Health Improvement Essay

To address this challenge, the world’s governments committed themselves at the United Nations Millennium Summit to the Millennium Development Goals, including the overarching goal of halving extreme poverty by the year 2015. Yet, our planet’s capacity to sustain us is eroding. The problems are well-known – degrading agricultural lands, shrinking forests, diminishing supplies of clean water, dwindling fisheries, and the threat of growing social and ecological vulnerability from climate change and loss of biological diversity. While these threats are global, their impacts are most severe in the developing world – especially among people living in poverty who have the least means to cope. Is this environmental decline inevitable in order for poverty to be reduced? We argue not. Indeed, quite the opposite is true. If we do not successfully arrest and reverse these problems, the world will not be able to meet the Millennium Development Goals, particularly the goal of halving extreme poverty. As this paper demonstrates, tackling environmental degradation is an integral part of effective and lasting poverty reduction. The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) provides the international community with a pivotal opportunity to redirect the global debate, and to forge a more integrated and effective global response to poverty and environmental decline. To succeed, we need to focus on the most important links between poverty, the environment and sustainable development. For many, ensuring sound environmental management means curtailment of economic opportunities and growth, rather than their expansion †¦ too often; it is viewed as a cost rather than an investment. Prepared as a contribution to the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development focuses on ways to reduce poverty and sustain growth by improving management of the environment, broadly defined. It seeks to draw out the links between poverty and the environment, and to demonstrate that sound and equitable environmental management is integral to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, in particular eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality, combating major diseases, and ensuring environmental sustainability. Four priority areas for sustained policy and institutional change are highlighted: ?Improving governance for pro-poor and pro-environment policies, institutions and services, with particular attention to the needs of women and children; ?Enhancing the assets of the poor and reducing their vulnerability to environment-related shocks and conflict; ?Improving the quality of growth to protect the asset base of the poor and expand opportunities for sustainable livelihoods; ?Reforming international and industrialized country policies related to trade, foreign direct investment, aid and debt. Policy opportunities exist to reduce poverty and improve the environment The environment matters greatly to people living in poverty. The poor often depend directly on natural resources and ecological services for their livelihoods; they are often the most affected by unclean water, indoor air pollution and exposure to toxic chemicals; and they are particularly vulnerable to environmental hazards such as floods and prolonged drought, and to environment-related conflict. Addressing these poverty-environment linkages must be at the core of national efforts to eradicate poverty. Many policy opportunities exist to reduce poverty by improving the environment – but there are significant and often deeply entrenched policy and institutional barriers to their widespread adoption. The past decade of experience since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio reveals some important lessons that help point the way forward. Three broad lessons are highlighted here: ?First and foremost, poor people must be seen as part of the solution – rather than part of the problem. Efforts to improve environmental management in ways that contribute to sustainable growth and poverty reduction must begin with the poor themselves. Given the right incentives and support – including access to information and participation in decision-making – the poor will invest in environmental improvements to enhance their livelihoods and well-being. At the same time, however, it is essential to address the activities of the non-poor since they are the source of most environmental damage. The environmental quality of growth matters to the poor. Environmental improvement is not a luxury preoccupation that can wait until growth has alleviated income poverty, nor can it be assumed that growth itself will take care of environmental problems over the longer-term as a natural by-product of increasing affluence. First, this ignores the fundamental importance of environmental goods and services to the livelihoods and well-being of the rural and urban poor. Second, there are many examples of how bad environmental management is bad for growth, and of how the poor bear a disproportionate share of the costs of environmental degradation. Ignoring the environmental soundness of growth – even if this leads to short-run economic gains – can undermine long-run growth and its effectiveness in reducing poverty. ?Environmental management cannot be treated separately from other development concerns, but requires integration into poverty reduction and sustainable development efforts in order to achieve significant and lasting results. Improving environmental management in ways that benefit the poor requires policy and institutional changes that cut across sectors and lie mostly outside the control of environmental institutions – changes in governance, domestic economic policy, and in international policies. Improving governance ?Integrate poverty-environment issues into nationally-owned poverty reduction strategies, including macroeconomic and sect oral policy reforms and action programmes, so that they can become national sustainable development strategies. Engage poor and marginalized groups in policy and planning processes to ensure that the key environmental issues that affect them are adequately addressed, to build ownership, and to enhance the prospects for achieving lasting results. Address the poverty-environment concerns of poor women and children and ensure that they are given higher priority and fully integrated into poverty reduction strategies and policy reforms – for example, the growing burden of collecting scarce water and fuelwood supplies, and the effects of long-term exposure to polluted indoor air. Implement anti-corruption measures to counter the role of corruption in the misuse of natural resources and weak enforcement of environmental regulations – for example, the destructive impacts of illegal logging and unregulated mining, or the preference for construction of new power and water investments over increasing the efficiency of existing investments. ?Improve poverty-environment indicators to document environmental change and how it affects poor people, and integrate into national poverty monitoring systems. This should be complemented by measures to improve citizens’ access to environmental information. Enhancing the assets of the poor ?Strengthen resource rights of the poor by reforming the wider range of policies and institutions that influence resource access, control and benefit-sharing, with particular attention to resource rights for women. This includes central and sub-national government, traditional authorities, the legal system, and local land boards, commissions and tribunals. Support decentralization and local environmental management – land, water and forest resource management, and provision of water supply and sanitation services – by strengthening local management capacity and supporting women’s key roles in managing natural resources. ?Expand access to environmentally-sound and pro-poor technology, such as crop production technologies that conserve soil and water and minimize the use of pesticides, or appropriate renewable energy and energy e fficient technologies that also minimize air pollution. This includes support for indigenous technologies, and the need to address the social, cultural, financial and marketing aspects of technical change. ?Promote measures that reduce the environmental vulnerability of the poor by strengthening participatory disaster preparedness and prevention capacity, supporting the formal and informal coping strategies of vulnerable groups, and expanding access to insurance and other risk management mechanisms. Reduce the vulnerability of the poor to environment-related conflict by improving conflict resolution mechanisms in the management of natural resources and addressing the underlying political issues that affect resource access. Improving the quality of growth ?Integrate poverty-environment issues in economic policy and decision-making by strengthening the use of environmental assessment and poverty social impact analysis. Improve environmental valuation at both the macro and micro level, in order to highlight the full cost of environmental deg radation for the poor in particular and the economy in general, and to improve economic decision-making. ?Expand private sector involvement in pro-poor environmental management to maximize the efficiency gains from private sector participation, while safeguarding the interests of the poor. This requires capacity within government to negotiate with the private sector – for example, to ensure that utility privatization benefits the poor – and to forge effective public-private partnerships that enhance the poor’s access to environmental services. ?Implement pro-poor environmental fiscal reform including reform of environmentally-damaging subsidies, improved use of rent taxes to better capture and more effectively allocate resource revenues, and improved use of pollution charges to better reflect environmental costs in market prices. Reforming international and industrialized country policies ?Reform trade and industrialized country subsidy policies to open up markets to developing country imports while avoiding environmental protectionism, and to reduce subsidies that lead to unsustainable exploitation – such as subsidies for large-scale commercial fishing fleets that encourage over-harvesting in developing country fisheries. . Make foreign direct investment more pro-poor and pro-environment by encouraging multinational corporations to comply with the revised OECD Code of Conduct for Multinational Enterprises, and to report on the environmental impact of their activities in line with the UN Environment Programme’s Global Reporting Initiative. ?Increase funding for the Global Environment Facility as the major source of funding for global public goods in the environment, such as a stable climate, maintenance of biodiversity, clean international waters and the protective ozone layer. These benefit the whole world as well as the poor themselves – so the rich world must pay a fair share for their maintenance. ?Enhance the contribution of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) to national development objectives by strengthening developing country capacity to participate in the negotiation and implementation of MEAs (for example, to ensure that the Clean Development Mechanism promotes investments that benefit the poor). Also, improved coordination is needed between MEAs so that scarce developing country capacity is used most effectively. ?Encourage sustainable consumption and production – industrialized country consumers and producers through their trade, investment, pollution emissions and other activities affect the environmental conditions of developing countries. Making rich country consumption and production more sustainable will require a complex mix of institutional changes – addressing market and government failures as well as broad public attitudes. Enhance the effectiveness of development cooperation and debt relief with more priority for poverty-environment issues, particularly for the poorest countries where aid and debt relief continue to have a valuable role to play in helping governments to make many of the changes recommended above. Mainstream environment in donor agency operations through staff training, development and application of new skills, tools and approaches, and revisions to the way resources and budgets are allocated. Transparent monitoring of progress against stated objectives and targets is needed in order to hold development agencies accountable and to ensure that a commitment by senior management to addressing poverty-environment issues is put into practice throughout the organization. Conclusion This paper looks ahead with some degree of hope and optimism for the future – there are sometimes win-win opportunities, and there are rational ways of dealing with trade-offs. Environmental degradation is not inevitable, nor the unavoidable result of economic growth. On the contrary, sound and equitable environmental management is key to sustained poverty reduction and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. There are significant policy opportunities to reduce poverty and improve the environment, but more integrated and pro-poor approaches are needed. The World Summit on Sustainable Development is an opportunity to focus on what is most important and to forge a coherent framework for action, with clear goals and achievable targets backed-up by adequate resources and effective and transparent monitoring mechanisms. There can be no more important goal than to reduce and ultimately eradicate poverty on our planet. PART 1 Why the Environment Matters to People Living in Poverty â€Å"Water is life and because we have no water, life is miserable† (Kenya) â€Å"We think the earth is generous; but what is the incentive to produce more than the family needs if there are no access roads to get produce to a market? † (Guatemala) â€Å"In the monsoons there is no difference between the land in front of our house and the public drain. You can see for yourself† (India) In their own words, the environment matters greatly to people living in poverty. Indeed, poor people’s perceptions of well-being are strongly related to the environment in terms of their livelihoods, health, vulnerability, and sense of empowerment and ability to control their lives. Figure 1 provides a simplified framework for understanding how environmental management relates to poverty reduction, and why these poverty-environment linkages must be at the core of action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and related national poverty eradication and sustainable development objectives. Environmental management for poverty reductionDimensions of povertyDevelopment goals Part 1 of the paper focuses on the poverty-environment relationship by examining how environmental conditions in both rural and urban settings relate to three key dimensions of human poverty and well-being: ?Livelihoods – poor people tend to be most dependent upon the environment and the direct use of natural resources, and therefore are the most severely affected when the environment is degraded or their access to natural resources is limited or denied; Health – poor people suffer most when water, land and the air are polluted; ?Vulnerability – the poor are most often exposed to environmental hazards and environment-related conflict, and are least capable of coping when they occur. We also are concerned with the relationship between growth and the environment and how it affects the poor and efforts to reduce poverty. The environmental soundness of growth matters considerably to the poor, and countries with similar levels of income and growth can have quite different levels of environmental performance. While Figure 1 illustrates the main pathways between environmental conditions and dimensions of poverty, in reality these linkages are multi-dimensional, dynamic and often inter-connected: ?Poverty is now widely viewed as encompassing both income and non-income dimensions of deprivation – including lack of income and other material means; lack of access to basic social services such as education, health and safe water; lack of personal security; and lack of empowerment to participate in the political process and in decisions that influence one’s life. The dynamics of poverty also are better understood, and extreme vulnerability to external shocks is now seen as one of its major features. Environment refers to the biotic and abiotic components of the natural world that together support life on earth – as a provider of goods (natural resources) and ecosystem services utilized for food production, energy and as raw material; a recipient and partial recycler of waste products from the economy; and an important source of recreation, beauty, spiritual values and other amenities. The nature and dynamics of poverty-environment linkages are context-specific – reflecting both geographic location and economic, social and cultural characteristics of individuals, households and social groups. Different social groups can prioritize different environmental issues (Brocklesby and Hinshelwood, 2001). In rural areas, poor people are particularly concerned with their access to and the quality of natural resources, especially water, cro p and grazing land, forest products and biomass for fuel. For the urban poor, water, energy, sanitation and waste removal are key concerns. Poor women regard safe and physically close access to potable water, sanitation facilities and abundant energy supplies as crucial aspects of well-being, reflecting their primary role in managing the household. ?Environmental management, as used in this paper, extends well beyond the activities of public environmental institutions. In relation to poverty, environmental management is concerned fundamentally with sustaining the long-term capacity of the environment to provide the goods and services upon which people and economies depend. This means improving environmental conditions and ensuring equitable access to environmental assets – in particular land and biological resources, and safe and affordable water supply and sanitation – in order to expand poor people’s livelihood opportunities, protect their health and capacity to work, and reduce their vulnerability to environment-related risks. This broader conception of poverty and environment, and of environmental management, is essential to understanding the linkages between them and to identifying appropriate policy and institutional options for improving these linkages. There have been some impressive gains since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment – the first global conference devoted to environment and development issues. There has been a proliferation of environmental policies and institutions at national and sub-national levels, and environmental issues are firmly placed on the agendas of governments, civil society and the private sector. Major global environmental agreements have been forged and global environmental organizations established. Environmental sustainability has become a core concern of bilateral and multilateral development cooperation, and billions of dollars have been spent on environment-related programmes and projects. Tangible progress also has been achieved ‘on the ground’, although the picture is usually mixed. For example, in the 1990s some 900 million people gained access to improved water sources. However, this was merely enough to keep pace with population growth, and about 1. 2 billion people are still without access to improved water sources, with rural populations particularly under-served (Devarajan et al, 2002). Another example is the productivity of soil used for cereal production, which increased on average in developing countries from 1979-81 to 1998-2000. However, it fell in some 25 countries, most of them in Africa, with land degradation being one factor behind the decline (World Bank, 2002c). Despite these gains, pressure on the environment continues to mount worldwide, posing major challenges to the prospects for poverty reduction and human development in developing countries, in particular the least developed countries.

Is Wikipedia a reliable source of Knowledge? Essay

Knowledge is a justified true belief that are passed down from generation to generation. The ones who have passed down these knowledges and information are known as sources. However, not all sources are reliable nor are they all true. Wikipedia is a very worldly wide known website that is used to look up for informations on any matter. Even so, this website is also famous for its unreliable information that are given. So, I believe that wikipedia is an unreliable source with wrong facts of knowledge. For a knowledge to be true there should be facts and evidence that goes along with it. In our enormous world we rely on expert’s opinion to justify many of our knowledge claims, however, for wikipedia everyone seems to be an expert. Wikipedia, which is known for its information, relies on other who are not even experts to give opinions on certain knowledges. Wikipedia is not a reliable source especially since the actually sources will not be identified. WIthout knowing where the sources comes from we can not claim if the information or knowledge is true. Wikipedia is not perfect nor are newspaper articles or scholarly journals, each and everyone of them can make an error. But, the differences of newspaper articles and the scholarly journals from wikipedia are that we know where the source are from and the information are accurate on. For Wikipedia, even the stupidest and the most incomplete source can become a source that lets other believe it to be true. Wikipedia creates and spreads unproven and false information to society, like a plague. Also, one of many reason that wikipedia is an unreliable source is because the company of this website can agree and disagree with other people viewpoint. Administrators on Wikipedia have the power to delete or disallow comments or articles they disagree with and support the viewpoints they approve. In 2003, for example, an U. K. scientist William Connolley became a Web site administrator and subsequently wrote or rewrote more than 5,000 Wikipedia articles supporting the concept of climate change and global warming. More importantly, he used his authority to ban more than 2,000contributors with opposing viewpoints from making further contributions. In addition,in 2007, a new program called WikiScanner uncovered individuals with a clear conflict of interest that had written or edited some Wikipedia entries. Employees from organizations such as the CIA, the Democratic National Party and Diebold were editing Wikipedia entries in their employers’ favor. Addition, to the last paragraph, on Wikipedia accurate contributors can be silenced. Deletionists on Wikipedia often rely on the argument that a contribution comes from an â€Å"unreliable source,† and decided the editor if it is a reliable source. Last year, an incident, showed the degree to which editors at the very top of Wikipedia were willing to rely on false information as long as it suited their purpose. Wikipedia is not a website where it wishes for the consumers to use the right information, but rather to show them their side of viewpoint in certain topics. Lastly, another reason why wikipedia is an unreliable source is because it is also written on their website. Wikipedia has a page where it has been typed â€Å"We do not expect you to trust us. †onto the website. It adds that it is â€Å"not a primary source† and that â€Å"because some articles may contain errors,† you should â€Å"not use Wikipedia to make critical decisions. † Wikipedia is not a source where experts who written the information made a wrong, it is a website where someone who has no knowledge of certain information telling others about it as if they are a truth. Wikipedia is a well known informational website throughout the country, however, it is also known as an unreliable source. The sources that wikipedia uses aren’t from experts on certain knowledge but just regular people who has their own viewpoint to tell. I believe that wikipedia is not a reliable source because of it’s use of wrong editors, silencing accurate contributor, and the fact that it is written on their website. Knowledge and information should come from people who are an expert’s on certain topic and can prove that their claims are the truth, but for wikipedia it not one of those sources that should be used. Source:http://www. findingdulcinea. com/news/education/2010/march/The-Top-10-Rea.

The Japanese Genji Scrolls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Japanese Genji Scrolls - Essay Example â€Å"Tsukuri-e† is a technique in which â€Å"dense, flat colors are applied over the undersketch† and then later the outlines are redone with fine black ink (Brodsky 9). The artist uses varied colors and highlights the prominent hues with the fine ink, thus creating an overall magical effect. The highlighted singularities go deep and thrust the intensity of the emotions the characters go through and thus, the ultimate feelings of the characters are exposed and conveyed to the viewers. The artist uses pastel colors to indicate the deep contemplation, longing as well as yearning that the characters are experiencing. This technique thus enables the readers of the Genji tales get more insight into the actual scene of the story with an increased realistic feel and then they can make comparisons with the scenes they had in mind when they read the story. The two main techniques used in the illustrations are the Fukinuki Yatai meaning â€Å"blown away roof† and Hikimi Kagibama meaning â€Å"line for an eye, hook for a nose† (Brodsky 9) The former relates with the background of the scenes and it depicts the interiors having â€Å"neither ceiling nor roof,† which makes the â€Å"upper sides of ceiling beams† visible, thus enabling the viewer to see things from a bird’s perspective (Brodsky 9). That is, the viewer of the picture can see the whole scene including the background and every detail it portrays. The latter relates with people and the main characters in the scene, which have been presented â€Å"in a very unconventional manner† (Brodsky 9). This technique is used to depict the facial expressions of the characters in which their faces appear to be â€Å"mask-like† and devoid of â€Å"obvious sexual differentiation†... This paper stresses that imaginative world that evokes mythical and aesthetic attributes compared to the real world and thus the artist employs this technique to make the characters appear unfamiliar, since the prominent figures in the story are not everyday characters. This report makes a conclusion that on the other hand, the architecture depicted in the scrolls is very similar to the one in the real world. This helps the viewers to relate to the story, the culture it expresses as well as the values that it depicts. The faces of the central characters are painted in a distant unfamiliar way so as to maintain the perception that the readers already had about these characters. The artist does not want to influence or change those valued perception of the viewers and thus he makes the characters faces identical and mask like, so as to maintain the integrity of the reader’s perspectives. Another feature that can be noticed in the illustrations, such as in the one given below, is that â€Å"both† the men and women in the pictures â€Å"wear voluminous robes† that â€Å"conceals† their sex. This again shows there is no sexual differentiation and it opens a new door of thought. Maybe the artists harbored a feeling of equality among the males and females and that might be a reason as to why there are no obvious implications of sex. Through the Genji tales, Lady Murasaki takes a very feministic approach and the artists have kept maintained the same approach in their execution of the illustrations. The feministic attributes also imply that females be given more significance and what better way to do this than not making them appear identical to men.

Hezbollah and its history Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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I will download directions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

I will download directions - Essay Example These are the ideals of Integrity thoroughly highlighted by Stephen L. Carter in his The Rules About The Rules. According to Carter, a person’s individual life does not bear the importance howsoever healthy, peaceful and happy it is. ‘Integrity’ demands to influence the lives of others by bringing them under the attributes of ‘right’. This is the principle which guides the United States of America in its hazardous efforts to bring tranquility and peace in the world. It means what it has been following since its very birth are the lights of ‘Integrity’. Thomas Jefferson, in his â€Å"Declaration of Independence† has worded that all men are created equal (p 13). I disagree because the equality as stated by Jefferson does not extend to all men. Some are superiors in terms of qualities, the others inferior. But this is not what Jefferson wants to communicate; he has his own philosophy of the statement having a certain background. What he wants to convey is that all men are created equal in terms of the rights of freedom, joy and aspiration for happiness. He complains against the ruthless approach of the British Government towards the inhabitants of the American Colony. He demands for the due rights all the humans deserve in common. Jefferson here satisfies the first condition of Carter’s explanation of the word â€Å"Integrity† (p 6). ... Surely he has done it with the resources available to him at that time. It means Jefferson is a man of Integrity by the definition of Carter. Jefferson satisfies me because he has grasped something wrong, figured it out loudly before the community and also fought for its stoppage. Jefferson is therefore a man of integrity to me as well. Apart from Thomas Jefferson, the United States of America feels proud of having the services of two other great names in its history; Thomas Jefferson known for his Declaration Of Independence and Martin Luther King for his Letter From Birmingham Jail. Both the documents bear extreme importance in the history of United States of America and England. Both voice the injustices of the Britain government. Both are similar in nature complaining against the cruel policies of the British government towards the minorities. Both claim that they deserve the right to raise voice against the brutalities of the government. Here, there is a call for justice. For in stance Jefferson cries out against the King of Britain to have obstructed the administration of justice by denying the Judiciary its powers (p 14) whereas Martin Luther King weeps over the fact that the orders of the Judiciary are not being obeyed in England as in the decision of Supreme Court in 1954 (p 167). If Jefferson terms the King guilty of ordering the officers for the harassment of their men (p 14), Martin Luther views the attitude of the Police towards the Negroes as brutal (p 172). The Declaration Of Independence tells that the people of America were deprived of their basic civil and social rights like carrying out trade with other nations of the world. Besides, the King looted their wealth over sea, coasts and towns and imposed unjust taxes on them (Jefferson, p 14). Letter

Global Organizational Environment Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Organizational Environment - Article Example This is a reflective essay which summarises my learning experience gained through the entire model describing each of the sessions undertaken by me all through the course. One aspect has been chosen in each of the sessions’ and an academic journal has been selected which helped me to have a further detailed knowledge about the topics covered in each of the sessions. Session 1: Organizational form and purpose The first session of the module was meant to have an understanding about the various types of business concerns operating in different parts of the world and how they are governed. This session was a great learning experience for me that helped me to have a wide knowledge about different types of organisations, their primary motives or purposes, the concepts of corporate governance and stakeholders and the various ethical issues concerned with the business activities followed by the organizations. The concept of corporate governance and the problems related to the agency t heory was an interesting topic discussed in this session. Agency theory is one of the corporate governance theories which have marked significant importance in the recent years. Jensen and Meckling (1976) are commonly associated with the term agency theory as found in most of the existing literature. The journal named â€Å"A Survey of Corporate Governance† by Shleifer and Vishny (1997) helped me to know more about the issues related to corporate governance systems followed by different business organisations worldwide. It also helped to have knowledge about the concept of ownership concentration found in business concerns. Enron can be cited as one of the many examples related to an organisation which restored to unethical accounting practices because of the existing agency problems associated with the company. It is recorded as one of the major accounting scandals which have ultimately led to the downfall of Enron (Arnold, & Lange, 2004). Session 2: Transnational business a nd its role in contemporary society This session was aimed at having knowledge about the various roles played by transnational companies (TNCs) and how they have contributed to global trade. This session helped me to learn about the impacts of TNCs on the global trading environment, different types of internationalisation strategies followed by organisations, costs and benefits associated with free trade mechanism, and role of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and World Trade Organisation (WTO). Different types of internationalisation strategies followed by TNCs and other global organisations were of particular interest to me. Internationalisation is a process which is followed by organisations to expand their business outside their national boundaries and it can be achieved through various strategies followed by different firms. The journal named "Internationalization strategies for services" by Gronroos (1999) speaks about five types of internationalisation strategies that are followed by service organisations with their motives to establish their business abroad. Those internationalisat

European Parliament Elections 2014 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Parliament Elections 2014 - Coursework Example The elections involve various parties that included the European People’s Party, Party of European Socialists, Alliance of liberals and Democrats of Europe, the party of the European Left and the party of European Alliance for Freedom among others.  Ã‚   For fairness and equity of distribution of members and the authority span in the union, countries involved all participated in the election of the President to the committee that led and provides oversight mandate to the countries. These have developed to shape politics in the management of affairs of the European Union. Therefore, they provide a control aspect that makes the union stronger and much active economically. As part of the EU integration principles, the elections provide ground for improvement and evaluation of progress to the European Union. Through the formation and the parliament formed, it is much easier to understand and tackle the challenges that face the European Union block and relate to the policy matters of the European Union. These aspects have a picture drawn in the body of the material. For years, the elections of the members of the European Union parliament have remained centred and held during June as for the previous elections. In 2014, the elections were held in May as a gesture to create more time for the election of the president of the European Commission, which would have coincided if not brought backwards. The fact that the Pentecost weekend was to take place at the same time also provide an influence on the changes that came to occur. One of the major roles that the European Union has to play as of current is stabilizing the economy of the member states of the European Union. Since the great recession that started as of June 2009, the whole world has suffered massively due to the economic crisis that has affected many economies (Maier, 2011, p.208). Through these recessionary activities, economies like that of Greece, Cyprus Spain, Portugal and Cyprus massively affected leading to a difficult time in the European Union.   From this time, the effect of the recession hit even into the EU leadership aspects.  Ã‚  

Knowledge Management Foundations of IT Systems HW Research Paper

Knowledge Management Foundations of IT Systems HW - Research Paper Example In this scenario, the basic purpose of a knowledge management system should be the assurance that the approved clients will be able to access information. Moreover, just using a straightforward information management, recovery system and document cataloging is the beginning. Since gathering business knowledge does not only engage software and technology but it also necessitates a powerful document management software and intellectual change of how data and information are produced, managed, dispersed, stored and developed into modernization (infoRouter, 1998), (TechTarget, 1998) and (Bellinger, 2004). This paper discusses some novel aspects of knowledge management (KM) discipline for organizational innovation. In this paper I will analyze some of the prime areas of KM system for our organization. I will discuss some advantages along with significant factors regarding this new technology application at different levels of our corporation. CURRENT PROBLEMS WITH ORGANIZATION With curren t business practice at the corporation we are facing some critical problems regarding corporate operational arrangement. In this scenario the major issue is due to the traditional and inflexible working structure of the business. Seeing that, currently corporation is running its operations using traditional business practices (without knowledge management system) thus, below are some possible issues: (Laudon & Laudon, 1999) and (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005) Long time required for processing information Difficulties in managing records using paper based approach Difficult to manage business processes A lot of time required to search for the business information Absolutely no or least data sharing More workers required to handle business information Information gathered can include dirty data Business reports are complex and not offering better contribution for the effective decision making about business KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SIGNIFICANCE Knowledge management outlines th e major concerns of organizational efforts, change and ability beside fundamental and irregular environmental changes. Additionally, it represents organizational procedures that look for synergistic grouping of information and data processing capability of information technologies, and the modern and inspired competence of various individuals. Moreover, the knowledge management is related to the practical and thoughtful implementation for the reason that it does not exist in the hypothetical description however in the actual world implementation where the maximum confronts and prospects recline (Global Risk Management Network LLC,, 2011) and (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). IMPORTANCE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Knowledge management system is an innovative concept that is used to illustrate the creation of knowledge warehouses, knowledge availability and distribution, communication through teamwork, improving the knowledge framework and organizing knowledge as a plus point for an enterprise . Normally, knowledge management system encompasses a variety of applications and techniques those

Medication Errors, Safety, Prevention And Reporting Research Paper

Medication Errors, Safety, Prevention And Reporting - Research Paper Example Secondly, it is indicated that majority of hospitals suffer from shortage of medical practitioners. This puts a lot of pressure on the few who are employed to work in a given institution. There has been found a positive correlation between understaffing and medical errors. This therefore means medical errors can also be made by qualified and competent medical practitioners. Due to increased pressure in the working environment, doctors face mental and physical fatigue. This may interfere with their judgment when making prescriptions. Others face psychological and emotional instabilities due to this type of condition. Such health providers are not motivated to work. Mathematical proficiency is said to be play a big role when making medical prescriptions. Certain calculations need to be done by those given this responsibility. A study carried on 749 students in the United States indicated that most of them did not have these skills. Over 38% of them could not pass the elements of mathem atical proficiency (McCann 2011). This therefore demonstrates that some institutions of higher learning are to blame for admission of students who are not competent enough. Lack of these basic skills in mathematical proficiency culminates in gross errors while making prescriptions. Lack of exposure and quality education in most institutions has also been linked to medical errors. Medical students need to be guided by experienced medical practitioners before they can be allowed to carry out serious procedures. However, due to shortage of such supervisors, the students do not have time to learn and put theory to practice. Several institutions have also been blamed for providing substandard medical education. As a result,... As indicated above, most of the medical errors are committed due to the reduction in the number of doctors. It is imperative that the staff is increased to reduce pressure on those who are already employed. Shortage of doctors is a major problem not only in the developing nations but also in the developed ones such as the United States. The main aim of this will be to ensure that the workload of such medical practitioners reduces. This will make them more competent and motivated to work. In addition to that, it is imperative to offer more incentives to nurses. These are the lowly paid members in many countries despite the fact that they offer important services. Salaries for such people should be increased for the purpose of motivating them. Secondly, the government through the ministry of higher learning should embark on vetting institutions that offer medical causes. With most of those institutions offering poor education and experience for students, the government needs to step in and close such institutions. This is especially if such institutions are short on equipment necessary to facilitate medical education. Secondly, such medical students need to receive the best experiences during their internships. This is for the purpose of exposing them to the best medical practices that will make them more competent. Finally, medical students and newly employed medical practitioners should be taught on the importance of following the stipulated procedures and policies when carrying out their services.

The Organizational Behavior Practiced at OSIL Essay Example for Free

The Organizational Behavior Practiced at OSIL Essay Organizational behavior is an essential tool in any organization’s success. The roles to which its benefits are experienced are taken as a whole, with the organization members and the organization itself. It creates a better relationship inside the organization which enables the organization to direct its focus and goal in achieving success. Many companies have carefully scrutinized the objectives of organizational behavior, but some organizations does it so effectively that their achievement is more than the company’s growth but also encompass a holistic experience for its members. Introduction A company’s success can be defined by many factors. We can attributed the executive branch or the managerial skills of the leaders, the technical skills of the workers, the own contributions of the hundreds of workers in the company, and even the role to which the consumers plays their role in the process. But no matter how each entity aims to aspire for a success defined by any organization, external factors can easily disintegrate the organization given if the foundation of its existence is not strong. Organizational Behavior has been a concept under study regarding how people and groups of individuals works and act inside an organization. In context of which, the approach is entailed with a system that aims to understand the relationship of the people inside the organization, the relationships between them, their collective effort, the whole organization itself and the organization being an economic and social entity. Knowing how much organizational behavior affects an organization is a necessity; not only because of its great benefits, but also because of the understanding it gives in realizing the full potentials of the organization. When we talk about having a strong foundation in an organization, we do not only cite the importance of a clear and attainable objectives and goals. The organization needs to achieve not just its organizational objectives, but also consider the human and social objectives that go with it. Not only does it creates self-awareness for the organization, but also determines the extent to which the organization is determined and committed to achieve a holistic experience working in a wholesome relationship. In the study of the application of organizational objectives in different organizations we will mention later, we understand that part of the organization’s success or even failure is affected by the knowledge and lack of, respectively, organizational behavior concepts. This is because the study of organizational behavior encompasses wide and varied topics such as human behavior, change, leadership, teams and others. (Knoster, 2000) In this particular study, we will review the concepts under the study of organizational behavior. Following which will be determining the organizational behavior main concepts that has been used and tested by the different organizations used for this study. We will evaluate not only the success stories, but also show the side of failure in some cases in which we will examine the reason why such failure occurred. This is very important as we provide both viewpoints in the organization’s use of the organizational behavioral concepts. The Concept of Organizational Behavior: Before we begin discussing the focal point of this paper, we shall discuss the important elements and models of organizational behavior that some organizations adopt or use. Basically, the foundation of any organization relies on its solid attribution and commitment towards its philosophies, values, visions and goals. These elements are a major factor to which the organization manages, directs and operates. All these elements in turn is the motivational factor behind what is called the organizational culture which is composed of the formal and informal organization, and the social environment to which the organization thrives in. This mentioned organizational culture will eventually determine the extent of leadership needed, communication process and group dynamics which are very important main concepts in determining organizational behavior. These components are what workers in particular see as their degree of motivation in the quality of work life in the particular organization. When all the elements are in place and well executed, the organization and its employees experience performance, and individual satisfaction, and personal growth and development. This in turn will gear the organization to its operation process and ensures that internally, the organization has its objectives set properly. (Clark, 1998) Over the years, there are different models of organizational behavior that has laid the framework for the operations of many organizations. There are four major models of organizations, namely; autocratic, custodial, supportive and collegial. The first model, autocratic has its basis and focus on the managerial orientation of authority. In studies regarding this type of model, employees tend to become obedient and dependent on their employers, but then the level to which the employees meet their needs is subsistence and the result where found out to be minimal. (Clark, 1998) The second model, custodial has its focus on the organizations’ economic resources and the managerial orientation included in handling the financial resources of the organization. (Clark, 1998) This in turn yields a much secured attitude of the employees towards the organizations because of the benefits and dependence on the organization. The employee enjoys the security he experiences in the organization and in turn this model yields an effective passive cooperation towards the organization. The third model, supportive, entails the leadership and the managerial orientation of support. (Clark, 1998) The employees of the organization are then oriented towards performing great on their jobs and participation in the process. The goal of the employee is to meet the status and recognition form the organization which results to a more driven performance of the employees. The last model is the collegial model in which there exists a partnership and managerial orientation of teamwork. (Clark, 1998)Responsible behavior and self-discipline is expected of the employee and the employee must accomplished self-actualization in order to meet the needs given. This model yields a fairly moderate enthusiastic individual of the organization. We must note however that in a realistic context, the application of these models are not done individually alone. The different models are adapted in accordance to what the organization needs and aims to achieve given their objectives and goals. Organizations do not necessarily adopt an individual and particular model; sometimes organizations even incorporate the different models’ identity to be able to apply it to their organization. Success of an Organization: Douglas McGregor during the 1960’s made a discovery in human behavior in which he relates that most of the management techniques involved in an organization during the 60’s involves monitoring the work of the employees to ensure that they are efficiently operating in the working environment. In his theory, he relates that there is one way to view people. Theory Y, proposed by McGregor, illustrated that people inherently enjoy work and want a good and stable job. He contradicts the manner by which employees are monitored, a process in which organizations during the 1960’s operates, and geared towards encouraging organizations to realize the potentials of their employees in areas such as problem-solving, innovating, finding new opportunities and developing new approaches. (Frazee, 2004) Pioneers in understanding organizational behavior realize the complexity of human behavior, but states as a matter of fact that an individual, an employee for that matter, is also responsible for the improvement of the whole organization, that even with the difference between the employees and the organization as an entity, the relationship between them defines both entity’s growth and development. Relative to the individual process of learning an employee experiences in the workplace, organizational learning also occurs. Organizational behavior shapes patterns by which an individual is enabled to understand the overall perspective within the organization more than what the individual could on his or her own. (Frazee, 2004) In this paper, we note that one company is able to apply the concepts of organizational behavior in its policies and operations. We name Wal-Mart as our example and will use the analysis on how it adopts organizational behavior concepts into its relationship and management of its employees. In past studies regarding organizational behavior, organizations that express and treats its employees as company assets but withholds its time and money towards its employees clearly puts a face on their corporate value statement. In the same manner at which even if performance is rewarded but promotions of employees are relatively not shown, employees then have reserved feelings over the organization and try to get ahead of them. These forms of organizational operations are determined as detriment to an organization and are unable to reach its potential as an entity in the economic and social realm of society. In affect, the stability of an organization’s growth will very much be impeded by the weak relationship organizations has towards their employees. The Success and Shortcomings of OSIL: An organization’s culture determines a lot in its organizational behavior. The culture in an organization is composed of beliefs, different values and assumptions that that organizations tries to shape its employees behavior. The individual’s behavior are shaped and motivated in lieu with the culture the organization possess and operates at. An organizational culture can either be strong or weak. Strong in the sense that it influence and motivates the individual and his or her behavior and weak if it has a relatively low or no impact on the behavior of an employee. (Frazee, 2004) The human resource practices of OSIL is said to have set a more competitive format in the apparel industry. In recent years, there is an issue on the emergence of more companies offering bad compensations for its employees. Many critics of this issue have stated that employers had changed their operations into long-standing practices with regards to the employment of their employees and the way in which their wages are set. There is the existing fear that fewer jobs offer a traditional long-term employment relationship and continuously have low-skilled job offered and little opportunity in terms of training and wage increase. Citing Hughes 1999 study, jobs in the clothing industry is no longer a full time job, but rather characterized with part-time job with irregular hours, low pay and limited options for training and promotion. This transition emerged the same time the industry has undergone dramatic product restructuring as OSIL and other mass merchandisers have entered the industry. The expansion efforts of OSIL had a dramatic effect on the labor market. OSIL significantly has made the shift consistent with changing the United States’ level of employment and wages after its successful entry in the industry. It can be said that although there is the commitment of OSIL to employ and provide more job opportunities to many, the promotion and ability to provide training opportunities was very limited due to factors affecting its expansion plans. But somehow, in totality, it has no significant negative impact on OSIL being a successful organization. OSIL hitherto had expressed its desire to devise a new communication plan in order for the company to address several issues in recent years. OSIL is now working on integrating a multi-tiered communication plan into the business. In a statement of Sue Oliver, citing the article of Millerwood Communications, the senior vice president of the OSIL Stores Division envisioned this plan to reduce the turnover and to comply with the increasing and more complex demands and trends of the consumers. (Miller, 2007) The new communication plan they are also planning is to be able to react to the negative publicity they have been receiving the past years. In the formatted communication plan, OSIL intends to hire more than 300 human resource managers to work for them, and ensure the stability and efficient hiring, training and performance practices to be applied. The new communication plan also aims to increase the morale of their employees by communicating business objectives and opportunities for growth. The objective to communicate among its employees and consumers is implemented together with a strengthened human resource practice that will ensure that employees are benefitting the growth. The communication plans also includes updating its websites to address controversial topics, and to give senior management the responsibility to address the issues immediately as it arises. (Miller, 2007) Conclusion: OSIL is an apt example to explain the dynamics to which organizational behavior can be very useful in determining the success of a company. in the study, we analyze that organizational behavior encompass the relationship to which employees play a vital role in determining the success of an organization and how individual realization of potentials is a great asset to an organization. We examine the positive and negative outcome of the adoption of organizational concepts that enabled OSIL to become relatively successful in the industry. As mentioned, the organizational culture of OSIL is significantly strong in context that its founder has a clear intention to include its employees with its success. OSIL was accused of paying low wage to workers, having low training opportunities and promotion options for its employees. The lack of a strong human resource practices has led to several changes the company aimed its communication plan. The proposed communication plan objectively clarifies OSIL’s position with its employees and organization. The company is also suing technology, like its websites to address these matters immediately. OSIL as a developing and expanding company is applying several main concepts of organizational behavior in its operations. We can only hope that effectively and efficiently it can maintain its commitment and passion not only towards the business, but most especially with its employees. Why are people leaving from one company to another? A wide variety of reasons why are people leaving their jobs to find new companies includes: expectations were not satisfactorily fulfilled, unsuitable for the role, do not fit with the company’s culture, insufficient opportunities for growth and development, inadequate acknowledgment and admiration, problems with a manager or supervisor, not satisfied with the compensation, stress, lack of work and life balance, and lack of confidence in the company and leadership (Meyers). According to Susan Heathfield (Heathfield, 2007), most employees are leaving their work for reasons of searching new opportunities with other companies. Three top reasons were identified by Heathfield: fifty three percent of employees look for better rewards and benefits, thirty five percent were discontented with prospects of career growth and development, and thirty two percent were ready for a new experience and new environment. The motivating factors that can enhance the continuous stay of employees were examined by Bob Losyk on his article, here are the different factors that he stated: dignity and respect, involvement and participation, pay above the industry average, showcase superior workers, and by showing support to employees (Losyk). Giving dignity and respect is one of the most important key elements in satisfying the employees, harsh words, shouting, insults, and abuse of power will only result to demoralization, low morale, increase possibilities of absenteeism, and in turn resignation. Losyk added that employers should be treated with high respect, worth and goodness, let them relax, be independent and empowered. Do not crash on people who make mistakes instead make it more constructive and let them learn from it. Involvement and participation is also a significant factor in dealing with employees’ motivation to stay in the company, by listening to their suggestions, aspirations, and ideas can make them more involved and active much as with belongingness and partnership. Paying above the industry average will surely and literally compensate the best employee thus giving and making more money for you. Great employees should be compensated for what they gave back to the company and it should not be as simple as paying back but to reward and constantly recognize their efforts. For sure, companies who have the best employees will have more satisfied clients because of the excellent services they receive and in return a greater chance of repeat business will likely to come. Another tip from Losyk is to highlight and draw attention to outstanding employees by giving awards, certificates, extra remuneration, dinners as well as posting their photos on bulletin boards or company newsletters. To share and show support, to listen and know their personal and family problems can be a key factor for lasting relationship with employees. It will create a positive and motivating atmosphere resulting to a more productive and high-quality employees (Losyk). Human Resource Retaining Strategies: The Training Delivery / Communication Options The training delivery to be used is participative which simulates real scenarios (Schein, 1987). This will be a workshop type of training. Experiential learning should be employed in the training components of the human resources planning program aimed at maintaining work effectiveness, retaining employees and create organizational success where employee development is critical. The communication option to be used in the delivery of training should be simple yet effective. This type of training program will fit the workforce of the Belfarm Hotel to refine their training skills. Also, this training program will provide comprehensive information and techniques to develop critical competencies. Training activities will focus on the design and approach to facilitate effective delivery of functions and responsibilities. The training materials to be used should assist trainers in enhancing their training presentations with materials that are professionally designed and written. Group facilitation skills of the trainers should be maximized to effect intervention strategies needed to maintain effective group relationships and direct groups towards productive goals. Aside from the evaluation of the Human Resources Directors from available data and observations, a Training Needs Assessment and Evaluation conducted prior to the actual training proper help trainers understand and use selected needs assessment and evaluation tools as part of the design and delivery of training. Human Resource Issues and Challenges to Consider Including Suggested Solutions The challenge to have a trained and skilled workforce is the ultimate competitive advantage for any organization (Cowling Mailer, 1998). The rapidly expanding base of new information and technologies affects every one of us, from factory floor to business office. No matter how capable or successful an organization is, if staff training and continuing education is overlooked, there will be problems in the organization. The challenge is to get the best value for the training dollars spent by choosing training that suits the needs of the company and least impacts the bottom line (Storey Sisson, 1993). In order to meet the challenge, comprehensive approach to employee development can be adopted. Set goals and reach them, identifying the needs, developing the right intervention, and delivering a practical, results-oriented solution. Interactive training is designed for the adult learner, requiring involvement in the learning process. Handle specialized workplace challenges with customized group training. Handle challenges specific to the organization. A good approach is to maximize training dollars spent by tailoring content to the organization’s explicit situation to produce the results needed. The NLC should source top-notch trainers who can combine their experiences with the latest in learning techniques for interactive sessions that emphasize skill development and application (RBA Training, 2006).

What is the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Women?

What is the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Women? ABSTRACT This dissertation will outline the major issues surrounding HIV/AIDS infection as it relates to women, with specific reference to women in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom (UK). It will explore the reasons why women are increasingly at greater risk of infection than males. Underpinned by a feminist analysis of womens oppression, it will include a discussion of how biological, social, sexual, economic and cultural inequalities contribute to womens vulnerability. It will also look at the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and how these factors can influence them to seek services. The differences in what is deemed â€Å"social work† in terms of both definition and practice as well as the differences in the health systems and the healthcare workers involved in delivering services in both countries will also be explored. INTRODUCTION AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a disease that makes it difficult for the body to fight off infectious diseases. The human immunodeficiency virus known as HIV causes AIDS by infecting and damaging part of the bodys defences its lymphocytes against infection. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell in the bodys immune system and are supposed to fight off invading germs. People may be infected (HIV positive) for many years before full AIDS develops, and they may be unaware of their status. HIV can only be passed on if infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk gets inside another persons body. HIV and AIDS can be treated, but there are no vaccines or cures for them (WHO, 2003). HIV/AIDS PREVALENCE IN WOMEN IN ZIMBABWE AND THE UK Increasingly, â€Å"the face of HIV/AIDS is a womans face† (UNAIDS, 2004). AIDS is now the leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa and the fourth-highest cause of death globally (UNAIDS, 2002). AIDS is a profound human tragedy and has been referred to as the â€Å"worlds most deadly undeclared war† (Richardson, 1987). Women and girls are especially vulnerable to HIV infection due to a host of biological, social, cultural and economic factors, including womens entrenched social and economic inequality within sexual relationships and marriage. HIV/AIDS continue their devastating spread, affecting the lives of 16,000 people each day, with women, babies and young people being increasingly affected. The number of people living with HIV/AIDS has now reached almost 40 million globally (UNAIDS and WHO, 2006), and of these an estimated two-thirds live in Sub-Saharan Africa, Zimbabwe included. Zimbabwe is experiencing one of the harshest AIDS epidemics in the world. The HIV prevalence rate in Zimbabwe is among the highest in the world, although recent evidence suggests that prevalence may be starting to decline. In Zimbabwe 1.8 million adults and children are living with HIV/AIDS, with 24.6% of adults infected: women represent 58% of those infected among the 20- to 49-year-old age range. (Consortium on AIDS and International Development, 2006) In a country with such a tense political and social climate, it has been difficult to respond to the crisis. President Robert Mugabe and his government have been widely criticised by the international community, and Zimbabwe has become increasingly isolated, both politically and economically. The country has had to confront a number of severe crises in the past few years, including an unprecedented rise in inflation (in January 2008 it reached 100,000%), a severe cholera epidemic, high rates of unemployment, political violence, and a near-total collapse of the health system (AIDS and HIV Information, 2009). In Britain, HIV prevalence is relatively low and currently stands at 0.2% of the population. Statistics show that at the end of 2008 there were an estimated 88,300 people living with HIV, of whom over a quarter (22,400, or 27%) were unaware of their infection. This compares to the 77,000 people estimated to be living with HIV in 2007, of whom 28% were estimated to be unaware of their HIV infection. Of all diagnoses to the end of 2008, 45% resulted from sex between men and 42% from heterosexual sex, with black Africans representing 35% of newly diagnosed infections (HPA, 2009). According to the Health Protection Agency (2009), there has also been a dramatic increase in the number of women diagnosed with HIV. In the years up to and including 1992, females accounted for 12% of HIV diagnoses, but in 2008 that was 37%. Therefore, as HIV/AIDS is a global pandemic, the eradication of this health issue represents one of humanitys greatest challenges one that requires co-operation and comprehensive collaboration between scientific disciplines, governments, social institutions, the media, social work and healthcare professionals, and the general public (IFSW, 2009). Social workers, by virtue of their training, their commitment to human rights, and the fact that they are uniquely placed within a wide variety of health and welfare settings, can play a very effective role in the global effort to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic (IFSW, 2009). 1. CHAPTER 1 1.1 OVERVIEW OF GENDER AND VULNERABILITY TO HIV/AIDS While women are battling for equal rights throughout the international community, the existing power imbalance between men and women renders women particularly vulnerable to contracting HIV. Womens subordinate position places them at a considerable disadvantage with respect to their fundamental human right to control their own sexuality, and to access prevention, care, treatment, and support services and information. This subordination of women is mainly caused by the socially-constructed relations between men and women or, in other words, the patriarchal structure which is oppressive to women. (Walby, 1990, cited in Richardson, 2000) defines patriarchy as the â€Å"system of social structures and practices that men use to dominate, oppress and exploit women†, thus giving them greater opportunities to access services compared to females. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) and many governments are implementing educational programmes to teach women about protecting th eir health, traditional and cultural practices continue to perpetuate discrimination against women, in turn forcing women into high-risk situations. Unless proactive human-rights policies are enacted to empower, educate, and protect women with regard to their sexual autonomy, HIV/AIDS will continue to spread at an alarming rate and will have a devastating impact on all aspects of society. Even though the root of womens vulnerability lies in the imbalance in power between men and women, biological and sexual practices have an important role to play and mean that HIV transmission is unfortunately more efficient in women than in men. 1.2 WOMENS BIOLOGICAL VULNERABILITY TO HIV/AIDS Women are more biologically vulnerable to HIV than men; research has shown that women are at greater risk than men of contracting HIV both from an individual act of intercourse and from each sexual partnership. This â€Å"biological sexism† applies not only to HIV but to most other sexually transmitted diseases (Hatcher, et al, 1989). A woman has a 50 per cent chance of acquiring gonorrhoea from an infected male partner while a man has a 25 per cent chance if he has sex with an infected woman (Doyal et al., 1994). This is because the vaginal tissue absorbs fluids more easily, including the sperm, which has a higher concentration of the HIV virus than female vaginal secretions and may remain in the vagina for hours following intercourse, thus increasing womens vulnerability to infection. Not only are women more vulnerable to STIs than men, but â€Å"untreated genital infections, especially genital ulcer disease, syphilis and genital herpes, all predispose to HIV infection† (Doyal, 1994). While STDs are not necessarily gender specific, it is likely that women with STDs will remain undiagnosed and untreated for longer, increasing their risk of infection (Finnegan, et al, 1993). This is largely because women tend to remain symptomless for longer than men (Doyal, 1994). Even though much is known about the transmission of HIV to women through unprotected sex with men, less is known about the manifestations, progression, treatment and care of HIV/AIDS in women. Due to the lack of research we can at best speculate on the reasons for this. One reason may be the failure of medical professionals to pick up on possible symptoms which are often present in women: â€Å"existing diagnostic guidelines pay little attention to symptoms such as thrush, herpes, menstrual problems and cervical cell abnormalities that seem to characterise the early stages of the disease process in many women. Indeed a significant number are diagnosed only during pregnancy or when their child is found to be HIV positive†. (Doyal, 1994, p13) Therefore, if researchers persist in ignoring the biological differences, then the realities of the risks of infection and the disease progression in women will remain unacknowledged. As a consequence of this, women will continue to be diagnosed later than men, which ultimately leads to an earlier death. (Gorst, 2001,) Further research into biological differences and the effects of HIV on womens bodies is urgently needed. 1.3 TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS Traditional and customary practices play a part in the vulnerability of women to HIV infection. Practices such as early marriage and the payment of lobola in marriages make women and girls more vulnerable to HIV infection. Marriages among black women in Zimbabwe include bride wealth â€Å"lobola† if the couple is to be socially approved. Bride wealth is increasingly becoming big business in Zimbabwe, with some parents charging as much as US$2,500 plus five or more cattle for an educated girl. (IRIN NEWS, 2009) The insistence on bride wealth as the basis of validating a marriage makes female sexuality a commodity and reduces women to sexual objects, with limited rights and privileges compared to their husbands, who pay in order to marry them, thus leaving them without a say in their relationship. Patriarchal attitudes are also found in Christianity and these have strengthened the traditional customs that men use to control womens sexuality. (Human Rights Monitor, 2001) For example, Eves alleged creation from Adams rib has made women occupy a subordinate position in the Church as well as in the family. Women are therefore viewed merely as second-class citizens who were created as an afterthought. This is to say that if God had seen it fit for Adam to stay alone, then Eve would never have been created and hence women would not exist in this world. Such patriarchal attitudes have seen women being forced to be submissive to males. To make matters worse, once Eve was created she wreaked havoc by giving in to the Devils temptation and pulling Adam into sin. This portrayal of women as the weaker sex has made men treat women as people who have to be kept under constant supervision. St Pauls letter to the Colossians is one example of the letters which Zimbabwean men quote as a justifi cation of their control over women. The woman is expected â€Å"to submit to her husband† (Colossians 3:18) whilst the husband has to love his wife (Colossians 3:19). Therefore, because of these beliefs, women will remain passive and powerless in relation to sexual health, making them more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. 1.4 CONFLICT AND CIVIL UNREST Migration or displacement as a result of civil strife, natural disasters, drought, famine and political oppression has a greater impact on womens vulnerability to HIV infection compared to men. About 75 per cent of all refugees and displaced people are women and children. The political and economic crisis in many African and Asian countries has caused many women to come to the UK in search of safer lives and employment (Freedman, 2003). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2003) states that female immigrant workers are more vulnerable to sexual barter as they try to negotiate for necessary documentation, employment and housing, which further increases their risk of HIV/AIDS infection. In addition, because of the lack of legal documentation these women will experience limited options, receive low status, receive low pay and are often isolated in their work, including marriage, domestic, factory and sex work. These situations place women in vulnerable and powerless positions, with little ability to refuse or negotiate safe sex, thereby increasing their risk to HIV/AIDS. Despite the risks associated with the migration process it is important to recognise the right to ‘freedom of movement and travel irrespective of HIV status (ICW 12 Statement and the Barcelona Bill of Rights, 2002). This was a focal point during the Barcelona HIV/AIDS conference in 2002, because the Spanish authorities denied visas to numerous people from the South many of whom were open about their HIV status. Some countries do have discriminatory policies regarding travel of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) and others are instituting stricter controls. For example, Canada has recently introduced the need for an HIV test for people emigrating to Canada and Australia. Whilst they say it will not affect the final decision it is not clear why they need the information (Tallis, 2002). 1.5 POVERTY AND INEQUALITY Women and men experience poverty differently because of gender inequality: The causes and outcomes of poverty are heavily engendered and yet traditional conceptualisations consistently fail to delineate povertys gender dimensions resulting in policies and programmes which fail to improve the lives of poor women and their families (Beneria and Bisnath, 1998). Despite worldwide attention to existing inequalities and the way these violate a socially-just society, there is no society in the world in which women are treated as equals with men (Doyal, 2001). Major inequalities between men and women still exist in many places from opportunities in education and employment to choices in relationships. Gender and social inequalities make women more vulnerable to HIV infection, especially in societies which afford women a lower status than men. Worldwide, women and girls are disproportionately impacted by poverty, representing 70 per cent of the 1.2 billion people who live in poverty worldwide (Amnesty International, 2005), a phenomenon commonly referred to as the â€Å"feminisation of poverty†. Worldwide, women receive an average of 30-40 per cent less pay than men for the same work (Card et al, 2007). This economic inequality may influence womens ability to control the timing and safety of sexual intercourse. Specifically, economic dependence on men, especially those who are not educated and do not have good jobs, forces women to remain silent about HIV risk issues and to stay with partners who refuse to engage in safe-sex practices. Poverty also leads to greater HIV risk among women by leading them to barter sex for economic gain or survival (Weiss et al, 1996). Commercial sex work is the most well-known way for women to exchange sex for money, food, shelter or other necessities. Most of this sex will be unsafe as women will be at risk of losing economic support from men by insisting on safer sex. Where substance abuse is a factor, the means for obtaining clean needles may be traded for other essentials. Trading or sharing needles is a way to reduce drug-addiction costs. Risk behaviours and disease potential are predictable under such compromised circumstances (Albertyn, 2000, cited in Card, 2007). Educational inequality also contributes to a womans HIV risk directly, by making information on HIV/AIDS less accessible to her, and indirectly, by increasing her economic dependence on a male partner. In particular, studies show that more-educated women are more likely to know how to prevent HIV transmission, delay sexual activity, use healthcare services, and take other steps to prevent the spread of HIV (UNIFEM, 2004). Because many cultures value ignorance about sex as a feature of femininity, many young women are prevented by husbands, fathers, or other family members from obtaining information about HIV/AIDS. Others decline to seek such information out of fear for their reputations. Lack of education about the causes, prevention, and treatment of HIV/AIDS will increase these womens vulnerability to infection. Legal systems and cultural norms in many countries reinforce gender inequality by giving men control over productive resources such as land, through marriage laws that subordinate wives to their husbands and inheritance customs that make males the principal beneficiaries of family property (Baylies, 2000). For example, Zimbabwe has a dual legal system, recognising both common and customary law in marriage. This creates inequalities for many women upon divorce or their husbands death. Women in customary marriages, especially those who are not educated and who live in rural areas, make up approximately 80% of marriages in Zimbabwe, and are not entitled to the same rights as those married under common law; this means that they are often barred from inheriting property and land, or getting custody of their children, thus making them more vulnerable to male dominance and increasing their risk of getting infected with STIs (Womankind, 2002). 1.6 CONCLUSION Power inequalities at social, economic, biological, political and cultural levels mean that women continue to be increasingly more at risk from HIV infection. It is therefore critical that social workers and other healthcare professionals make sure that HIV/AIDS prevention and care programmes address the most immediate perceived barriers to accessing HIV/AIDS prevention and care services. Measures could include vocational training, employment, micro-finance programmes, legal support, safe housing and childcare services. Such measures would empower these women to have options and to take voluntary and informed decisions regarding the adoption of safer practices to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS (UNODC, 2006). There is also the need for a female-controlled form of protection which women can use to protect themselves, for example microbicides, which women can use without the consent or even the knowledge of their partner, thus enabling them to protect themselves if they are forced to engage in unprotected sex. 2. CHAPTER 2 2.1 HIGH-RISK GROUPS OF WOMEN Although there is a vast literature on HIV/AIDS, relatively little has been written about how HIV/AIDS affects women, and what constitutes a high-risk group. In part, this reflects the way AIDS was initially perceived in the West as a â€Å"mens disease†, so much so that until a few years ago a common response to the topic of women and AIDS was â€Å"Do women get AIDS?†, the assumption being that women were at little or no risk (Doyal, et al, 1994). This has never been true of Africa, where the appallingly pervasive epidemic has always been a heterosexual disease and where 55 per cent of those who have been infected were women. In recent years it has become increasingly clear that women can both become infected with HIV and transmit the virus. A study conducted by AWARE (Association for Womens AIDS Research and Education) in America found that women who inject and share needles, have sexual contact with or are artificially inseminated by a man, lesbians, sex workers and those from an ethnic minority, especially black women, were at increased risk of HIV infection (Richardson, 1987). The study also found that most people in these groups are underrepresented in prevention or treatment interventions, and often suffer social stigma, isolation, poverty and marginalisation, which place them at higher risk. Therefore, in this chapter I am going to discuss how some of these groups are vulnerable to infection, and what can be done to prevent and treat infection in these vulnerable groups without inadvertently increasing their stigmatisation. 2.2 PROSTITUTES There is a substantial body of research on the correlation between HIV/AIDS infection and female prostitution. Studies worldwide have revealed cause-and-effect relationships between AIDS and prostitution in a number of areas, including the use of alcohol and/or psychoactive drugs, and have revealed variance in the rate and circumstance of infection from one country to another (OLeary et al, 1996). For example, researchers have found the high rate of AIDS in Africa to be largely a reflection of exposure through sexual activity only, while in the US and Europe, transmission of the AIDS virus is more likely to come from prostitutes or customers who are also IV drug users. Many writers have pointed out that real social concern about HIV infection did not materialise until its potential â€Å"spread to heterosexuals† was recognised. What is less often pointed out is that concern for the â€Å"spread to heterosexuals† has mostly been manifest in concern for the spread to heterosexual men, not heterosexual women (Flowers, 1998). The expressed fear is that HIV will spread from women to men, allegedly through prostitution. In the press and the international scientific literature on AIDS, often the light cast upon Women in Prostitution (WIP) has been a harsh one. WIP have been identified as a â€Å"risk group†, a â€Å"reservoir of infection†, and a â€Å"bridge† for the HIV epidemic. Such technical, epidemiological language has depicted WIP as vectors of HIV infection (Scharf and Toole, 1992). Rather than presenting WIP as links in broader networks of heterosexual HIV transmission, women categorised as prostitutes have bee n described as â€Å"infecting† their unborn infants, their clients and indirectly their clients other female sexual partners, as though HIV originated among WIP (Scharf and Toole, 1992). Like posters from WWI and WWII which aimed to warn armed servicemen in Europe of the danger of contracting gonorrhoea and syphilis (Brandt, 1985, cited in Flowers et al, 1998), some AIDS-prevention posters have caricatured WIP as evil sirens ready to entice men to their deaths (New African, 1987, cited in Larson, 1988). Interestingly, there is evidence that some HIV-positive men may be inclined to claim that their infection came from a female prostitute, in order to cover up its real origins: sex with a man, or IV drug use. 2.3 PROSTITUTION IN ZIMBABWE There are many reasons why women engage in prostitution in Zimbabwe. Studies show that poverty and deviance are the main causes. Other studies have shown that many women engage themselves in prostitution by their own choice and see it as a career path whilst others might be forced into it (Chudakov, 1995). In Zimbabwe prostitution is illegal, and many women and young girls, especially orphans who engage in prostitution, are driven to it by poverty and economic dislocation, which is being caused by the current economic and political crisis the country is experiencing. According to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the hunger and disease-ridden conditions in much of Zimbabwe have forced many children into prostitution in order to feed themselves (UNICEF, 2008). Save the Children, a non-governmental organisation working to create positive changes for disadvantaged children in the country, estimate that girls as young as 12 are now selling their bodies for even the most meagr e of meals, such as biscuits and chips. They also state that the issue is further complicated by the growing presence of child traffickers in the region, looking for young girls to abduct and take to South Africa for the use of potential clients at the 2010 World Cup (Mediaglobal, 2009). Combating child prostitution and trafficking is complicated, but prioritising the alleviation of poverty with particular emphasis on fighting poverty from a childs perspective; prioritising education for all, with emphasis on improving access for girls; and provision of information to victims and survivors of child prostitution and/or trafficking, including information about available counselling and legislative services would be helpful (WHO, 2003). 2.4 PROSTITUTION IN THE UK Prostitution in the UK is different from that in Zimbabwe. The laws around prostitution in England and Wales are far from straight-forward. The act of prostitution is not in itself illegal but a string of laws criminalises activities around it. Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, it is an offence to cause or incite prostitution or control it for personal gain. The 1956 Sexual Offences Act bans running a brothel and its against the law to loiter or solicit sex on the street. Kerb-crawling is also banned, providing it can be shown that the individual was causing a persistent annoyance (BBC NEWS, 2008). Though actual s are scarce, it has been estimated that at least 2 million women are selling sexual favours in Britain. The bulk of these are brothel prostitutes working in parlours, saunas or private health clubs. According to The First Post published on 18/08/08, prostitution was viewed as â€Å"the new profession†. The article stated that prostitution in Britain is booming, and that thousands of young women have chosen prostitution for independence and financial security. The key factor which has led to a huge rise in this kind of prostitution is the influx of girls from Poland and other Eastern European countries which acceded to the EU in 2000. A strong relationship also exists between UK prostitutes and substance abuse, which drives many into the sex business. Intravenous-drug-using prostitutes are particularly prominent in Scottish cities such as Glasgow (OLeary et al, 1996). According to researchers, 70 per cent of the citys streetwalkers are IV drug addicts, injecting heroin, temazepam and tengesic. In Edinburgh, which has the highest rate of HIV-seropositive IV drug addicts of all cities in Britain, a significant number of those addicts testing HIV positive have been identified as prostitutes. Even though sex workers can transmit HIV/AIDS, blaming them encourages stigma and discrimination against all women. It allows the men who infect sex workers and their own wives to deny that they are infecting others. Wives too can infect their husbands, who can in turn infect sex workers. It is therefore important to note that sex workers and their clients are not serving as a â€Å"bridge† for HIV transmission into the rest of the population. 2.4 LESBIANS Can women transmit the disease to other women through sexual activity? The answer to this question is crucial for a community that knows that HIV is within it even though the question might be difficult to answer as there is â€Å"very little† information on this subject (Richardson, 1987). Lesbians were seen as least likely to be infected, as there was an understanding of HIV as a disease which existed in specific groups of people, for example gay males and intravenous-drug users. Because of these biased attitudes toward people, rather than risk behaviours, no data was systematically gathered. This understanding prevented the healthcare system from defining sexual risk behaviours: it stressed people, not sexual behaviours. It has therefore been noted that most lesbians have been in â€Å"risk situations† or engaged in what would be considered as â€Å"risky behaviour† at some stage. Some lesbians inject drugs and may share needles. Also, a significant number of lesbians have had sex with men before coming out, and many will have had unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse Some may still have sex with men for reproductive purposes (Gorna, 1996). Some may be prostitutes who, for economic reasons or through pressure from a pimp, may have had unprotected sex with clients (Richardson, 1989). According to records from a London sexual health clinic for lesbians, 35 per cent of the lesbians who attended had had sex with a man in the previous six months (Gorna, 1996). As Gorna puts it, this emphasises the fact that â€Å"activity is not always consistent with identity†. In other words, â€Å"we are put at risk by what we do, not by how we define ourselves or who we are† (Bury, 1994, p32). Although the risk of HIV infection from sex between women is very small, it is important for lesbians to look at what they do, how they do it and with whom they do it, just like everyone else, as, â€Å"Low risk isnt no risk† (Richardson, D, 2004). However, they may find it difficult to access services and, if they become ill, they may experience special problems, given that the healthcare system is designed for and administered by a predominantly heterosexual population. There may be a lack of recognition of their relationships, which could lead to isolation and depression. For example in Zimbabwe homosexuality is illegal and punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years. The President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, views lesbians and gays as â€Å"sexual perverts† who are â€Å"lower than dogs and pigs† (BBC NEWS, 1998). In 1995 he ordered the Zimbabwe International Book Fair to ban an exhibit by the civil-rights group Gays and Lesbians in Zimbabwe (GALZ). He follo wed this ban with warnings that homosexuals should leave the country â€Å"voluntarily† or face â€Å"dire consequences†. Soon afterwards Mugabe urged the public to track down and arrest lesbians and gays. Since these incitements, homosexuals have been fire-bombed, arrested, interrogated and threatened with death (Tatchell, 2001). This makes it difficult for lesbians in Zimbabwe to access information and other services, thus increasing their vulnerability to HIV infection. 2.5 ELDERLY WOMEN The number of older people (older than 50 years) with HIV/AIDS is growing fast. Older adults are infected through the same high-risk behaviours as young adults, though they may be unaware that they are at risk of HIV/AIDS. However, when assessing the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic upon the worlds population, older people are often overlooked. HIV-prevention measures rarely target the older generation, despite the fact that many older people are sexually active and therefore still at risk of being exposed to HIV. The older population is steadily growing larger with the maturing of the â€Å"baby-boomer† generation as well as the availability of antiretroviral drugs which extend peoples life expectancy. Social norms about divorce, sex, and dating are changing, and drugs such as Viagra are facilitating a more active sex life for older adults (NAHOF, 2007, cited in Lundy et al, 2009). Heterosexual women aged 50 and older are most in need of the HIV-prevention message. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS, 2006) estimates that around 2.8 million adults aged 50 years and over are living with HIV, representing 7 per cent of all cases. In the UK, the Health Protection Agency reported that almost 4,000 HIV-infected people who were accessing care in 2006 were aged 55 years or over. Data on this subject from low-income countries like Zimbabwe is fairly patchy. This is because HIV/AIDS surveillance is commonly conducted in antenatal clinics, as many people have little other direct contact with medical services. Data from antenatal clinics does not provide information about people who are above child-bearing age, thus making it difficult for healthcare and service providers to make policies that will impact on the elderly who are infected. Firstly, it has been noted that elderly women can be exposed to HIV via non-consensual sexual contact or rape. Research has shown that some criminals appear to target older women for sexual crimes because they appear to be, and often are, vulnerable to attack (Muram et al, 1992). Elderly women in institutional settings such as nursing homes may also be at greater risk. Some estimates suggest that up to 15 per cent of elderly nursing-home residents have been victims of either sexual or physical abuse, thus increasing their vulnerability to HIV infection (Collins, 2002). Exposure to blood tainted with HIV may also occur when an older woman provides care to adult children who may be suffering from AIDS (Levine-Perkell, 1996). Allers (1990) revealed that more than one-third of all adults who contract A

Because I could Not Stop for Death by Emily Dickinson Essay -- Becaus

Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, on December 10, 1830. Except for a few months of travel, she remained in Amherst until her death. Dickinson began, in her twenties, a gradual retreat into the confines of the homestead, the house in which she was born, until for the last fifteen years of her life she didn't leave its grounds and saw no one but her brother and sister. As her withdrawal intensified, Emily's principal method of communication was through her letters. Emily Dickinson died on May 15, 1886 after an illness. ( Harold Bloom 11 - 13) Modern readers are apt to comment upon the frequency with which Dickinson returns to this subject of death. (Wolff, Cynthia, G. 749) "Because I could Not Stop For Death" was written in about 1863 (Kennedy 740) The poem is comprised of six stanzas of four lines each. The poem is long and aligned to the left. The rhyme scheme is ABCB in its first and last two stanzas; however, stanza three and four has different rhyme schemes as stanza three is read ABBC and stanza four is read ABCD. She frequently applies the use of personal pronouns; for example, in the first stanza of the poem, she uses the pronouns "I", "He", "Ourselves". In the second stanza she uses the pronouns "We", "He", "I". In the third stanza she uses the pronoun "We", in three out the four lines composing the stanza. As Harold Bloom, editor of "Bloom's Major Poets ' Emily Dickinson' " says,† When Dickinson declares her "I," these instants become our own" (Bloom 38) The use of pronouns in the poem makes us, as the readers, get involved so deeply into the poem so that we get to feel the protagonist of the poem which is of course the speaker. Most stanzas are composed of a two -beat line but the majority is three b... ...re is a paradise waiting for us. Works Cited Dickinson, Emily. "Because I could Not Stop For Death." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 4th Compact Ed. XJ Kennedy and Dana Gioia . NY: Longman, 2005 Wolff, Cynthia, G. "Dickinson And Death." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 4th Compact Ed. XJ Kennedy and Dana Gioia . NY: Longman, 2005 Bloom, Harold. "Biography of Emily Dickinson." Bloom's Major Poets. Edited And With An Introduction By Harold Bloom: Emily Dickinson. Comprehensive Research And Study Guide. Harold Bloom. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999 Tate, Allen. "Allen Tate On Emily Dickinson." Bloom's Major Poets. Edited And With An Introduction By Harold Bloom: Emily Dickinson. Comprehensive Research And Study Guide. Harold Bloom. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999