The legal issues that housekeeping department forced to confront Essay

The legal issues that housekeeping department forced to confront - Essay Example Some rooms are also interconnected rooms to serve an efficient accommodation purpose to many guests and big families. Other hotels also offer suits to the guest (Winter, Doris & Hatfield, 1989). Hotel offers laundry, dry cleaning facilities, and shoe polishing services among many others in an attempt to make the business environment comfortable through offering these special services. Some restaurants are connected with a bar that sells liquors to guests and this act as a good source of revenue. There are also banqueting, meeting and private party facilities in some big hotels that generate revenue when conferences, meetings or even seminars are held there. Resort hotels have recreational facilities like swimming pool and spa and try to make their place as pleasant as possible through using nice colors, attractive furnishing and most importantly a well kept and efficient staff (Alan & Wortman, 2005). The department of housekeeping determines largely whether the guests are satisfied when they visit the hotels. This is achieved through fine accommodation and quality service provision to the guests so that they are exited with their visit and stay in the respective hotel. The guest satisfaction and the hygiene factor are the primarily objectives that should be present in any given hotel ( Sudhir, 1985). The major revenue in hotels is generated by the rooms and the rooms that are not sold in any given night result to lose of revenue for ever. Loosing guests in the rooms can be attributed to poor hygiene factor, poor cleanliness, lack of modernization etc. A guest spends more time in the room alone than any other part of the hotel and hence a clean and hygiene environment will be of great significance. The guest may check whether the place is dusted off, whether the room is clean and may lose confidence of the place if this is not the case. Dirty and disorderly draws may deter him from putting his/her clothes down. The guest will be pleased when the

Female Dishonor in The Death of Woman Wang Essay

Female Dishonor in The Death of Woman Wang - Essay Example Woman Wang is an ill-fated personage who symbolizes the pervasive silence or constrained muffling of women. Spence unearths the judicial system in the Qing dynasty and demonstrates the odds which were against women. Woman Wang does not speak much and one observes that her husband and illicit lover are the ones who hold primary discourse. Because of the shameful circumstances surrounding her ignominious death, the law dictates that no one has the right to touch her. Only another old village woman can do a post-mortem examination to probe the cause of death. Woman Wang, as a result, attained an ‘untouchable’ and outcast position.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Throughout much of Chinese history, mortal-moral women have been held in highest esteem†¦the one central characteristic of their appeal was that they served as moral exemplars†¦ role models and as ideal cultural archetypes† (Peterson) Chinese historic annals applaud chaste women. On the other hand, the dishonored women w ould fade into oblivion, names forgotten or expunged from records. The survival of the mini-narratives through Spence’s account signifies that even the women with alleged marred reputations still deserved a place in history and their tales mentioned.   Illegitimate legal practices riddled the Chinese justice system, ensuring that women would be voiceless or unable to prosecute their abusers. Women were labeled as natural fornicators; therefore, cases of rape go unpunished. The prejudiced system comprised of Emperor, magistrates, diplomats, literati, and husbands. Also as a result of gross inequalities, men have unrestrained freedom to leave their wives and forsake their children to pursue another lover (Jurich 12). The dishonor of women is a reflection of the cheap worth put on their lives by society. In one scenario, Woman T’sai’s husband runs through her estate after marriage in dissipated living. He then plans to sell his wife as prostitute to continue drinking and gambling. This brief outline demonstrates a practice which was not only common, but also accepted (Hughes 16). Prostitution is one of the lowest ranks to which a woman in the moral-conscious society in China could sink. Ironically this ‘industry’ which exploited women thrived. The subject of prostitution is therefore a hypocritical contradiction, which allowed men unlimited latitude for sexual relations and imposing restraints on the woman. Spence unfolds a story of another notorious death of a woman – pushed by her forlornness to suicide. Nan San Fu agrees to marry a woman named Tou. Here, the reader observes the carefree, wayfaring man, the desertion of dishonored women by fiancà © and family, socioeconomic and emotional depression, a last petition and suicide.

Eating Together The Culture Of Friday Family Dinner

Eating Together The Culture Of Friday Family Dinner Once in a few hours we think of food and chances are that we at least eat once per day. In the family setting food is easily accessible and for others it may be scarce because of the economy or the geography (Fieldhouse, 2008). At least, a large portion of families can afford what they want whenever they want while others must carefully plan on what they purchase. Nonetheless, no one can escape the biological need of food. This is to say that, everyone must eat at regular intervals whether the food is more or less nutritious. It is true that eating is a necessity of life itself but food also forms a crucial part of the cultural rituals and social relationships. Most importantly this paper addresses the family meal tradition as a symbol and material means of bringing family members together (Fieldhouse, 2008). Across different cultures and time, the aspect of food sharing is a universal medium that expresses fellowship in regards to the values of duty, sacrifice, hospitality and compa ssion. Food sharing is a gesture of friendship also symbolizing trust and interdependency. My family in particular views the Friday night dinner as a window into social bonding and relationship. As my father has always said, people you eat with define the members of your social group and the kind of food you share is a clear indication of the closeness of the relationships. For instance, there are coffee-breaks with colleagues, casual lunch or dinner with acquaintances, and of course informal dinner around the family table for family and friends. Perhaps a common picture that comes in our mind when it comes to the aspect of family dinner is a happy nuclear family with a mom, dad, and kids sitting in a nicely laid table. This is an image that perpetually describes my familys Friday night dinner. This is a tradition that my great grandparents firmly inspired as a cultural idea to be emulated as ultimate symbol of family stability and unity. This paper will look at the different roles of family members in the sustainability of Friday night family dinner examining the traditio n using the Freudian theory, the family theory, and ecological system theory. The paper also takes special considerations on the reflection of this tradition in regard to the influence on the future and its influence on the family. Family Dinner And Family Members The Purpose As a tradition, the family meal symbolizes a shared family life. Family dinner on Fridays in our family organizes the family bringing us together. This heavily contributes to our social well-being while providing predictable structure to our Fridays which is often psychologically reassuring. The success of family dinners depends on a number of factors such as the skills for preparing the food and food-buying (Fieldhouse, 2008). The appearance of the family table requires a lot of time and skilled activities that calls for both physical and mental decision making. In our family, everyone is involved in this activity; that applies to the food buying, preparations, laying the table, and serving. With our participation, it not surprising that the provision of this family meal is a symbolic demonstration that we care for our family unity and stability. This veers more on love, obedience, respect, and gratitude. From the shopping to table clearing, each family member participates in a resp onsible exercise that promotes solidarity in the family. For the longest time we havent experienced a family tension because we share a lot in our conversations at the dinner table. To The Parents During our family dinners my parents focuses on teaching us the way forward on behaviour and in particular civilized behaviour such as saying thank you and please. Excusing yourself before you the table, placing your elbows on the table, and talking on mouth full is normally discouraged. At this time, my parents taught us developmental skills such as manipulating chopsticks, literacy skills through family conversations when exchanging stories. This may seem sheepish but these are the basic fundamentals toward life and social interactions. During conversations, my parents learn more on our interests and attitudes. From these meals, my mother in particular gauges our moods and needs in the end help us solve our problems. My parents monitor the family and ensure that everyone attends to maintain the stability and unity in the family. To The children (Me) For the children the dinner table is crucial place for socialization (Fieldhouse, 2008). This is a prime setting for socialization concerning the norms and rules on family values, accepted behaviour, and expectations. From a nutritional perspective, the children learn what is considered acceptable; basically the foods and non-food. From the family dinners my siblings and I have learned manners and restraints on behaviour that the wider world requires. Through family conversations we learned of our parents attitudes and interests in relations to the world. We always help our mother prepare for the family dinner. As the eldest, I helped my mother prepare the foods and especially the vegetables and desert while my younger siblings have always prepared the table. Though a happy family, we have our setbacks. At the end of the day family members who are already tired after a busy day at work or school and probably maybe irritable meet for a family meal. Discord may arise perceived at the table maybe because of the unacceptable behaviour and injustices. Refusal to eat, complaint on bad cooking or lack of gratitude on what was served on the table are some of the things that can lead to these discord at the dining table. This can turn the peaceful mealtime into battlegrounds were verbal arguments are used as weapons which leads to a resentful silence. Therefore, family dinners have many positive virtues that are occasionally fought with difficulties and negative outcomes which greatly depend on the parenting styles. The Examination Freudian Theory Of Defense Mechanisms In psychology, Freuds input cannot be discredited in the psychodynamic theory. Even though people are no longer believing and utilizing many theories and conclusions, the basis of psychodynamic theory still form a role in theories in psychology. Frauds ego defense is one of the last remaining theories. This is also known as defense mechanism said to actively operate without the consent of the person. These defenses are significantly important when dealing with individuals inter threats. Typically, the ego defense pacts with the thoughts that are unconsciously threatening. Denial. This is perhaps the best known defense mechanism that describes situations where individuals are unable to acknowledge the obvious or face reality. This is the outright refusal to recognize what had happened or what is currently occurring. There was a time my brother and I boycotted the Friday family night dinner and we were hit the movies instead. This started bothering us as we kept thinking of the freshly made lasagne and the family conversations. We were defending ourselves from the happening of our family tradition but the realty soon checked in and we were unable to hold it anymore. Repression. On its basic form, this mechanism is self explanatory. The mechanism acts to keep the information away from the conscious awareness. Keep in mind that memories do not just disappear but they tend to continue influencing our behaviour in the future. For instance, my family and I have repressed memories of shared meals since my childhood which I intend to pass on to my kids. Fixation. This is the stunted movement that individuals feel between psychosexual stages when they experience excessive anxiety and frustration in regards to the next stage of progression. The individual remains fixed on a particular stage. My family and I are fixed to our Friday night dinner and the values it carries. This is a legacy that has been there since the times of my great grandparents. Displacement. This involves taking out the feelings, frustrations, and impulses on less threatening people and objects such as the spouse, pets, and children. A good example to this form of defense mechanism is displaced aggressive that would otherwise lead negative consequences such as urging with the supervisor and instead expressing the anger to people who are less threatening. I remember there was a time that my father had a bad day at work possibly from the pressures from the upper management passing this bitterness to us at the family table. The Theories Ecological Systems Theory (Human Ecology Theory) This theory states that the development of the human beings is inclined to the various types of ecological systems. Urie Bronfenbrenner formulated this theory to explain why we normally behave differently comparatively to how we behave in the presence of our family, work or at school. The human ecology theory accounts that throughout our lifespan we encounter dissimilar environments therefore influencing the way we behave in degrees that vary. These environments are: Micro system. This is the environment setting that we directly have in life such as the parents, friends, teachers, neighbours, and people who surrounds us. We directly have social interaction with these social agents in this setting. In this system, individuals are not passive recipients in regard to experiences, but interactive in the establishments of the social settings. In the course of the family dinner we interact with each other in the establishment of a harmonious family setting. Mesosystem. This involves the interaction of Microsystems in an individuals life. In other words, a work-related experience can be connected to the family experience. For instance, from the family dinners, my parents have taught me civilized manners and respect for others which have helped me establish positive attitude toward by siblings, peers, and teachers. This has also made me feel wanted by people who are actively involved in my life. The exosystem In this system there exists a link where an individual does not have any actively involving role and the context where he or she can actively participate. I am attached to my father than my mother and a few ago my father got a promotion and here and then he was travelling to Africa for a few months for work for several months. We all missed our father and during our Friday night dinner my mother spearheaded and listened to mealtime conversations sometimes she was supportive and sometimes she was not. In the end this made my bond with my even tighter because she was always there when my father was away. The macrosystem This is the actual culture of a person that involves the socioeconomic status of the individual, race, ethnicity, and most importantly the family. Being born in middle class family makes us hard workers and thus the reason why we meet as a family once in a week for dinner- Friday nights. The chronosystem This environment entails the shifts and transitions throughout our lifetime. This engages the socio-historical context influencing an individual. For instance, my great grandparents emphasized on family meals and culture that been passed over in different generations which has positively affected our lives, relationships and how we view the world. The family systems theory This is a theory that considers family as an emotional unit integrating systems thinking when describing complex interaction. For instance if there is anxiety among family members, the anxiety may escalate infectiously affecting all of them. And if this anxiety goes up, the connectedness of the members become stressful than comforting eventually making them feel isolated, out of control, and overwhelmed. Triangles `These are the basic units of stable relationships. These are a system that entails three-person relationships which is seen as the smallest building block of a larger emotional pool. There is no stability in a two-person system and therefore calls for a third party. This is because the tension keeps on shifting between two people is higher than the one involving a third person. When there is too much tension to be contained in one triangle it spreads to a series of interlocking triangles. This is what happens in our family dinner conversations. Sibling position In every family each sibling has a certain position which defines how the children will interact. This influences the childs behaviour and development which predictably have common characteristics. For instance, as the first born in my family i tend to gravitate the leadership position which makes my siblings the followers. During the family dinner meal, my siblings look at me to tell them what to do if i am the one preparing the meal.- who to prepare what or even shop. Differencing This is the capability of separating thinking and feelings. Undifferentiated individuals can separate the way of thinking and the feelings because their intellect is controlled by the way they feel. Thinks makes them not to think rationally while at the same time they are unable to differentiate their feelings form others. Therefore, differentiation is the abily to free yourself from the family, the realization of your involvement in a conflict and not blaming others, and being able to relate with others at emotionally. At times during our dinner times conflicts may arise but we have always solved it before it escalates. We admit to our faults and forgive each other which make us differential. The Reflection On The Tradition (1 page) Is it positive or negative? As a socially integrative function, a share meal brings people together in a web of reciprocal obligations and shared social relationships. Well, we suppose can say that one important aspect that brings people together is a family meal and if people do not gather for this family meal then the crucial weft of the family is sent to abyss (Fieldhouse, 2008). As a routine tradition, Friday family dinner has been most frequent planned ritual in our family which normally take place in our family house. The understanding over time The family meal and dinner in particular has come to represent the dynamics of the family and overtime generations are lamenting on its demise. As early as the 1920s, people were expressing worries on how the leisure activities such as the invention of the car came undermine the value of the family meals (Fieldhouse, 2008). In the times of change, family meals represented stability and perhaps the lament of the lost family may actually be the reactions to feared change in the arrangements and structures of families. The influence and the future In the olden days, dinner was seldom as a ceremonial event (Nancy, Carolina, Time, 2006).

GENDER ROLES IN LITERATURE :: essays research papers

Many people think that boys in our culture today are brought up to define their identities through heroic individualism and competition, particularly through separation from home, friends, and family in an outdoors world of work and doing. Girls, on the other hand, are brought up to define their identities through connection, cooperation, self-sacrifice, domesticity, and community in an indoor world of love and caring. This view of different male and female roles can be seen throughout children’s literature. Treasure Island and The Secret Garden are two novels that are an excellent portrayal of the narrative pattern of â€Å"boy and girl† books. When thinking of books that seem to be written specifically for young boys, Treasure Island is a book that comes to many minds. Treasure Island is the epic tale of thrill seeking and adventure. Stevenson’s main character is a small boy, Jim, who gets to go away from his mother and embark on a trip across the ocean. There are sea fearing pirates, sword fight, and bloody killings. These are typically things that interest boys. Stevenson also follows the literary pattern described by Perry Nodelman in his book, The Pleasures of Children’s Literature. He describes that many novels written by men follow a pattern when it comes to the plot of their stories. â€Å"There is an unified action that rises toward a climax and then quickly comes to an end† (Nodelman 124). Treasure Island follows this pattern. The novel moves towards the climax of finding the treasure and then ends quickly without too great of detail with how the treasure money is spent or what happens in the character’s lives. In many ways, Treasure Island exemplifies the narrative patterns of a â€Å"boy book.† On the opposite end of the spectrum, The Secret Garden seems to be written for girls. The Secret Garden’s main character is a young, orphaned girl named Mary. The story focuses on Mary finding friends, becoming a better person, and a family coming together at last. Frances Burnett seems to follow two literary patterns described by Nodleman. The first is that she seems to write more about domestic events rather than adventures. Although the garden is an adventure for Mary, planting, weeding, and tending to the garden are chores that many would associate with women. The other literary pattern she follows is how the plot is laid out. Nodelman describes plots of novels written by woman as having many less-intense climaxes rather than one.

Herman Miller

HERMAN MILLER 1. Describe Herman Miller’s strategy. Is there evidence it has produced a competitive advantage and good financial performance? Explain. They focus on a growth strategy, through innovative products and production processes. Reinvention and renewal. They survived the Great Depression and multiple recessions, recovered from the dot-com bust and were able to continue expanding overseas. They adapted to save the company, by introducing new designs. In 1996, Herman Miller began an aggressive drive to reinvent its operations and established a fruitful relationship with the Toyota Supplier Support Center. Unique to the office furniture industry, the relationship enabled the company to adopt and implement world-class, lean manufacturing processes based on the Toyota Production System principles. Through the Herman Miller Production System (HMPS), the company dramatically reduced manufacturing square footage and inventories, cut lead times for standard product from 8 weeks to as little as 10 days, and significantly grew sales and profitability. Another component of the HMPS lean initiative focuses on the company’s people and their development, complementing Herman Miller’s long history of employee participation. Herman Miller believes its success in achieving operational excellence depends on the motivation and thinking of its people to solve problems and drive improvement. -They focus more on high quality products that is why they were not dramatically hit by competition from overseas, also because they were already in some of these markets. They’re manufacturing strategy limited fixed production costs by outsourcing component parts from strategic suppliers, which increased variable nature of its cost structure, which is their competitive advantage, which is reflected in their financial performance, from 2006-2010 their gross profit margin remained relatively constant. Top to bottom it works/ demonstrate their business in their own office. All employees are cross trained. Flexible manufacturing where a production line can do multiple jobs Both differentiation and low cost provider increase their margins . How have the company’s values shaped its strategy and approach to strategy execution? Provide illustrations of how these values are reflected in company policies. They treat all workers as individuals with special talent and potential. They respect all employees, which fuelled the quest to tap the diversity of gifts and skills held by all, in an environment where people felt comfortable taking risks. In 19 50, developed a Scanlon Plan (productivity incentive plan), which reflects values, equity and justice for everyone in the company. Employees felt empowered a new manager took his safety glasses off and an employee yelled at him to put his safety glasses back on. The company’s beliefs were also reinforced through the employee gift committee and environment quality action team, which distributed funds and other resources based on employee involvement. They became a responsible corporate citizen through minimizing their waste which was both environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Shared gains and pains. Top executives took 10% pay cuts consecutively to avoid letting staff go, received less than competing firms top executives, which shows their commitment to the â€Å"team†. They have committees for sharing ideas on improvements and how to increase profitability. Even through project purple, one out 1000 companies would do that, increasing spending for the sake of tomorrow while cutting back to survive today, they worked as a team for a common goal, leadership and decision making was shared within the team and across the organization. Their values carried over to all functional areas of business. 3. What is your evaluation of HMI’s financial performance? How does its performance compare to prior years? the competition? Their financial performance is not bad, considering they were able to recover from many recessions. From 2006-2010 their gross profit margin remained relatively constant, however during hard times when sales dropped by 19% in 08 and 09 current liabilities were a little higher than usual and net profit margins began falling from 7. 6% to 4. 17% and 2. 15% in 2010. Which the whole industry took a hit with external trends on the rise: telecommuting which decreased the need for office equipment for all employees, increase toward ergonomically correct office furniture, competition from overseas cost of raw materials. Revenues are falling 4. Until 2003, HMI offered lifelong employment. How did this practice affect the company’s ability to staff the organization with managers and employees capable of executing the strategy? How did this practice build the organizational capabilities required for successful strategy execution? It enabled them to hire people that had talents and skills that match the needs and wants of the commercial enterprise, they redesigned benefit plans to be more portable, to decrease the cost of changing jobs for employees whose gifts and talents no longer matched customer needs. Its bundled capabilities are yielding a sustainable competitive advantage, by retaining employees. 5. Do non-monetary incentives facilitate strategy execution at HMI? Explain. Yes, it becomes engrained in the employees, part of their values and beliefs. The concierge services’ goal is to provide employees with assistance and help to be successful balancing responsibilities—at work and home. 6. Describe the culture at HMI. Would you characterize HMI’s culture as healthy and largely supportive of good strategy execution? Explain. Yes as, Herman Miller instituted a formal program of participative management. An organization of employee-owners, the company is committed to problem-solving design, uncompromising quality, and customer satisfaction. Herman Miller instituted an employee stock ownership program in 1983. To aid the decision-making process, Herman Miller uses a performance indicator, measurement, and compensation system called â€Å"Economic Value Added†. EVA is an internal measurement of operating and financial performance that is linked to incentive compensation for all employee-owners, allowing the company to shift its focus from budget performance to long-term continuous improvements and the creation of economic value. The result is a highly motivated and business literate workforce that challenges convention and strives to create increasingly greater value for both customers and owners. Every month the company and all employees review performance in terms of EVA, which has proven to be a strong corollary to shareholder value. The responsibility of employee ownership requires capable people to meet high expectations. Herman Miller believes that inclusiveness is critical to the company’s success—today and for the future. 7. What recommendations would you make to Herman Miller’s CEO Brian Walker to improve the company’s current financial performance? Does the company need to radically alter its strategy because of poor economic conditions? Should it improve its approach to implementing the strategy to reduce costs and improve efficiency? Explain. I would recommend maintaining the current strategy of being the most innovative company, however reduce costs and improve efficiency as they did to weather the storm in the previous recession. Open new market by providing products at a lower cost same quality though and target schools hospital and nursing homes.

Google Case Study

Katherine Carter Strategies and Policies Case Study 8 Internet Search and the Growth of Google In 1997 the domain name google. com was registered by two Stanford students name Sergey Bring and Larry Page. In 1998, it became a privately owned, incorporated company known as Google Inc. Within 6 years of its inception, Google acquired 75% of US web search market. Even the word â€Å"google†, became a verb in our society as one would say, â€Å"let’s google him! †. Google revolutionized the internet search industry by charging its advertisers differently that ever done before.First, they auctioned off certain â€Å"key words† and when such key words were typed in a query, web users were directed to those advertisers web page. In addition, advertisers were charged on a â€Å"per click† based upon how many users actually clicked on their page. By 2010, 70% of all internet advertising was being spent at Google. That same year, Google had $29. 8 Billion in revenues with $8. 5 billion in net profit. Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.The Google we know organizes the world’s internet information and makes it accessible to us via its search engines using algorithms and state of the art technology. Even though Google currently at the top of their field currently, they still have competitors. Their business model must be changed continually to stay abreast of new ideas, new technology, and new competitors. Strengths Most efficient search engine on internet Brand equity – most recognized brand name Needs very little end user marketing Very strong R and D skillsProvides an interface to approximately 88 languages State of art technology Not biased towards advertisers Ability to manage strategic change Executive Management Large cash flow Default search engine for many Innovative culture Comprehensive product mix Weaknesses Business model is complex Eccentric practices confuse/anger investors Poor product marketing Inappropriate organization Growth without direction Cumbersome hiring practices Opportunities Increase demand for information International market Computer literacy on the rise Expands profits with diversificationExploits new market segments Applies R and D skills in new areas Enters into new related businesses Applies brand name capital in new areas Seeks fast market growth Threats Legal challenges Multi industry competition Specialized search engines Click fraud Advertising space becoming more competitive RECOMENDATIONS Internet advertising is expected to continue to grow with search based advertising to account for 41. 2% of all U. S. Online advertising. Google will need to maintain its market dominance in order to stay on top of this game.As evidenced by Microsoft, who spent and lost billions attempting to build a search engine to complete with Google, it is most likely that competition will ultimately come from cooperation amoungs competitors. Recently, Microsoft and Yahoo have teamed up. Facebook also presents a threat to Google as it currently has in excess of 750 million users. Microsoft has invested over $210 million in Facebook. In order to continue to dominate, Google must continue to increase its offering of services such as e-mail (g-mail), a calendar, and photo sharing.This will lead to further loyalty with users. They must also continue to search for new areas of income thus diversifying. As example of this is â€Å"google apps† and the word processing program â€Å"Writely†, both developed to compete with Microsoft. Another example is the Google’s operating system for smart phones known as Android. Android let the market with a 31. 5% share of all smart phones sold in 2011. Analysts contend that Google’s new product offerings have a mixed success record. Google must refine their R and D to pick more winners to be developed and offered to end users.Thi s mixed review of new products no doubt stems from the current corporate structure. It is reported that there is no current efficient allocation of corporate personnel resources and massive duplication amongst those resources. This and other employment strategies must be addressed. Google must also search for future partners to team with to further broaden income and user loyalty. An example of a partnership is the one between Google and U Tube. Should Google not find and further these potential partnerships, it competitors surely will. Google Case Study Katherine Carter Strategies and Policies Case Study 8 Internet Search and the Growth of Google In 1997 the domain name google. com was registered by two Stanford students name Sergey Bring and Larry Page. In 1998, it became a privately owned, incorporated company known as Google Inc. Within 6 years of its inception, Google acquired 75% of US web search market. Even the word â€Å"google†, became a verb in our society as one would say, â€Å"let’s google him! †. Google revolutionized the internet search industry by charging its advertisers differently that ever done before.First, they auctioned off certain â€Å"key words† and when such key words were typed in a query, web users were directed to those advertisers web page. In addition, advertisers were charged on a â€Å"per click† based upon how many users actually clicked on their page. By 2010, 70% of all internet advertising was being spent at Google. That same year, Google had $29. 8 Billion in revenues with $8. 5 billion in net profit. Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.The Google we know organizes the world’s internet information and makes it accessible to us via its search engines using algorithms and state of the art technology. Even though Google currently at the top of their field currently, they still have competitors. Their business model must be changed continually to stay abreast of new ideas, new technology, and new competitors. Strengths Most efficient search engine on internet Brand equity – most recognized brand name Needs very little end user marketing Very strong R and D skillsProvides an interface to approximately 88 languages State of art technology Not biased towards advertisers Ability to manage strategic change Executive Management Large cash flow Default search engine for many Innovative culture Comprehensive product mix Weaknesses Business model is complex Eccentric practices confuse/anger investors Poor product marketing Inappropriate organization Growth without direction Cumbersome hiring practices Opportunities Increase demand for information International market Computer literacy on the rise Expands profits with diversificationExploits new market segments Applies R and D skills in new areas Enters into new related businesses Applies brand name capital in new areas Seeks fast market growth Threats Legal challenges Multi industry competition Specialized search engines Click fraud Advertising space becoming more competitive RECOMENDATIONS Internet advertising is expected to continue to grow with search based advertising to account for 41. 2% of all U. S. Online advertising. Google will need to maintain its market dominance in order to stay on top of this game.As evidenced by Microsoft, who spent and lost billions attempting to build a search engine to complete with Google, it is most likely that competition will ultimately come from cooperation amoungs competitors. Recently, Microsoft and Yahoo have teamed up. Facebook also presents a threat to Google as it currently has in excess of 750 million users. Microsoft has invested over $210 million in Facebook. In order to continue to dominate, Google must continue to increase its offering of services such as e-mail (g-mail), a calendar, and photo sharing.This will lead to further loyalty with users. They must also continue to search for new areas of income thus diversifying. As example of this is â€Å"google apps† and the word processing program â€Å"Writely†, both developed to compete with Microsoft. Another example is the Google’s operating system for smart phones known as Android. Android let the market with a 31. 5% share of all smart phones sold in 2011. Analysts contend that Google’s new product offerings have a mixed success record. Google must refine their R and D to pick more winners to be developed and offered to end users.Thi s mixed review of new products no doubt stems from the current corporate structure. It is reported that there is no current efficient allocation of corporate personnel resources and massive duplication amongst those resources. This and other employment strategies must be addressed. Google must also search for future partners to team with to further broaden income and user loyalty. An example of a partnership is the one between Google and U Tube. Should Google not find and further these potential partnerships, it competitors surely will.

Spirituals essays

Spirituals essays As slaves, Africans had to make many mental adjustments in order to survive in a foreign land. These adjustments are well shown in their poetry and music. Spirituals were the first form of African American music. They were the songs sang by the slaves on American plantations, that expressed feelings about freedom, religion and death. Spirituals were the songs of the children of disappointment. The central theme in spirituals was the divine liberation of the oppressed from slavery. This theme is quite often shown in spirituals such as in Swing Low Sweet Chariot I looked over Jordan what did I see, coming for to carry me home, a band of angels coming after me, coming for to carry me home. This spiritual expressed fellings of freedom through Slaves rejected white distortions of the bible, which emphasized the obedience of slaves to their masters. The basic idea of the spirituals was that slavery contradicts God; it is a denial of his will. The songs proved the slaves beliefs that human servitude was not reconcilable. The message of liberation in the spirituals is based on the biblical contention that Gods righteousness is revealed in his deliverance of the oppressed from the shackles of human bondage. That message showed the slaves confidence in God. The faith of black people was hence grounded in the faithfulness of Gods word revealed through the scriptures. African American music is not an artistic creation for its' own sake; yet it relays feelings and thought of African American people and the mental adjustments they had to make in order to survive in a foreign land. Spirituals were of the first form of African American music. They were the songs sang by the slaves on plantations that expressed their freedom, religion, and death. The songs told of suffering and unvoiced longing toward truer worlds of misty wanderings and hidden ways. Through all the sorrow songs there breathes a hope, and faith in the ultimate ...

Free Essays on Battle of Bunker Hill

One of the most important battles of the American Revolution was the Battle of Bunker Hill. This battle was one of the earlier battles of the war. The battle was fought in Charlestown, Massachusetts on June 16, 1775. Two locations were critical to the americans during this war. These locations were Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill. Bunker Hill is the highest of the two hills, it is also the location where the americans retreated to. Breed’s Hill is where the where the main portion of the battle was fought. The British commanders were General Thomas Gage and General Sir William Howe. The American commanders were Colonel William Prescott, General Israel Putnam and Joseph Warren. These three commanders were fairly skilled in combat, while the British commanders were highly skilled in combat. After receiving a message that the British were going to secure the two hills on the peninsula across from Boston which at the time was separated from the peninsula by Boston Harbor the Americans decided to invade that area, and they did. They were also starting to build a fort on it, because at that position they could lob cannon shells into Boston easily, and then the Americans could take over Boston, which at the time was a British stronghold. The colonists also wanted to get revenge on the British for shooting then in their backs when they were retreating at Lexington. A spy brought news to the Americans that the British General Gage ordered about seven-thousand men to take out the twenty-thousand man American makeshift army at Bunker Hill. Gage did this because he was furious that the colonists were building a fort right across from Boston. "Dig, and dig hard," was one of many famous phrases said by Colonel Prescott to the Americans while they were digging trenches and wa! iting on the British to attack. British warships started bombing the hillside with cannonballs at dawn. This attack did little damage to the Americans. The British ... Free Essays on Battle of Bunker Hill Free Essays on Battle of Bunker Hill One of the most important battles of the American Revolution was the Battle of Bunker Hill. This battle was one of the earlier battles of the war. The battle was fought in Charlestown, Massachusetts on June 16, 1775. Two locations were critical to the americans during this war. These locations were Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill. Bunker Hill is the highest of the two hills, it is also the location where the americans retreated to. Breed’s Hill is where the where the main portion of the battle was fought. The British commanders were General Thomas Gage and General Sir William Howe. The American commanders were Colonel William Prescott, General Israel Putnam and Joseph Warren. These three commanders were fairly skilled in combat, while the British commanders were highly skilled in combat. After receiving a message that the British were going to secure the two hills on the peninsula across from Boston which at the time was separated from the peninsula by Boston Harbor the Americans decided to invade that area, and they did. They were also starting to build a fort on it, because at that position they could lob cannon shells into Boston easily, and then the Americans could take over Boston, which at the time was a British stronghold. The colonists also wanted to get revenge on the British for shooting then in their backs when they were retreating at Lexington. A spy brought news to the Americans that the British General Gage ordered about seven-thousand men to take out the twenty-thousand man American makeshift army at Bunker Hill. Gage did this because he was furious that the colonists were building a fort right across from Boston. "Dig, and dig hard," was one of many famous phrases said by Colonel Prescott to the Americans while they were digging trenches and wa! iting on the British to attack. British warships started bombing the hillside with cannonballs at dawn. This attack did little damage to the Americans. The British ...

Biography of Mary Read, English Pirate

Biography of Mary Read, English Pirate Mary Read (1685–buried April 28, 1721) was an English pirate who sailed with Calico Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny. Though little is known for certain about her former life, she was well-known as a pirate from 1718 to 1720. After being captured, she was spared hanging because she was pregnant but died shortly after due to an illness. Fast Facts: Mary Read Known For: One of the most famous female pirates of all time, Read sailed with Calico Jack Rackham during the early 1700s.Also Known As: Mark ReadBorn: 1685 in EnglandDied: 1721 (buried April 28, 1721) in Port Royal, Jamaica Early Life Most of the limited information about Mary Reads life comes from Captain Charles Johnson (believed by many, but not all, pirate historians to be a pseudonym for Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe). Johnson was descriptive, but never mentioned his sources, so most of Reads alleged background is in doubt. Read was supposedly born sometime around 1690 to the widow of a sea captain. Mary’s mother dressed her up as a boy to pass her off as her older brother, who had died, to get money out of Mary’s paternal grandmother. Mary found she liked dressing as a boy, and as a young â€Å"man† she found work as a soldier and sailor. Marriage Read was fighting for the British in Holland when she met and fell in love with a Flemish soldier. She revealed her secret to him and they married. For a time, they operated an inn called The Three Horseshoes not far from the castle at the town of Breda in the Netherlands. After her husband died, Read could not operate the inn alone, so she went back to war, dressing once again as a man. Peace was soon signed, however, and she was out of work. Read took a ship to the West Indies in hopes of finding new opportunities. Joining the Pirates While en route to the West Indies, Read’s ship was attacked and she was captured by pirates. Read decided to join them and for a while, she lived the life of a pirate in the Caribbean before accepting the king’s pardon in 1718. Like many former pirates, she signed on board a privateer commissioned to hunt down those buccaneers who had not accepted the pardon. The mission didn’t last long, however, as the whole crew soon mutinied and took over the ship. By 1720, she had found her way on board the pirate ship of â€Å"Calico Jack† Rackham. Anne Bonny Calico Jack already had a woman on board: his lover Anne Bonny, who had left her husband for a life of piracy. According to legend, Bonny developed an attraction to Mary, not knowing that she was a woman. When Bonny tried to seduce her, Read revealed herself. According to some accounts, they became lovers anyway, with Rackham’s blessing (or participation). In any event, Bonny and Read were two of Rackham’s most bloodthirsty pirates, each carrying- according to one report- a machete and a pistol. Read was a good fighter. According to legend, she developed an attraction to a man who had been forced to join the pirate crew. The object of her affection managed to irritate a certain cutthroat on board, who challenged him to a duel. Read, fearing that her would-be lover might get killed, challenged the brute to a duel of her own, scheduling it a couple of hours before the other duel was supposed to take place. She promptly killed the pirate, in the process saving the object of her affection. Capture and Trial By late 1720, Rackham and his crew were well known as dangerous pirates, and bounty hunters were sent out to capture or kill them. Captain Jonathan Barnet cornered Rackhams ship in late October 1720. According to some accounts, Bonny and Read fought valiantly while the men hid below deck. Rackham and the other male pirates were quickly tried and hanged in Port Royal, Jamaica, on November 18, 1720. Bonny and Read declared at their trial that they were pregnant, which was soon determined to be true. They would be spared the gallows until they had given birth. Death Mary Read never got to taste freedom again. She developed a fever and died in prison not long after her trial, probably sometime in early April 1721. Records from St. Catherine Parish in Jamaica show that Read was buried on April 28, 1721. Legacy Most of the information about Read comes from Captain Johnson, who most likely embellished at least some of it. It is impossible to say how much of what is commonly known about Read is true. It is certainly true that a woman by that name served with Rackham, and evidence is strong that both women on his ship were able, skilled pirates who were every bit as tough and ruthless as their male counterparts. As a pirate, Read didnt leave much of a mark. Rackham is famous for having female pirates on board (and for having an impressive pirate flag), but he was strictly a small-time operator, never getting close to the levels of infamy of someone like Blackbeard or the success of someone like Edward Low or Black Bart Roberts. Nevertheless, Read and Bonny have captured the public imagination as being the only two well-documented female pirates in the so-called Golden Age of Piracy. In an age and society where the freedom of women was greatly restricted, Read and Bonny lived a life at sea as full members of a pirate crew. As subsequent generations increasingly romanticize piracy and the likes of Rackham, Bonny, and Read, their stature has grown even further. Sources Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag:  The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1996.Defoe, Daniel. A General History of the Pyrates. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1972/1999.Johnson, Charles, and Margarette Lincoln. A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates. The Folio Society, 2018.Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Guilford: The Lyons Press, 2009.Woodard, Colin. The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down. Mariner Books, 2008.

Liverppol Vision Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Liverppol Vision Company - Essay Example In addition, they have also gained resources from Europe and from the National Government, to create a City Centre that brings in new investment and employment opportunities to the people of Liverpool city. They have made a total investment of 3 billion, towards the regeneration of Liverpool city centre. The aims of economic revival have been targeted at their chosen areas of action, which are as follows: Kings Waterfront - This region has the largest development on the Liverpool waterfront. Liverpool Vision and its partners English Partnerships, Northwest Development Agency and Liverpool City Council are jointly promoting its development by using its potential for residential, hotel, office, retail, leisure, community and open space uses. Hope Street Quarter - Hope Street connects Liverpool to its cultural, spiritual and educational epicenters. It is the place of magnificent attractions such as The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) and the successful award winning Hope Street Hotel. Another significant aspect of this area, is its distinct historic environment, the hallmark of which are the two landmark Cathedrals. Liverpool Vision is working with key businesses and other stakeholders, with the intention of promoting the economic potential of this area by taking necessary steps to connect this area with the life of the city. Pier Head & Mann Island - This area of Liverpool has been the essence of what constitutes Liverpool to the rest of the world. It is made up some of the best known architectures such as of the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building, collectively known as the Three Graces - with striking views of the river. In June 2005, Planning and Development Brief prepared by Liverpool Vision in collaboration with the two landowners, National Museums Liverpool and Northwest Regional Development Agency, was endorsed by the Liverpool City Council. This is the first step towards implementing the idea of rejuvenating this part of the city. Commercial district - This area was established in the 19th Century. Two of the most important stock exchanges Corn Exchange (Dale Street) and Cotton Exchange (Old Hall Street) are located in this district. Using resources, Liverpool Visions has ambitions to create a 21st century business environment, in commercials district to make up for the shortage of high quality commercial space in Liverpool. In October 2005, Liverpool Vision was given the Outline Planning consent for a new Commercial Quarter in the heart of Liverpool City Centre. The proposals put forth will see the creation of 1.5m sq ft of high quality commercial space, new public spaces, and associated car parking on the area bounded by Leeds Street, Pall Mall, Tithebarn Street and Old Hall Street. Castle Street (Live Work District) - This area is made up of Victorian office buildings, which are now being converted into apartments, with their ground floors being used for commercial purposes. Liverpool Vision is not just concerned with bringing new developments into residential and official area, but it also aims to remove traffic from main routes of this areas in order to, create a more pedestrian friendly environment. Lime Street Gateway - Lime street gateway is the key gateway to Liverpool

Evolution Of Religions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evolution Of Religions - Research Paper Example Darwin argued that since variability and natural selection were the key reasons behind organisms’ adaptive changes, they could apply this concept in sociological, cultural and religious transformations (Dow, 69). Numerous theories also serve to explain the nature of religious behaviors, and the reason behind the existence of diverse religious beliefs. Experts deem man to be a religious animal, owing to his desire to explain various natural phenomena and his fears of the mysterious natural and spiritual ideas. Besides, religious beliefs are deemed critical owing to a number of benefits (Dow, 69). For instance, various religions are critical in promoting a healthy lifestyle, in both mental and physical aspects. Additionally, religion serves to promote altruistic cooperation among individuals within denominational in-groups. The evolution of religion leads to the inquiry of the origin of various religious beliefs that transformed into modern religions (Matthews 219). The emergence of such practices as the magic and divination within Europe in the 19th century were deemed as remnants of the religion evolution, similar to the vestigial organs in evolving organisms (Matthews 221). Additionally, the cultural change civilization shifts served critically to explain the concept of religious evolution. However, Durkheim highlighted a critical aspect that elucidated the inexistence of religious evolution, through the explanation that such practices were ever-present. Durkheim explains that such origins were the transformation of religious beliefs from the non-civilized ideas to more civilized ones (Matthews 221). In another perspective, critics may argue that, during the evolution of man in the ancient times, man developed the communication capability (Sosis 319). This was significant in capacitating humans to share their feelings by means of syntactic communication his inner forms with his peers. Man’s

Disney in France Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Disney in France - Essay Example The paper also includes an evaluation of Disney and provides recommendations for the company. Challenges and Problems This section will deal with the issues and problems that the company currently faces. Here the company’s assumptions, the external factors impacting Disney and the issues that need immediate care have been discussed. a) Disney’s Assumptions: Disney made a number of assumptions in France, i) The number of visitors on Monday will be light and Fridays will be heavy ii) French don’t eat breakfast iii) If they do take breakfast, it is croissants and coffee iv) Incorrect Lunch timings v) European Customers will stay for four to five days vi) French Style service restaurants. Most assumptions made by the company were incorrect. The company clearly did not take into account actual facts and figures and there was no supporting evidence for the assumptions by the company (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington). These clearly have had a major impact on the compan y and its performance. A decision like starting in France was a right one and this was clearly backed with clear figures and facts. However the assumptions made by the company otherwise like, having a 350 seat restaurant at a hotel, when the demand was as high as 2,500 breakfasts was an incorrect decision. These clearly have had a major impact on the overall company performance, human resources and clearly on the finances of the company (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington). b) France and Disney Three main events that have occurred in France have had a major impact on Disney’s success: i) The long talks and long negotiation by the French Government, which led to loss of patience of the Disney team ii) Parisian intellectuals who protested that the Disney culture was assaulting the French Culture and iii) The framers protest demanding that French agricultural subsidies be cut. Each of these events has had a major impact on Disney and has led to issue and breaks in the success of t he company. c) Need for Resolution: The company clearly needs to resolve the following: i) Breakfast issues for customers ii) Better staffing over the high demand days at the park iii) Better understanding of the culture of the country rather than depending on assumptions Alternative Solutions: For the success of any company in a new location, irrespective of the size, or nature of the business, it is crucial to have a detailed market research. Here the company did do the market research in terms of the location, however in terms of culture and the customer needs, there was little research and more assumptions. Hence to have a more favorable experience in France, a more detailed market research would prove to be more successful. Disney had invested a lot of money into the project, hence investing a little more on the market research and the needs of the people in the country would have been the best steps that the company could have taken while launching Euro Disney. Evaluation and Recommendations: Yes France is an excellent choice for the company to open its branch. Considering the place, i.e. Paris, and the incentives that the government was providing the company, this was definitely an excellent choice. Also, the location is best suited to meet the needs of millions as the location is easily accessible. Hence this is an excellent location for Euro Disney. In retrospect of the case, the following recommendations can be provided: i) Invest in market research (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington), ii) The culture of every location is essential to follow for the business to be successful iii) A theme park is in most cases a one day excursion place, and most people across the world prefer to stay for a maximum of one day

European Union (EU) Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

European Union (EU) Law - Essay Example Through proceedings, ECJ judges became deeply interested to take actions against conflicts creating depression for the transnational actors and other individuals who could claim that their rights under the Treaty of Rome were being violated by existing national law or administrative practice against national legal regimes and those actors, public and private, advantaged by national rules and practices 1. The ECJ is considered to be the most accurate jurisprudent body throughout the European community. So, there is no doubt that ECJ delegation in interpreting the treaties thereby ensuring that EU law is applied correctly in the member states is wrong. Similarly the European Parliament (EP) enjoys delegated powers in the legislative process through which EU policy is created, in the budgetary process through which the EU budget is shaped and adopted, under the control and supervision of the Commission. The empirical analysis demonstrates that the ECJ being a supranational institution have played an independent role in the development of a European enforcement system that is more constraining than national governments ever intended. Dissatisfied with existing means of enforcement at the European level and with governments' reluctance to delegate more powerful instruments, the ECJ and the Commission independently created and perfected a system of decentralized supervision, whereby individuals and national courts are engaged to monitor and enforce state compliance. This system of decentralized supervision is now an integral part of European governance which has influenced the course of European integration, not only by introducing new issues to the policy agenda, as is often argued, but also by securing a higher degree of compliance with the policy decisions that indeed are taken. What can one expect from close observation of such a system in which market integration has become the principle of ECJ policy-making as a result of non-majoritarian decisions taking into account only the contribution of Member States, for example, judicial law-making and Commission decisions. The best example is the implementation of such policies, which have been inclusive without much political attention, through interventions of the European Commission against infringements of Treaty obligations, and through the decisions that goes only in favour of the Member States with initial cooperation of the ECJ2. The doctrines of 'direct effect' and 'supremacy' have brought about the 'constitutionalization' in the ECJ law in the form of unseen competition and that even between individual stakeholders and Member States 3. It is considered those stakeholders' contribution matters the same way in policies implementation as that of Member States, however this is not the case. The ECJ along with the help of Commission has collectively sought out to shift the gravity in EU enforcement toward greater reliance on decentralized supervision through national courts. Exploiting its judicial independence and the absence of intrusive government control, it is said that the ECJ has strengthened the remedies available to individuals. ECJ has created a legal order in which individuals uphold the same rights as the Member States. However, the critical

Analysis of the movie Seven Years in Tibet Essay

Analysis of the movie Seven Years in Tibet - Essay Example We see a cold, harsh man at the beginning of the film –a man who doesn’t want the son he and his wife are expecting and goes off to conquer a mountain in the Himalayas– turned into a human being, someone we can respect and trust, even as the Dalai Lama shows him respect and trust, considering him to be not only worthy of looking up to in some ways, but also to be a friend. The transformation comes about through a series events, the most important of which is the contact with the people and culture of Lhasa, where Heinrich and his friend Peter -after having endured hardships like being in a P.O.W. camp, traveling on foot for hundreds of miles in severe weather conditions, injuries and frostbite- are accepted into the home of a high government official. The draw of the Tibetan culture and the Holy City is so strong that Heinrich and Peter decide to stay there, and Peter even ends up marrying the town seamstress or â€Å"tailor,† as she so unequivocally points out, after both men compete for her affections and Peter ends up winning. They come to refer to the city as Paradise, and indeed after the invasion of the Chinese under the command of Mao Tse Tung, one has a definite feeling of Paradise lost. The remoteness and mystery of the city are a key part of the movie, and appear to be part of the director’s intention of showing Tibet as an almost otherworldly place with a moral fiber that most people can only hope to aspire to, a place of true holiness, and not just a rigidity based on routines and rituals with no real substance to it.

Marketing - Justification Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing - Justification Report - Essay Example The Gym has a total of two owners and three trainers all of whom have a background in the sports industry. The objective in this aspect is to seek the relevant products, which are healthy and appropriate and can effectively assist the clients in the gym with their needs associated with the aggressive training. Indeed, the training process is very delicate and requires very important essentials, which should always be available in a bid to make training a more professional aspect. In this respect, the report seeks to convince Top Tier that the potential products will greatly assist the clients in selecting healthier diets, which can positively influence their health. The initiative is further intended to offer proper training to the clients in order to enable them make relevant decisions regarding the best products to select. The initiative is intended to deal with four lines of products that include sports drinks, energy drinks, energy bars and sports shakes. The justification on the need to use these products is given on professional grounds other than on plain product promotion claims. It is in that respects that it is hoped that the Top Tier management would indeed react positively to this need and enable the products to be marketed at the gym. Problem statement In the increasingly dynamic sports environment where challenges and issues related to health continue to become major concerns, the need to provide effective products in relation to these challenges cannot be overemphasized. Healthy standards are very difficult to attain these days courtesy of the inundation of several products in the market claiming to be the solutions to the challenges realized. Often, these products never meet the objectives aspired. This initiative is therefore an important call to rectify the situation and provide the best products that can assist the trainees at the gym with all their professional healthy needs. Methods The solution to the above problem lies in the products tha t this report seeks to promote in the Gym. Today, the society is becoming more dynamic and convenience seems to be the greatest aspect that people consider before any undertaking. Energy drinks and bars have become very popular as people seek products that can quickly replenish them with energy at faster rates (Nestle 2002). Quality products that can provide these solutions always need to be at the disposal of those who need them. Well-designed products that can fulfill these functions and provide the users with all the healthy requirements are therefore the most important aspects in this regard. Weight gainers, protein powders, and carbohydrate drinks are some of the products that can give the users high quality value in terms of body requirements without subjecting them to the agony of spending too much time in the kitchen (2012). The program is intended to take a maximum timeframe of one week as a promotion period and will mostly involve educational sessions to give the potential users all the relevant information regarding these important products in the markets. It is hoped that after the program, all the trainees and everybody in the gym shall be knowledgeable enough regarding these important aspects of health and will therefore be in a position to purchase the products. Findings

Analysis of the movie Seven Years in Tibet Essay

Analysis of the movie Seven Years in Tibet - Essay Example We see a cold, harsh man at the beginning of the film –a man who doesn’t want the son he and his wife are expecting and goes off to conquer a mountain in the Himalayas– turned into a human being, someone we can respect and trust, even as the Dalai Lama shows him respect and trust, considering him to be not only worthy of looking up to in some ways, but also to be a friend. The transformation comes about through a series events, the most important of which is the contact with the people and culture of Lhasa, where Heinrich and his friend Peter -after having endured hardships like being in a P.O.W. camp, traveling on foot for hundreds of miles in severe weather conditions, injuries and frostbite- are accepted into the home of a high government official. The draw of the Tibetan culture and the Holy City is so strong that Heinrich and Peter decide to stay there, and Peter even ends up marrying the town seamstress or â€Å"tailor,† as she so unequivocally points out, after both men compete for her affections and Peter ends up winning. They come to refer to the city as Paradise, and indeed after the invasion of the Chinese under the command of Mao Tse Tung, one has a definite feeling of Paradise lost. The remoteness and mystery of the city are a key part of the movie, and appear to be part of the director’s intention of showing Tibet as an almost otherworldly place with a moral fiber that most people can only hope to aspire to, a place of true holiness, and not just a rigidity based on routines and rituals with no real substance to it.

Unsafe practices Essay Example for Free

Unsafe practices Essay 5 people died due to neglect. The main one being a nurse/carer gave the wrong dosage of warfarin to a resident which resulted in the lady being hospitalized and her MAR charts being falsified to hide the mistake, as the carers knew that if the hospital had seen the original MAR charts would have resulted in a CQC inspection and possibly the home being shut down. Nurses would shut door when residents were shouting for help. That resident could have been shouting for any number of reasons but the staff chose to shut the door and not investigate. They put a lady on the toilet and forgot about her, which could have resulted in a serious accident or worse. They also used parcel tape to hold a bandage in place, which when removed could cause skin tears or bruising. The only reason anything came of this is because a carer/nurse left the home and became a whistleblower after she had found 28 separate drug mistakes had been made in one night shift and she was asked to shred the MAR charts for the wafarin incident. 2010-2012 People with learning disabilities were left alone for long periods of time even though some of them had a history of self harming. Staffs were found to have been verbally abusing the residents and one male member of staff physically abused a female resident. These people ensure their trust to carers thinking they are going to get the best possible care. The manager should ensure there is enough staff to cover each shift as night shift was found to be understaffed possibly causing safeguarding issue. An audit showed lack of staff training, lack of planning sufficiently for care of older residents, limited access to activities and poor provision of food and drinks. All of this comes under physical abuse and neglect it also isolates them from bonding together due to the lack of activities so the abuse would go unnoticed for longer as the residents weren’t mixing together and building friendships. As for the food and drinks the residents are entitled to choose what they want and when they want it otherwise it falls into the category institutional abuse In all of these incidents the residents have suffered numerous kinds of abuse which isn’t acceptable. If staff were unsure of what to do they should have asked for further training or guidance.

Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Goods: Impacts and Policies

Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Goods: Impacts and Policies Title: Illicit trafficking in cultural goods with special emphasis on Mauritius. INTRODUCTION The international market place for cultural goods is a billion rupees market. Every day in the world thief or looters are smuggling out cultural goods from their countries of origins and sold them to foreign countries. My aim in this project is to improve our understanding of trafficking in cultural objects in order to make people aware that illegal trading of cultural goods is an offense as cultural objects function as a repository of memory and which enable each culture around the world to speak about themselves and about their origins. Furthermore cultural goods are the only evidences left for us to promote and to safeguard one’s culture and origins. Cultural goods are the key artefacts and are part of universal story of humanity so once those cultural objects are crossing boundaries of countries to be sold illegally to foreign countries, at the same time our cultural identity is fading. And once those cultural goods are stolen, looted or destroyed, they will be lost forever, thus we must stop illicit trafficking in cultural objects. LITERATURE REVIEW Definition What is cultural good? We often see the terms cultural â€Å"property†, â€Å"heritage†, â€Å"goods† and â€Å"objects† interchanged. Each state has its own definition of cultural â€Å"goods†, â€Å"heritage† or â€Å"property†. And that’s why the two big international conventions addressing illicit trafficking in cultural objects, the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Export, Import and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects was created for the purpose of helping each state to get a more appropriate legal definition of the term cultural goods so as for them to be able to prevent trafficking in cultural objects and also to prevent the provenance of an cultural good. Under article 1 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Export, Import and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and under article 2 of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention, both convention define the term ‘cultural property’, â€Å"as property which, on religious or secular grounds, is specifically designated by each State as being of importance for archaeology, prehistory, history, literature, art or science†[1]. And both conventions have set up a categories of cultural objects so as for each states to get a clear understanding of what cultural goods really consist of and as well this will help states to classify and draw a list of heritage which their countries possessed with the reference to the listed categories of cultural objects which both Convention have catered for.[2] Types of cultural heritage: 1) Tangible heritage 2) Intangible heritage tangible heritage is one that can be stored and physically touched. This includes items produced by the cultural group such as traditional clothing, utensils (such as beadwork, water vessels), or vehicles (such as the ox wagon). Tangible heritages include great monuments such as temples, pyramids, and public monuments An intangible heritage is what exists intellectually in the culture. It is not a physical or tangible item. Intangible heritage includes songs, myths, beliefs, superstitions, oral poetry, as well as various forms of traditional knowledge such as ethno botanical knowledge. For example for the Southern Kalahari San, each tree and many other physical sites are part of their intangible heritage as their history is associated with these sites through stories, names and songs.[3] WHAT IS ILLICIT TRAFFICKING IN CULTURAL GOODS? The illicit trafficking of cultural goods is a very complex problem. Illicit trafficking can be classified under various forms and it is a lucrative business. Factors like geography, political environment and socio –economic, are sometimes responsible for the rise of illegal trafficking of those cultural goods.[4] Illicit trafficking in cultural objects is when an individual or a group of people is generating a profitable underground market at the expenses of stolen artefacts or objects, of illegal excavation of archaeological and paleontological sites and of illegal import and export of cultural property. Trafficking in cultural objects allows criminals to seize an opportunity to deal with high amount of items that are very often lack protection. Thus, since these merchandise are poorly protected, the thieves or looters can do illegal import and export from countries to countries. In the paper, Perspective on the organisation and control of the illicit traffic in antiquities in South East Asia written by Christine Alder, associate researcher in criminology University of Melbourne, Duncan Chappell, Professorial Fellow, Center for Transnational Crime Prevention,University of Wollongong,Australia and by Kenneth Polk,Professor of Criminology,University of Melbourne, Australia during the International Conference on â€Å"Organised crime in art and antiquities† Courmayeur Mont Blanc, Italy12-14 December 2008 , the authors noted that since illicit tracfficking is a lucrative business, thus that type of market can become very dangerous as it dealt with a huge amount of laundered money. And when money is made while selling cultural goods, those making that money are often connected to police or military authorities, and take an unpromising and gloomy view of interference in their lucrative business.[5] The fact that illicit trafficking often deals with political development and economic crisis; this further worsens the fight of illegal trafficking of cultural goods. Moreover when a country possesses a rich culture, it is more vulnerable to cultural pillage. For example countries like Cambodia, Italy, Africa, Oceania, Eastern Europe, Greece and Turkey are very prone to plundering of cultural materials. Countries like Cambodia with a rich culture but with a poor economy are more likely to be victims of illicit trafficking of cultural goods. As Etienne Clement, UNESCO,Director saysâ€Å" Cambodia’s culture is very rich, but the country itself is very poor. It’s an ideal situation for illegal trafficking† (BBC online, 2004)[6]. In Cambodia since there economic situation are poor, the looters are usually local people hoping to earn a few dollars. In Cambodia has faced massacre of its cultural goods and the problem is still going on even if the UNESCO has intervene in Cambodia. Hundreds of statues are without heads and walls are often marked with Graffiti. Hundreds and hundreds of sites are being dug up every day, said Dougald ORe illy, the director of Heritage Watch, an independent group aiming to safeguard Cambodias cultural heritage. In Cambodia heritage sites are often difficult to get access and that’s why it is difficult for the authorities to police the sites. And as Dougald O’Reilly said to the BBC online, sometime UNESCO tend to focus on particularly size only then paying less attention to other important sites which dated from Bronze and Iron Ages(BBC online)[7]. And something which is more sad and alarming is when we witness how people little by little are selling their cultural identity and destroying their origins just for the sake of a few coins. This demonstrate that those thief or looter who are selling those cultural treasure lack notions on the history of their countries and on other hands they are forced to indulged themselves to this illegal act because they are also living in a poor conditions. Mr O’Reilly put further to the BBC online that in Cambodia, In some parts of the country, you can buy 10 kilograms of ancient iron from these cemeteries for just 25 cents, its very openly sold in local markets.[8] Moreover cultural objects can easily be sold as shop owner or dealers to promote their goods they even present evidences of plunder as a means of guaranteeing the authenticity of their merchandise.[9] Another problem why cultural goods are being able cross boundaries and reach foreign countries is because there is a lack of documentation regarding the provenance of cultural goods. And also, officials working in the field of exporting and importing have no or minimum knowledge of archaeology or lack notion of cultural studies therefore it is difficult for them to capture criminals and identify cultural goods. All these factors, contribute further for â€Å"heritage plundering†. And today, the illicit traffic in cultural property continues internationally and is estimated to be worth $4.5 million dollars a year.[10] Furthermore according to Dr. George Abungu, an archaeologist and the founding Director at Okello Abungu Heritage Consultant, he said that colonialism and the spread of Christianity are also responsible for the huge plunder of African heritage. African heritage was destroyed with the new religion such as for example, â€Å"the evangelisation of the African continent and the Black man’s heart†, and other were collected and transported in the name of His or Her majesty’s government.[11] Invasion by the British, German and the French are also responsible for heritage destruction. For example the British expedition in Benin City, Nigeria and those of the Asante Kingdom at Kumasi in Ghana. And such expedition were undertaken in Asia, South America, and in Africa and as well as in North America. And cultural goods were looted and those responsible for this illegal act were considered as lawful collecting rather than plunder.[12] The fact that cultural goods has the ability to communicate, either directly or by association, an aspect of reality which transcends time or space gives it special significance and is therefore something to be sought after and protected. Legal instruments to combat illicit trafficking in cultural goods Every day around the world, massive pillage of cultural heritage is taking place. Cultural heritage since it is irreplaceable by nature; therefore it should be protected at any cost. The illegal trafficking of cultural goods affects humanity greatly. This type of trafficking affects museums, private and public collections, legitimate owner or possessors, worship buildings, cultural institution and as well as archaeological sites if we do not take actions immediately. As we all know if cultural goods are destroyed completely, nothing will be left for our future generations. And today since many people want a rich and better future for their children and family and for their countries as well so as not to kill the rich culture of one’s family or country, many states have decided to work together to create severe laws so as to punish those responsible for the destruction of our only cultural objects left by our people and by nature. The magnitude of this type of trafficking is becoming very alarming and developed countries are not excluded from illicit trafficking like developing countries. For example countries like France, Poland, Russia, Germany and Italy are known to be the most targeted countries for heritage traffickers. For example in 40 years, the Italian Carabinieri ( The National Military Police of Italy) has recovered 800 thousands stolen or illegally excavated artefacts[13]. Furthermore, the destruction of our world cultural heritage should not be held responsible mainly by theft or looters, as factors like climate change, globalisation, wartime, pollution and uncontrolled tourists are also factors contributing to the destruction of cultural objects. Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria are facing massive heritage plundering. For example in Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Ministry of Culture, 35 artefacts and approximately 7000 books, housed in the department building were destroyed in the 4th September attack. Over a hundred cultural artefacts were rescued as well as 5000 books.[14] And the Director and the Representative of the UNESCO in Afghanistan, Mr Paolo Fontani has put forward in a statement at the UNESCO office in Kabul and has expressed his deepest concern on the protection of the cultural artefacts that, â€Å" Our first thoughts go to the victims of this ruthless act, and to their families†, adding that â€Å"the irreversible loss of these unique artefacts should be equally condemned, since such artefacts underpin the cultural identity of the local communities and provide the foundation over which the fabric of society should be rebuilt†.[15] For the purpose to protect the culture of the humanity and in order to preserve and conserve our cultural goods, a set of legal instrument has been created. The three main legal instrument to cater for our cultural heritage are the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Export, Import and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property of 1970, the UNIDROIT 1995 Convention and the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The Hague convention was adopted in 14 of May 1954 during the Second World War so as to combat massive destruction of cultural heritage. And the Hague convention was the first international convention aimed to protect cultural goods during armed-conflicts. The Hague convention deals with both movable and immovable cultural heritage including architecture, art or history, archaeological sites, work of art , manuscripts , books and other objects of artistic, historical and of archaeological inter est and as well as scientific collections of all kinds regardless of their origins and ownership. The article 4(3) of the Hague convention as follows â€Å"The high contracting parties further undertake to prohibit, prevent, and if necessary, put a stop to any form of theft, pillage or misappropriation of, any acts of vandalism directed against, cultural property. They shall refrain from requisitioning movable cultural property situated in the territory of another high contracting party† clearly said that each country should respect their cultural property and the cultural property of other foreign states. Concerned about the new phenomenon of trafficking in cultural property in times of peace, the international community, through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)adopted in 1970 the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, which currently has 116 States Parties, including Mauritius. The 1970 UNESCO convention has set up 3 measures as follows: efforts in drawing up inventories, in certification and in education in order to fight illicit trafficking in cultural goods. The convention recommends each party who has ratified the UNESCO 1970 convention to prohibit the exportation of cultural property from its territory unless these cultural properties are accompanied by an export certificate. And the 1970 Convention also states that each nation should define their national treasure in a list and then these will be protected when stolen. The convention also provides mechanism for states to recover stolen property, but the nominated cultural property must be of national importance. The convention also consider that the protection of cultural heritage can be effective only if organized both nationally and internationally among States working in close co-operation and that that, as cultural institutions, museums, libraries and archives should ensure that their collections are built up in accordance with universally recognized moral principles. Furthermore, since we lack a list of cultural goods and services at the international level, the UNESCO has established a list to define cultural goods and services namely the UNESCO Framework for cultural statistics (FCS). This list classified each cultural goods and services in their respective categories. But this FSC was created in the 1980’s and has not been revised since then, nevertheless the FSC still serves us to get the proper definition of cultural goods and services.[16] The UNESCO also raises questions on previous cases which the 1970 convention does not covered which is a very good initiative taken so as to protect our heritage at the maximum. And moreover, in 1978 the UNESCO during intergovernmental committee, for promoting the return of cultural property for its country of origin or its restitution in case of illegal appropriation the ICPRCP[17] was established as a permanent intergovernmental advisory body by the UNESCO. Set up in 1978 by the resolution 20 C4/ 7.6/5 at the 20th Session of the UNESCO General Conference of UNESCO, the return and restitution committee comprises 22 Member States, which meet every two years and can also organize meetings. The main objective of this committee, is, to search for new solutions and means of facilitating bilateral negotiations, promoting multilateral and bilateral cooperation purposely to the restitution or return of cultural property as well as encouraging a public information campaign on the issue, and promoting exchanges of cultural property. Moreover, the 1970 Convention’s most important attribute are a provision for export certification. The cooperative measures are often enshrined in international agreements, that were noted earlier and also a mandate that parties restitute properties within their jurisdiction stolen from museums, monuments and so on. The UNESCO regime to protect cultural heritage also include non-binding declarations and recommendation to amplify the treaty framework. For example the 2003 declaration concerning the International Destruction of cultural Heritage largely responded to the demolition of two colossal Buddhist statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan by the Taliban government of that country. This declaration addresses the problem of intentional destruction, whether in peace time and wartime. mnbb [1] Article 1, 1970 UNESCO CONVENTION http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/illicit-trafficking-of-cultural-property/1970-convention/text-of-the-convention [2] article 1 of the 1970 UNESCO convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Export, Import and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and also see the Annex of the 1995 UNIDROIT convention .Article 1 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention and the Annex to the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention read as follows: â€Å" (a) Rare collections and specimens of fauna, flora, minerals and anatomy, and objects of palaeontological interest; (b) property relating to history, including the history of science and technology and military and social history, to the life of national leaders, thinkers, scientists and artist and to events of national importance; (c) products of archaeological excavations (including regular and clandestine) or of archaeological discoveries; (d) elements of artistic or historical monuments or archaeological sites which have been dismembered; (e) antiquities more than one hundred years old, such as inscriptions, coins and engraved seals; (f) objects of ethnological interest; (g) property of artistic interest, such as: (i) pictures, paintings and drawings produced entirely by hand on any support and in any material (excluding industrial designs and manufactured articles decorated by hand); (ii)original works of statuary art and sculpture in any material; (iii)original engravings, prints and lithographs; (iv) original artistic assemblages and montages in any material; (h) rare manuscripts and incunabula, old books, documents and publications of special interest (historical, artistic, scientific, literary, etc.) singly or in collections; (i) postage, revenue and similar stamps, singly or in collections; (j) archives, including sound, photographic and cinematographic archives; (k) articles of furniture more than one hundred years old and old musical instruments.† [3]www.sanculture.org [4] Illicit trafficking in cultural goods is, as other types of illicit traffics, a complex, vast and multifaceted issue. http://icom.museum/programmes/fighting-illicit-traffic/. [5] Organised crime in art and antiquities, Courmayeur Mont Blanc, Italy12-14 December 2008,p 93 edited by Stefano Manacorda,2009. [6] Race to save cambodia’s heritage, Kate Mcgeown, BBC online,2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3784135.stm [7] Race to save cambodia’s heritage, Kate Mcgeown, BBC online,2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3784135.stm [8]Kate McGeown, Race to Save Cambodias Heritage, BBC News. 9 June 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3784135.stm [9] Organised crime in art and antiquities, Courmayeur Mont Blanc, Italy12-14 December 2008,p 98 edited by Stefano Manacorda,2009 [10] UTIMUT, Discussion on repatriation in the 21st century, Copenhagen 2008,p36, by Mille Gabriel and Jens Dahl. [11] UTIMUT,â€Å"UNIVERSAL MUSEUMS†:NEW CONTESTATIONS, NEW CONTROVERSIES, by George Abungu,p34 [12] UTIMUT,â€Å"UNIVERSAL MUSEUMS†:NEW CONTESTATIONS, NEW CONTROVERSIES, by George Abungu,p35 [13]www.unesco.org, 40 Years of Fighting the Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Goods | Culture and development UNESCO Multimedia Archives [14] UNESCO office in Kabul, Statement by the Director UNESCO Kabul Office concerning the destruction of ancient artefacts in Ghazni, Afghanistan, www.unesco.org. [15] UNESCO office in Kabul, Statement by the Director UNESCO Kabul Office concerning the destruction of ancient artefacts in Ghazni, Afghanistan, www.unesco.org . [16] A note on the list of cultural goods and services,2004, http://www.unesco.org/culture/culturaldiversity/docs_pre_2007/clt_cpd_note_list_goods_services_en_092004.pdf [17] http://www.unesco.org/culture/laws/returncommittee Extra judicial Killing: Myth or Reality? Extra judicial Killing: Myth or Reality? How interesting it is that in Bangladesh the elite force named as Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] kills the arrested persons by the name of cross-fire and name them the criminals. Extra-judicial, thus the term is used to state the killings. It is called extra judicial because of its type, which works as a process outside the judiciary system of Bangladesh. Farid Ahmed in a non periodical web journal (2010), Such killings are often described in police reports as involving crime suspects who resisted arrests or attacked the police. Many of the victims, human rights groups charge, were killed while in police custody. But in their official statements, police said they were killed in the crossfire during violent incidents in prison facilities. The police were compelled to open fire at those attacking them, they said.  [1]   According to the Human Rights Watch (2006): One of the first publicized RAB killings was of the wanted criminal suspect Pichchi Hannan in Dhaka on August 6, 2004. This is when the era of extra judicial killing has started and still going on. Not only the RAB but also some other armed forces are involved in this kind of activity.  [2]   Whether extrajudicial killing is a myth or is it a reality is the main motive for me to conduct this research. A lot of people are being killed by the armed force, often named as elite force, but is it truly extra judicial killing or is the crossfire the reality, which one is true? We see a lot of incidents addressing the extra-judicial killings everyday when looking at the newspaper. Theres hardly any day with no crossfire news, and thus I think people should be clear about the extra judicial killing matter and to reveal the original fact as I conduct the research. My research will give a clear cut idea about the extra judicial killing and the scenario of our countrys perspective. However, it is often said by the authority and also by the political leaders that these so called extra-judicial killings are only the unfortunate deaths of the suspected criminals in the cross-fire. According to the Bangladesh Media article No extrajudicial executions carried out: RAB DG (2010): The director-general of the RAB, Hasan Mahmud Khandakar, addressing the media at the sixth anniversary of the elite law enforcement body in its headquarters on Sunday, told newsmen, A total of 622 suspected criminals were killed in by the RAB in crossfire across the country in the last six years, including 14 suspected criminals who were killed in the last three months. The RAB chief, however, claimed that no extra-judicial killing was carried out by the battalions personnel in the last six years.  [3]   The issue of extra-judicial killing is one of the big concerns for a country like Bangladesh where the chance of misuse of the theme, under the name of crossfire is highly possible for a 3rd world country like us. The concern of different human right organizations have argued about the extrajudicial killings and raised a lot of questions. My report will reveal whether the extra-judicial killing under the name of crossfire is true or just a myth. The History of Extra Judicial Killing As its name suggest, it is done outside the framework of the judiciary system of Bangladesh, which is the killings of a suspected criminal under the custody of the armed force, often using the term self protection or accusing the suspected criminal to escape; which is a violation of the rule of law. From the very beginning of Bangladeshs birth in 1971, different political parties used their political power to impetus the killings by the armed forces and used these forces in in violation of the law to consolidate power and maintain control. The continuous process started during the time period of BNP led govt. after forming coalition with three smaller parties: Jamaat-e-Islami (which won 4.3 percent), Jatiya Party-Naziur (1.1 percent), and Islamic Okye Jote (0.7 percent) in 0ctober, 2001. After taking power, to fulfill the one election agenda to fight against crime, and to tackle criticism from people, the govt. then deployed fourty thousand military personal to fight crime under the name of Operation Clean Heart. Thousands of people were arrested and at least 50 people were reported to be dead under their custody. Due to the failure of the operation, the government then decided to form an elite force group with a special unit of police with commando training called the Rapid Act ion Team, or RAT, which is now known as Rapid Action Battalion or RAB. As stated by the law, The main tasks of the RAB, according to the law, are to: Provide internal security Conduct intelligence into criminal activity Recover illegal arms Arrest criminals and members of armed gangs Assist other law enforcement agencies Investigate any offense as ordered by the government.  [4]   According to the Asian Human Rights Commission: The army killed 58 people in custody. See Asian Legal Resource Center and Asian Human Rights Commission, Lawless Law-enforcement the Parody of Judiciary in Bangladesh, August 2006.According to the Bangladesh NGO Forum for Secular Bangladesh, the army killed 53 people in custody and physically abused 7,000. See Forum for Secular Bangladesh, Violation of Human Rights by the Coalition Government of Bangladesh, September 2006.  [5]   However, the Operation Clean Heart did not succeed in bringing crime under adequate control, and vigilantism against so-called criminals continued. Hence the special police force proved unsuccessful in combating crime due to the lack of trained professionals, disorganization, and corruption in the force. Structuring from the experience from Operation Clean Heart, the government took steps to give the military a law enforcement role. Then, later on the RAB was created with the motto to fight criminals and reduce crime. According to a human rights lawyer: Critics complained that, rather than building a new crime-fighting force, the government should undertake efforts to reform law enforcement and the courts. Creating RAB, they feared, would undermine the police. With Operation Clean Heart in mind, some worried about using the military for civilian policing. They saw RAB as a way for the government to deploy the army for policing tasks, with one lawyer even calling it martial law in disguise. Other Facts Various human right watchdogs claimed that 1,142 victims have so far been slain in extrajudicial killings since 24 June, 2004 when the RAB began its journey by killing people in crossfire. Among the 1,142 victims, 149 were killed in 2004, 340 in 2005, 290 in 2006, 130 in 2007, 136 in 2008 and 97 in 2009. During the immediate-past emergency regime which continued for about two years, 322 people were killed in an extrajudicial manner. On the other hand, DG of RAB claimed that no extra-judicial killing is carried out but some criminals were caught in crossfire during the battle. He also claimed that 6,931 firearms have been seized by the RAB in the last six years 580 in 2004, 909 in 2005, 889 in 2006, 1,416 in 2007, 1,374 in 2008, 1,338 in 2009 and 425 in the last three months. The RAB arrested a total of 64,664 suspected criminals, after conducting drives throughout the country, on charges of various crimes including murder, kidnapping, extortion, tender manipulation, militancy and possession of illegal firearms. Of them 2569 in 2004, 4929 in 2005, 7277 in 2006, 13569 in 2007, 13378 in 2008, 16730 in 2009 and 4012 in last three months of 2010.  [6]   The attitude of people in law enforcement agencies has not changed, at least on the issue of extra judicial killings despite the judiciary ordering them to stop killing people under the guise of crossfire, encounter, and gunfight. Although much of such action has stopped, it is not a sustainable solution. But the decision has been hailed an eye-opener by many including human rights organizations. The High Court issued the suo motto order over extra judicial killings on November 17. It gave the government two weeks, initially, to explain why the killing of two brothers, Lutfor and Khairul Khalasi by law enforcement agencies in Madaripur on Nov.16 should not be declared extrajudicial. The government has yet to reply and the Attorney General has sought more time, presumably until the court resumes on January 3, 2010. During the year although there were some positive activities by the government, most sectors in the country were devoid of any human rights, the rule of law and good governance. Religious minorities were oppressed and press freedoms were violated almost every other day.  [7]   Only a few human rights organizations have long been asking the government to stop the killings, terming them extrajudicial. Moreover, the High Court of Bangladesh, on June 29, 2009, High Court of Bangladesh asked the government to explain why killing people without a trial, in the form of extrajudicial killings, is not being declared as illegal, and why measures are not being taken against the perpetrators. After this ruling, we still havent seen anything happen. However in recent times, after the Awami League came to power, many thought the Awami govt. will abolish the RAB. But, in march 2006, Seikh Hasina said, But we will not do so. Rather Rab will be given a special assignment to capture corrupt people.  [8]   Extrajudicial killings continue even in violation of the High Courts ruling. How can they continue? Its very alarming for human rights, democracy and the right to life. And why is the High Court silent regarding this gross human rights violation? Both governmental and nongovernmental sources have said that the death toll has reached 133 from such extrajudicial killings labeled as crossfire killings, encounter killings or gunfight killings by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the police since Jan. 6, when the Awami League-led government assumed office. In Bangladesh, we have a so-called democracy, but there is no rule of law if we consider extra judicial killing. Every day sees more killings of citizens by the state machinery, killings which are both well-planned and covered up. However, RAB never said that its extrajudicial killing. In contrast, Rab Director General (DG) Hassan Mahmood Khandker recently stated that, A total of 633 persons were killed in encounters with its members while 750 RAB men were punished for their unlawful acts. Among the 750 punished RAB members, 350 were sacked while the rest 400 suffered imprisonment in different tenures. Also RAB intelligence personnel are only on duty to tackle the criminal activities.  [9]   However, on contrary, extrajudicial killing have been going on very rapidly of violating the highest court ruling order, the Constitution and the Universal Declaration by law enforcers. The term extrajudicial killing means execution without justice. This is a grave human rights violation. Its both a violation of Bangladeshs constitution and of the UNs Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  [10]  But these types of killings still occur frequently in Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh has been violating the constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights day after day since 2002 (including operation clean heart). In 2004, the BNP-Jamaat government made a decision about extrajudicial killings and formed the RAB. From March 26, 2004 until January 31, 2009, around 1,600 people (including 58 58 killed peoples in operation clean heart of 2002) have been killed without justice. The government of Bangladesh has sided with the extrajudicial killings. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also said, in an indirect way, that extrajudicial killings will continue. She spoke clearly, upholding crossfire killings. What was said by our popular Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in New York is very unfortunate for the rule of law, democracy, the constitution, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the people of Bangladesh. According to the Bdnews24.com, Sheikh Hasina talked with journalists in New York on Sept. 27, 2009. Referring to crossfire killings at the time, she said, I do not believe in extrajudicial killings. But if anyone launches an armed attack (against a law enforcer), then they shouldnt be allowed to kill them like sitting ducks.  [11]   Bangladeshs elite Rapid Action Battalion continues to engage in extrajudicial killings despite Supreme Court directives to halt it. Although the court is handling the issue of extrajudicial killings, RAB does not seem to be bothered either about the judiciary or the countrys laws. The assertions of responsible people in the present government are shocking. Home minister Sahara Khatun recently said that, there was no crossfire. It seems, either directly or indirectly, the home minister and other ministers are defending the perpetrators of such crossfire killings. Finally we can say that, in Bangladesh has no rule of law. We want to say that the reports of so-called crossfire killings, encounter killings or gunfight killings that are made by the RAB and the police are totally false. We believe that terrorism should never be combated or controlled through state killings. It is the establishment of the rule of law that is essential to control terrorism. Conclusion Finally we can say that, numerous killings are being carried out extra-judicially; the perpetrators remain above the law; and the victims have no recourse to protection or redress under the law. This represents a violation of Article 31 of the Constitution, which reads: To enjoy the protection of the law, and to be treated in accordance with law, and only in accordance with law, is the inalienable right of every citizen, wherever he may be, and of every other person for the time being within Bangladesh, and in particular no action detrimental to the life, liberty, body, reputation or property of any person shall be taken except in accordance with law.  [12]   However, beyond impunity, those responsible for such killings are being rewarded for their actions. Torture and the threat of extra-judicial killing are used by the police and the RAB to extract money from persons that they arrest. Furthermore, the RAB was even awarded the prized Independence Award to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on March 23, 2006, as part of Bangladeshs 35th Independence Day celebrations, for its activities. Therefore, it is revealed that this kind of activities by the RAB is clearly a false ideology to name the extrajudicial killing under the name of crossfire, is just only to eye wash the general public, and some day it may have negative effect on the society and country as a whole. So the govt. and the people of Bangladesh should raise its voice against it and it should be stopped soon.