Comprehensive School Counseling Project: A Proposal

Educational reform is shaped by the commitment to provide optimum learning environments that will guarantee academic success for all students. A shift in the counseling program is introduced by the comprehensive school counseling model recognizing the significant roles counselors can play in maximizing potentials and achievement in every child. According to the American School Counseling Association (ASCA 1997), school counselors must aid schools to â€Å"focus on academic achievement, prevention and intervention activities, advocacy and social/ emotional, and career development† (Dahir, Hardy, Ford & Morrissey, 2005). The model provides â€Å"content, process and accountability methods† (Dahir et al. , 2005) that will help school counselors design programs to address the needs of the student population based on the information or data gathered. As expressed by Bilzing (1997), â€Å"random acts of guidance are no longer acceptable in 21st century schools† (as cited in Dahir et al. , 2005, p. 3). The major departure from the traditional approach in school counseling is the use of research as the basis for the design of a counseling program. From a service driven model, transformed counseling programs operate on a data-driven and standards-based model. In addition to counseling, consultation and coordination roles, counselors participate in advocacy, collaborative and team work, data-driven and results-oriented initiatives, and technology-based programs. Counselors work closely with other teaching and school staff to ensure that â€Å"every student benefits directly from the school counseling program† (Dahir et al. , 2005). Adopting a comprehensive counseling approach in school increases its propensity to address challenges of students and equip them with skills to face the changing demands of society. The research-based approach allows its continuous evolution based on data gathered so academic and psychosocial programs are created to address specific areas. The comprehensive counseling model has been found to increase student attendance and completion rates while decreasing suspension rates. Violence prevention interventions have also been established as a product of the approach. It is able to â€Å"address the needs of students in low performing schools and schools in crisis by using research based techniques to overcome the barriers such students face† (Dahir et al. 2005). Comprehensive counseling programs in school are able to deal with the specific factors that are affecting student achievement. â€Å"Professional development is an important supporting activity in the implementation of comprehensive developmental school counseling programs† (Dahir et al. , 2005). The involvement of other members in the school becomes beneficial to their personal and professiona l enhancement. Furthermore, the program has also been extended to involve parents. The information gathered from research â€Å"show the strengths and weaknesses of children, how the school counselor is meeting the student’s needs, what areas the student needs to focus on to succeed, and incorporate the home support in all domains of the program† (Dahir et al. , 2005). It is gradually becoming a positive agent for improvements in the environment that surrounds the student — home, school and community. Review of Literature There is a general agreement that most of the nation’s problem is best addressed through prevention and proactive intervention. Thompson (2002) highlights the fact that â€Å"educational, political, and economic trends, as well as the critical needs of today’s youth, are redefining the role and function of the professional school counselor†. Furthermore, in a society where diversity is becoming a rule rather than an exception, â€Å"school counselors have come to represent a reservoir of stability and congruency of information† (Thompson, 2002). This can only be achieved through research-based approach to program design and following a developmental model of program implementation. It is the comprehensive counseling program which follows an inclusive model, being able to cater to all students within varying developmental needs. What is the best intervention that will work? This is perhaps one, if not the most, daunting question of school counselors. Until recently, psychological and counseling models were the primary sources of information. The advent of evidenced-based school counseling however, is providing a brighter direction for school counselors as well as decreasing the margin of error for the choice of intervention. Sexton, Schofield, and Whitson (1997) have argued that â€Å"the use of existing outcome research to guide both training and practice can help ensure that professional activities reflect best practices and are consistent with each other† (qtd. in Dimmitt, Carey, & Hatch, 2007, p. 3). The comprehensive school counseling model therefore, by adopting an evidenced-base approach, increases the integrity and validity of the program implemented. Further support for the crucial role of the counselor and the benefits of using empirical data in program design is provided in the literature review conducted by White and Kelly (2010). They focused on how the comprehensive counseling program can address the problem of school dropout. The approach is able to impact both risk-reduction and protective factors of potential dropouts. â€Å"The role that school counselors can play in helping to prevent school dropout is substantial and could ultimately enhance not only student outcomes, but also the trajectory of the profession of school counseling† (White & Kelly, 2010). Evidence has shown that absenteeism and tardiness, unless properly addressed, will lead to increased student difficulty and drop-outs. Counselors are challenged to proactively seek ways to provide early interventions for prevention. Another accountability of the counselor was discussed in the study by Wachter, Villalba and Brunelli (2007). The article highlights the academic and personal-social needs of students with ethnic backgrounds, particularly Latino(a) children in southeastern U. S. The results show that there is â€Å"a wide array of academic and cultural factors impacting student learning and development, in addition to a diverse collection of school-based interventions† (Wachter et al. 2007). The participants were also concerned with the â€Å"understanding gap† that affects the communication and perceptions between the Latino homes and the schools, which among other factors, impedes their academic success. It is the counselor’s responsibility to help close this gap by learning about the students’ culture to better understand their needs and help them achieve their goals. The hi gh incident rate of bullying in schools is a major and grave issue that is consistently facing school counselors. Young, Hardy, Hamilton, Biernesser, and Niebergall (2009) describes how data was used to provide a comprehensive counseling program to address bullying and harassment incidents in school. â€Å"As a result, the school counselors began to routinely and systematically track and use data to transform their counseling services† (Young et al. , 2009). The program allowed them to measure outcomes and if significant differences were attained due to the program implementation. So far, the studies previously discussed emphasized the role of the counselor in improving the psycho-social well-being of students. Accountability, however, is encompassing and includes achievement scores in academic subjects. Luck and Webb (2009) compared the achievement outcomes of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test of Grades 4-5 students who participated and did not take part in the counselor-led Student Success Skills Intervention. The results show that â€Å"students who participated in the intervention showed greater mean improvement in reading and math scores that students at the district or state level† (Luck & Webb, 2009). The outcomes led to greater appreciation of collaborative work between counselor and the teaching staff. Within the context of comprehensive programs in school counseling, addressing the issue of sexualization among girls was discussed in an article by Choate and Curry (2009). The authors argue that being a sensitive and ethically-laden issue, the counselors’ professional orientation and skills â€Å"are uniquely suited to play a pivotal role in creating effective change in this area† (Choate & Curry, 2009). There are many factors affecting sexuality of girls and the multiple services achieved through a comprehensive program makes it possible to deal with these factors in isolation and in their interaction. Clearly the comprehensive counseling model finds various applications and provides a holistic intervention for the students. But how prepared are those in the profession to adopt this approach in their practice? A study conducted by Dahir, Burnham and Stone (2009) revealed that â€Å"there are gaps in the school counselor’s ability to embrace and implement the new vision of comprehensive school counseling during the initial stages of implementation. This finding necessitates professional development to better equip school counselors, as well as other members of the school — teaching and support staff, and administrators — for successful collaboration. Program Descriptions and Recommendations Based on the arguments and empirical data presented in the previous sections, it is highly recommended that schools shift from a service-driven model to a data-informed comprehensive school counseling program. The diverse populations co-existing in the school will greatly be nefit from the approach. The programs will be tailored according to the background and needs of the students. The socio-economic backgrounds and family context are creating serious impact on the performance of the students. Existing literature has provided evidence that counselor-led interventions to improve academic success are yielding significant differences in the test scores of the students. â€Å"The foundation is the basis of a comprehensive school counseling program† (Dahir et al. , 2005). The proposed program is aimed at developing the psycho-social and academic skills of students to help them become self-directed learners who are prepared to meet the demands of a changing society. It hopes to mold the students in the three important domains, academic, personal/social and career. Specifically, it hopes to address the learning standards in Mathematics, Science and Technology, Language Arts and Career Development. These foundational schools are important at this initial stage of program implementation and while other standards are equally important, they will be further addressed after the initial phase. It will also allow for proper monitoring and evaluation of the program. The outcomes will be measured quantitatively through standardized tests. Qualitative data will also be gathered through interviews and examination of work outputs of students. The delivery process will entail individual student planning. Career planning is recommended for the program where students will sit through a workshop to identify their personal vision-mission. This will be the first step in building their career portfolio. Responsive services will also be in place for critical cases. While topics for group sessions may be provided based on the counselor’s assessment, individual counseling will also be initiated for students mostly in need such as those with history of bullying or broken families. The school counseling curriculum will be initiated with the coordination of school teachers to improve academic performance. School tools or study skills will be provided by the counselor to encourage students to maximize their potentials and introduce different pathways to success. Feedback, monitoring and evaluation of the counseling program will be achieved through an effective system support. The guidance counselor takes the lead in engaging administrators, parents, the community and other sectors of society in measuring the outcomes of the comprehensive counseling program. On a regular basis, the school counselor convenes different stakeholders to provide information on the programs initiated and the current results. Management is the key for smooth delivery of services. Proper planning will involve scheduling of services offered. School counselors must also provide monthly reports to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Documentation therefore, is of utmost importance. â€Å"School counselors and administrators are challenged to demonstrate the effectiveness of their school counseling programs in measurable terms† (Dahir et al. 2005). Data will always be the primary source for the changes that are proposed and for further enhancements in the future. School counselors must take accountability for student achievement, in as much as teachers and principals do. Thus, the programs must be aligned with the objectives of the academic curriculum. Data must be analyzed and reflected upon to create the necessary changes in the program to ensure effectiveness. Appropriate measurement instruments will be adopted to be able to quantify the outcomes of the program.

Indonesian Cuisine Conclusion

Indonesian cuisine is diverse, in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 populated islands of the total 18,000 in the world's largest archipelago. [1] Many regional cuisines exist, often based upon cultural and foreign influences. [1] Indonesian cuisine varies greatly by region and has many different influences. [1][2][3] Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in trade due to its location and natural resources. Additionally, Indonesia’s indigenous techniques and ingredients were influenced by India, the Middle East, China, and finally Europe.Spanish and Portuguese traders brought New World produce even before the Dutch came to colonize most of the archipelago. The Indonesian islands The Moluccas (Maluku), which are famed as â€Å"the Spice Islands†, also contributed to the introduction of native spices, such as cloves and nutmeg, to Indonesian and global cuisine. Some popular Indonesian dishes such as nasi goreng,[4] gado-gado,[5][6] sate ,[7] and soto[8] are ubiquitous in the country and considered as Indonesian national dishes.Sumatran cuisine, for example, often has Middle Eastern and Indian influences, featuring curried meat and vegetables such as gulai and kari, while Javanese cuisine is more indigenous. [1] The cuisines of Eastern Indonesia are similar to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine. Elements of Chinese cuisine can be seen in Indonesian cuisine: foods such as bakmi (noodles), bakso (meat or fish balls), and lumpia (spring rolls) have been completely assimilated. Some popular dishes that originated in Indonesia are now common across much of Southeast Asia.Indonesian dishes such as satay, beef rendang, and sambal are also favoured in Malaysia and Singapore. Soy-based dishes, such as variations of tofu (tahu) and tempe, are also very popular. Tempe is regarded as a Javanese invention, a local adaptation of soy-based food fermentation and production. Another fermented food is oncom, similar in some ways to te mpe but using a variety of bases (not only soy), created by different fungi, and particularly popular in West Java.Indonesian meals are commonly eaten with the combination of a spoon in the right hand and fork in the left hand (to push the food onto the spoon), although in many parts of the country, such as West Java and West Sumatra, it is also common to eat with one's hands. In restaurants or households that commonly use bare hands to eat, like in seafood foodstalls, traditional Sundanese and Minangkabau restaurants, or East Javanese pecel lele (fried catfish with sambal) and ayam goreng (fried chicken) food stalls, they usually serve kobokan, a bowl of tap water with a slice of lime in it to give a fresh scent.This bowl of water should not to be consumed, however; it is used to wash one's hand before and after eating. Eating with chopsticks is generally only found in food stalls or restaurants serving Indonesian adaptations of Chinese cuisine, such as bakmie or mie ayam (chicken noodle) with pangsit (wonton), mie goreng (fried noodles), and kwetiau goreng (fried flat rice noodles). Contents [hide] 1 Rice 2 Other staples 3 Vegetables 4 Meat and fish 5 Spices and other flavorings 6 Peanut sauce 7 Coconut milk 8 Regional dishes Foreign influences 10 Influence Abroad 11 Meal Times 12 Feasts: Tumpeng and Rijsttafel 13 Non-alcoholic Beverages 14 Alcoholic beverages 15 Snacks and street food 16 Fruits 17 Health and hygiene 18 See also 19 References 20 External links [edit]Rice Main article: Rice production in Indonesia Using water buffalo to plough rice fields in Java; Rice is a staple for all classes in contemporary; Indonesia is the world's third largest paddy rice producer and its cultivation has transformed much of Indonesia’s landscape.Rice is a staple for all classes in contemporary Indonesia,[2][9] and it holds the central place in Indonesian culture: it shapes the landscape; is sold at markets; and is served in most meals both as a savoury and a swe et food. The importance of rice in Indonesian culture is demonstrated through the reverence of Dewi Sri, the rice goddess of ancient Java and Bali. Traditionally the agricultural cycles linked to rice cultivations were celebrated through rituals, such as Seren Taun rice harvest festival.Rice is most often eaten as plain rice with just a few protein and vegetable dishes as side dishes. It is also served, however, as nasi uduk (rice cooked in coconut milk), nasi kuning (rice cooked with coconut milk and turmeric), ketupat (rice steamed in woven packets of coconut fronds), lontong (rice steamed in banana leaves), intip or rengginang (rice crackers), desserts, vermicelli, noodles, arak beras (rice wine), and nasi goreng (fried rice). [10] Nasi goreng is omnipresent in Indonesia and considered as national dish. 4] Rice was only incorporated into diets, however, as either the technology to grow it or the ability to buy it from elsewhere was gained. Evidence of wild rice on the island of S ulawesi dates from 3000 BCE. Evidence for the earliest cultivation, however, comes from eighth century stone inscriptions from the central island of Java, which show kings levied taxes in rice. The images of rice cultivation, rice barn, and mouse pest investing a ricefield is evident in Karmawibhanga bas-reliefs of Borobudur.Divisions of labour between men, women, and animals that are still in place in Indonesian rice cultivation, were carved into relief friezes on the ninth century Prambanan temples in Central Java: a water buffalo attached to a plough; women planting seedlings and pounding grain; and a man carrying sheaves of rice on each end of a pole across his shoulders (pikulan). In the sixteenth century, Europeans visiting the Indonesian islands saw rice as a new prestige food served to the aristocracy during ceremonies and feasts. 9] Rice production in Indonesian history is linked to the development of iron tools and the domestication of Wild Asian Water Buffalo as water buf falo for cultivation of fields and manure for fertilizer. Rice production requires exposure to the sun. Once covered in dense forest, much of the Indonesian landscape has been gradually cleared for permanent fields and settlements as rice cultivation developed over the last fifteen hundred years. [9] [edit]Other staples Papeda, staple food of eastern Indonesia, served with yellow soup and grilled mackerel.Other staple foods in Indonesia include a number of starchy tubers such as; yam, sweet potato, potato, taro and cassava; also starchy fruit such as breadfruit and jackfruit and grains such as maize and wheat. A sago congee called Papeda is a staple food especially in Maluku and Papua. Sago is also often mixed with water and cooked as a simple pancake. Next to sago, people of eastern Indonesia also consume various kind of wild tubers as staple food. Many types of tubers such as talas (a type of taro but larger and more bland) and breadfruit are native to Indonesia, while others are introduced from elsewhere.Wheat, the base ingredient for bread and noodles were probably introduced from India or China; yam was introduced from Africa; while maize, potato, sweet potato, cassava and maize were introduced from Americas through Spanish influence and finally reached Java in 17th century. Cassava is usually boiled, steamed, fried or processed as popular snack kripik singkong (cassava crackers). Dried cassava, locally known as tiwul, is an alternate staple food in arid areas of Java such as Gunung Kidul and Wonogiri, while other roots and tubers are eaten especially in hard times.Maize is eaten in drier regions such as Madura and islands east of the Wallace Line, such as the Lesser Sunda Islands. [edit]Vegetables Indonesian food includes many vegetables as ingredients like this Sayur oyong made with Luffa acutangula A number of leaf vegetables are widely used in Indonesian cuisine, such as kangkung, spinach, genjer, melinjo, papaya and cassava leaves. These are often sa uteed with garlic. Spinach and corn are used in simple clear watery vegetable soup sayur bayam bening flavoured with temu kunci, garlic and shallot.Other vegetables like labu air (calabash), labu siam (chayote), kelor, kacang panjang (yardlong bean), terung (eggplant), gambas and belustru, are cut and used in stir fries, curries and soups like sayur asem, sayur lodeh or laksa. Sayur sop is cabbage, cauliflower, potato, carrot, with macaroni spiced with black pepper, garlic and shallot in chicken or beef broth. The similar mixed vegetables are also stir fried as cap cai, a popular dish of the Chinese Indonesian cuisine. Vegetables like kecipir (winged bean), tomato, mentimun (cucumber) and the small variety of peria (bitter melon) are commonly eaten raw, like in lalab.The large bitter melon variety is usually boiled. kecombrang and papaya flower buds are a common Indonesian vegetable. Urap is seasoned and spiced shredded coconut meat mixed together with vegetables, asinan betawi are preserved vegetables. Gado-gado and pecel are a salad of boiled vegetables dressed in a peanut-based spicy sauce, while karedok is its raw version. [edit]Meat and fish Rendang daging, a beef, mutton or goat meat dish cooked with coconut milk The main meat source diet mostly are poultry and fish, however meats such as beef, water buffalo, goat and mutton are commonly found in Indonesian marketplaces.The most common poultry consumed is chicken and duck, however to a lesser amount, pigeon and wild migrating sea bird are also consumed. As a country with an Islamic majority, Indonesian Muslims follows the Islamic halal dietary law which forbids the consumption of pork. However in other parts of Indonesia where there are significant numbers of non-Muslims, boar and pork are commonly consumed. Dishes made of non-halal meats can be found in provinces such as Bali, North Sumatra, North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, West Papua, Papua, and also in Chinatowns in major Indonesian cities. Today to cater for the larger Muslim market, most of the restaurants and eating establishments in Indonesia put halal signs that signify they neither serve pork nor use lard in their cooking. The meat can be cooked in rich spices and coconut milk such as beef, goat or lamb rendang, skewered, seasoned and grilled chicken or mutton as satay, barbecued meats, or sliced and cooked in rich broth soup as soto. Muttons and various offals can be use as ingredients for soto soup or gulai curry.In Bali, with its Hindu majority, the babi guling (pig roast) is popular among locals as well as non-Muslim visitors, while the Batak people of North Sumatra have babi panggang that is a similar dish. The meat also can be processed to be thinly-sliced and dried as dendeng (jerky), or made into abon (meat floss). Dendeng celeng is Indonesian â€Å"dried, jerked† boar meat. [11] As an archipelagic nation, seafood is abundant and commonly consumed especially by Indonesian resides in coastal areas. Popular seafood in Indonesian cuisine among others; mackerel, tuna, wahoo, milkfish, red snapper, anchovy, cuttlefish, shrimp, crab and mussel.Seafood is commonly consumed across Indonesia, but it is especially popular in Maluku islands and Minahasa (North Sulawesi) cuisine. Seafood are usually being bakar (grilled), rebus (boiled) or goreng (fried). However another method of cooking like stir fried in spices or in soup is also possible. Ikan asin (salted fish) is preserved seafood through cured in salt, it is also can be found in Indonesian market. Fresh water fisheries can be found in inland region or area with large rivers or lakes. Popular fresh water fish among others; carp, gourami, snakehead, tilapia, catfish and pangasius. edit]Spices and other flavorings Sambal ulek, a common Indonesian spicy condiment. â€Å"Rempah† is Indonesian word for spice, while â€Å"bumbu† is the Indonesian word for spices mixture or seasoning, and it commonly appears in the names of certain spice mixtures, sauces and seasoning pastes. [12] Known throughout the world as the â€Å"Spice Islands†, the Indonesian islands of Maluku contributed to the introduction of its native spices to world cuisine. Spices such as pala (nutmeg/mace), cengkeh (clove), and laos (galangal) are native to Indonesia.It is likely that lada hitam (black pepper), kunyit (turmeric), sereh (lemongrass), bawang merah (shallot), kayu manis (cinnamon), kemiri (candlenut), ketumbar (coriander), and asam jawa (tamarind) were introduced from India, while jahe (ginger), daun bawang (scallions) and bawang putih (garlic) were introduced from China. Those spices from mainland Asia were introduced early, in ancient times, thus they became integral ingredients in Indonesian cuisine. In ancient times, the kingdom of Sunda and the later sultanate of Banten were well known as the world's major producers of black pepper.The maritime empires of Srivijaya and Majapahit also benefited from the lucrative spice trade between the spice islands with China and India. Later the Dutch East India Company controlled the spice trade between Indonesia and the world. The Indonesian fondness for hot and spicy food was enriched when the Spanish introduced cabai chili pepper from the New World to the region in 16th century. After that hot and spicy sambals have become an important part of Indonesian cuisine. [13] Sambal evolved into many variants across Indonesia, ones of the most popular is sambal terasi (sambal belacan) and sambal mangga muda (young mango sambal).Dabu-dabu is North Sulawesi style of sambal with chopped fresh tomato, chili, and lime juice. Traditionally prepared laboriously ground upon stone mortar, today sambals is also available as industrial processed products in bottles or jars. Soy sauce is also an important flavorings in Indonesian cuisine. Kecap asin (salty or common soy sauce) was adopted from Chinese cuisine, however Indonesian developed their own kecap manis (sweet so y sauce) with generous addition of palm sugar into soy sauce. Sweet soy sauce is an important marinade for barbecued meat and fish, such as satay and grilled fishes.Sweet soy sauce is also an important ingredient for semur, Indonesian stew. [edit]Peanut sauce Peanut sauce is important part of gado-gado. One of the main characteristics of Indonesian cuisine is the wide application of peanuts in many Indonesian signature dishes, such as satay, gado-gado, karedok, ketoprak, and pecel. Gado-gado and Sate for example have been considered as Indonesian national dishes. [6][7] Introduced from Mexico by Portuguese and Spanish merchants in 16th century, peanuts assumed a place within Indonesian cuisine as a key ingredient.Peanuts thrived in the tropical environment of Southeast Asia, and today they can be found, roasted and chopped finely, in many recipes. Whole, halved, or crushed peanuts are used to garnish a variety of dishes, and used in marinades and dipping sauces such as sambal kacang (a mixture of ground chilies and fried peanuts) for otak-otak or ketan. Peanut oil, extracted from peanuts, is one of the most commonly used cooking oils in Indonesia. Bumbu kacang or peanut sauce represents a sophisticated, earthy seasoning rather than a sweet, gloppy sauce. 14] It should have a delicate balance of savoury, sweet, sour, and spicy flavours, acquired from various ingredients, such as fried peanuts, gula jawa (coconut sugar), garlic, shallots, ginger, tamarind, lemon juice, lemongrass, salt, chilli, peppercorns, sweet soy sauce, ground together and mixed with water to form the right consistency. The secret to good peanut sauce is â€Å"not too thick and not too watery. † Indonesian peanut sauce tends to be less sweet than the Thai version, which is a hybrid adaptation. Gado-gado is a popular dish particularly associated with bumbu kacang, and is eaten across Indonesia. edit]Coconut milk Shredding coconut flesh to make coconut milk. Coconuts are abundant in tro pical Indonesia, and since ancient times Indonesians developed many and various uses for this plant. The broad use of coconut milk in dishes throughout the archipelago is another common characteristic of Indonesian cuisine. It is used in recipes ranging from savoury dishes – such as rendang, soto, sayur lodeh, gudeg, and opor ayam – to desserts – such as es cendol and es doger. Soto is ubiquitous in Indonesia and considered as one of Indonesia's national dishes. 8] The use of coconut milk is not exclusive to Indonesian cuisine. It can also be found in Indian, Samoan, Thai, Malaysian, Filipino, and Brazilian cuisines. Nonetheless, the use of coconut milk is quite extensive in Indonesia, especially in Minangkabau cuisine, although in Minahasan (North Sulawesi) cuisine, coconut milk is generally absent, except in Minahasan cakes and desserts such as klappertart. In Indonesian cuisine, two types of coconut milk are found, thin coconut milk and thick coconut milk. Th e difference depends on the water and oil content.Thin coconut milk is usually used for soups such as sayur lodeh and soto, while the thicker variety is used for rendang and desserts. It can be made from freshly shredded coconut meat in traditional markets, or can be found processed in cartons at the supermarket. After the milk has been extracted from the shredded coconut flesh to make coconut milk, the ampas kelapa (leftover coconut flesh) can still be used in urap, seasoned and spiced shredded coconut meat mixed together with vegetables. Leftover shredded coconut can also be cooked, sauteed and seasoned to make serundeng, almost powdery sweet and spicy finely shredded coconut.Kerisik paste, added to thicken rendang, is another use of coconut flesh. To acquire a rich taste, some households insist on using freshly shredded coconut, instead of leftover, for urap and serundeng. Serundeng can be mixed with meat in dishes such as serundeng daging (beef serundeng) or sprinkled on top of other dishes such as soto or ketan (sticky rice). An example of the heavy use of coconut is Buras from Makassar, rice wrapped in banana leaf cooked with coconut milk and sprinkled with powdered coconut similar to serundeng.

Poetic Literature: the 10 Plagues

God in this time period and now is a very powerful being. He has the knowledge of what is good and what is evil. Pharaoh in the book of Exodus tests God’s patience and power by continuing to deceive him as well as Moses, and Aaron. In this paper I plan to compare and contrast the ten plagues in the bible, Exodus 7:14-12:36 with Psalms 78:44-51 and 105:28-36 as well as explain how the authors of each psalm view the story of the plagues. In Exodus, it speaks about how the Pharaoh is unyielding to letting the Egyptian slaves go free so that they can worship to God. God initially had send Moses, who was made like God to the Pharaoh, and Aaron, Moses’ prophet, to warn Pharaoh to let God’s people go. Each and every time this request was asked of Pharaoh, he would lie about freeing his slaves, then, harden his heart and change his mind. This made God very angry and this is how the plagues began. The first plague started with the River Nile being turned into blood. This was God’s initial idea of getting Pharaoh to do what he wants and by removing the source of water would surely get his attention. However, that was not the case and the Pharaoh’s heart hardened. This pattern between God, Moses, Aaron, and the Pharaoh continued throughout nine more plagues after the first. The plagues that occurred after the Nile River turning into blood were frogs, gnats, flies, livestock/pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and finally the death of the first born of every living being and animal in Egypt. The final plague is what we now know as Passover. I noticed in the first Psalm account of the ten plagues (Ps. 78:44-51), only seven of the ten plagues were mentioned. It started with turning the river into blood, followed by a swarm of flies, frogs, then locusts, hail, the killing of livestock, and finally the killing of the firstborn of every human and animal of Egypt. This psalm only has eight stanzas and if you notice the plagues are not in the same order as the ones in the book of Exodus. Instead of using the words gnats (used in Exodus) that word is replaced with caterpillars. The plagues of boils and darkness were not used in this Psalm also. Psalms 78:44-51 is of a Yahwistic narrative. God seems like a parental figure so to speak. It seems like it is just punishment because of the Pharaoh’s ignorance and his follower’s obliviousness. Like parents with children if one child messes up, the other siblings tend to feel part of the punishment as well and this is what I feel happened to the people of Egypt. The Yahwist tradition basically explains the relationship between God and man and to present sin and how man should be like God. Also, there is a level of communication that shows the relationship between human beings and God; a level of closeness and relationship growth. In the second account of the plagues in Psalm 105:28-36, this too is not in the same order as the ones in Exodus. It starts off with God sending darkness over the land then turning the river into blood, followed by a swarm of frogs, flies, gnats, hail, livestock, locusts, and again ending with the killing of the first born of every human and animal in Egypt. This Psalm has nine stanzas and this time boils was the only plague not used. To compare to the plagues in Exodus there is one way communication to show that God is all powerful and we are to never think that we are greater than him. For example, In Ex. 7:6, God directs Moses and Aaron to take a message to the Pharaoh and they did just as the Lord asked. Psalms 105:28-36 is written in a priestly fashion. The priestly narrative speaks on how angry God was and says that he did not spare anyone’s lives and left them all in the hands of the plague and the company of the destroying angels. It makes it seem like God in this psalm is mean with no remorse for anyone – monster like. To conclude, I feel that historical accuracy is equally important to ancient writers as well as the readers who choose to read their script. In the case of the plagues and the two psalm accounts relating to them, I think the reason why Ex. 7:14-12:36 and the two Ps. 78:44-51 and 105:28-36, are not in agreement in terms of order and number is because they were written by two authors with different views. I think that creating different versions of the same story is not a major problem for the biblical editors because it is nice to read a story and have the opportunity to see it in two different perspectives so that you can draw your own conclusion.

Performnce management (developing methods of performance apraisal) Essay

Performnce management (developing methods of performance apraisal) - Essay Example Performance appraisal can be described as a formal and systematic way of identifying, observing as well as measuring the strengths and weaknesses of the employees in their job (Swanepoel, 1998). The primary goal of performance appraisal is concerned with improving the performance of the individuals as well as the organisation as a whole so that the desired goals can be easily attained. The system of performance appraisal is mainly concerned with gathering information about the performance of different individuals so as to be in a position to make a decision with regards to promotion of other people while at the same time developing and training those who lag behind in order to improve their performance (Mullins, 2010). It can also be seen that a performance appraisal system is designed to provide the managers with information that can be used to make necessary pay adjustments since it is widely believed that employees with outstanding and exceptional performance standards should be r ewarded with pay increases so as to motivate them. In most cases, performance appraisal is carried over a certain period of time where the employees are given a certain task to perform in a bid to establish their level of competence. Information about the challenges they have faced is gathered as well as the aspects they found simple to perform. In order to perform this task, the most effective employee performance appraisal tool that can be used is to give the employees short reflective written tests that are designed to explore their views and perceptions towards their work. In order to do this, it is imperative to assign the employees a certain task that ought to be accomplished over a certain period of time. The manger has to design a set of self reflective questions that can be answered in short answers. These questions should be related to the task that has been performed and they help to establish the level of competence of the individual in as far as this job task is concern ed. The method of testing the capability of the employees in performing a certain task is very effective since they are compelled to give objective answers that are relevant to the experience they would have gained through the assigned task. The other method that could be used is a questionnaire. However, the disadvantage of this method is that the responses are subjective since they do not provide a deep insight about a person’s perceptions towards a certain job activity. The test method is effective in that a person would be given the opportunity to narrate the real situation he or she has encountered. Chances of objectivity are high given that the individual would be in a position to give personal opinions and ideas towards something. These views can be used to measure against the standard expectations in the organization. If an employee shows that he or she has weaknesses in certain areas, this information can then be used to improve those weaknesses so that his overall p erformance can be improved. The employees who display exceptional knowledge and skills in the tasks assigned to them can be considered for promotion by the management. They can also be considered for high pay adjustments so as to motivate them in order to continue putting optimum effort in their performance. The problem of poor performance

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 17

History - Essay Example n the widening of the gap between the haves and the have-nots, which in turn results to an increase in levels of crime in the form of drug trafficking and abuse, and theft and burglary among other criminal activities. Politically, oil affects society as the ruling elite strive to acquire and sustain control of oil wells or the oil business, and make political decisions in such a way that the supply of oil would not be affected negatively. This essay reviews the role of oil in determining the social, political and economic history of the United States over the years since the 1970s to the present. In 1973, the United States government decided to supply the Israeli military with artillery and other war requirements during the Yom Kippur war. This stirred a response by the Arab country members of the OPEC who withdrew from the organisation that was the primary oil producer at the time (Pelletià ¨re 140). The United States took the blame for disrupting oil supply and creating the possibility of high prices of oil and a possible recession, which resulted in tensed relationship with other countries. These countries included some European countries and Japan, all of whom took measures that could have cut ties with the United States. Moreover, Regan lost the presidency to Bush owing to his poor policies when the country needed him, especially by opting to commit resources to fight communism instead of fighting poverty back home. This shortage of oil had an economic role in the stock market crash of 1973 to 1974, which resulted in loss of investments in the stock market. When the Arab countries realised the impact that oil shortage had on the world, they decided to practise price control measures, which resulted in a sustained increases of prices in the United States over the years. This resulted in an increasing price of goods and services, and resulted to deterioration of living standards in the United States, which mostly affected the poor and minorities with the

The integration of Drama Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The integration of Drama - Research Paper Example A separate stream of education called Theatre in Education (TIE) came up after the Second World War (Farrell, 2002). Drama has been established as successful as a correction tool (Okhakhu, & Usrwoma, 2006)   and as an educational tool(James, 2009).The basic philosophy behind using drama as a process based tool in education is that children tend to use experiences and experiments to learn than reading and listening (Booth, 1994). This basic understanding has been further researched and developed into pedagogies catering specifically to the various learning outcomes. The specific learning requirements of behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children also demand a free platform to do and experience. Research on curriculum catering for the special needs of children with emotional and behavioural disabilities have suggested that such programmes must mandatorily include â€Å"provision of coursework and educational activities relevant to students’ real-world experiences and go als that include a variety of non traditional curriculum,† and, â€Å"provision of effective programming that facilitates students’ social, emotional, and behavioural growth† (Hughes & Adera, 2006).Drama can ideally include these two criteria. Drama has been found by the educational and physiological as an ideal platform for children to have a free environment to enhance learning. The basic strategy in using drama in the curriculum of behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children.... gested that such programmes must mandatorily include â€Å"provision of coursework and educational activities relevant to students’ real-world experiences and goals that include a variety of non traditional curriculum,† and, â€Å"provision of effective programming that facilitates students’ social, emotional, and behavioural growth† (Hughes & Adera, 2006).Drama can ideally include these two criteria. Drama has been found by the educational and physiological as an ideal platform for children to have a free environment to enhance learning. The basic strategy in using drama in the curriculum of behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children is to make learners engage in the learning process. The objective of this essay is to analyse the scope of drama as an effective learning tool to be incorporated in the curriculum of behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children. Drama as cooperative activity Children with behavioural and emotional disabilities or is sues find it difficult to cope with their peers. They also find it very difficult to place themselves in a classroom environment. Thus the basic problem that behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children face in a classroom is that they encounter with a learning environment which they find difficult to cope up with. In the case of behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children, it is a general observation that apart from class room settings, they find it difficult to social gatherings and avenues of cooperative activities. Researches in Psychotherapy have suggested engaging these students in positive environments involving cooperative activities as one of the remedial measures in tacking behavioural issues. Drama serves as an ideal platform for this. It involves wide varieties of cooperative activities

What is normative question and is there a place for normative question Term Paper

What is normative question and is there a place for normative question - Term Paper Example y have the tendency of finding reason for everything they do and observe because they are not automatons who simply will do what they are asked to do. Instead, people have feelings and dreams which drive them to make sense of the things that affect their lives. Philosophers such as Plato, Confucius and Socrates asked various normative questions, trying to find not only the meaning and reason behind the norms but also the meaning and reason of living itself. However, it does not always take a philosopher to ask these questions. Normative questions have been asked even by nameless, faceless children. Normative questions are the opposite of positive questions. While normative questions focus on value, positive questions concentrate on the facts. For instance, normative questions will ask if a norm is good or bad or if it is right or wrong but positive questions inquire about the how the world moves, what is the distance between the moon and the earth or the speed of a falling body. In other words, positive questions spark a person’s interest on things that can be described and measured and answered with proofs such as statistics and experiments. The answers for normative questions on the other hand, are based on experience and general observations. In the world today wherein wisdom and intelligence are equated with knowledge about facts, normative questions are not as desired as positive questions. It seems that more and more people are interested in finding out about facts that science can explain. Many people are abandoning the teachings of religions because they claim that only unquestioning fanatics get fooled by the inaccurate teachings of religions. Stories in the Bible, Qu’ran and other religious books have become mere fairytales which only our â€Å"uneducated† ancestors believed to be true. Those who follow such teachings are not considered bright enough to see that they believe stories made up by men. This then brings the issue whether normative

Condition of operation of Single-phase Induction Generator , Thesis

Condition of operation of Single-phase Induction Generator , Parameters and Characteristics of Single-phase Induction Generator - Thesis Example Single-Phase Induction Generators are simple AC motors that employ the principles of induction to derive their power (asynchronous power generation). The use of induction motors as generators is currently one of the most cost effective ways of generating electricity from wind turbine systems and other common applications. This is particularly achieved by mechanically turning the rotor of the generators at faster speeds than the synchronous speed in order to produce a torque through electromagnetic induction. For example, rather than consuming energy, a single phased motor can effectively be used to generate power by driving it at speeds over its rated speed (Murthy 8). The working principle of single phase induction generators is similar to that of the three phase induction generators. For example, all induction generators generally work on induction principle based on Faradays law of conduction that states that when a conductor moves in a magnetic field, an electric voltage that can potentially set up a current is induced. However, unlike three phase induction generators, single-phase induction generators are not self starting and, therefore, require excitation in order to start. Single-phase induction generator must always be excited with a leading voltage. This is normally achieved either by connecting the generators to an electrical grid or using phase correcting capacitors to provide a mechanism for self excitation. In such modes of operation, the single phased induction generators usually draw their excitation current from the electrical grid or the capacitors. Due to their ability to generate energy with relatively simple controls, single phased induction generators are increasingly gaining popularity in a number of applications some of which include generating power from wind turbine systems, mini hydro power plants and in the reduction of high pressure gas

Formal business memo Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Formal business memo - Article Example When the cost of living surges, the minimum wage should also rise. This is because workers face significant strain while earning figures that do not consider inflation. In the end, the quality of life diminishes as a large number of families are forced into poverty. It is essential for workers to feel that the state takes care of their welfare. Raising the minimum wage is one of the principal ways in which the state intervenes for workers who are majorly defenseless against businesspersons. It is essential to note that the current minimum hour wage of 7.25 per hour does not care of taxes that every employee faces. At the end of the day, most workers probably earn $ 4 per hour after taxes. This act will also favor the business community since higher pay raises the morale of workers. A workforce with increased morale easily manifests higher productivity. Besides, the city should target increased expenditure towards rising out of the consequences of the recession. This is only possible if workers’ purchasing power increases. When the city raises the minimum wage, the action will affect more than 400,000 workers who make a third of Chicago’s workforce (CBS Chicago 1). This figure considers casual workers in areas such as hotels. Hotel workers in Los Angeles recently won a $ 15.37 minimum wage policy. This happened after unions and right groups formed advocacy groups for the same. This is the highest minimum wage figure among all the states. It is crucial to highlight that hotel workers were the originators of the idea. This suggests that the minimum wage issue mostly affects the casual workers. Casual workers are predisposed to exploitation by business owners because such jobs do not require special skills. Consequently, the minimum wage is a serious concern for SME’s and the informal sector such as hotels. A higher minimum wage increases the cost of business. A

Popular Press Vs. Research in relationship advice Essay

Popular Press Vs. Research in relationship advice - Essay Example Research is a bottomless pit that continues to grow day in day out. Several studies have brought forth certain truths about relationships, these have enhanced the way counsellors’ approach various aspects of relationships as well as helping individuals cope with difficult relationships. In order to elucidate the precise meaning of certain behaviour in a family or workplace setup research based conclusions have predicted adoption of certain measures in order to combat the situations. Research should be respected and embraced, because the awareness and beliefs adopted about relationship behaviour of people propagated through the media becomes the truth. The public is very thirsty for information on relationships. The media has continues to fill this gap by providing this coveted information. A careful evaluation of the information propagated by the media indicates some reasonable disparity with the research based findings. The observable trends are that there is a tendency by th e popular press to incline their attention on romance with very little focus on other type of relationships. This is because romance has been a topic that captures the attention of many hence translating to more sales. Therefore, the strategy is to make more money without a sincere concern of the impact the information given generates to the masses. Stereotyping has been a common misconception the media platforms have propagated. Holmes and Johnson (p 2) points out that the media has created the misconception to the public that continues to brand men as autonomous and easy to back off intimate relationships while women as emotional and anxious. Research indicates that despite the presence of gender differences are superseded by other aspects of an individual such as their personality, attitude, emotional intelligence, and beliefs among others. Therefore, the common notion propagated of the character and behaviours cannot substantively explain relationships. However, stereotypes may have their place but they should never be used to generalize relationships. The featuring of controversial icons has raised eyebrows on how relationships should be handled. Some of the prominent people have been implicated with various relationship-based evils such as domestic violence among other heinous acts. These individuals become even more famous and get to have even bigger coverage. To the minds of the people especially young people who are learning from the environment may be tempted to embrace what their favourite â€Å"star† is doing. Such information becomes are references to some individuals on what is done, information that they try to connect with what they know and conclude on what should be done on such situations. Such behaviours strengthen stereotypes, makes individuals to conclude on what is culturally acceptable, and that which is unacceptable. The media has created a mental picture that certain aspects of relationships are normal while research indicates otherwise. Divorce has been on the increase with couples calling for separation even days after marriage. Research has suggested several ways of avoiding divorce, mechanisms that have been highly beneficial to many relationships. Research findings have shown those individuals who divorce live depressed lives with little satisfaction and more health problems compared to their married counterparts (Amato and Previti 607). In contrary, the media has

White collar crimes Essay Example for Free

White collar crimes Essay This paper provides a detailed understanding behind the motives of people committing crimes. Researchers have named ―the people committing crime, where the crimes were minimal and confined to a particular area of administrationâ€â€" as Grass Eaters. People involved in white collar crimes and which has spread in almost all fields of business are termed as Meat Eaters. With the advent of technology and growth of education, white collar crimes are on the rise, being protected by professionals finding loopholes in the judiciary and support from the government indirectly. This has created a nexus where people from almost all walks of life have started forming group to do white collar crimes and being protected by professionals in law. This has lead to a situation where the small timers have become white collar criminals. Talking about the prevalence of white collar crimes in India, they are spreading like a rapid fire in every sphere of society. Though corruption, one of the species of white collar crimes, has been the most talked about issue in all spheres-social, economic and political, not much stringent steps/actions have been taken to curb this menace. Therefore the concern of this paper is to define white collar crime, study its historical development and formulate tentative solutions for eradicating the problem. This thought evolved with the Criminologist and Sociologist Edwin H. Sutherland, in the year 1939, who popularised the term â€â€"white collar crimes‘ by defining such a crime as one ―committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation.â€â€" Sutherland also included crimes committed by corporations and other legal entities within his definition. Sutherland‘s study of white collar crime was prompted by the view that criminology had incorrectly focused on social and economic determinants of crime, such as family background and level of wealth. It is true to the common knowledge that there are certain professions which offer lucrative opportunities for criminal acts and unethical practises which is very often overlooked by the general mass of the society. There have been crooks and unethical persons in business, various other professions, who tend to become unscrupulous because of no reason apart from the thirst of gaining more and more for themselves. These deviants have least regard for ethical and moral human values. Therefore, www.indianresearchjournals.com INTRODUCTION IRJC International Journal of Social Science Interdisciplinary Research Vol.1 Issue 9, September 2012, ISSN 2277 3630 they carry on their illegal activities with impunity without the fear of loss of respect and prestige. These crimes are of the nature of â€â€"white collar crimes‘ which is the essential outcome of the development of the competent economy of the twenty-first century. CHRONOLOGICAL MILIEU OF THE EMERGENCE OF WHITE COLLAR CRIMES The earliest documented case of white-collar crime law dates back to 15th century is England. There has been a case popularly known as the Carrier‘s case of 1473, where the agent was entrusted to transport wool and he attempted to steal some of it for him. Therefore the Star Chamber and Exchequer Chamber of the English Court of Law adopted the â€â€"breaking bulk‘ doctrine as it constituted the crime of larceny. However, the growth of industrial capitalism in the eighteenth century ushered a new history of crime and criminality. The very base of industrial capitalism is based on coercion and robbery. Now, before we discuss the topic let us understand the meaning of capitalism The street crime, especially snatching and motor vehicle theft, relatively down compared to 2010, the year 2011 truly belonged to the faceless white-collar criminals. The numbers of such criminals arrested by the crime branch this year saw a massive increase — 108 per cent — as 148 people were arrested for dabbling in white-collar crime as opposed to just 71 in 2010. ―In all, around 20 organised white-collar rackets were busted last year and cash and valuables, amounting to R4.5 crore, thousands of mobile phones used in the commission of criminal activity and three dozen vehicles were recovered,â€â€" said a senior police officer. The list includes perpetrators of lottery fraud, fake recruitment racketeers, ATM fraudsters, travel agents, property dealers, agents promising fake court affidavits and death certificates as well as both men and women operating fake friendship clubs. Meanwhile, the Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of the Delhi Police arrested more than . WHITE COLLAR CRIMES IN INDIA www.indianresearchjournals.com The process of emergence of these conditioned was termed by Karl Marx as primitive accumulation‘ while in the words of Adam Smith, it was â€â€"previous accumulation.‘ Therefore, the Dutch Marxist, William Bonger contended that criminal attitude develops among the working class under capitalism due to conditions of misery and at the same time the criminal attitude develops among the bourgeoisie from the avarice fostered when capitalism strives.It succeeded in United States of America in 1890, when Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act which took the initiative to make the monopolistic trade illegal. Other industrialized countries like Great Britain had a history of penalties involving whitecollar crime by that time, but it was not as sweeping as the Sherman Act. Some nations implemented a smattering of these laws, known as competition or antitrust law, but did not have a strong binding force for a long time. But more anti-white-collar crime sentiment rose in the late 19th century and early 20th century in the United States as a result of a group of journalists known as muckrakers. They laid much focus on the prevalent stock fraud, insurance fraud and underhanded practices of monopolistic companies that had grabbed under the Sherman Act. The muckrakers‘ exposes gave rise to public resentment and thereby called for in some reform. By 1914, Congress attempted to solidify and strengthen the sentiment laid down by the Sherman Act, which was used against labour unions, with the Clayton Antitrust Act. This Act was much stricter and went much further than the Sherman Act in making particular monopolistic practices illegal. IRJC International Journal of Social Science Interdisciplinary Research Vol.1 Issue 9, September 2012, ISSN 2277 3630 criminals in 1,358 cases ranging from those of land grabbing to fake job rackets and attached property valued at amounts estimated to be between Rs. 350 to Rs. 500 crore. ―This year, we focused more on individual cases as opposed to those in which several persons were victimised. We got more manpower,â€â€" said Vivek Gogia, joint CP (EoW). White collar crimes are to be considered as a global phenomenon to which India is no exception. As discussed earlier, white collar crimes emerged in India with the advent of the British colonisation during the period of industrial capitalism. Prior to that, instances of men working with the District treasury embezzling with the money kept under his safe custody or bribing practiced among the officials were found. Therefore, the white collar crimes were confined to this limit. Thus, the people indulging in the white collar crimes then can to said to be mere â€â€"grass eaters‘ the people in the modern times have reached the stage of â€â€"meat-eaters‘. WHITE COLLAR -LEGAL PROFESSION WHITE COLLAR – MEDICAL In India, the white collar crimes are so wide spread that it does not confine itself in the legal arena. Similar unfortunate instances can be drawn from other professions too, like that of medical practitioners, engineers, educationalists, businessmen, politicians and the list goes on. The medical practitioners are often found involved in issuance of false certificates, carrying out illegal abortions, selling out sample drugs and medicine, even in some cases adulterated drugs and medicines to the patients. Dilatory tactics are often adopted by them in providing treatment to their patients with a menswear to extract huge amount of money, no matter the person has good practice. Some of the notorious instances are like that of Nithari 159 The instances of white collar crimes committed in the Indian society by the lawyers, there lie the shameful illustrations of Magistrates and judges involved in committing crimes. They in the name of interpreting the laws often act as the protective shield for the goons having or not-having any political colour and allow them to go free whereas they should have been subjected to deterrence. It is the most unfortunate situation at the same time devastating, because here the crimes are committed by those individuals who are being given by the State the responsibility to ensure justice. www.indianresearchjournals.com The white collar crimes became a phenomenon to be reckoned with industrial revolution. Modern industrial capitalist economy which evolved with time became complex in nature as it developed a growing commercial nexus among insurance, banking, stocks and related corporate matters. This in turn, gave rise to critical legal intricacies relating to property rights and other legal matters which paved the way for the birth of a new class of professionals of advocates who in the name of providing justice started abetting in the wrong and thereby pursued their own narrow interest. A large number of advocates evolved, who forget the pious oath of serving the society and started looking for the legal loopholes and concentrated mainly in helping out the rich entrepreneurs to grow richer. They made extensive study to try out ways for maximum tax evasion for these rich corporate personalities as well as for themselves. The white collar crimes committed by these legal practitioners only confines in sorting out illegal methods of tax-evasion. There are very frequent instances of unscrupulous and unethical practices like that of fabricating false evidence, engaging professional witnesses, thereby violating ethical standards of legal profession and dilatory tactics in collusion with the ministerial staff of the courts. IRJC International Journal of Social Science Interdisciplinary Research Vol.1 Issue 9, September 2012, ISSN 2277 3630 case, where the medical professionals put up before the society the optimum level of brutal character they can reach for the crave of making money. Misleading and fake advertisement claiming absolute cure is also one of the frequent malpractices being carried out in the medical profession. The problem lies in the fact that, they often escape punishment, since they cannot be said to have violated the letter of law, but, by violating the spirit of law, they commit crimes which are truly anti-social and creates enormous damage to the public health and safety at large. WHITE COLLAR-ENGINEERING Speaking of the engineers‘ role in having their role to play in white collar crimes, we often find instances of underhand dealing with contractors, suppliers, passing of sub-standard works and maintenance of bogus reports of the labour works. They financially earn more for their low grade works from the contractors, than they can earn for the genuine work. Therefore, many of them, out of the greed of earning more and more, play dangerously with thousands of lives of the individuals. WHITE COLLAR-EDUCATION The matter comes to the white collar crimes educational institutions do come in the league to operate with impunity. A nastier role is played by the private institutions that are least bothered in providing the education, but only concentrate of making business at the cost of the children‘s future. Even rackets operate in these institutions for procuring students to appear in the examinations on the basis of manipulated eligibility certificates, thereby damaging the standard of education in India. When it comes to the Governmental institutions, the teachers and staffs of the institutions are often found to be involved in unscrupulous practices, since they can hardly make fortune from the inadequate salary they receive from the government. Teachers often drag the students for taking private tuitions and even go to the extent of blackmailing them of ruining their future, if they deny doing so. These are only a handful of instances of white collar crimes practiced in day to day life by certain professionals in the course of their profession. The major role in committing white collar crimes are played by the business tycoons and politicians, whose greed and wants multiply with the more they acquire. In India, whenever any major scandal comes to the media focus, a through investigation always finds an unlawful involvement of political parties in it. So far as the businessmen are concerned, their acts of white collar crimes go beyond count. They are termed as the corporate criminals who more often than not,are involved in illegal contracts, combination and conspiracies of trade restraints, unfair labour practices, selling of adulterated foods and drugs, bribing of public officials so on and so forth. They take advantage of the corporate veil and indulged in a number of crimes. The recent Satyam scam case is one of the worth-mentioning illustrations, where it was seen how an individual, hiding himself in the veil of incorporation, indulge in defrauding crores of money. WHITE COLLAR- UNIVERSAL www.indianresearchjournals.com WHITE COLLAR-CORPORATE 160 The white collar crimes are often master minded and are carried out in a planned manner by technocrats in the form of scams, frauds, etc. facilitated by technological advancements. In IRJC International Journal of Social Science Interdisciplinary Research Vol.1 Issue 9, September 2012, ISSN 2277 3630 these types of offences not only the individual is being with pecuniary loss but also, such offences like peddling drugs and narcotic substances, counterfeiting of currency, financial scams are some of the crimes which evoke serious concern and impact to the national security and governance. Violation of foreign exchange regulations and import and export laws are frequently resorted to for the sake of huge profits. WHITE COLLAR- SOCIETY The major white collar crime very common among the individuals, no matter he/she belongs to the middle or upper strata of the society is that of evading taxes. The complexity of the taxation laws provided a number of loopholes through which many individuals tried to escape. A tax-evasion has known no professional or class boundary in our country. Be it an engineer, doctor, advocate, a business tycoon or a simple small industry trader-all have learnt the trick of evading taxes. The main difficulty posed before the Income Tax Department is to acquire true information of the real and exact income of these professionals. It is often alleged that only an insignificant amount of their total income is posed a income before the Income Tax Department and the rest therefore goes into the circulation as black money. The frequent modifications in the tax-laws of the country has been able to add very little to put a check on this continuing menace which is throwing a great negative impact in the Governmental revenue and thereby the growth of the country. INDIA CRIME AND FRAUD IN WHITE COLLAR 2010-2011 Annual Global Fraud Survey report of Kroll conducted by Economist Intelligence Unit gives expected results. Fraud continues to be a big problem worldwide and more so in India. Of the companies surveyed, globally 75% reported experiencing fraud during the year. Though the figure has reduced in comparison to previous year‘s 88%, the situation is still dismal. The chart below compares the top six fraud categories at global level with India. In most of the cases, India is doing much worse than its global counterparts are. Worldwide management conflict of interest, internal financial fraud, corruption and bribery and vendor procurement related frauds have increased. Physical theft of assets and information theft decreased. Indian business crucial pain points are corruption and bribery, information theft, internal financial fraud, financial mismanagement and vendor procurement. www.indianresearchjournals.com In India, the situation is disastrous, with 84% organizations reporting that they suffered from fraud during the year. It is wake-up call for India, as it is ranked second worldwide after Africa and shares the position with China. The report answers the most relevant question relating to fraud – what is the loss caused by fraud? The estimated figure given in the report is that globally organizations suffered 2.1% revenue loss due to fraud. For India, the percentage is higher at 2.4%. Further analysis available in the report says that 18% of the companies reported an earnings loss of more than 4%. A quarter of these most affected companies suffered losses more than 10%. These companies are reporting corruption, bribery, money laundering and regulatory breaches frequently. However, they are doing nothing about it. The lack of fraud prevention and investigation measures is causing huge losses in these companies. Indian companies are ill prepared to the fight fraud menace. Just 50% companies have background screening, third-party due diligence and other fraud prevention measures in place. In my view, India does not have adequately trained fraud investigators as part of the risk management teams. Overall, the focus is on financial statements audits and internal audits. These audits are not done to detect frauds. Management finds it hard to accept this fact that internal employees and related parties conduct most frauds. The report mentions that insiders conducted 60% of the frauds globally. That is, 28% junior employees, 21% senior employees and 11% third-party agents conducted frauds. In India, 59% of the frauds were conducted by internal sources. The frauds conducted by senior employees cause more damage to the company. Not only are the financial figures larger, the reputation damage is huge. However, the companies in India still do not have adequate focus on internal controls and management controls. However, government has initiated some steps to address the high level of frauds in Indian private sector. In my view, the Indian government‘s decision to give more power to the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) in the new Companies Bill is a step in the right direction. SFIO will be in a position to conduct more investigations, arrests, raids and seizures. This would put some brakes on the escalating financial fraud cases in India. Therefore, Indian government must improve governance and take strict action against the offenders. Comptroller Auditor General is showing the way forward, the need of the hour is for political parties to have the spirit to clean up the mess. The private sector must implement fraud prevention measures and focus on ethics to reduce frauds. Both sectors have to collaborate to minimize fraud risks in India. The reasons of justifications are there for the methods used for the control of white collar crimes, the ambivalence of the social response to this sort is so related to wider social factors which have both objective and subjective dimensions. As has been so mentioned a more subjective source of ambivalence in the social response to white collar crimes is the assumption that there is less public concern about these behaviours so termed as white collar crimes, and therefore there is a less support for severe sanctions than in the cases of crimes which are traditional street crimes. But even if there was greater public ambivalence towards white collar crimes in comparison to the traditional crimes, writers such as Box has regarded this as a further challenge â€â€"to sensitize people to not seeing processes in which they are victimised disasters or accidents.‘ Therefore, the motto should always be prevention is better than cure. Since the acts involved defrauding public faith and belief, public as a whole mass should come forward to protect the whole society from these greedy people who are destroying the ethics and morality of the society slowly and slowly for their sole aim of pursuing narrow self 2. †¢ Williams Frank. P., â€â€"Criminology Theory‘, Andersen Publication 3. †¢ Mishra R., â€â€"Criminal Psychology‘, Sunit Enterprises, 2006 4. †¢ â€â€"Criminal liability of corporate bodies‘ by Vikas Garg 5. †¢ â€â€"Conference report on white collar crimes‘, by Godwin Kunda 6. †¢ â€â€"Report on White-collar Crimes‘ by International Monetary Fund 7. †¢ â€â€"White-collar crimes- (Talk delivered in the DST Programme on Forensic 8. Laboratories on 02.05.99)‘ by N. Vittal, Central Vigilance Commissioner 9. http://www.businessinsider.com/four-shocking-misconceptions-about-whitecollared-crime-2012-3 164 1. †¢ Ratanlal Dhirajlal, â€â€"The Indian Penal Code‘, 30th edition 2006,Wadhwa www.indianresearchjournals.com

Friendships in Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Friendships in Of Mice and Men Essay Throughout life, one establishes friendships to better ensure their future. The novel Of Mice And Men, written by John Steinbeck, is about a group of traveling labor workers and the hardships that they overcome. The friendship between George, one of the main characters, and Lenny, a retarded man and of Candy, a crippled man, and his old dog, although different, they each share many of the same feelings toward each other. Also, by establishing these friendships, each partner is benefited and is given life motivation. However, all good things must come to an end, and when each partner is separated from their companion, their significant bonds are broken. Because of their established friendships, George, Lenny, Candy and his dog are able to live happy lives filled with joyous and exciting times. Throughout the book, many feelings are expressed between the relationship of George and Lenny and of Candy and his dog. Ever since they had lived together, George and Lenny loved and cared for each other every waiting day. Because [they] [had] each other, George and Lenny became more loving and compassionate, not just towards themselves, but also towards others (104). Unlike the other traveling workers who journeyed alone, George and Lenny were together, fighting off the hardships of The Great Depression with a loving relationship. This bond kept each others hearts pure and refrained them from turning bitter. Ever since Candys dog was a puppy, he and Candy had shared a trustworthy connection filled with loyalty for each other. In Candys younger years of life, when his partner was a good sheep dog, they had started a trusting relationship, which they carried out throughout the rest of their lives (24). Since Candy had his pup ever since it was born, Candy was its only master. Because canines are extremely loyal to their master, this loyal bond was able to flourish. Finally, because Lenny has been with George all his life, he feels a bond of trust between them and is completely loyal to George. During their early years, when George wasnt so kind to Lenny, he could have told Lenny to walk over a cliff and over hed go (40). Although George never did something this cruel, he did do some grueling things. He even got Lenny into fights. However, as time went on, he too became loyal and a trusting relationship grew. Even though these partners are very different, they still share many of the same feelings towards each other. In the relationship of George and Lenny and of Candy and his dog, each partner gains something and this is the motivation for the friendship. Because of Lennys mental state, as he travels with, and becomes friends with, George, he benefits by having a guardian to follow him around and keep him safe. Ever since they were young, Lenny just come along with George, and from that day forward he benefited from Georges safety (40). Lenny is retarded and his mind cannot process enough useful information to allow him to live a successful life, contributing to society. If George had not allowed Lenny to travel with him then Lenny would either end up homeless, in prison, or dead. In addition, because Candys dog is now useless, he benefits off Candy by receiving a guardian to protect him and guide him through the rest of his life. Although he had been an excellent canine in his day, because he aint no good to anyone now, his life would be futile if he did not have a guide for his remaining years. However, Candy did not care for him entirely out of kindness, he too benefits from their relationship. Because Candy is a cripple, he wants to feel like he is needed, and having someone that depends on him, allows Candy to live a joyous life. Although Lenny does not have much to give, George still benefits off their friendship by receiving a loyal companion to accompany him on his journeys. Because [they] travel together, George does not have to be burdened with the loneliness that could drive a man insane. George observes the other traveling labor workers become hard and lonely because they have nobody to converse with on their journeys. Although he benefits from their relationship, George pays dearly with his guardianship over Lenny. By establishing these relationships, each partner is benefited and given life motiv ation. Both the friendship of George and Lenny and of Candy and his dog lose their significant bonds when the partners are separated. Because Candy and his dog provide companionship for each other, when his dog dies Candy is left alone and unstable. Once his dog had been put up for the death sentence, Candy was left alone, pondering their wonderful memories together as he lied rigidly on his bed and stared at the ceiling (48). Candys purpose in life was now over, for he had no one that depended on him. Now the only thing that drove  him was the hope that Georges dream would come true, and that George, Lenny and he would get their own little plot of land. After George kills Lenny, although this was an act of kindness, George loses his purpose as a guardian. After he had pulled the trigger, George shivered and looked at the gun, for he knew that his guardianship was now over (106). George understood that it was his responsibility to kill Lenny. Although this act of kindness will burden him for the rest of his life, George still did the honorable thing. When Lenny died, George loses his dream of having a place of their own. By now, the dream had spread to more than just George and Lenny and when Lenny and their little place die away George becomes miserable and hurt (94). The time that followed this tragedy was the first time of Georges adult life with out Lenny. Also, up till now Georges purpose in life was to care for, and keep Lenny safe. With Lenny dead, George feels that his life had no purpose, for he could not keep Lenny from dangers grasp. When each friendship becomes separated, the still living partner feels no more purpose for life. Because of their established friendships, George, Lenny, Candy and his dog are able to live happy, joy filled lives as they overcome the hardships of The Great Depression. Although their significant bonds are broken when the partners are separated, when they are together, the partners benefit and share many feelings towards each other. Some say opposites attract, and buy using this scientific law to create friendships with different people; our society would be a friendlier and overall better place. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck New York : Covici-Friede, 1937

Trafficking in women

Trafficking in women INTRODUCTION Trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation is not a new problem. It existed for centuries and it still exists everywhere in the world. â€Å"Sex trafficking is an epidemic which does not limit itself to one place or one group of people.†Trafficking in women is very serious problem and it cannot be approached ‘from the behind/only on the surface. The seriousness of this topic requires careful research and great attention. Womens trafficking as a global problem appears both in countries in political and economic transition, as well as in countries that are in post-conflict periods. Moreover, it also affects the economically developed and countries and affects all major industrialized nations in the world.Many of the developing or the ‘third world countries are trying to hide this problem ‘under the rug due to lack of legislative or lack of financial sources. The question/problem is that although we are aware of the existence of the victims of t rafficking around us in society, why is such little progress being made? Nevertheless, in the period between 1970s and 1980s the traffickers destinations were the Western European countries.Victims of trafficking usually were brought from Asia and Latin America.However, after the fall of the communist regimes, in the 90s, there been an evident change in the situation. Now women from Eastern Europe represent the main ‘goods of trafficking in Western Europe.This is the case also for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, two post-communist Balkan countries. As much we can say that trafficking in women for the so called sex industry is very old matter, the exposure of this problem in these two countries is not from the distant past. It started emerging after the post-communist period and escalated in the transition that is currently going on in both of the countries. I am working on the topic of trafficking in women and the democratic transition, with a special overview on two countries: Bosnia and Albania, because I want to find out if these countries are doing enough and everything that is in their power to combat this problem. The questions that are needed to be set/appointed here, are, will the democratic transition and the democratic development of the Western Balkan countries, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania the two countries I will be taking as a case studies, help in making this problem smaller in range? Is new and improved legislation and new law going to help in combating this problem? Moreover, is the further development and the possible EU integration of these countries going to suppress this problem? In this paper, I will try to analyze the problem of trafficking in women, mainly concerning the sex industry (prostitution), as a global problem and then referring to it on local level. Comparing two countries that are post communist countries and are still in what seems to be everlasting process of transition; will show what the home governments are doing concerning this problem. Moreover, it will show what more can be done in the field of combating trafficking on local and even on global level; as a path towards the European Union. Firstly, in the first chapter, I will address this problem from the international perspective. Taking in consideration conventions, reports of many international organizations and also from non governmental organizations; will show what has been done so far in combating trafficking in women in the international society. Secondly, I will try to present this problem as one of the main issues of every country. Following, in the second chapter, I will compare two transitional Western Balkan countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania and how they handle this problem. Also, are these countries following the European Union directives in combating trafficking, as part of the organized crime, as one of the conditions in becoming a member state. There is a lot to say on this topic and there are a lot more examples on this subject, but due to limited time and resources, I will keep my research and my analysis short and within these frames. My research is contained mostly from exploring the conventions on anti-trafficking that are part of the international legal system, conventions on the same subject on European level, the home legislative of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania concerning this problem, relevant articles concerning trafficking in women, research papers from international organizations who worked on projects of trafficking in women (primary and secondary sources). 1. TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN: A NEVER ENDING PROBLEM Womens trafficking has been described as a modern day form of slavery.â€Å"Too often the crime of sex trafficking is ignored because it is termed prostitution.†The distinction between the term trafficking in women and the phenomenon of prostitution is form a great importance, taking into consideration the fact that the common people still have delusions in the existence or non existence of these two aspects. This is confirmed by the survey made for IOM in which the results showed that the biggest percentage of the answers (61.6%) were that prostitution was voluntary and paid and trafficking is forced.Only 24.6% answered that they know the difference between prostitution and trafficking in women. But what is the main difference in fact? The general characteristic is the voluntariness in exercising prostitution. It is an opinion that these persons (women) can give up doing the ‘oldest business in the world if they want to. On the other hand we cannot disregard the economi c pressure they are in and the forced actions from the traffickers. On the contrary, in the situation of trafficking this opportunity is lost together with the passports, ID cards and other documents that these women used to posses, as is also the fear of rejection and despise from the family and the community. Another confusion made is that of equating trafficking as a crime that goes only beyond national borders. Trafficking also happens within a domestic territory of one country, which is basically moving women from one part of the country to another. It is often the case where women coming from rural environment are moving to the big cities in search for a better life and better earnings easily become pray for traffickers who deceive them with promises for ‘bright future. In conclusion, trafficking in women is not just a transnational issue, but a national also. Hence, under victims of trafficking we put not only women that are transferred from domestic countries to foreign ones, but also the citizen of one country that are moved within it. Generally speaking, trafficking in women for sexual exploitation has always been a ‘un solved matter and a very ‘hard task for most of the countries. Trafficking in women and in human beings in general, is on regular basis supported by the corruption in the domestic governments, as much in the countries of origin of the trafficked victims, also in the countries of transit and final destination.This fact is not so astonishing/unbelievable considering the reality that the ‘business of trafficking is the one of the most profitable ones in the world with approximated income of over 7 billion US dollars per year from prostitution only. Furthermore, two main factors: supplementing and demanding; promote the growth of trafficking, in particular the commercial sex work. â€Å"Male demand for the services of sex workers, combined with male perceptions about womans societal role, lead to exploitation of women.†The supplementation side includes such factors as womens weaker economic position, lack of real employment and educational opportunities, increased militarization of specific regions after conflicts and the expansion of transnational crime, push women toward work in the commercial sex industry and to situations where they are at risk of being trafficked. 1.1. What is trafficking in women? More than a half of century ago since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was introduced, which proclaimed that â€Å"no one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms,†we are witnesses of the unscrupulous violations of this human rights. Being very sensitive and serious problem, trafficking requires a definition that will incorporate all the key elements of this criminal act as such. Basically the definition for the term trafficking can be found in international legal instruments dedicated to the subject.   For example, Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (known as the Palermo Protocol) defines trafficking in the following way: Trafficking in persons shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. This original definition was a model from which in many countries in the domestic criminal code the definition for trafficking has been derived. On the other hand, it was intentionally decided that the Protocol not define ‘exploitation of prostitution of others and other forms of sexual exploitations more precisely, because there was no consensus among government delegates to the negotiations on the common meaning of the phrase.Furthermore, the delegates agreed that involuntary forced participation in prostitution would constitute trafficking, but most of the government delegates rejected the idea that voluntary, non-coercive participation by adults in prostitution is tantamount to trafficking.This means that the states define only forced prostitution in their domestic legislature. Moreover, the Protocol makes a clear distinction between sex work and trafficking and between trafficking and smuggling, which is addressed in different protocol. Smuggling concerns facilitating illegal stay or entry, while the aim of trafficking is the exploitation of human beings under forced labour or slavery-like conditions. Yet, trafficking does not always involve the illegal crossing of borders.It can also appear within a country; in other words without crossing any national borders.Moreover, â€Å"in many cases trafficked persons enter a country legally, for example as tourists, spouses, students, domestic workers or au pairs.†Sometimes they only become illegal when they remove themselves from the power of their exploiters, e.g. in the case of au pairs or women who are forced into prostitution by their husband.Hence, trafficking is a crime against the person, while smuggling is primarily a crime against the state, infringing upon its borders. Another definition we can take in mind is the U.S. government definition of trafficking in persons which encompasses â€Å"All acts involved in the transport, harboring, or sale of persons within national or across international borders through coercion, force, kidnapping, deception or fraud, for purposes of placing persons in situation of forced labor or services, such as forced prostitution, domestic servitude, debt bondage or other slavery like practices†. In other words, the definition of trafficking consists of three core elements: the action of trafficking, the means and the purpose.If all the elements of human trafficking are present, the fact that an adult initially consented is irrelevantIt is also considered trafficking if the victim had no real or acceptable alternative but to submit to the abuse. 1.2. Trafficking in women as a international problem The international community is actively working on the issue of fighting this form of organized crime. The United Nations, the Council of Europe, OSCE and the EU, as well as some other international organizations, became involved in dealing with this matter on a global plan.On international plan many Conventions were produce for the purpose of combating the crime of trafficking in women. In the system of United Nations the start was made firstly with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948.   Among the other conventions on UN level is the 1949 United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, which â€Å"deems prostitution and the ‘accompanying evil of the traffic of persons for the purpose of prostitution incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person.†The main objective of the Convention is to provide effective measures against all forms of trafficking in women and the exploitation of prostitution.Another convention that is important is the 1979 Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which in Article 6 prescribes the obligation for all the state parties to â€Å"take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to suppress all forms of traffic in women and exploitation of prostitution of women.† Connecting human rights with the problem of trafficking resulted in the need of the UN for a multi disciplinary approach in the fight against trafficking in women. For that, in June 2000 the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime was issued; later that year Protocols for Preventing the Trade with Women and Children and Against Illegal Trade and Transportation of Immigrants were issued.They were adopted in 2001 and with that started the new era of the work of the national institutions (Law enforcement institutions). In the same way, other international organizations also incorporated the issue of trafficking in their own constitutions/organizational structures. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) adopted the Convention concerning forced labor (Convention no.29) in 1930 and the Abolition of Forced Labor Convention in 1957. On European level, the most recent legal instrument introduced for combating trafficking in women is the Council of Europes Convention on Actions against Trafficking in Human Beings,adopted 2005. Following this further, the European Union also made instruments about the issue of trafficking: Council Framework Decision of 19 July 2002 on combating trafficking in human beings,instruments such as Investing in People, European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI),etc. In conclusion, a mutual statement from all the EU member states is that under trafficking should be put all the cases where the o nes that commit this crime are recruiting their victims for forced labor or prostitution, no matter the means, even by just enticement or abusing their weak situation or position. Other international organizations that are involved in the matter of trafficking are OSCE (The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), UNDP (the United Nations Development Program), ICITAP (International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance), OPDAT (The U.S. Department of Justices Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training), USAID (TheUnited States Agency for International Development), ICMPD (The International Centre for Migration Policy Development). On the other hand, there are the non-governmental organizations, which are important in building civil society by fostering governance, whereby actions are framed not simply by governments, but with the participation of other organizations, with which information is shared.Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the globe are engaged in combating trafficking by taking part in variety activities including prevention, prosecution, protection, rescues/raids, reintegration, and repatriation.â€Å"NGOs often work with few resources yet can be effective in complimenting the activities of governments, or even taking the place of government efforts.†NGOs appear to be ‘watchdogs against trafficking in women. Worldwide NGOs in this area are Amnesty International, The International La Strada Association (La Strada International), Anti Slavery International, The Churches ´ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME), Global Alliance against Traffic in Women (GAATW), Save th e Children Europe Group, Terre des Hommes International Federation, ECPAT International, etc. â€Å"It is helpful for NGOs that engage in preventive and rehabilitative work with women, children and communities to be able to identify common characteristics of trafficking.† Despite the international level of fighting against the crime of trafficking, every country has prescribed this act as a criminal one in the domestic criminal codes. Almost all democratic countries are signatories of the conventions mentioned above and had implemented them in their home legislative.   This is the case also with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania,which incorporated trafficking in women in their criminal codes as a punishable crime by all means, which I will show later in the paper. 2. TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN IN THE TRANSITION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA AND ALBANIA The geographical map of Southeastern Europe, step by step, has been changing in the past decade. The fall of the iron curtain created a flow of migration from east to west,and vice versa, if we consider the international missions and special delegations residing in the Balkan region. Contributory factors that have helped cause the problem of trafficking in women have been â€Å"globalization of economic sector, followed by globalization of crime, as well as the outbreak of conflicts in the region.†The fragmentation of Yugoslavia intensified the impact of processes of transition, globalization and regionalization.Turbulent ethnic conflict, external interventions (often involving force), and the persistent use of violence by criminal elements, provided waves of challenges to civil society in the region.The Yugoslav wars intensified the scale of transnational organized crime, here including trafficking in women mainly for prostitution, and the levels at which criminal networks p reyed on the population.The area has been military, politically and economically divided: new states have been created and new borders established.The countries of SEE have been seriously affected by the problems of organized crime and corruption, which have been the main obstruction to further development and regional stability. Because of the limited economic resources available, governments in the region have not been able to establish an effective control over economic fraud and other forms of organized crime, including trafficking in women.Therefore, â€Å"organized criminal groups in the region have successfully exploited insufficiently controlled borders, corruption, a legislative vacuum and the lack of regional cooperation in the fight against organized crime.† To emphasize, within the structure of organized crime the countries are classified weather they are countries of origin, destination or transition. The origination countries of trafficking of women can be classified by the regions of the world. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania are part of the East Europe region and are mostly considered originating countries, although the trafficking to and within the country is stacking up. On the other hand, as destination countries for trafficked women are the Western European countries, the Nordic countries, the Middle East, even United States of America, where the women from BIH and Albania are trafficked to. 2.1. The case of Bosnia and Herzegovina For Bosnia and Herzegovina the collapse of the communism was not the only overturn of the society. Right after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, BIH experienced a civil war on its territory. Therefore, it is excusably to say that BIH went through double transition period. Furthermore, the breakdown of the social, economic and political structure resulting from the civil war in BIH caused the expansion of various forms of organized crime, including trafficking in human beings.On the other hand, â€Å"in the pre war period this kind of crime was not present in BIH to the degree to which it is now, according to official statistics and available sources.†The two dramatic changes in the countrys past brought up rise in trafficking in women. The country was and still is â€Å"a fertile ground for the criminal abuse of women†mainly for sexual exploitation. â€Å"Economic hardship, global market penetration and transitional economic conditions along with conflict and post-war trauma have transformed many traditional relationships into service exchanges.†] Moreover, the almost four year long war caused collapse of the economy and social collapse which emerged in great unemployment. Therefore, people in BIH, mostly women, felt jeopardized for their survival so they started looking for any kind of job just to support their families. Sexual exploitation for prostitution, and human trafficking in general was a taboo in BIH until recently. In early 1998, human trafficking to BIH did not officially exist, â€Å"it inhabited an invisible netherworld unacknowledged, unreported and unnamed.†According to experts of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH), trafficking first began to appear in 1995.Human Rights Watch investigators first learned of trafficking of women to B osnia and Herzegovina in 1998, while on a research mission to investigate post-conflict discrimination against Bosnian women.As public attention began to increase and more cases emerged, trafficking finally became visibly in the early 1999.In fact, by early 2000, â€Å"human trafficking for forced prostitution had become blatant and notorious, but this visibility did not result in coherent anti trafficking policies.† Another factor that bolstered trafficking in women was the post war peacekeeping missions and the international influence in BIH. The placing of peacekeeping forces in BIH encouraged the sex industry there, especially in the early years after the war.This is a very sensitive issue concerning the fact that the peacekeepers and other stuff of the international missions enjoyed immunity,plus there were insufficient evidence of such conducts by the missionaries. Along with this, the lack of state responsibility concerning the involvement of members of the peacekeeping force in trafficking, doubtlessly contributed to the problem.UNMIBH has â€Å"denied any participation of its personnel in trafficking but acknowledges that several members of its staff have been let go for sexual misconduct.†The promotion of prostitution by the forces of UN, who were directly involved in the sex industry and the sexual exploitation of Bosnian women, was contradicting with their main mission of prot ecting them and providing them with a peaceful life. There is no doubt that there was a existing correlation between the phenomenon of trafficking in women and the settlement of a peacekeeping force in BIH, but it would be wrong to observe the settlement of peacekeeping force as a primary cause of the phenomenon.Trafficking in women, as a problem and concern, existed and exists in other parts of the Balkan, as well as all over the world, where peacekeepers were and are not based. To conclude, BIH has been politically unstable during the post war period. Laws have been made to control traffickers, but regional conflicts still exist and the lack of cooperation between entities, and entities and the state in general, in suppressing organized crime has been high.The high profits available, the low risk of detention and minor penalties exacted have made trafficking in human beings for the purpose of prostitution very attractive on the ‘black marketin BIH.oday, the lack of political will has been replaced with the â€Å"building of collaboration between BIH law enforcement agencies and the creation of new BIH state institutions for enforcing the law.†Furthermore, BIH is now participating in regional and international initiatives against organized crime, especially within Stability Pace (a benchmark for bringing peace and normalcy to the region) in Southeastern Europe, as a way towards reaching EU and insuring its place as future member state.. The loc al government is trying to harmonize the domestic legislative with the international and to improve the cooperation between the entities and the state. However, the suppression of trafficking in women is not just a legislative problem, but also a practical one.In addition, another future in combating trafficking is awareness of the problem, such as public education, that the state has to make sure to provide it. 2.2. The case of Albania Human trafficking is relatively ‘new social phenomenon, which emerged in Albania after the early 1990s right after the failure of the dictatorship regime of Enver Hoxa. The â€Å"process of democratization started in Albania only in 1990, after the fall of the Berlin wall, when independent political parties were created and the freedom to travel for citizens was granted.†The economic and political instability increased in 1997 with the explosion of civil disorders and soon after the war in Kosovo in 1999 that brought many refugees to Albania. From then on, this phenomenon spread rapidly in the countries in transition or development including Albania.With the sudden intensive influence from the Eastern and Western European countries, it is understandable for a country that was once in total isolation, moreover, was a poor one, to become a target for many organized criminal groups and face new and different wave of criminality. The isolation encouraged the Albanian people to go across the borders of their homeland. Dreams for better lives, jobs and education for their children were overwhelming for many Albanians, while others sought reunification with family members that has already migrated to Western countries.Nevertheless, â€Å"Albanias role in trafficking appears easy to attribute to the difficult political and economic transition from an authoritarian to a pluralistic system.†Other factors than changes to the system of governance, which facilitated the rise of trafficking in Albania were the bad economic conditions. For some Albanians who had lost property, human trafficking and particularly exploitation of women, became a way of re-accumulating the wealth they lost, while for others, trafficking was considered as a solution to end their poverty and suffering.Women faced the greatest impact of unemployment as well as additional burden of maintaining their families as their spouses sought employment through emigration.Hence, women became increasingly vulnerable and these factors emerged trafficking, especially for women who turned to prostitution with the intent of doing it only temporarily.The once traditional values of the Albanian society were lost. Women easily become prey of traffickers with the help of their close family, which most of the time promised to find them husbandsas a way out of the heavy situation they were in. In addition, as middle men sometimes figured the spouses of these women, who saw ‘easy money by selling their wives, â€Å"without being aware of the consequences of the trafficking.† Furthermore, the heightened trafficking of Albanian women, within and out of the country, has been facilitated by the erosion of social controls in society and the ‘chronic weakness of the state.The government was incapable of projecting its authority to fight crime, protect crime victims, control its borders and curtail corruption among its security forces.As shown above, trafficking in women for sexual exploitation surfaced as new problem in the early 1990s. In that time few people believed in the treat of rising and that trafficking will escalate in a measure that is today. During the transition from communism and dictatorship, Albania was not only a transit country for the trafficking of human beings, but also a source country.Trafficking of Albanian women was and continues to be widespread.â€Å"The absence of legal provisions and official statistics on trafficking inhibited recognition of the problem.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"In 1995, legislators added penalties for prostitution and operation of facilities for prostitution to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania, but did not include a definition on trafficking.†It was necessary for improvements to be implemented in the legal system and the reform was the first important step in combating trafficking. Amendments in 2001, however, began to bring Albanian law in the line with the Palermo Protocol, and further steps in 2004 boosted up that process.Albanian penal legislation concerning trafficking has been improving continuously in accordance with international legislation and the international efforts of the Albanian state.The ratification of several conventions concerning this issue, â€Å"demonstrates that the legal framework of the fight against the trafficking of human beings, especially of women and children, is almost complete.†The ratification of these conventions facilitated more effective regional and international cooperation in the efforts against organized crime and constitutes a concrete step in the process of making Albanian legislation compatible with international standards.However, despite the tendency for international cooperation, â€Å"international assistance for the Albanian Government has not been well coordinated.Following this further, ensuring of complementarities, avoiding duplication and facilitating the effective use of resources, will possibly improve this coordination.Moreover, introducing legislation and practice in accordance with European Union standards â€Å"remains imperative and is an important step towards the eventual free movemen t of people across borders†and the acceptance of Albania to the Union. 2.3. Analysis and possible future improvements As already mentioned, the developing transition countries, as BIH and Albania, are not exception of the influence of trafficking in women. Moreover, they are a prolific ground for this ‘business. HERE I WANTED TO MENTION THE FURUTRE REFORMS IN LEGISLATIVE MEASURES FOR EX. BIH SHOULD HARMONIZE THE STATE AND ENTITIES LAWS.ALSO THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE EU AND WHAT MORE IS THERE TO BE DONE IN THIS AREA. I WANTED TO ASK YOU SHOULD I KEEP THIS POINT (SUB-CHAPTER) OR IS IT SMARTER TO INCORPORATE THOSE THINGS IN THE PREVIOUS ONES CONCLUSION Following the democratic development, exiting from the ongoing transition, and the implementation of the international instruments for combating trafficking in women, and in human beings in general, can be very helpful for countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania in suppressing this major problem. The measures taken by the home governments and legislators of these two countries can improve the control over trafficking, reducing it, by implementing the international legislative and maybe making more strict penalties for the violators/ criminals.