Julius Caesar By William Shakespeare Essays -

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare In Shakespeare's play of "Caesar" Brutus is a conspirator who portrays a person who favors a republic for Rome. Brutus is an honorable man. Many characters in the play show there reverence for Brutus. Brutus exemplifies his honor in many ways. Brutus is obsequious when he is needed to abet his fellow romans. Brutus is an honorable man. "Am I entreated to Speak and Strike? O Rome I make thee promise, If the redress will follow, then receivest thy full petition at the hand of Brutus" (Shakespeare 397). Brutus will obey to whatever the romans convey to him. Consequently, Brutus joins the conspiracy inorder to help the romans rid rome of Caesar. Brutus also understands that he is putting it all on the line for his romans, therefore Brutus is an honorable man. Brutus is a scrupulous man, whose virtues endure. "No not an oath, If not by the face of men, the sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse-If these motives be weak, break off betimes, and every men hence to his idle bed; So let high sighted tyranny rage on, till each man drop by lottery" (Shakespeare 399). Brutus said that if the conspirators do not join for a common cause, then there is no need for an oath because the conspirators are self-righteous, and they are serving the romans. If the conspirators don't bind together, then each man will go his own way, become a weakling, and die when it suits the tyrants caprice. Brutus is advocates peace, freedom and liberty, for all romans, which shows that Brutus is an altruistic as well as an honorable man. Brutus also had a compassion for Caesar when he had killed Caesar. "If then that a friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more" (Shakespeare 421). Brutus had honored Caesar but Brutus felt that Caesar was to ambitious. Brutus also felt that Caesar made the romans as slaves. Therefore, Brutus is an honorable man. Brutus is a noble man who was revered by many. Brutus had joined the conspiracy because he had the desire to help the commoners. He was a follower of idealism, where the romans would possess peace, liberty and freedom. Brutus wanted the kill Caesar, because he believed that all of the people of Rome would eventually be slaves, thus Brutus resorted to the assassination if Caesar. Brutus is a honorable man.

Burrhus Frederic Skinner essays

Burrhus Frederic Skinner essays Burrhus Frederic Skinner was born on March 20, 1904. His parents were the typical lawyer and housewife. As Skinner went off to college, he received his Bachelors Art Degree in English from Hamilton College. He didnt fit in very well there and decided to write for the school paper. By doing so, he came to the conclusion that his ultimate goal in life would be a writer. He sent off many examples of his poetry and short stories to newspaper articles, which landed him in Greenwich Village in New York City. After some traveling there, he decided to go back to school, this time at Harvard. He got his masters in psychology in 1930 and his doctorate in 1931, and stayed there to do research until 1936. (C. George Boeree, 1998) That same year, Skinner moved to the University of Minnesota and taught there. He met his wife, Yvonne Blue. Together they had two daughters; the second daughter became famous as the first infant in Skinners inventions. This invention was a combination crib/pl aypen with glass sides and air conditioning; some referred to it as a baby in an aquarium. In 1945, Indiana University welcomed the new chairman of the psychology department, Burrhus Skinner. Three years later, he accepted his invitation to Harvard where he stayed the rest of his life. During his stay in Harvard, he wrote many psychology books, including Walden II and Beyond Freedom and Dignity. Skinner had many theories, though his entire system was based on operant conditioning. During this operating, the organism encounters a reinforcing stimulus. This stimulus has the effect of increasing the operant the behavior occurring just before the reinforcer. The behavior is followed by a consequence, and the nature of the consequence modifies the organisms tendency to repeat the behavior in the future. (C. George Boeree, 1998) Skinner is very famous for his Skinner box. He kept a rat...

The US-led war in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The US-led war in Iraq - Essay Example Iraq had a devastated economy from 1980 to 1988 due to the internal war of the country. The country was made to be the largest military country in the region of Persian Gulf. The country was invaded by Kuwait in 1990 but the United States-led UN coalition forced them out in 1991. This led to social instability in the Kurdish side of the country where the Shia Muslims were against the government, which was led by Saddam Hussein. The government was forced to use force in order to suppress this rebellion. This led to a massacre where thousands of individuals were killed and a lot of property was damaged. The United States government and other superpower countries were forced to declare the country to be a no flying zone due to the instability of the region. The country was even sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council since the country refused to surrender their weapons so that they could be inspected. The country remained unstable from the 1900s to 2000s. The United States-led coalition invaded the country in 2003 after it was reported that the country had refused to be inspected by the United Nation. This led to the Iraq war between the United States and Iraq. Iraq’s dictator was overthrown in this war after the invasion had taken place. The country was left under the control of Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) that handled the governmental affairs of the country, which later led to the formation of the government. The Iraqi interim Government took over after the CPA was disbanded in June 2004. The transitional government later took over after the election was held in January 2005 and in September the countries constitution was completed. December of the same year marked another election that initiated a four-year government, which took over power in March 2006, and was in accordance with the constitution. Even after the elections had been conducted in the country, there were still casers of instability and reports of violence across the country. This made the United States forces to be increas4ed in the region to calm the violence. The US started leaving the country in June 2009 after the two countries came up with a plan to ensure that the troops were out of the country’s urban areas (Jenkins, 57). The Iraqi war officially ended in December 2011 as majority of the US troops had left the country. The governance of Iraq changed after the invasion by the United States. This government is an establishment of the parliamentary democracy where it has branches of executives. The president is the chief of states and the prime minister is the head of government. The legislative branch of Iraq is has a unicameral council of representatives. The judicial branch of the country does not exist. However, the CIA Fact book implies that the judicial governance and management should start with Higher Judicial Council, which is followed by Federal Supreme Court Federal Court of

The editorial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The editorial - Essay Example According to Bay City News, the family has come up with a donation page in order for elicit funds for supporting Rath’s 3 months’ old daughter along with sustenance of the funeral expense. Prior to the tragedy, Officer Peter van Eckhardt stated that the California Highway Patrol officers had heard of a motorcycle speeding on the bridge, but responded at around 4:30 pm. Before long, van Eckhardt mentioned something about the officers receiving reports of a collision on the selfsame bridge. The loss aroused a search effort across different emergency arms of San Francisco. In a bid to rescue the body, the Rio Vista police, Oakley police, a CHP helicopter and the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and Contra Costa County sheriff’s rescue boats all responded to the scene. Further, a Sig-alert was lifted at about 7:15 pm in response to the very scene. However, the emergency personnel halted the search after trying to pursue the body for up to 2 hours mainly because of the setting sun. At this point they had only come across some of Rath’s gears, though they could not figure out the way to associate the devices with Rath himself. According to Marshall , the crew was to resume the search on the next day. The move by the marine units from Solano, Contra and Sacramento counties to search for Rach’s body reveals how the units are committed to their committed to their patrolling routes. In taking such a step can to citizens serve as evidence that the state wants the very best for them. However, the state needs to adopt approaches that can allow the emergency personnel to be capable of engaging in the search processes even during night sessions. This comes in handy in case of collisions that occur around fast moving rivers. You never know, probably it is because of the directive to halt the search process after 2 hours that made Rath to be found

Personal and professional growth statement with goals Research Paper

Personal and professional growth statement with goals - Research Paper Example Sub-consciously, learners teach more to their teachers than they can fathom. Another belief that I came to view as superstitious is the belief that education was designed solely for equipping an individual with intelligence. Unfortunately, this is the same thought that most people have and the truth of the matter is that this is a misguided point of view. One of the major objectives of education is to help a learner or a child realize the inborn capabilities and talents and the potential that they possess (Gardner 34). If articulated in the right manner, education will help the learner to be able to develop and nurture problem solving skills on a personal level. These are the two major realizations that have helped me grow as a person and as a future professional educator; the second being the most impactful. As discussed, the first realization that has had an impact on my way of thinking is the fact that learning is an interactive process in totality. As a classroom based educator, my number one objective should be to create a conducive classroom climate. A conducive classroom climate is one that encourages the participation of all the students in class. For example, group discussions is one of the ways that can promote a conducive classroom climate. ... School climate is based on the experiences that one gets from school life and reflects the norms, goals values, inter-personnel relationships, teaching, learning and leadership practices. As an elementary educator, my goal is to help create and develop a school climate that produces a holistic student (Hinman, 96). My second realization has helped me understand the importance of education in helping an individual to realize their in-born capabilities and talents. Through the theory of multiple intelligences, Howard Gardner explains that there are nine multiple intelligences that are present in humans (41) . These intelligences are in-built and the role of education is to nurture them to perfection for the attainment of their full potential. Linguistic intelligence is the first kind of intelligence that Gardner highlights. This is the ability of an individual to use language to express their thoughts. Most elementary students are very vibrant and proactive in speech. It is however not easy for a child to express their thoughts in a direct manner. If a child shows signs of linguistic intelligence, it is up to me as an elementary teacher to teach them how to nurture this talent and help them in development of their career. It is essential to help children grow in their linguistic intelligence because language is the most common and most accepted form of communication in the world. Another form of intelligence is logical thinking. It can also be referred to as mathematical thinking. Some children have the capabilities to understand the underlying principle of a casual system and can be able to manipulate numbers (Adsit, 67). When I become a professional educator, I will be teaching such kind of children how to use their capabilities to come up with inventions among other

Role of Popular Music in Transforming Conflict

Role of Popular Music in Transforming Conflict Abstract Can popular music play a role in conflict transformation and peacebuilding? This kind of question has started to generate a great deal of debate for peacebuilding scholars and pracitioners.   Most of the recent works have focused on the role of art as a whole without looking at particular form of art or particular genre within one form of art like music and assessing its contributions to creating a peaceful society. This paper is an attempt to show only the role popular music can play. It based on a research undertaken in Gulu town in northern Uganda. Findings show that music is playing a supporting role which is either little known or less recognized. In this paper, I argue that popular music is playing a significant role. I discuss how popular music is contributing and fostering conditions of conflict transformation and peacebuilding while relying on document analysis, examinations of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“peace musicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? lyrics, field interviews and focus group discussion with the government officials, formerly LRA soldiers, musicians and the civilian population. A. Background to Northern Uganda conflict Northern Uganda has been in conflict for over two decades. This conflict is between the government of Uganda (GoU) and the Lordà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Resistance Army (LRA).The conflict is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“rooted in a popular rebellion against the President Yoweri Musevenià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s government.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[2] but when she was defeated in 1987, Joseph Kony took over the mantle of leadership. He transformed the HSM into the LRA and with support of the Government of Sudan in Khartoum; the LRA have been able to cause destruction on the civilian population in northern Uganda. The causes of the conflict are rooted in historical and immediate factors. These includes: The British colonial legacy which divided the north and south. Failure of the President Museveni to honor peace accord he signed in Nairobi in 1985 and finally the NRA violence inflicted on the Acholi when Museveni took over[3]. Since 1993, there have been numerous peace talksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ efforts to end the conflict but all failed to bring a lasting peace because à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s lack of firm political will behind a negotiation strategy and the LRAà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s turn to Sudan for arms re-supplies.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[7] The most recent attempt to end the conflict has been the Juba Peace Talks in 2006. This peace talks was held in Juba, the capital of South Sudan and it was mediated by Dr. Riek Machar, Sudanese vice president assisted by UN Special Envoy Joachim Chissano. In this peace talks, all four items of the agenda were signed[8]. But the final peace agreement has not been signed. The notorious leader of the LRA refused to sign the final peace agreement thus throwing the peace process in doubt. This led to a military offensive on LRA by the three countries: Uganda, Sudan and DRC and means the collapse of the peace talks. Peace building initiatives? Currently in northern Uganda, there is relative peace because the LRA have been weakened by the combined military offensive of the three nations. Many civilian populations in the 53 camps in northern Uganda are returning to their villages to rebuild their lives. Both the government and nongovernmental organizations are putting infrastructures: schools, roads and health centers to assist the former victims of conflicts resettle. But there are mixed feeling among the population whether they will have a lasting peace or not since not final peace agreement has been signed by the conflict parties. One of the key issues in northern Uganda during this transition is how to ensure victimsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ justice but à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Most prioritize peace over justice and show signs of reluctance countenance question of accountability.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[10] Since 2005, GoU through the Amnesty Commission have been working to resettle many LRA the ex-combatants and supported communityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s approaches to local methods for forgiveness, peacebuilding and reconciliation. B. Background to role of Music in Acoli society In Acoli society, music occupies a central place. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Music is the lifeblood of the society.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[15] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Musicians and dancers were highly valued and admired for their skill and their ability to entertain.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[20]. Music in Acoli was mainly by an individual or a group singing and playing musical instrument like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“lokeme (thumb piano), ajar, a metal percussion instrument, and sometimes the smaller drums (bul).à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[22] Rise of Popular Peace Music in Northern Uganda As the war in northern Uganda escalated, this was a proof that the conflicting parties had failed to resolve their grievances. There was total breakdown in communication between the parties. This resulted into lack of confidence and understanding of each party.[24]. This music is produced in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“modernà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? studios across northern Uganda. Voices are produced on computer aided beats. There is wide use of modern musical instruments in the music. The lyrics are directed to the government, LRA and occasionally to the civilian population in northern Uganda, other parts of Uganda and the diasporas and international community. As many as 70-100 peace songs are produced annually[29]. C. Literature Review In the last decade, there have been some attempts to show that music can be used in peacebuilding.[32] The shortage of literature on the impact of music for conflict transformation and peacebuilding remains is a serious concern because stakeholders are constrained from making an informed decision on music can function as a tool of conflict transformation and peacebuilding. Perhaps the most groundbreaking work on music and peacebuilding to date is: Music and Conflict Transformation: Harmonies and Dissonances in Geopolitics.[35] Additionally, June Boyce illustrates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“several models useful when considering the link between music and peaceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and finally Johan Galtung reveals how music can be used for peace. He investigates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the uplifting and uniting power music.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Ledarachà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Moral Imagination: the Art and Soul of Peacebuilding[36], empathizes use of creativity in peacebuilding. He used a number of examples to support his arguments about art and peacebuilding. Finally, Lisa Schirchà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Ritual and Symbols in Peacebuilding also supports the view of creativity in peacebuilding.[39] There are some articles which show the prospect of using music in peacebuilding. Michael Shank and Lisa Schirch,[42] Their analysis justifies the role of art while at the same time it is useful for informing peacebuilders on what kind of art to employ and at what stage of conflict. Lesley Pruitt explores how music can contribute to positive peace[44] She adds that music and dance can lead to development of new identity by both the artists and audience and it is this new identity can help in process of dialogue. Therefore, artists through their music can act as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“mediatorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? because they create new identities and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s this new identity that can foster dialogue between the conflicting parties. Additionally, Alba Sanfeliu[45] discusses the role of music in peacebuilding. She remarks à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Music is an eloquent language that allows us to express what is happening around us in many senses, and to reflect the times and the situation in which we live. It is inseparable from our social, political, economic and cultural reality.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? She adds that music is also a form of communication. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Lyrics strengthen the message that the author wants to express, emphasizing the sense of the song.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Mores specially she touches on role of popular music and states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“many singers and groups have composed songs with themes related to peace, personally becoming involved by giving concerts in solidarity with various social causes and making their music into a kind of spokesman and instrument for peace.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? She concludes by arguing for further exploration of music as a tool for conflict transformation. Finally, In conclusion, the reviewed works provide interesting insights into the role of art in general on conflict transformation and peacebuilding but there are not sufficient enough in explaining how specific genre like music and in particular, popular music contributes to conflict transformation and peacebuilding. To begin with, most of the studies done on role of music were based on document reviews and this makes it very difficult to reflect the true situation on the ground. Additionally, the reviewed works widely focus on art or music as a whole. None focuses on popular music. Finally, these studies were based on realities in different parts of the world some of which are significantly different from those in northern Uganda. This study attempts to show the impact of popular music on the conflicting parties in northern Uganda and how this has helped in conflict transformation and peacebuilding in northern Uganda. D. Purpose and Methods of the Study Research was carried out in Gulu Municipality and 2 internally displaced persons (IDP) camps of Amuru and Odek[49]. In all the three locations[51]. Interview guides were open-ended and gave respondents opportunity to speak out his/her mind. This was preferred in order to get more information about knowledge, attitudes and opinions of people about the role popular music in peacebuilding. There were 5 focus group discussions with 30 people (23 were former LRA soldiers and five female) to understand peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s perspective about the role popular music can or has played in peacebuilding[52]. The discussions were freely moderated by the researcher and every participant freely expressed their views during the discussions. Finally, all accessible relevant literatures on the topic were reviewed. These data were got from various libraries including Gulu University, Human Rights Focus, Gulu Public Library and Hesburgh library. E. Impact of Music in Northern Uganda Music and conflict has have long been connected but the role music can play in conflict transformation and peacebuilding have not long been studied although there are new and emerging work in the field[53]. Therefore, to assert that music can transform conflict and promote peacebuilding may be an exaggeration but also failure to recognize the role that music can play in conflict transformation and peacebuilding would again be an understatement facts. From results of focus group discussions and interviews with government officials in Northern Uganda, one can argue that music is playing a supporting role to the conflict transformation and peacebuilding in northern Uganda. Popular music is contributing by: Reaching the government leaders with messages to engage in the peace process, recognizing the government efforts while demanding for a speedy end to peace process, portraying the government failures through comparison of the Acoli society before and after the war thus making the government leaders to work for amendments and finally popular music has become a tool of communication that is now a constant reminder for government about its obligations for peace. a. Government In northern Uganda, popular music is being used to reach both government leaders to engage in peaceful resolution of the conflict. This has been carefully done through name dropping[58]. The impact of name dropping is found to create pressure on some leaders to use their positions to engage in peace process with the LRA because musicians represent the voice of the people. This makes the leaders reach out to the president asking for peaceful engagements with the LRA. According to one government leader: Northern Uganda is a small region. Each time musicians call my name in their songs, I feel I compelled to work for peace. The songs communicate to me personally. It appeals to me in a special way. It portrays me as a leader who can do something for my people. This creates the motivations for me to work for peace. To me, a voice of one musician is a voice of the people suffering in the internally displaced peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s camps[59] Therefore, name dropping has been an effective way of pushing some of the leaders to work for their people. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“It is a push factor for the leaders. It asks nothing from them but to use their position for the sake of the suffering people.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[60] Name dropping has an appropriate appeal for different leaders at a personal level to seek an end to conflict. This appeal is compounded by the fact that the songs are in the language the leaders understand, the leaders are widely known in the region and the songs brings out rich, truthful and powerful issues that goes on in the life of their own people. This motivates some leaders to engage in peacebuilding. Additionally, in a politically hostile region to the current NRM government[68]. This is summed up in one statement by former internally displaced man: When politicians in our community are openly praised by musicians in their songs, this sets the bar so high for politicians and their party because the songs are played on the FM stations across the northern Uganda. This is not only praises and recognition for their work, politicians know that as voters we use the same songs to judge them and hence some are working very hard for peace.[69] Given an environment like northern Uganda, which has been unfriendly to the current government because of the long running conflict, people have genuine grievances again their government[72] It recognizes and praises politicians and the government, while at the same time it sets a target for them to achieve thus leading to engagement of some political leaders in the peace process. Furthermore, the religious leaders have also not been spared by the popular artists. They have also been singled out for commitment to peace in northern Uganda and asked to do more in their capacity. Musicians like Bosmic Otim, one of the first popular artists to emerge in northern Uganda in early 2000 with very high popularity went on in his song, Too Paco, to appreciate one religious leader for his extra-ordinary courage and commitment on working for peace. He points out the impact of the war on the Acoli society. He suggests to the government to adopt the non-violent strategy of the religious leaders. He calls for a non-violence strategy because failure of the military strategy which has inflicted great pain on the civilian population. He goes on in his lyrics to say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Letà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s see example from Nelson Mandela who fought for peace non violent, let us see example from Bishop Mark Baker Ochola, who is emphasizing talk peace because war increases the death tollà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Such a creative way of sending peace messages by the popular artists have been effective. Popular music have been able to communicate peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s desire for peace to the religious leaders. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Popular music has become additional call to protect their flocks from wolves.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[76]. Furthermore, popular musicians have used their songs as a comparative tool for northern Uganda especially Acoli society. This comparison is based on looking back at Acoli society before the war and comparing it with the society during war. This evokes images of past governments as more successful than the current regime[79]. Some popular songs are explicit imagery of government failure.[82]   This careful manipulation of music to compare Acoli societies is disastrous for the image of the government and NRM political leadership. It has compelled some government leaders to do more to save its image by protecting its citizens while at the same time creating a task that peace is the ultimate goal the government has to achieve in order to avoid comparisons with the past regimes. Dida Moses, in his song Too Oroma-wa, ask a rhetorical question and goes to show the suffering, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Our people, spiritual leaders what do we do? War that started since has not ended, Strong homes have collapsed, Seeing people run for their lives is painfulà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Cutting peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s legs, killing is so painful, Children are suffering, children sleep hungry, Children sleep with blankets, children do go to school, Today I pray to God, the rate of death is too muchà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? In some of these songs, the government commitment to northern Uganda is questioned indirectly. The reference to pre-Acoli society invokes images of better days of freedom, schooling, ability to meet basic needs and above all a peaceful society under previous government.[84]. This creates a drive for leaders to engage more in peace talks in order to deliver peace, the ultimate wish of the people. Finally, popular music is being used to communicate and remind government of its obligation for peace in a region where people seem to have given up after two decades of war and accepted the status quo. Musicians have not given up. They have continued to remind the government and create awareness about the war in northern Uganda, nationally and internationally.   Popular music is a constant à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“burdenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and reminder to Acoli government leaders.[86] These peace concerts bring popular artists from all over the country in northern Uganda to sing for peace and fundraise for the IDP communities. In April 2004 feted Ugandan musician Jose Chameleone teamed up with Richard Kaweesa, another renowned Ugandan musician, in a peace restoration project called [87] In these musical concerts nothing else is sung about but peace.[90] Therefore, popular music has become medium of reminding the government on what people wants while at the same time creating awareness and building a coalition for peace in the northern Uganda which generates public pressure on the government to seek an alternative to the conflict As a result of this constant reminder and call to the government and LRA for peace, the governments of Uganda and South Sudan have come to recognize the role of music in conflict transformation and peacebuilding thus exhibiting the power of popular music in northern Uganda. In 2005, Loketo Lee, was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the peace process. His contribution was first felt outside his own country-Uganda to Southern Sudan and Sudanese vice president, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Salvar Kiirà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦handed Loketo Lee a Peace Award for his contribution, through his music, to the countrys peace process.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[93]. This points to the role music can in a musically responsive society like northern Uganda. b. Lordà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Resistance Army In northern Uganda, popular music is being used for informing and educating the LRA on amnesty[95] These musical messages have had some impact on LRA through the radio. According to one participant, a former LRA foot soldier: Mega FM has been useful for amnesty messages. The religious leaders and also some songs were very influential in letting us know what amnesty was all about. When our leaders realized we were listening to amnesty messages whether talk shows or music, they stopped us and whoever was found was punished severely. From the perspective of some formerly abducted children interviewed, popular music on the FM stations particularly Mega FM proved to have been effective in disseminating amnesty information. Consequently, some LRA fighters were able to return home. This statement by the former LRA solders is corroborated by Boniface Ojok, in his remarks about the impact of radio communication to the LRA. On realizing that they were reducing in numbers, the LRA leadership discouraged its middle ranking commanders and foot soldiers from listening to radios. Many of the former LRA rebels we talked to said that when the LRA realized that radios were becoming so effective in luring the midlevel commanders and foot soldiers, a warning was issued that radios should be used only by the top leadership[96] Popular music therefore is being used to communicate important messages for the LRA. These messages are effective in informing and educating the LRA. To some former child soldiers, popular artist had become their role models. Some agreed to being persuaded by popular musicians. Their songs about amnesty and asking them to abandon the rebellion was informative and as well as appealing to them to come out of the bush[97]. Additionally, popular musical is helping in confidence building among the LRA.[100]   These cases have been used as propaganda by the LRA leadership to deter foot soldiers from returning but popular artists have razed this propaganda. Strong message for brotherhood, reconciliation, forgiveness and welcome have been sung by the musician including making a personal call to the LRA top leadership about their safety on return. Artists like Baby Dalvin, believes that amnesty from the government without further assurance from civilian population was not enough for the LRA to return.   The LRA fighters were aware of the pardon through the amnesty but they did not know how the civilian populations in the camps would be reacting to them. Government assurance from prosecutions was not enough. Artists had to step in and assure the LRA fighters about their safety from the civilian populations. Popular music was able to fill the void left by the government. Popular music sent assurances about safety and that people are willing to reconcile with them. These have been able to restore some level of confidence in the LRA. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Some artists have even called the LRA fighters as brothers and for Acoli people when someone has called you a brother that is best assurance of acceptance without revenge.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[102] Similarly, when the leaders of the LRA were indicted by International Criminal Court, its impact was expected on the peace process.[105] Such opposition of the external forces to the peace process has been cited to create confidence on the LRA because they feel the masses and the government are willing to save them ICC prosecutions. Thus the artists have been able to add their voice to already a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“hostileà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? region to ICC creating a feeling of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“safetyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? among some LRA from the government and people in northern Uganda. Furthermore, the role popular music is playing today is a replica of the role songs played in Acoli traditional community. Traditionally, songs were used to entertain and teach. Leaders with unruly behaviors were mocked.[107] This role of music still lives on in the popular music today. Popular artists have not downplayed the atrocities the LRA have committed in the two decades. Lyrics reflect LRA atrocities and challenge the LRA. Popular music have exposed the atrocities and blamed the LRA. Artists have reacted to what they see as contrary to societal values. In northern Uganda, both the government and the LRA have been seeking to dehumanize and blame each for the atrocities but many popular artists have blamed LRA and asked them to end atrocities. Towngweno, in their song, Bedo I camp, hits the LRA à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“everyone is talking with name, what popularity are you seeking? Orphans, widows are becoming many because of you!   Why do you want to finish Acoli?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Such songs not only expose but also strike guilt for atrocities among the LRA[112] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I am alone now! What can I say? I am now alone in our home! What can I say? I now have no mother, No sister, No brother, No father, No uncle, War has finished all the sons and daughters of Acolià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? According to another respondent, a former rebel, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“popular music have summed up what has happened and if you have carried such atrocities you feel compelled to lay down your gun and come and ask for apologies.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[114] Finally, popular artists have used their music to frame the conflict in a way that affects the LRA positively forcing them to reconsider peace.[116] The framing has changed perceptions and made information relevant and persuasive to the LRA. The framing is based on the notion of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“defeatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“interestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? of the LRA in the war. To many people interviewed, the conflict should have been ended if the government had pursued peaceful means[120] in his songs, Dok Paco, he plays with the notion of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“defeat.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? He calls the LRA to negotiate with the government. He says à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“negotiating does not mean you are defeatedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? to dispel the myth defeat.   Additionally, Bosmic Otim frames the conflicts on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“interestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? of the LRA. While the LRA claims to be fighting for marginalization of people in northern Uganda, they are at the same time committing gruesome violence on the people. Bosmic, in his song Peace Returns, he says à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“If a government soldier dies tomorrow, you will find an Acoli, if a LRA soldier diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦you will find an Acoli.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? His framing reinforces the view that one tribe is finishing itself meaning there is no point in continuing the fight. These framings help in changing perceptions. It can be very persuasive. According to former rebels, they cited two impacts. First, they have been persuaded by this framing which made some rebels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ready to move to another life?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?[121] Secondly, they have been able to see the reality of the conflict and its impact. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“We were able to see the other side of the coin.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? This frame has made some large-scale changes in society. Concluding Observations Music has some problems too. There are in fights among some popular musicians and this has sometimes affected their position in society as peacebuilder. There have been incidences of popular artist fighting and how can they talk for peace if they are involved in violence. This is simply because of public rating people give to the peace songs. This has resulted into creating camps among the popular artist leading t to in fights. Additional, commercial interest of some musicians and recording artists has overshadowed peace music. Many times they are diverted from real issues and forced to sing what the government wants or because their promoters have already got money. This causes diversion and hence reduction in the peace messages in northern Uganda Furthermore, some upcoming popular artist stated that there is alot of politics of the FM stations which only play music from recognized artists leaving them to suffer and languishing with their peace songs. Some artist suggested that music managers at the FM stations ask them lump sum money to include their songs on their playlist. This limits the peace songs to only a few and popular artist leaving out some upcoming musicians. This sometimes kills the potential of young artist who could be having genuine interest in promoting peacebuilding in the region. Finally, artists also expressed fear at the government. Some artist believe they cannot confront the government because they fear for the lives and fear that FM stations will not play their songs and this limits them from being neutral and hence affecting their reputation and neutrality in the songs. In spite of these limitations, there are also a number of arguments why popular music is still effective in conflict transformation and peacebuilding in the case of northern Uganda. To begin with, in considering that music can contribute to peacebuilding, one has to look at the cultural context. In northern Uganda has been sued since time in memorial..Therefore, this provides a best opportunity to use music further for peacebuilding. Secondly, within music, there are more than songs. There is communication, rhythm and movement which when combined becomes a very powerful gesture for peace. In listening to music and watching videos, one can see that these are very effective in reinforcing There is very good creativity and understanding of the local context by musicians. The use of name dropping was suggested by one politician as the most effective way Finally, the popular music is very relevant to local issues in northern Uganda. Music and power especially electoral democracy In this article, only a limited number of songs, most of which come from the musical genre à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Bongo Flavaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ have been described. There are undoubtedly songs about AIDS from other types of music, including gospel music that may be influential. Nevertheless, the songs described here do provide insight into the promise held by utilizing musicians as popular opinion leaders and song as a medium not only to convey important health information, but also as a mechanism for triggering social and behavior changeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.SHERI BASTIEN [122] 4 [(]* Is a MA candidate at the University of Notre Dame. He earned a B.A. in Humanities from Makerere University. He also holds a Post-graduate diploma in Conflict Management and Peace Studies and a Post-graduate diploma in Education from Gulu University. He has served as an Information Officer for a relief organization and a health communication group. Recently, he worked for the Norwegian Refugee Council as communication and Monitoring and Evaluation Manager. He has conducted many researches on the role of the media in conflict transformation in northern Uganda. [1] Moses Cyprus Okello and Lucy Hovil, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Confronting the Reality of Gender Based Violence in Northern Uganda,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? The International Journal of Transitional Justice 1(3) 2007: 375-390. [2] See Behrend, Heike, Alice Lakwena and the Holy Spirits: War in Northern Uganda, 1985-97 (James Currey, Oxford 1999) [3] See Allen, Tim, 1991, Understanding Alice: Ugandaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Holy Spirit Movement in Context. Africa, vol. 61, no. 3, pp. 370-399. Branch, Adam, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Neither Peace, nor Justice: Political Violence and the Peasantry in Northern Ugandaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2005) 8(2) African Study Q 1, [4] Lomo, Zachary and Hovil, Lucy, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Behind the Violence: Causes, Consequences and the Search for Solutions to the War in Northern Uganda,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Refugee Law Project Working Paper No. 11 (February 2004), p43 http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4a3f8d3c1e.html [accessed 21 January 2010] [6] Moses Cyprus Okello and Lucy Hovil, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Confronting the Reality of Gender Based Violence in Northern Uganda,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? The International Journal of Transitional Justice 1(3) 2007: 375-390. [7] See Justice and Reconciliation Project, Cooling of the Hearts: Community Truth Telling in Acholi-land,   2007, 6 http://www.csopnu.net/?jc=juba [accessed 21 January 2010] [9] Moses Cyprus Okello and Lucy Hovil, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Confronting the Reality of Gender Based Violence in Northern Uganda,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? The International Journal of Transitional Justice 1(3) 2007: 375-390. [10] Interviews with a leader, Odek, 27 December 2009 [11] Interviews with a 67 year old in Odek, 27 December 2009 [12] Interviews with a leader, Odek, 27 December 2009 [13] Interviews with a leader, Odek, 27 December 2009 [14] Schumann, Anne à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Beat that Beat Apartheid: The Role of Music in the Resistance against Apartheid in South Africa,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Stichproben. Wiener Zeitschrift fÃÆ' ¼r kritische Afrikastudien Nr. 14/2008, 8. Jg., 17à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?39 p:2 [15] Kaiser, Tania 2006. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Songs, Discos and Dancing in Kiryandongo, Ugandaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 32, no. 2, March 2006, pp. 183à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"202, pp184 [16] Ibid 188 [17] Interviews with a leader, Odek, 27 December 2009 [18] Interviews with a leader, Odek, 27 December 2009 [19] Interviews with a leader, Odek, 27 December 2009 [20] Interviews with a leader, Odek, 27 December 2009 [21] Kaiser, Tania, pp 7 [22] Kaiser, Tania, pp 7 [23] Interviews with a leader, Odek, 27 December 2009 [24] Interviews with a musician, Gulu Town, 3rd January 2010 [25] Interviews with a studio owner in Gulu Town, 23rd December 2009 [26] There are 5 radio stations in Gulu [27] There are 10 recordi

The Cast of Amontillado Essay -- Essays Papers

The Cast of Amontillado Edgar Allen Poe, born on January 19, 1809, is one of the greatest American writers of all time. â€Å"The story of Edgar Allen Poe’s life remains one of the most disputed and slandered in the pages of American biography, despite conscious attempts to revise the story and rehabilitate the life. Decadence and immorality, in the form of alcoholism, opium addiction, and his relationships with women, and prolific production, as a journalist, editor, poet, reviewer, critic, and fiction writer, have been emphasized as characterizing his brief life† (Lent 3). Poe’s many writings were greatly affected by his problems in life and his experiences. One such short story is â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† The main character, Montresor, who is vengeful, intelligent, and fakes sincerity, causes the death of Fortunato. â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† starts out with Montresor, the narrator, saying, â€Å"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.† Simply by reading the first sentence of the story, it is easy to see that Montresor is vengeful and plans to get â€Å"revenge† on Fortunato. Montresor also has a coat of arms which is, â€Å"A huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel,† with a motto of, â€Å"Nemo me impune lacessit,† which stands for no one attacks me with impunity. The coat of arms and the family motto both suggest retribution. The ar...

Truth in Sentencing

Truth-in-sentencing debate Learning Team B CJA/204 November 26, 2012 Deana Bohenek Truth-In-Sentencing Debate Opening Argument Truth-in-sentencing laws do not deter crime. The federal truth-in-sentencing law guarantees that certain violent offenders will serve at least 85% of their sentence  (Schmalleger, 2012). However, if the offender acts accordingly in prison, he or she can attain parole for good behavior. What about the victims? Victims do not want to hear this. If an offender is sentenced for 30 years, the victim wants justice and wants to see the full 30 years served.They do not want to see the offender getting released after 25 years. The truth-in-sentencing laws are the judges’ guideline when choosing the sentence of the offender. The law is a structured guideline for sentencing the offenders. However, the judge can deviate from the guidelines if there are mitigating and aggravating circumstances. Look at plea bargaining,  this is still a possibility even though t here are truth-in-sentencing laws in place. The offender knows that if they get caught, they can plea bargain for a lesser sentence and be back out on the streets sooner.Let me say it again, truth-in-sentencing laws do not deter crime. The offenders know they will get out of prison soon through a plea bargain or parole. They know they can avoid serving the full sentence that the judge imposed on him or her. The only way to deter crime and reduce recidivism is to abolish the possibility of parole and ensure that the sentence the judge renders is carried out to full-term. Obviously, to take away the option for parole would mean that the prison populations would increase. Well, we should take the funds left over from overhead to run the parole division and build more prisons to house these offenders.The longer we keep them off the streets, the safer society will be. Rebuttal Argument Each state has to look at the amount of money being spent to house each inmate they have in custody. Be cause the Truth-In Sentencing Law wants to keep the offender behind bars until they complete their entire sentence/term in prison no matter what the costs are to the public. Meaning, everyone’s hard earned income  (taxes) are used to keep them in their present place of occupancy. This law depletes the services we receive from our state revenues.We don’t have much say in the budget spending but we do see the increase in taxes used for each state program. I have to disagree with the statement made â€Å"The offenders know they will get out of prison sooner through a plea bargain or parole. †Ã‚   Not all offenders before or during their trial will know the outcome of sentencing. Many do not have the option for plea bargaining because plea bargaining depends on the severity of the crime committed. Instead, if the case went directly to trial, (this includes judge and jury) the accused might have a chance of plea bargaining.No plea bargaining makes the offender elig ible for a parole based on his or her behavior during incarceration and no plea bargaining being offered. But if society had no parole system, then the correctional system will have to face overcrowding in the institutions. The lack of Rehabilitation for said prisoner would be non-effective because there would be no programs such as work-time credit or good-time credit, which is the main reason why early release would benefit them. With those programs the time served by offenders would be less and would allow the offenders to enter back into society.The fear of re-entry of said offenders are the defense for keeping them locked up. These programs should be used for offenders that have this as a first offense on their record and have shown they can be productive in today’s society. Not all inmates are repeat offenders some are just non-violent offenses but carry a great penalty. When I was younger it was a big deal to go to jail because it showed most people that they were a â €Å"badass†, a badge of honor, and should be feared. In my eyes it was a waste of mind, body, and productive individual. Those same individuals found when they came out ithout a trade they were worthless and the only way to survive was crime and more time in jail. In Illinois, Governor Pat Quinn on October 2, 2012 has reinstated the program for â€Å"Good-time† releases,  a way to bring down the overcrowding in his state and federal prison system. Opening Argument Truth-in-Sentencing laws deter crime because they ensure that offenders are in prison for at least 85% of their sentence. Therefore, the convicted offenders stay in prison for longer periods and not able to commit additional crimes and endanger the member of society.TIS laws are the assurance of longer prison terms as punishment and serve as an effective deterrent from criminal actions to the serving offender and others who may be considering criminal acts. The laws provide the ability for the criminal just ice system to operate more effectively by lowering violent crimes as well punishing violent criminals. According  to the publication from  University  of Alabama at Birmingham (2005) citing data from Bureau of Justice Statistics, in the decade following the passage and implementation of the truth-in-sentencing laws in 1994, the arrests for violent crimes were reduced by 16% by the year of 2005.The TIS laws also limit some of the discretion of the judges and parole boards with regard to release of the offenders prematurely and being â€Å"too soft† on crime, thus eliminating the many possibilities for the offenders getting away without receiving the well-deserved punishment. The Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report from January 1999 indicates that prior to the TIS laws violent offenders barely served half the length of their sentences. What kind of message did that send to the convicted or potential criminals?With the availability of TIS laws, criminal justice adm inistrators can build public confidence by ensuring that the just punishment is served to anyone breaking the law. In the article written by Joanna Shepherd published in the Journal of Law and Economics, she makes this statement: â€Å"Using a country-level data set, empirical results confirm that TIS laws deter violent offenders, increase the probability of arrest, and increase maximum imposed prison sentences. TIS laws decrease murders by 16%, aggravated assaults by 12%, robberies by 24%, rapes by 12%, and larcenies by 3%† (Shepherd,  2002,  p. 09). Today, more states are implementing the TIS laws and abolishing parole and indeterminate sentencing, demonstrating that the state legislature believes in this uniform application of justice processes and effectiveness of these laws in crime prevention. This information clearly shows that TIS laws are very effective in deterring crime by ensuring the stern and just punishment for offenders and sending the clear message to pot ential criminals that criminal behavior will be punished by lengthy imprisonment. Rebuttal ArgumentWhat about crime being committed in prisons around the world? Are we just going to ignore that fact because victimization is still happening across the boards of federal and state prisons? According to  a writer of The  New Yorker, Adam Gopnik, darkly described America prisons as â€Å"the moral scandal of America life. Prison rape is so endemic- more than seventy thousand prisoners are raped each year. † That is routinely held out as a threat, part of punishment to be expected. † (Gopnik, 2012). The National inmate survey reported that â€Å"An estimated 4. 4% of prison inmates and 3. % of jail inmates reported experiencing one or more incidents of victimization by another inmate or facility staff since admission to the facility  (Beck & Harrison, 2010). The total federal and state population in 2010 was 1,605,127, while the total jail population in 2009 was 767,62 0. This implies that there were over 94,000 victims subject to multiple violations (Beck & Harrison, 2010). No I don't agree with the fact that offenders being incapacitated for longer periods of time don't commit another crime. For people who want to do so, they will commit crimes anyway, and largely at that.Especially, the incentive behind good time credit is to have offenders behave in prison. If you lock them up in less than ideal conditions with no incentive to behave appropriately while incarcerated, they will be a population difficulty to control because they have nothing to lose. Earning good time credit gives them an insight to behave well inside. As for truth-in sentencing laws, I don't know if I  would actually say it is a deterrent or at least how much of a deterrent it  is, but I think it is  important nonetheless. Prior to 2003, legislation allowed for automatic emission of every sentence imposed to be reduced by one third (Chong, 2008). If the offender was made eligible for parole, a portion of that sentence is served under supervision in the community to enable their reintegration  into the community when released (Chong, 2008). Legislation introduced in 2003 abolished the automatic remission provision, so the sentence  imposed would more truly reflect the time to be served. In its place, legislation required courts to adjust the sentence actually imposed by one third, to reflect the abolition of automatic remission (Chong, 2008).What the government has done is  replace  automatic remission with reduction of sentence (Chong, 2008). The more things change, the more they remain the same. Sentences are more or less duration  for the same type of offenses (Chong, 2008). Some say the money being used for these criminals sitting in  jail should be more valuable of utilizing for work  time credits and more programs  for educational, substance abuse, psychiatric help programs for these offenders before being released out into the world again.I think it will better prepare themselves rather than not knowing what to do and all they are use to is the  jail's way of life in which they will end up back  in having that kind of mind set. References Beck, A. J. , & Harrison, P. M. (2010, August). Sexual Victimization in Prisons and Jails Reported by Inmates, 2008-09. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Retrieved from http://bjs. ojp. usdoj. gov/content/pub/press/svpjri0809pr. cfm Chong, P. (2008, June 19). The Truth about ‘Truth in Sentencing'. WAtoday. Retrieved from http://blogs. watoday. com. u/theverdict/2008/06/the_truth_about. html Ditton, P. M. , & Wilson, D. J. (1999, January). Truth in Sentencing in State Prisons. Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report,  (NCJ 170032). Retrieved  from  http://bjsdata. ojp. usdoj. gov/content/pub/pdf/tssp. pdf Gopnik, A. (2012, January 30). The Caging of America. The New Yorker. Retrieved from http://www. newyorker. com/arts/critics/atlarge/2012/01/30/12030crat _atlarge_gopnik Schmalleger, F. (2012). Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st Century, 11th ed. Upper Saddle River: NJ. Shepherd, J. M. (2002,

Information Systems in Scm and Erp Essay

2.1.Introduction With the variety of requirements for information within businesses, most businesses tend to have several information systems operating at the same time. Executives require information to plan for the future, middle management require information to monitor and control whilst employees require information to help them carry out their duties. In this essay we look at information systems in supply chain management and enterprise resource management. 2.2.Discussion There are various types of information systems, these include office automation systems, transactional processing systems, decision support systems, management information systems and knowledge management systems. In identifying the use of information systems in enterprise resource planning and supply chain management, we first have to understand what these represent. 2.2.1Review of Information Systems, ERP and SCM Information systems are an integrated set of components for collecting, storing, processing and communicating information. Organisations rely on information systems to manage their operations and compete in the marketplace effectively and efficiently. Information systems rely on three key resources i.e. technology, people and information. Bocij et al. (2008) describe enterprise resource planning (ERP) as systems that provide a single solution with integrated functions and a unified database for major business functions across the value chain for example: finance, sales, distribution, marketing and human resource management. ERP systems enable efficient planning, managing, and controlling of all core business processes across multiple locations. According to Bocij et al.(2008) supply chain management (SCM) consists of a series of activities that moves material from suppliers through operations to customers. SCM enables more efficient management of the supply chain by integrating the l inks in a supply chain; which may include suppliers, manufacturer, wholesalers, retailers and final customers. 2.2.2Information Systems in Supply Chain Management Information systems are critical to a supply chain management. They automate simple and complex tasks and provide management with reports concerning logistics. Information systems in supply chain management analyse the flow of products and provide information and status on items, determine profitability and the most effective way to manage inventory. The information system enables the retailer to identify inventory levels, inventory turnover rates while identifying usable warehouse space. Information systems are used to optimize the logistical process such as receiving, storage and distribution. The role of an information system is to collect raw data for transaction processing. Through specialized reporting and enquiries, the system produces reports to assist management to make decisions which impact operations. Compiled data is used to determine strategies which impact inventory costs, distribution costs and product cycles. Added benefits of information systems in supply change management include the ability for customers to track the delivery of an item with an assigned tracking number; and management of inventory based expiry dates or no sell by dates i.e. last in, first out or first in, first out (Unknown). 2.2.3Information Systems in Enterprise Resource Planning Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems refer to the software packages that integrate all the data and the related processes of an organisation into a unified Information System. It is designed to facilitate the administration and optimisation of internal business processes across an enterprise. ERP is used extensively by larger retail chains as a competitive tool for efficiency. ERP software uses a single database that allows different departments to communicate with each other through information sharing. ERP systems serve an important function by integrating separate business functions such as material management, product planning, sales, distribution, finance and HR, into a single application. Hyperone would benefit from an integrated infrastructure which continuously monitors and dispatches the necessary information of the flow of goods from supplier to cash register. Flexible, process efficient and reliable information are critical to retail business and ERP packages have been introduced to tackle IT complexity. Some ERP retail solutions include critical functions like inventory tracking, ordering and replenishment, loss prevention and task management. ERP systems help in the decision making process such as formulating pricing strategies, merchandising planning, inventory optimisation and store execution. They also help in managing workflow through automation which enables management to monitor and control inefficiencies in processes (unknown:2011) The key components of a retail ERP system include: * Merchandise management which includes activities such as the setting up, maintenance and management of the retail outlet, keeping track of the prices of the items, inventory, and the different vendors etc., facilitating a more efficient retail option. * Retail planning which enables retailers to plan activities at a large and small scale, factoring in economies of scale to achieve desired efficiencies. * Supply chain planning and execution enables a retailer to run the business more efficiently by closely monitoring and managing their supply chains. However, it must be noted that most ERP systems need to integrate with other systems such as management information systems (MIS), business intelligence (BI) or data mining tools in order to extract, analyse and construct data into readable information. 2.3.Conclusion Information systems are integral to enterprise resource planning and supply chain management for the effective management of information across all functions of the business. Both supply chain management and enterprise resources planning systems comprise of transactional processing systems and with integrated management information systems they provide crucial information in a timely manner.

Choosing a Career Essays

Choosing a Career Essays Choosing a Career Essay Choosing a Career Essay Choosing a career It is very important for us to make the right choice of profession and the most difficult thing is to plan one’s own future. But a person may suppose what he of she would like to do in the near future. It’s always very interesting to begin something new and if the beginning is good, the end may also be good. If we think of such a problem as â€Å"choosing a profession† or â€Å"place of work†, we must know everything about this or that profession or company. In most parts of the world when you apply for a job it’s common to submit a typed or laser printed biography. This contains all the unchanging information about you: your education, background and work experience. This usually accompanies a letter of application and supplementary information sheet containing information relevant to this particular job may also be required. Many companies expect all your personal information to be entered on a standard application form. There are different kinds of interviews: traditional one-to-one interviews, panel int. Where candidates are interviewed by a panel of enterviewers and even â€Å"deep-end int. † where applicants have to demonstrate how they can cope with actual business situations. The atmosphere of an int. may vary from the informal to the formal and interviewers may take a friendly, neutral or even hostile approach. The only rules that applicants should be aware of may be â€Å"expect the unexpected† and â€Å"be yourself†. Progress interviews are int. where employees have a chance to review the work they are doing and to set objectives for the future. The salary that goes with a job may be only part of the package of extra benefits such as company car, bonuses paid in a â€Å"thirteenth month†, company pension schemes, free canteen meals, long holidays or flexible working hours. Choosing a career (job) First things first First of all, make sure you know enough about the organization, the job, and the details of each offer to weigh one offer against another. If you lack information, seek it out by asking the employer, researching the organization, and talking to others who work at or are familiar with the organization or job. Ask your career services staff if they have had feedback from past students who have taken jobs with the organizations you are considering, and check to see if your career office has an alumni dviser to help you make contact with alumni working for these organizations. One of the best ways to begin is by making a list of all of the features that are important to you in your first job. These may include such items as the type of work you’ll be doing, the organization’s reputation/prestige, training program, salary, benefits, location of job, opportunity for advancement, work environment, opportunity for free time (evenings a nd weekends), opportunity for travel, colleagues with whom you’ll be working, and so forth. What matters most? After you have all the features on your list, rank them in order of their priority to you. For example, type of work may be most important to you, followed by salary, and then benefits. In the final analysis, remember to weigh carefully what is most important to you. While it is helpful to get advice from family and friends, you are the one who will be going to work every day.

Analytical Paper about the article Why there is no 'southern problem' Essay

Analytical Paper about the article Why there is no 'southern problem'. On environmental leaders and laggards in the European Un - Essay Example On Environmental Leaders and Laggards in the European Union†). Thesis Statement This discussion intends to identify the argument which is made by the author relating to the article that is principally based upon the non-compliance with the EU based environmental laws. Moreover, the evidences which are used by the author in supporting the argument will be discussed. Various significant aspects which comprise the judgment about the evidence, whether, it is strong or weak and the grounds of agreeing or not agreeing with the argument will also be portrayed in the discussion. A Brief Analysis of the Argument In relation to the article, it has been viewed that the author made several arguments focusing upon the reality that non-adherence with the environmental laws belonging to EU is considered to be a ‘southern problem’. ... Moreover, the author also argued that the problem took place due to shortage in the administrative capacities for effectually implementing EU based environmental policies. It has been viewed in the article that the southern member provinces of EU did not possess adequate technical know-how, potential working staffs and well-structured infrastructures for applying as well as enforcing EU environmental based legislative policies. The author suggested that the southern member provinces belonging to EU should implement environmental policies competently for the purpose of developing their financial progression, increasing economic interests and most significantly generating employment. The effective execution of the EU environmental schemes or policies would ultimately promote the economic advancement of the different southern member provinces belonging to EU as well as enhance their environmental quality level by a greater extent. The author identified a significant reason which eventua lly restricted the southern member provinces of EU to implement EU environmental based policies effectively. The significant reason was that the southern member provinces belonging to EU possessed the political systems which were conventionally dominated by clientelism, disrespect and patronage for the public authority. On the basis of the article, the author argued that there lays significant disparities in meeting with the EU environmental laws throughout the different European member provinces which cannot be escorted by a simple north-south separation. The other argument which is made by the author in the article is that the relative study of the execution of the different environmental policies belonging to EU

Do Catheter Washouts Extend Patency Time in Long-term Indwelling Essay

Do Catheter Washouts Extend Patency Time in Long-term Indwelling Urethral Catheters - Essay Example Bladder washouts do not have to be carried out all the time, however they may be essential when there is a significant amount of sedimentation in the urine; and in treating urinary tract infections. In this process, about 60 mls of water is usually introduced into the catheter gently via a syringe; the syringe is then removed and the catheter end is drained into a container. The procedure is repeated until 500 mls of water is used. This topic was chosen because of the growing interest of the impact of catheterization on long-term care patients and on practices which can be used to minimize the negative impact of catheterization. It is relevant to my future practice as a nurse because it would provide me with evidence on the importance of carrying out catheter washouts on patients under long-term care. This aspect of practice personally interests me because I have often encountered long-term care patients under catheterization and I have always been interested in finding ways to impro ve the quality of their lives. Evidence based practice Evidence-based practice is defined by Sackett, et.al., (1996) as the explicit and effective use of current and most appropriate evidence in health care decisions on individual patients. It also means incorporating individual clinical skills with the most appropriate clinical proof from research. Evidence-based practice is basically about getting the patient the best care possible, as proven by evidence, and according to his needs and preferences (Manzoukas, 2006). It also helps ensure that the knowledge of the nurses are up to date, that it supports clinical judgments, and can reduce time in considering appropriate care (Drisko, 2010). There are various forms of evidence which can be utilized including systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, case series/case reports, and editorials/expert opinion (University of Illinois, 2006). Not all evidence in this case is research base, most e specially in cases of editorials and expert opinion where the weight of the evidence is based on the skill and the authority of the practitioner. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct describes the specific duties of nurses. It also specifies that nurses have the responsibility of providing a high standard of care for patients at all times, and this includes providing â€Å"care based on the best available evidence or best practice† (NMC, 2009, p. 16). These provisions form the legal and practice-based support for the evidence-based care required of nurses. Evidence can therefore be used in this case in order to establish whether or not carrying out catheter washouts would extend the patency of catheters among long-term care patients. Moreover, evidence can be used to determine if these washouts would improve the care of catheterized long-term care patients. Literature review Various studies have been carried out on the current topic under study . Hagen, Sinclair, and Cross (2010) carried out their study in order to establish if some specific washout regimens are better than others in relation to effectiveness, acceptability, and quality of life. About five trials were able to meet the inclusion criteria covering 242 patients in two cross-over and three parallel-group randomised control trials. After witling down the studies based on the inclusion criteria, authors reported that there is no difference between the different washout solutions, however these results were not sufficient to support the conclusions.