexico and then resold. Before these guns are let into the hands of others, usually for criminal use, expert gunsmiths thoroughly check and inspect the working parts, and clean them for the necessary adjustments to transform a usual semi-automatic into a dangerous fully automatic assault weapons. They tweak parts of the gun and make them stronger. Once the strawman flees the scene of the store with gun in their hand, or leaves the show area in the case of a gun show or event, it becomes pretty much impossible to trace the weapon until it is picked up or discovered at a crime scene or if it has been seized. Often times, the weapons that have been captured in Mexico are able to be traced back to gun stores in the US, but the only pieces of information the gun dealer is allowed to legally share with is the information that has already been attained and solidified by the background check. As you can see, the tracing of the weapons captured in Mexico back to the US is proves to be a very complicated and frustrating matter. Due to this complicated process, a large number of weapons usually remain untraced due to the fact that the agents do not want to harass or bother with the bureaucracy (Cartel). In the U.S., there are approximately 2 million guns owned currently, and at any given time, any one of these guns has the potential to be sold to both men and women who will then smuggle them to Mexico. Reasons can range from personal use and self-defense while others for recreational or criminal use. When put together, the mixture of such a enormous supply with demand mixed in with the ant-trafficking produces a countless number of opportunities and possibilities, variables and pretty much leaves the ATF and others with only a limited arsenal of legal tools and, most importantly, gives them the constitutional rights to respect and defend (Gunrunner). As you can see, the conflict here resides in the fact that there are so many possible ways for these weapons to be smuggled, and with all the underground activity that is going on, it can be a very difficult task for the ATF to track down these trades at times. In a sense, the amount of illegal trafficking that is being presented here c an also be overwhelming to the forces that are trying to prevent the illicit trafficking of these weapons. As far as the types of guns that are smuggled, the most popular, or common smuggled firearms include the AR-15 and AK-47 type rifles, FN 5.7 caliber semi-automatic pistols and a variety of .50 caliber rifles and machine guns (AK-47). About a fourth of these AK-47 assault rifles that have been seized have also been created and fixed up to select fire weapons, which then allows for the assault rifles to be used by the cartels (AK-47). In the past, there have been a great number of reports regarding grenade launchers being used against security forces, and at least a dozen M4 Carbines with M203 grenade launchers have been confiscated (AK-47). It was believed that a lot of these lethal and high power weapons alongside their related accessories were actually stolen from U.S. military bases. However, the majority of these military grade guns and heavy duty weapons like grenades and light weight rockets are brought in by the cartels via the humongous supply of arms that remained after the w ars in Central America and Asia. The weapons that are being smuggled are serious weapons that can cause heavy damage and harm, so just the fact that the weapons talked about in this arms trafficking war are heavy duty once again reminds us of how dangerous this situation can get. This constant flow of arms between groups has lead to what has been dubbed the iron river of guns, because of the pouring amount of ammunition and light weapons that have been in flow southbound into Mexico, and how the organized crime hit men and others then use them in order to fight off the Mexican military and police. More times than not, innocent civilians are caught in the midst of shoot outs and random collision between the opposite groups and that is what leads to the rising number of deaths and high volume of violence throughout the years. The resulting body count that is the end product of this violence has greatly pressured the Mexican government over time to call for additional help from the U.S. capital, but these leaders have continued to remain silent and stubborn to put forth a strict gun control legislation. Many have waited and waited for someone to step up to the plate and address the problems along the border, but the subject has been ignored time and time again. Finally, in April of last year, a statement was made by U.S. President Barack Obama regarding the ongoing arms trafficking situation between the U.S. and Mexico, and to no surprise it sparked a serious and very much heated debate. The President, who referred to the data gathered from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (A.T.F.), stated that 90% of the weapons that were seized in Mexico could be traced back to the U.S. (ATF) In concurrence with supporters of putting forth a stricter gun regulation and opponents of the so-called War on Drugs, this information helped their cause and pushed to strengthen their cases. On the other side of the table, the statistic of 90% was greatly criticized and put down by the people who were against the finding of new or alternative solutions to the current situation in Mexico and also to any thoughts or ideas of making some changes regarding gun ownership in the U.S. Out of all the top news corporations, Fox News projected that the percentage of arms that could be traced back to the U.S. was actually closer to 17% percent (Gunrunner). This is a prime example of how things can get taken out of context and a serious issue at hand can be mistaken or overlooked because of little details that are misrepresented or reported. Not only does this add more unnecessary nonsense to a situation and blow it up bigger than what it already is, but it makes the already existing problem a dragging subject. In order to give the material substance and to enhance its rich meaning, all data must be presented in its original context; otherwise, statistics risk becoming meaningless sound bites and generalizations. In the Firearms Trafficking Report, given by the American Government Accountability Office (GAO), they explain the importance that even though it is pretty much impossible to know the exact number of firearms that are illegally smuggled into Mexico in a certain year, roughly 87% of the firearms that are obtained by the Mexican authorities and traced within the past couple of years originally started off in the U.S., according to the data that was gathered from Dept. of Justices Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Also, according to the Mexican and U.S. officials, these firearms have been increasingly more powerful and lethal in recent years. The report continues to polish and purify its data and information, by pointing out that between 2005 and 2008, more than 90% of the firearms that were obtained in Mexico and traced have once again, come from the United States (Gunrunner). When put together, there are a couple of elements that make the overall presentation of thi s data more convincing than just some random statistics put together because there was limited time frame, there was a specific set of weapons seized and traced, which applies to all illegal trade, and that the truth of the matter of the arms trade was imprecise. With all that being said, besides all the conditions and uncertainties that the percentages hold in these reports, there is no denying that there is a considerable amount of movement of weapons from the U.S. to Mexico that, to the dismay of many people, find their way into the hands of the people that are involved in this problematic drug trade. The G.A.O. report makes note of the fact that this trafficking is certainly not new to officials on the border, explaining that the U.S. and Mexican government and law enforcement officials did not see any reason why the drug cartels would go through so much hassle and endure the difficult task of obtaining a gun somewhere else in the world and then transporting it to Mexico when it is so easy and so simple for them to do so from the U.S. (Ellington). This proves to be in unison with the reports statement that even though the eTrace data only corresponds to data from the gun trace requests that were turned in from confiscation in Mexico and n ot all the guns seized, it is currently the only methodical and precise data available. Furthermore, the conclusions that the majority of firearms seized and traced were originally in the United States were consistent with the final conclusions reached by U.S. and Mexican government and law enforcement officials personally involved in the prevention and reducing of arms trafficking to Mexico (Cartel). The G.A.O.s data proves to be pretty clear and straight forward in its presentation. Although, the 90% figure that is being brought up constantly in these reports is just an extra number that creates a shock factor to an already stirring issue. Still, while discussions continue as to the appropriate use of this number, the reality is still readily apparent: there is an important and undeniable illegal market of weapons at the U.S.-Mexico border that fuels the violence between different drug-trafficking organizations. In Loreys book The U.S.-Mexican Border into the twenty-First century, he argues that the long-term objective of thinking and policymaking should be to overcome the U.S.-Mexican border (Lorey 12). When he says this, it could mean resolving material inequalities between the two sides of the boundary and more importantly, reducing conflict between the nations. Weapon trafficking is a serious issue that has been lingering for many years, and in order to cooperate with Loreys arguments, the weapons that are short in Mexico need to be dealt with in a different manner. Also, the violent conflicts between the government and drug cartels need to be put to rest. The task at hand may be difficult and long, but there are blueprints to solutions that can be implemented. The main obstacle and challenge that lies ahead in the fight against trafficking, and also where the conversation should be the focus of, is to address the different flaws in the system that ultimately makes way for such arms-trafficking to happen. The G.A.O. report makes not of certain factors that make trafficking possible, including faults and weaknesses found in both the Mexican and U.S. dealings, as well as the system of government: Uncontrolled and universal corruption in the Mexican government; Fragile and weak institutional links and information sharing between A.T.F. and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that lead to incomplete data; The absence of a Spanish language version of the eTrace program to be utilized by the Mexican authorities. Focusing in on these issues will help improve the quality of information being received by both U.S. and Mexican authorities, which can also lead to a much more informed and knowledgeable anti-arms trafficking strategy. This do es not mean that there must be a complete stop in the ongoing actions and efforts to reduce the weapons trafficking, but that the information gathering and collection and sharing between the countries and institutions must get better. There is hope in finding solutions to these weaknesses in the system. In efforts to help improve information collection and sharing, the ATF is hopeful that future funding and increased cash flow will eventually allow for these manuals (eTrace program) to be translated into Spanish, and also to put in a greater number agents on the border alongside an expansion of real-time intelligence sharing between the ATF and the many agents in Mexico. But besides the obviously simple and easy task at hand of translating English to Spanish, the new plans of the Merida Initiative, which is the name of the new proposal brought forth, guarantees to give the Mexican authorities scanners. These scanners, which will be planted at or near the main border crossings, will then be set up completely in order to detect and locate the drugs in traffic moving north and guns in traffic moving south (Mex). There are little things that can change that can help lead to the ultimate goal of reducing the smuggling of these weapons into Mexico, and it is reassuring to hear that after so many years, things are starting to progress and advance in putting an end to a situation that has caused so many problems for so many years. But it is also very important for us not to lose sight of some of the larger issues at hand surrounding arms trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico border. We must keep in mind that in both countries, even with the few restrictions, the weapons markets are legal. And as it applies to all kinds of markets, it is in the interest of those that are involved in the business to keep it alive and running. Being a weapon dealer, especially in the U.S. it is a very vital role they play in the market. For example, according to a 2006 report, the Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, also known as the CATDN put together and produced by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (C.R.S.), which is an office of the Library of Congress, the United States was by far the leading supplier of weapons to the developing world (ATF). Furthermore, in a report that came out in more recent times, the C.R.S. reported that for a 3 year span for the 2005-2008 timeframe, the United States and Russia st ood tall and completely took charge of the arms market in the developing world in the value of arms transfer agreements. These statistics may seem honor worthy and impressive, but when considering the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, the statistics seem to diminish in value and glory as the weapons that are being brought to Mexico from the U.S. is doing more harm than it is doing good. These reports have also made it clear that is it the eighth consecutive year in a row that the United States has been a leader and top force in worldwide arms deliveries (Gunrunner). And even though the report does not really break down the information for the Latin American region, the report also makes clear note that the U.S. and Russia are the regions two biggest suppliers of these weapons. Even though the U.S. is the world leader in weapons agreements according to these reports, there are indeed other countries that also sell and re-sell weapons. While the data from the reports seems to confirm that the vast majority of these weapons are found and captured in Mexico make their expedition into the country over the U.S. border, it is also most likely that many of these weapons travel through different routes as well. A good number of the arms seized could have also arrived in Mexico through legal transactions that occur time to time between governments but somehow have found their way into the illegal market coincidentally and ultimately into the hands of these drug cartel members. The data from reports may explain general facts and information, but sometimes things can happen without any documentation, and that is where the information gathering and collecting, and addressing of these actions needs to shape up. In conclusion, the ongoing discussion and debate on the U.S.-Mexico border and also on the future of the relationship between these two countries is not an easy one to put to rest or come up with a solution. There are so many important subject matters that are also in need of attention: immigrant migration (legal and illegal), the drug policy, border communications, homeland security, and a mutual environment, just to name a couple. It is clear that, although the tiniest details have the ability to offer a foretaste into the bigger picture, to rely and base the conversation purely on the immediate, just like the debate over Obamas use of the 90% statistic, is to completely lose focus of the much greater and more significant debate that holds the future of a complex and vibrant relationship. The reality of all this is that an illegal arms market is one discussion that fits that description and will be a hot issue for many more years to come until the problem is fixed permanently. In t his circumstance, it is clear that the number of illegal weapons passing through the border every year must be significantly and immediately reduced, and this can only happen through tighter supervision and adjustment of the arms market.