John Kenneth Galbraith

He was a U. S economist, public official and diplomat, and a leading proponent of the 20th-century American liberalism. His books on economic topics were bestsellers from 1950’s through 2000’s, during which time Galbraith fulfilled the role of public intellectual. In macro-economical terms he was intitutionalist. He was America’s most famous economist for good reason. A witty commentator on America’s political follies and a versatile author of bestselling books that warn prophetically of the dangers of deregulated markets, corporate greed, and inattention to the costs of our military power including the â€Å"THE NEW INDUSTRIAL STATE†. Galbraith always made economics relevant to the crises of the day. Galbraith was born on October 15, 1908 and was raised on a small Canadian farm. He began to teach at Harvard in his twenties. He was a long-time Harvard faculty member and as a professor of economics stayed with Harvard University for half a century since 1934. In 1938 he left to work in New Deal Washington. Following his years as a writer at fortune, where he did much to introduce the work of John Maynard Keynes to a wide audience. He returned to Harvard in 1949 and began writing the books that would make him famous. He was a prolific author and wrote four dozen books, including several novels and published over a thousand articles and essays on various subjects. Among his famous works were popular trilogy on economics. (American Capitalism 1952), (The Affluent Society 1958), and (The Industrialized State 1967). Galbraith was also active in Democratic Party politics, serving in the administrations of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He served as United States Ambassador to India under the Kennedy administration. His prodigious literary output and outspokenness made him arguably â€Å"the best-known economist in the world during his lifetime. Galbraith was one of few recipients both of the â€Å"MEDAL OF FREEDOM† and the â€Å"PRESIDENTIAL FREEDOM†. Over the years, Galbraith developed a distinctive way of â€Å"doing economics,† and it made him a critic both of conservatives and of many liberal economists. Galbraith was often at the very epicenter of politics in his time. Ako gi focus ag Popular niya na books ag trilogy. Iya first books which is the American Capitalism, ag Industrialized State and The Affluent Society. And The culture of Contentmen which was published in 1992. So in his first book which is the American Capitalism: The Concept of Countervailing Power in 1952. So it is the concept of acting or to avail against with equal power. In this book Galbraith exposed the myth that competition between different firms in an industry prevented monopolistic exploitation. In the Affluent Society (1958). Galbraith exposed the idea of â€Å"consumer sovereignty†. He argued that large corporations invested large sums in the design, planning and manufacturing of a new product. To make sure that the product sold, they had to create a want for it. In other words, â€Å"wants are created by those who satisfy them†. Galbraith also argued that the government should make large investments in education and transport infrastructure by using funds from general taxation. Galbraith worked as an adviser to President John F. Kennedy who originally planned to appoint him as a Secretary of the Treasury. After Kennedy was pressured he gave the job to another person. In 1961 Galbraith was appointed as U. S ambassador to India. He held the post until the assassination of Kennedy in 1963. In The New Industrial State (1967) Galbraith continued his attack on the capitalist system. He argued that in advanced industrial economies it is the managerial and other experts of the large corporations who really run the system, â€Å"subordinating the activities of the state to their own goals of corporate growth and personal self-esteem†. Galbraith remained active in politics and worked as an adviser to politicians on the left of the political spectrum. He once said that â€Å"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. † He was also critical of communist governments: â€Å"under capitalism man exploits man. Under Communism, it’s just the opposite. † The Culture of Contentment in 1992. – galbraith pointed out that around 50% of Americans take little interest in politics. As they rarely vote, they are ignored by politicians. The two major political parties in the United States therefore concentrate on those who do vote the better of classes. This group tend to demand that taxes are kept low and that they are used on programmes that help the contented classes themselves. As a result, only a small percentage of government revenues are spent on helping the underclass or repairing America’s crumbling infrastructure.

Chinese Philosophy Essay Essay

Three areas of philosophy emerged amidst the chaos and constant warring of the Zhou era. The three were called Confucianism, Daoism, and legalism. They were Chinese philosophies that were thought to be the best ways to rule and achieve order in the society. Confucianism believed that a ruler’s job was to set a good example, and not order. Since people were thought of as naturally good, they would following the right path based on their own conscience. Legalism was a more harsh way of ruling, led by Hanfeizi. They thought people were evil, and needed strict laws and punishment to keep them in line. Daoism was very different from either of the other two. It was led by Laozi, who taught that the best kind of government was one who governed the least. They allowed things to simply take their natural course and work themselves out. Although both Daoism and legalism were working philosophies, Confucianism was the most effective in obtaining order. At the time of the three philosophies, Ancient China was in a state of complete chaos. The duration of anarchy was named The Warring States Period, a period in which small feuding kingdoms or fiefdoms struggled for supremacy. It took place in the Zhou dynasty from 403 bc. to 221bc. The period was dominated by seven or more small feuding Chinese kingdoms. It was the age of Confucian thinkers Mencius and Xunzi, and the time when many of the government institutions and cultural patterns that would characterize China for the next 2,000 years were established. Legalism achieved what all the other philosophies strove for, unification of China. The Qin Dynasty, operating under the Legalist philosophy, finally unified China in 221 BC. Legalism was a success. However, the Qin Dynasty dissolved only 14 years after it’s founding. The Qin emperor was ruthless in his use of Legalism, punishing even small crimes with decapitation or the loss of a hand or foot. Han Feizi, legalisms founder, did not believe in gaining the respect of the people. He stated † Those who are ignorant about government insistently say: â€Å"Win the hearts of the people â€Å"† (Document H). To uphold his beliefs books and scholars which held beliefs against Legalism (such as Confucianism) were destroyed. The people were heavily taxed and forced into labor on major government projects. He successfully put the fear and respect of the law and government into the people, but it was too much. After his death, peasant rebellions caused the end of Legalism as the ruling philosophy of China. The harshness of the Legalist Qin would be remembered afterwards, and in response the following dynasty, the Han, distanced itself from Legalism and made Confucianism the official philosophy. Daoism adds spirituality to the otherwise melancholy world of Chinese philosophy. The quote â€Å"Look to simplicity; cleave the uncarved block; Diminish self and curb desires† (Document G) is a perfect example of the views held by Daoist followers. Its teachings appealed to those who wished to withdraw from the politics and deception of society. Daoism’s concepts of harmony and relativity make a lot of sense even today. The idea of using nature as the model, which people look up to, is reflected in the religion. Because of its anti-society attitude, Daoism obviously never made its way into any systems of government. It survived among the private citizens and to this day, Daoist monks still exist in China. Daoism was founded by Laozi in the sixth century BC. His teachings were passed down orally before they were compiled in the third century BC in a book called the â€Å"Classic of the Way and Its Power. † Dao means â€Å"way. † It is understood that the Dao is the underlying pattern of the universe, which can neither be described in words nor conceived in thought. The goal of Daoism is to bring all elements of existence- heaven, earth, and man- into harmony. To be in accordance with the Dao, the individual must empty himself of doctrines and knowledge, act with simplicity and humility, and above all seek Nature. The idea of turning to Nature for peace and harmony had a great effect on East Asian cultures, especially in the arts, where idealized and imaginary landscapes and natural art forms are profoundly linked to the beliefs of Daoism. At first, Confucianism was unsuccessful and Confucius, during his lifetime only managed to collect a few followers. After his death, however, his followers passed on the Confucian tradition. It survived, with a few changes, to the Han dynasty (221 BC) and became established as China’s official philosophy. From then it was firmly well established in Chinese culture, and its values can still be seen today. The Five Classics of Confucianism were works from the Zhou Dynasty, which preceded the Warring States Period. They were collected and edited by members of the original  Confucian school. After Confucianism became the official state philosophy, one had to know the philosophy well in order to gain the coveted position of government official. The Analects are a collection of sayings by Confucius, recorded by his disciples. As a result, the Analects are not a widespread proposal of Confucianism. Rather, it is a collection of quotations and stories. Because of this, Confucianism according to Confucius is open to interpretation. The main idea of the philosophy is, righteousness, relationships and generosity towards others. Since the time of the Han dynasty (206 CE) four life passages have been recognized and regulated by Confucian tradition. There are approximately 6 million Confucians in the world. About 26,000 live in North America; almost all of the remainder are found throughout China and the rest of Asia. In Chinese tradition, filial piety was the key duty. In one of Confucious’ analects he stated, † The superior man while his parents are alive, reverently nourishes them; and when they are dead, reverently sacrifices to them. His chief thought is how, to the end of life, not to disgrace them† (Document B). Being a filial son meant absolute obedience to one’s parents during their lifetime and as they grew older, taking the best possible care of them. After their death the eldest son was required to perform ritual sacrifices at their gravesite or in the ancestral temple. A son could also express his devotion to his parents by passing the Civil Service examinations, winning prestige for the whole family. Most important of all, a son had to make sure that the family line would be continued. Dying without a son therefore was one of the worst offenses against the concept of filial piety. If a marriage remained barren, it was a son’s duty to take a second wife or adopt a child in order to continue the family. Since Chinese women became part of their husband’s family through marriage, filial conduct for a woman meant faithfully serving her in-laws, in particular her mother-in-law, and giving birth to a son. By fulfilling these duties, she also gained prestige for her own family. If the mother and daughter-in-law did not get along, filial piety demanded that a man should get rid of his wife in order to please his mother. He could always get another wife, but he would only have one mother. These social rules in the culture helped in the unification of families in China Some might argue that Daoism and Legalism were more efficient ways of acquiring harmony. Legalism was the most effective way of governing a society. The legalist tradition derives from the principle that the best way to control human behavior was through written law rather than through ritual, custom or ethics. The legalist tradition was derived from the principle that the best way to control human behavior was through written law rather than through ritual, custom or ethics. Daoism shaped Chinese life for more than 2,000 years. Daoism placed emphasis upon individual freedom and impulsiveness, non-interventionist government and social primitivism and ideas of self-transformation, and so represents in many ways the reverse of Confucian concern with individual moral duties, community standards, and governmental responsibilities. Both philosophies add up many pros, but fall short of Confucianism’s vast accomplishments. The inner pole of Confucianism was reformist, idealistic, and spiritual. It generated a high ideal for family interaction: members were to treat each other with love, respect, and consideration for the needs of all. The school of thought founded by Confucius has had the biggest impact on Chinese culture. It has lasted throughout the ages and literally pulled the Han Dynasty out of ruin and chaos. Even to this day, the influence of Confucianism can be espied in many matters of China.

Great Expectations by a famous Charles Dickens Essay

Great Expectations written by a famous man called Charles dickens. â€Å"Great expectations† is a famous and tense novel which was first published in the year 1860 to 1861 every fortnight in a magazine called all year round. The plot is based on a young boy called â€Å"Pip†, who in the first chapter meets and odd fellow in a gloomy, dark cemetery, pip walks on and soon finds himself turned upside down bye an ex-convict who threatens pip at the throat that he would cut out his heart and his liver if pip dose not do as he says. This dark gloomy fellow scares pip which makes you sympathize for pip. In chapter 8, pip is at a house with his mean sister and her kind and caring blacksmith husband Joe. As pip is a working class orphan he has no parents just is evil sister. Then a rich old, creepy women called Miss havishem asks pip to come round and to play, as he doesn’t want to, his sister forced him. When he arrives he ends up in a room with no external light only candles and a dead like figure who demands him to play is Miss Havishem, she demands him to play with her beautiful older then pip daughter, Estella, whom pip falls in love with, you feel sorry for pip now because he cant get her because she is upper class and he is garbage to her. In chapter one, Dickens sets the scene by describing the marshes, saying it is an open dark place and that’s were pip lives, so it make you sympathise for pip. When Magwitch comes, the mood changes to scary. When pip meets magwitch at the old gibbet, he says â€Å"a gibbet with some chains hanging to it which had one held a pirate. The man was limping on towards him, as if he were the pirate come to life†, he was using his imagination as if magwitch was the pirates ghost which has come to life, which gives the reader the effect of an old, white, dusty, see-through pirate has returned. When Dickens describes Miss Havisham room, he says it was a large room, well lighted with candles; no glimpse of daylight was to be seen. It seems pitch black but only candles laying around, pip sees everything is faded and old, her white wedding dress which she is still wearing, is white no more, but torn and ripped and grey. All clocks have stopped at the same time in this room. As if time has come to a stand still, except for the old wrinkles lady in the chair. Reading this makes you feel scared because if you were pip, then you would not want to stay in the room. In chapter 1 in the eerie settings of the marshes, we meet the sinister character called Magwitch. As he just pops out of the bushes and bellows â€Å"hold yer noise or ill cut your throat†, we get an image of a ruffled up man, a man with no hat but only rag on his head and broken shoes, and he is soaked in water and mud. When we see that he has a shackle on his leg we know he is an escaped convict. When he threatens pip to cut out his heart and liver and lies about having someone else who will get him when he is asleep in his cosy bed, then you see how much he wants the food and file. It is ironic that magwitch will be his benefactor after all his threats and bullying. When pip walks into Miss Havishem room and sees its all dark, we get a feeling of eerie. All the things the rooms are grey and aged, just like her, dickens writes:- Her shoes were white, a long white vale, I saw everything in my view which ought to be white†. He repeats the word â€Å"white†, which gives an effect of how old everything is. He describes she is like a corpse â€Å"I sometimes have sick fancies† miss havishem says and then she says she wants pip to play and clicks her fingers at pip and makes pip fell uncomfortable, which is weird for an old lady to demand a young boy to play. Pip who is the main character of Great Expectations is an orphan that lives in a boggy environment which makes you feel sorry for pip. He then meets magwitch and even tho he scares pip, as dickens describes him as â€Å"a bundle of shivers† pip still remembers his manners and he has respect for elders even magwitch. Half way through dickens changes 1st, 3rd person which show how small he is in retrospective view. When pip enters the room with Miss Havishem in it, he feels scared but he is still polite towards her. When she I talking to pop he tries to avoid eye contact wit her when Miss Havishem asks if he is scared of a women who has not daylight since before he was born, he lies and says â€Å"no†. when she calls Estella in the room, pip immediately fall in love with her, but when she says no because he is a working class boy, he turn his back on Joe and hates him because he did teach him how to be a gentle man and cries then kicks the wall. In Great Expectations, Dickens writes in the first person about Pip life. Chapters one and eight are the two key chapters that are enough to hook the reader. Dickens includes strange characters, like Magwitch in the cemetery. The story is a journey of pips life from child hood to man hood and it shows all his emotions and fears through out. Dickens uses his imagination which appeals to the audience and his vocabulary to his advantage, writing out all pips emotions, making you feel as if you were Pip, which makes this a very good and famous story. All of the characters are different and each has their own dramatic events. Great expectation is a well known novel because it hooks you from the 1st chapter all the way to the end.

Case Study - Employment Law - Employment Discrimination Case Essay - 1

Case Study - Employment Law - Employment Discrimination Case - Essay Example They had both commented negatively towards him and it was evident that they were out to terminate his job and contract. Staub had earlier been made to check with his employer any time he left the job premises after false allegation that he had left the place of work. After some months, one of the supervisors maliciously reported Staub to the vice president for leaving the work area. This was followed by a discontinuation from his work by the vice president. The evidence given made the jury to rule in the favor of the complainant but some time later the federal court reversed the ruling. In the ruling, the judges claimed that the decision made by the vice president was not solely dependent on the information given by the supervisors. This therefore ruled him out of the discrimination case. Therefore, the Court of Appeal concluded that the company was not liable. This ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court on the basis that the employer remains liable if the decision made is motivated by a discrimination bias. According to Guerin (2011), this ruling was therefore in favor of Staub and that served as a great motivation to employees going through the same. This Act is therefore important in safeguarding the rights of employees against discriminatory supervisors. Guerin, L. (2011). Supreme Court victory for employees in discrimination case. Nolo’s Employment Law Blog. Retrieved from

A challenging question for research and practice arises Essay 2

A challenging question for research and practice arises 2 - Essay Example Organizations are, therefore, entitled to consider the ambivalence attitudes in their plan for change in order for them to achieve their goal. Improvement of internal communication within an organization is a basic measure taken during the transition of organizational change. The first consideration for an organization plan for change is the initial wrong perception to change. This might be coming from the managers, employees or even the customers. The wrong initial perception is brought by the inability of an organization to forward into the future and accept their vision. The stakeholders can deny the unexpected information on change or even wish that they could continue with their present thoughts even when the situation has changed. Poor communication can create an organizational silence in a company, which means that the stakeholders are not given a chance to express their thoughts about the change (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2009). Lack of motivation for change is another factor which should be considered in organizational change. Motivation for change can be hindered when the change is planned to increase the sale of a certain product but at the same time reducing the wages and salaries of the workers such that it is a sacrifice in order to achieve change. Past failures of the organizations trials for change can make workers feel not compelled enough for changing the organizational status (Piderit, 2000). An organization must consider a situation whereby there are different interests for change between the management and the workers. If the employees are valuing change more than the managers, the goal for organizational change cannot be easily achieved since the managers lack enough motivation (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2009). Resistance to change can also result from lack of creativeness in search for the most appropriate strategies for achieving change. This mostly happens

Transfer Wise Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Transfer Wise - Coursework Example For instance, Transfer wise would allow a user in Spain to have an access of his money which is being transferred from Britain without physically sending that money to Spain. This is by giving them a similar amount of money in Spain, whereby they swipe with another person in the United Kingdom (Engel, 2014, p. 173). This enables the users of the company to receive their money without paying the banking fees. However, the question to ask, is, if the services of the organization are legal?   The services of TransferWise are legal.  Ã‚     The evidence to this fact is when the Financial Regulator of the United Kingdom allowed the company to open offices in the country. The registration of the company occurred in England and Wales, and its registration number is 07209813 (Klein, 2014, p. 122).This is in accordance to the companies’ act of 2006, which mandates that every company operating in the country must have a registration. Furthermore, to avoid law suits, emanating from a breach of contract or misunderstanding, TransferWise makes it mandatory for the users of its services to agree with the policies of the company, before using its services. For instance, TransferWise recognizes the fact that someone may use the account of their customers without authorization.     To protect itself from lawsuits emanating from this situation, TransferWise has set a provision that it won’t be liable for any transactions that are conducted from the accounts of their consumers. TransferWise is also very concerned about the privacy of its users.

Reality television Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reality television - Essay Example Reality shows are usually produced in the form of series, which include a bundle of events and dramatic situations. Some reality shows feature celebrities whereas some shows consist of ordinary people. The prize for the winners of the reality shows is usually very astonishing and attractive, which makes celebrities and ordinary people participate in the shows. Reality television shows in the UK have a mass appeal (Hill 2). The reality shows such as Big Brother, Wife Swap, and The Biggest Loser have been able to mark great success in the television industry. Reality television shows have become a real source of entertainment for the people and a source of generating high profits for the organizers. The thesis statement for this essay is, â€Å"Does reality television represent ‘real life’?† Let us now discuss this statement in order to know whether reality television shows are close to real life or not. In my view, the reality television shows do not represent a real life. I think reality television shows focus more on providing entertainment to the viewers rather than focusing on the essence of real life. Real life is very different from what is usually presented in the reality shows. Although the actions of a person in a reality show are based on different experiences of real life, yet the actions deviate from what that person does in his real life. â€Å"A reality show is not to be confused with a documentary, in which the subjects are asked to ignore the cameras and behave naturally† (Pollick). Real life is a mixture of different experiences and situations. Real life, as the name suggests, refers to reality in life rather than brining in some unnatural events in the life. In reality shows, people try to achieve things differently as compared to what they do in real life. The acts of a person are influenced by the artificial environment, which is created by the show organ izers. In

Whether or not the right balance between preference, obligation and Essay

Whether or not the right balance between preference, obligation and feasibility is being struck by judges - Essay Example Whether or not the right balance between preference, obligation and feasibility is being struck by judges Although previously, it was not recognised that judges make laws, the modern view is that they make laws. This view is supported by Lord Radcliffe (Doctrine of Precedent Online). The judge continually applies the law to new situations and cases and in the process creating new laws. However, there are instances when courts decline to change the law on the ground that it is better for the Parliament to remake the law. In the case of R v Clegg, it was suggested that fairness would be achieved by charging Clegg of manslaughter instead of murder because of his wrong reaction but without evil motive (National Decisions 1967). And that a new qualified defence be available to a soldier or police who used excessive force as a defence or in the prevention of a crime. The reduction of murder to manslaughter should better be left for the Parliament to change because that issue is part of a wider issue of maintaining a mandatory life sentence for murder. (Doctrine of Precedent Online). In the cas e of C v DPP (1995), it was put in issue whether to abolish the presumption that a child of 10 to 14 years of age is incapable to commit a crime. The House did not abolish it but called upon the Parliament to review it. Lord Lowry provided guidelines for judicial law-making, as follows: (a) not imposing a remedy where the solution to a problem is doubtful; b) be cautious of making changes if Parliament itself refused to deal with a known problem or has legislated but left the problem untouched.

Wisdom and Pain found in Silence from the 1981 film The Chosen Essay

Wisdom and Pain found in Silence from the 1981 film The Chosen - Essay Example The last section of the discussion will be drawn upon from the previous points in amplifying them into an evidential conclusion. It will then explain with reason the different sides of the argument of raising a child in silence. Reb Saunders believed that he should raise Danny how he was raised by his father. His father taught him about the suffering of the Jews, but later taught him only through silence. Through not speaking to him, he was forced to look inside himself and to find his own strength. The idea was that a person learns about the pain of others by suffering their own pain. His father also told him that a tzaddik (a Hasidic leader) must also know how to suffer for his people. When he raised Danny, he wanted to find a way that he could teach his son, who was so brilliant, about pain, so that he would want to take on the sufferings of another. He did this through withdrawing from him, teaching through silence, so that Danny would find answers for himself. However, raising a child in silence creates questions as to the psychological effects it has on the child. Although Danny and Reb Saunders do not talk, Danny does in fact respect his father. Strangely, Danny does not feel as though his father does not love him. Reb Saunders may in fact love Danny, but it is hard to love, or to feel loved by somebody, if there is no communication on a personal level. Being raised in silence was a literary device invented by the writer of the original book and is not a custom of the Hasidism culture. Reb Saunders believed that it's a curse to have a brilliant son. Danny is all mind and no soul, whereas Reb Saunders thinks that what he needed was a son with heart and compassion. It is possible that these beliefs are derived from the memories of his brother, who was similarly endowed with a powerful mind, but was indifferent to the suffering of others. He died during World War II, in a gas chamber in Auschwitz. The fact that Danny does have a brilliant mind just as his fathers brother did, signifies this point. Reb Saunders is simply trying to help Danny become compassionate before his time is up too. In his mind, he is only doing what he thinks is the right thing to do to make Danny ready for the responsibility of tzaddik. In general, raising a child in silence would lead to a compassionate heart for two reasons. It would allow them to expand their mind and make them think about life in a very dissimilar way to a child who isn't raised this way. It would also limit their life experiences in a way which would create borders and boundaries to the relationships they are involved in. However, this method would certainly not be suited to everyone. Each human being is made quite differently, and there would be various different results and consequences, depending on the child involved. Modern society would also see this method as being very unorthodox and threatening to the child's wellbeing and mental growth capabilities. If a child is raised in silence, the child will become more independent, at the cost of a healthy social life. Opening up to people, and talking about problems will be difficult. Also, a child learns much more about how to interact with others by interacting with his or her parents. If a child is not exposed to this because a parent acts only as a teacher, their social interactions

What is a Hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

What is a Hero - Essay Example But a question arises that whether this definition can be used in modern times where heroes are ordinary people that in time of crisis and need perform exceptionally and for the greater good. The meaning of the word hero has changed over the years and this word has been used in different contexts. One act of heroism represents a new definition of a hero. Whenever a hero is pictured, a strong, powerful individual is imagined who is not only experienced but also mature. But when Carlos, a seven year old boy’s home was invaded by burglars, not only did he show nerves of steel but also called the police and urged them to send help. Hiding in the bathroom with his sister, Carlos told the police everything that was happening in their house and explained the situation with poise and calmness that many adults fail to show in these circumstances. Even though the suspects have not been caught yet, but Carlos will be awarded the Kids Medal of Honor and he has been labeled as a hero. Though Carlos was a young boy and did not fulfill the image of a hero but his act of bravery serves to imply the use of the word hero for him (Fremd & Seigel 2010). One of the most deadly terrorist attacks that took place in today’s world was no doubt the World Trade Center attack. These attacks not only left thousands of citizens dead but also witnessed many acts of courage and bravery by the New York Fire Department and the policemen who even though were put on alert since the building could collapse anytime but still continued with the rescue efforts. These men and women showed strength and bravery while knowing completely well that they would not survive if the building that was already on the verge of collapse, fell down. This is again an example of heroism and these people who worked selflessly were marked as heroes. Thus a hero may be defined as an individual who works for helping people without

Platos Republic Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Platos Republic - Article Example The sun symbolizes an intelligent realm, and once its existence is acknowledged, then people can seek the paths to their upper states of mind (Para. 3).   The requirements to pass each stage are preset and definite. I feel that this educates readers to learn and think like the guardians, something that bars them from investigating Plato’s ideas with their personal different theories and experiences. Therefore, Republic education primarily teaches readers to become enlightened philosophers. In my opinion, I feel that Republic education should also allow readers to investigate and comprehend Plato’s system from their personal philosophical thoughts and experiences, and develop new philosophy system to become agents of socio-political change.  Plato’s Republic educates readers to become enlightened philosophers, but not agents of socio-political change. Plato’s ideal city suggests that guardians, who are talented people, should use their skills and knowle dge to enlighten people who are still held in the cave.           

Statistics Lab Report 2611 Essay Example for Free

Statistics Lab Report 2611 Essay

What Works in Preventing Modern Slavery

What Works in Preventing Modern Slavery This essay focuses on Modern Slavery which covers human trafficking, slavery, forced labour and domestic slavery. It will concentrate on forced labour within the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It will outline what force labour means, review statistics that evidence the extent of the problem, and then make some recommendations to stop forced labour. According to International Labour Organisation (ILO) (2017) forced labour refers to the act of coercing or deceiving someone into working against their will. Victims of forced labour are often controlled by their ‘employers’ through various means such as threats, physical harm, confiscation of identity documents and the withholding of wages. Indirect force may be used such as retaining the documentation of the foreign nations to prevent them from returning to their native country. They go on to say that forced labour and human trafficking are modern forms of slavery and require attention. They are not identical within the legal system. Most situations of slavery and human trafficking are covered by their definition of forced labour. Children.gov.on.ca commented in a ‘Review of the Roots of Youth Violence’ paper that rational choice theory is based on the original opinions of classical criminology, which enables people to freely choose their behaviour and is motivated by the avoidance of pain and to search for pleasure. In terms of offending, rational choice suggests that offenders weigh the potential benefits and consequences associated with committing an offence. Rational choice focuses on the opportunity to commit crime and on how criminal choices are structured by the social environment and situational variables. The ILO reported in 2017, that there is an estimation of 40.3 million people in modern slavery. This includes 24.9 million in forced labour and 15.4 million who are in forced marriages. This means there are 5.4 victims of modern slavery to 1,000 people in the world. Roughly 10 million children are victims of modern slavery. Of the 24.9 million people who are trapped in forced labour, 16 million people are exploited as domestic work, construction or agriculture by the private sector, 4.8 million people are exploited within the sex world and 4 million people are forced labour by the state authorities. Below the charts in figure 1 and figure 2 shows the ILO’s Global estimates of modern slavery: including forced labour and forced marriage. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 protects people held for slavery or servitude and if they are forced into it or compulsory labour beyond their will. Also, human trafficking is covered by The Act, by making it an offence if anyone arranges and enables another person to travel, who is going to be exploited. This person can be either an adult or child. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 consolidates existing offences of human trafficking and slavery and encompasses trafficking for all forms of exploitation. This Act replaces offences of human trafficking arising under section 59A Sexual Offences Act 2003 and section 4 Asylum and Immigration Act 2004. The Act also replaces the offence of holding another person in slavery or servitude or requiring another person to perform forced or compulsory labour arising under section 71 Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (cps.gov.uk). This consolidation of existing regulations into a single statue is an important development in the UK because hopefully to improve the conviction rates current criminal offences in relation to slavery and trafficking and by increasing the maximum penalty to deter potential offenders. Tilley (2009) notes the general value of specific deterrence within a Direct Criminal Justice System (CJS) Approach points out that offenders are deterred from committing future crimes by the unpleasantness of punishment, by having harsher penalties and these seeing others being punished and will other individuals from committing crimes. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Strategic Plan 2015–2017, was produced by the government in line with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Strategic Plan acknowledges the scale of the problem of modern slavery and makes practical recommendations to try to address the issues. Within the document the Home Office estimates in UK that there were between 10,000 – 13,000 potential victims of modern slavery in 2014. There is some improvement to identify possible victims, so they can be removed from exploitation and protect them from further harm and enable them to receive the right help they need. Those victims often suffer from varied physical and psychological health issues. Some are classed as serious problems from the direct results of exploitation they may have suffered. It is important to make the victims feel safe and secure and protect them from harm by getting them the support and care once they are removed from those who have been exploiting them. This is so they can be empowered to increase their long-term healing, strength, and regain into inclusive society and to rebuild their lives. The way forward for this to be achieved is to work with the Home Office, border control and health agencies across UK. Appropriate awareness raising, and training should be put in place and promoted regularly. They also need to regularly review the associated material is fit for purpose about helping the potential victims to access appropriate support and assistance. More work is necessary within the immigration, border control, trading standards, police, courts and prosecution. Additionally, training is required to highlight the potential signs of victims whether they are UK citizens or foreign citizens. If police and the community should be vigilant and aware that a property has barred windows or curtains are permanently drawn, this may be because victims of modern slavery are possibly being held there. This is done to prevent them from climbing out. Other indications could be if the letterbox sealed up, so it cannot be used and is there any sign of electricity attached to neighbouring properties or directly from power lines. If businesses are using people for forced labour then they may be wearing inappropriate clothing required for the job, have poor hygiene, be fearful or unwilling to engage with the public or other colleagues. The report outlines that modern slavery in the UK is a high profit and low risk crime. The reason for modern slavery is a high profit and low risk crime because human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises. Criminal organizations are increasingly attracted to human trafficking because, unlike drugs, humans can be sold repeatedly. Human trafficking not only involves sex and labour, but people are also trafficked for organ harvesting. So criminal organisations can distance themselves easily from the victims by selling them on regularly. In 2014 the Home Office estimated that approximately 11,500 potential victims of modern slavery across UK. They also report there were just 2,340 potential victims reported to the National Referral Mechanism. The National Referral Mechanism  (NRM) is a framework for identifying victims of human trafficking or modern slavery and ensuring they receive the appropriate support. Very few modern slavery crimes come the attention of the police and criminal justice agencies and even fewer offenders are caught and convicted. The report estimates that 187 prosecutions involving human trafficking offences were flagged up by the Crown Prosecution Service in 2014-15 and 130 of those cases resulted in a successful conviction. However, data from Ministry of Justice showed only 39 convictions in 2014 from slavery and human trafficking offences as a principal offence. The discrepancy arguably indicates that the Crown Prosecution Service and Ministry of Justice are not working together effectively. The anti-slavery organisation highlights how the UK can challenge modern slavery. They state there are three areas to focus on. Firstly, in policing. Although modern slavery has become more visual it has been rising considerably over the past few years. Some cases are still turned away by the police because they are not believed, and those who has been forced into crime have been treated as criminals. Secondly, is identification. The referral system in use often only looks at victims of forced labour through their immigration status. This means people from outside the European Union are up to four times less likely to be recognised as victims of trafficking and are often deported rather than protected. Also, visa rules also prevent overseas  domestic workers from leaving abusive employers and seeking out new ones. This often leads them to suffer abuse in silence. Lastly, is protection. Protection and support for victims of trafficking is inconsistent, especially after all the gover nment cuts and cost-efficiency savings. The victims of forced labour who have survived and been rescued, have been in a safe house to recover but that is only for a limited time and they do not get long-term support even if they need it, so they can fully recover and get their lives back on track. They also state that the protection of children is also of great concern. A Child Guardianship scheme has been included in the Modern Slavery Act, but the full implementation of it is not scheduled until mid-2019. To help to prevent and reduce modern slavery, it would help to have a multi-agency team, which should include the police, health and social services, local authority, immigration, border control and trading standards. This is to be able to prevent other crimes committed within the modern slavery (forced labour) and crimes being committed by the victims of forced labour when trying to escape captivity. Organisations like health and social services, local authority, housing departments, voluntary organisations are available to support the police with supporting victims of modern slavery. Some voluntary organisations which are available includes refuge, shelter, NSPCC, Women’s Aid and translation organisations. These agencies can help victims to trust authorities that they are there to help and will not deport them back to their original country. Deportation will not be done for up to 90 days as the victims have access to ‘move-on’ support, such as ongoing accommodation, counselling, expert advice and advocacy before the final decision is made (Newton, gov.uk). They can then hopefully set up a peer group to be able to support others with their experiences with agreement to have a councillor on hand if people need to talk through things as and when needed. Other recommendations that possibly need to be in place are to have more border agency staff at ports and air ports to be able to check all vehicles arriving to stop illegal immigrants being brought in against their will or have paid the drivers to do so for a better life. More checks are needed on foreign national coming in with little money to support themselves. To disrupt criminal activity Tilley (2009) says there should be intelligence led policing to monitor and trace criminal organisations, and learn more about the offenders’ behaviour patterns. Also, when taken to court those drivers caught should be imposed with more severe fines because the fines are only  £2,000 per migrant (express, 2017). For people who employ illegal immigrants’ penalties should be more severe than they are. At the present the sentences are imprisonment for 5 years and pay a fine of up to  £20,000 for each illegal worker (gov.uk). Lastly, it is recommended that literature is published and advertised in different languages to help people what they need to do if they are victims or know someone who is possibly a victim of modern slavery (forced labour). In conclusion this essay focused on modern slavery and mainly forced labour. It has highlighted that people are still victims of modern slavery (forced labour) since the Modern Slavery Act 2015 came into force. Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the Strategic plan are positive steps, but more is needed to be done to address modern slavery, given the extent and complexity of the issue. For example, importantly more public awareness need to be advertised to know what modern slavery and forced labour is about and what signs to look out for and how to report their fears. Also, the sentencing for people convicted needs to be more severe, and more convictions are needed to highlight the crime and raise awareness for the public and make them aware something to there to prevent it. References Adu, A. 2017.  Lorry drivers receive record number of fines for bringing illegal immigrants into Britain.  Available: www.express.co.uk/news/uk/821265/migrant-crisis-lorry-drivers-fined-immigrants-sneak-UK-vehicles. Last accessed 26 November 2017. antislavery. 2017.  What is modern slavery?  Available: https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/modern-slavery/. Last accessed 4 December 2017. CPS. 2017.  Human Trafficking, Smuggling and Slavery.  Available: http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/h_to_k/human_trafficking_and_smuggling/. Last accessed 19 December 2017. gov.uk. 2016.  Penalties for employing illegal workers.  Available: https://www.gov.uk/penalties-for-employing-illegal-workers. Last accessed 26 November 2017 Hyland, K. 2015.  Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Strategic Plan 2015–2017.  Available: http://www.antislaverycommissioner.co.uk/media/1075/iasc_strategicplan_2015.pdf. Last accessed 29 November 2017. Hyland, K. 2017.  Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner: Annual Report 2016 2017.  Available: http://www.antislaverycommissioner.co.uk/media/1164/iasc_annual-report-16-17-web.pdf. Last accessed 4 December 2017. International Labour Organisation and Walk Free Foundation. 2017.  Global estimates of modern slavery: forced labour and forced marriage.  Available: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_575479.pdf. Last accessed 16 December 2017. International Labour Organization (ILO). 2014.  The meanings of Forced Labour.  Available: http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/news/WCMS_237569/langen/index.htm. Last accessed 2 December 2017. Myers, N. 2016.  Review of the Roots of Youth Violence: Literature Reviews Volume 5, Chapter 3:  Available: http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/professionals/oyap/roots/volume5/chapter03_rational_choice.aspx. Last accessed 6 January 2018. Newton, S. 2016.  Modern slavery victims to receive longer period of. Available: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/modern-slavery-victims-to-receive-longer-period-of-support. Last accessed 28 December 2017 The Modern Slavery Act 2015

Work Absenteeism In Health Care Facilities Social Work Essay

Work Absenteeism In Health Care Facilities Social Work Essay Work absenteeism is one of the biggest challenges which face service provision in health care facilities. There has been an increase in the number of staff or health care practitioners who are absent from work and this affects health care delivery in such facilities. Work absenteeism may occur due to legitimate reasons or illegitimate reasons. Legitimate reason for work absenteeism include sickness, family issues and baby sitting while illegitimate reasons include missing work due to false pretences (Beach, 2007). In health care facilities, work absenteeism is a very serious issue since it adversely affects health care provision. Health care provision is a sensitive issue since it may lead to fatality of patients or deterioration of patients health if enough health care staff is not present to cater to their needs. It is therefore important to assess the issue of work absenteeism in the health care industry in more detail. This paper will assess work absenteeism in health care and will specifically focus on hospital and nursing home settings. The various causes of work absenteeism and adverse effects to health care institutions will be discussed in detail. The solutions to work absenteeism in the health care industry will also be given. The discussed issues will be summarized at the end. Causes of work absenteeism There are various causes of work absenteeism in the health care industry. These will be discussed below; Sickness This is one of the most common causes of work absenteeism in the health care industry. Many employees who call in sick are genuinely unwell and unable to discharge their duties effectively. This causal factor can be linked to the high cost of health care delivery in the United States and the world in general. The increase in health care costs and insurance has made many people be unable to afford health care services (Kotlikoff, 2007). Such people seek low quality health care service providers, home solutions or Internet remedies for diseases. These are ineffective in dealing with illnesses and health care employees who seek these solutions due to the inability to access health care services are likely to be absent from work for longer periods than those who seek effective treatment interventions. It is important to offer affordable and high quality health care services to both health care employees and the public in general in order to reduce the problem of work absenteeism. Family issues There are various family issues which may make employees in the health care industry be away from work. These family issues include domestic violence, divorce proceedings, family conflicts and others. Family issues are important to address and this is the reason that many health care employees who face these issues are likely to be absent from work in order to deal with them. It is difficult for any employee to be productive at the workplace when dealing with unresolved family issues. Many employees opt to deal with such issues before resuming work in order to be productive. Employers should give employees sufficient time to deal with family issues since such issues are likely to lower employee motivation if not dealt with in a timely manner. Babysitting Due to the effects of the global economic crunch, many families have had their disposable income lowered. Such families are struggling to pay their bills and expenses with the little income earned. As a result, many families are unable to pay for babysitters for their babies especially due to the hard economic times. In such circumstances, some employees in health care institutions may be forced to stay away from work as they baby sit their babies. This on the other hand adversely affects health care service provision since there may be inadequate staff to deal with patients. It is thus important to find a solution to this issue. Low employee motivation Employee motivation is very important for organizations in any industry. Employees are the most valuable resource and it is important to motivate them and increase their output in order for organizations to achieve their objectives (Mugisho, 2007). Employee motivation enables employees to look forward to going to their places of work, in this case hospitals and other health care facilities. However, when employees have low motivation levels, most prefer missing work and undertaking other activities which may be more rewarding to them. Low employee motivation is arguably the major reason that employees are absent from work in cases of illegitimate reasons. It is important to address the issue of employee motivation if cases of workplace absenteeism are to be reduced in health care institutions. Stress related issues Stress is a major causality of low employee productivity and work absenteeism in health care facilities. Employees in health care facilities are exposed to working under pressure in order to meet the targets set. Such employees see injuries and fatalities almost on a daily basis and this would cause psychological effects to any human being. Student interns are exposed to working for very long hours with little rest and this is stressful to them. When such employees are not provided for with an effective mechanism to deal with such stress, they are likely to be absent from work as a result of stress effects. This in turn adversely affects service provision in health care facilities. Employees should be provided for with mechanisms for dealing with stress if they are to reduce cases of absenteeism from the workplace. Nurse staffing ratio There is a major problem in many health care service facilities due to the inadequate number of health care professionals, especially nurses. There is an inadequate number of nurses in these facilities and this exerts pressure on nurses to work harder and for longer hours in order to meet the needs of patients (Phelps, 2002). This causes a strain to them as they are forced to work under tremendous pressure. In most cases, the increased workload does not translate into higher pay and this further frustrates them. In such working environments, nurses lose motivation to work and they begin being absent from work for illegitimate reasons. The problem of nurse staffing ration should therefore be addressed to reduce cases of work absenteeism. Disadvantages of work absenteeism There are various adverse effects which are associated with work absenteeism in health care facilities. These will be discussed below; Quality of health care service provision Work absenteeism in health care service delivery facilities adversely affects health care provision amongst patients. When health care professionals are absent from work, there may be inadequate health care professionals to deal with the needs of patients. This may affect the quality of health care received by patients. It may also lead to further complications for patients or even fatalities due to inadequate care given to patients. This is very dangerous for the nation at large since the health of the population may be compromised as a result of work absenteeism by health care workers. It is thus important to address this issue immediately to preserve the lives of patients. Poor performance by health care facilities Many health care facilities, especially those set up by the private sector are usually developed with profit making objective as a major goal. Although helping the sick is a major objective of many hospitals, many are formed to make profit out of charging for health care services provided. When employees are absent from work, just like in any other organization, productivity reduces. Reduction in productivity over time may lead to losses by the health care institutions. It may also lead to the inability to attain the set organizational goals. It is therefore necessary to ensure that employees in health care facilities are not absent from work since this may be an obstacle to the attaining of organizational objectives. Solution to problems There are several solutions which should be implemented in order to deal with the problems which were earlier discussed in the paper. These solutions will be discussed on the basis of the individual problems discussed earlier. Sickness It has been discussed that sickness is one of the major problems which contribute to work absenteeism. When employees are sick, they are unable to discharge their duties effectively. Employees who seek low quality health care services are more likely to be absent for longer periods than those who seek high quality services. In order to deal with this issue, the government and health care providers should take immediate steps. The government should reduce the costs of health care services and insurance through allocating more funds to cater for the same. Health care facilities should offer health care cover to all employees in order to ensure that they have access to high quality health care services. This will reduce the number of hours employees are absent due to sickness or other health complications. Family issues There are various family issues which health care professionals experience, as is experienced with the rest of society. It is important to develop mechanisms which can enable health care professionals deal with family issues without affecting their workplace objectives. Employees in health care facilities should have access to counselors who will enable them solve family issues which they face. This will prevent such issues from affecting their work environment and causing work absenteeism in health care facilities. Babysitting It has been discussed that babysitting is a causal factor of work absenteeism since many employees are unable to afford babysitters due to harsh economic times. It is important to empower employees, especially those with babies, to be financially stable and to be in a position to cater for all the babys needs. Health care service institutions should take two steps to resolve this problem. The first is to increase employee remuneration in order to ensure that employees, especially those with children, are able to access salaries and benefits which are adequate in catering for the childrens welfare. The second step is creating a nursery within the health care facility and allowing parents to bring their young ones in such environments. This strategy has proven to be very effective in increasing the productivity of working mother since they have peace of mind whenever they work in environments where their children are within reach. These two strategies should be implemented depending on the policies of the organization in order to ensure that work absenteeism is minimized. Low employee motivation Low employee motivation is caused by several factors including poor leadership, organizational culture, low remuneration and others. Low motivation reduces employee productivity and it is likely to cause work absenteeism due to lack of morale by employees. In order to improve employee motivation, several factors should be taken into account by the management. The management should employ the democratic leadership style which allows employees to participate in decision making (Bratton et. al., 2004). The management should also ensure that there is a conducive organizational culture which features communication, teamwork, conflict resolution mechanisms and participative decision making. In addition, the management should use both financial and non-financial motivation forms when remunerating employees. This will lead to an increase in employee productivity, organizational performance and lower cases of work absenteeism. Stress related issues As previously discussed, nurses are prone to stress due to the nature of the environment they work in. Nurses work in an environment where they experience injuries and fatalities by patients every day. Some patients come with serious injuries and they may survive or not. Nurses care for such patients and in cases where patients succumb to injuries, nurses suffer psychological trauma. Nurses also work under tremendous pressure and this may make them experience stress. In order to deal with stress, the management should ensure that nurses have access to counselors and therapies needed to enable them overcome workplace stress. This will enable them to work more effectively and will reduce cases where nurses are absent from work due to stress. Nurse staffing ratio Nursing staff ratio is a major cause of work absenteeism in health care institutions due to the pressure exerted on nurses. The inadequate number of nurses forces them to work harder and for longer time durations. This de-motivates them and makes some opt to be absent from work. In order to deal with this issue, the government and health care providers have a responsibility to ensure that there are adequate nurses in every health care facility. This can be achieved through dialog between all health care stakeholders and development of strategies which will ensure that adequate nurses are trained and posted to health care institutions around the country (Murray, 2005). This will reduce the burden to nurses and ensure that they work with relative ease. Such an action will reduce the number of nurses who are absent from work. Summary and conclusion Various issues which relate to work absenteeism in health care facilities have been discussed in detail. Employees have been seen to abstain from work for a variety of reasons and these include low morale, family issues, stress, sickness, nurse staffing ratio and babysitting among other causes. This has been seen to adversely affect health care service delivery to patients. It has also been seen to lower the performance of health care providers. In order to deal with these issues, a number of recommendations have been made and these include allowing children to work, ensuring employees are adequately remunerated, ensuring employees have access to counselors, increasing nurse staffing ratio and improving health care services to employees who work for hospitals and nursing homes. This will reduce instances where employees are absent from work and it will ensure that all objectives of health care organization are met.

Calories :: essays research papers

People are, by nature, very gullible, nieve and border on ignorance. There are very few that strive for understanding. Most accept what is told them by friends, the media and the government without question. Take for, instance, the calorie. Millions of Americans read the labels of food containers and worry endlessly about the number of calories that a food contains. This is a classic example of human ignorance. How can one worry about something and not know what it is, where it comes from, and what it does?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A French scientist, Antoine Lavoisier coined the term calorie, actually caloric, in the eighteenth century. Mr. Lavoiser observed that chemical reactions gave off heat. He believed that this heat was some form of fluid, much like water, that carried the heat away from the reaction. (Rothman, 69) Antoine was on the right track; he merely got on the wrong train.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Benjamin Thompson, also an eighteenth century scientist, observed that while drilling through brass with a dull bit he could produce enormous amounts of heat yet not get very deeply into the brass. This led Mr. Thompson to the conclusion that heat was the product of work, not the invisible fluid caloric.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joseph Black, yet another scientist of the seventeen hundreds, discovered that it took different substances varying amounts of heat to raise one gram of a substance one degree Celsius. He called this specific heat. Mr. Black also noticed that when mercury at fifty degrees is mixed with equal amounts of water at zero degrees the resulting mixture would be only one degree. From this, he concluded that heat and temperature were not the same. In order to give the scientific world a standard of measure Mr. Black termed the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius a calorie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem encountered here is that the calorie on food containers is not quite the same as Mr. Blacks. The calories referred to by the food and Drug Administration are actually kilocalories. That is one thousand times greater than those Mr. Black discovered. When Americans sit down to breakfast and eat a serving of Frosted Flakes, they are not ingesting one hundred sixty calories but one hundred sixty THOUSAND calories.

HOW EFFECTIVE A LEADER DO YOU CONSIDER AENEAS TO BE? :: Classics

HOW EFFECTIVE A LEADER DO YOU CONSIDER AENEAS TO BE? On meeting Aeneas for the first time, he appears to be in a very vulnerable situation as he is the middle of a storm. This is emphasized the phrase, â€Å"his limbs grew weak† as it puts forward the fact that Aeneas, despite his power and status is like every other normal human being. My first speculation on whether or not Aeneas is a good leader comes from the use of the word â€Å"I†. In his first speech he says, â€Å"Why could I not have fallen to your right hand and breathed out my life on the plains of Troy†. Here, although Aeneas is in suffering with all his men, he is selfishly regretting the option of dying a heroic death in the battle of Troy, as it would lead to him to be a figure of great history. This in my opinion does not qualify Aeneas as a good leader, as his actions can be perceived to be self- centred. Contrary to my first perception of Aeneas, is his sense of dedication. Through this, a positive sign of leadership is presented to us on his arrival â€Å"on the coast of Libya†. At this point, he takes it upon himself to search for his missing men. â€Å"Aeneas climbed a rock to see if there was any trace of the storm-tossed Antheus†. â€Å"Capys perhaps or the Caicus† armour.† Virgil emphasizes Aeneas’ desperation to find his men and his great compassion by the use of the word Perhaps. Similarly, Aeneas proves himself to be a very comforting and reassuring character to his men in times of loss. In his sufferings, he makes it his duty to fend for all his men by finding food for them. â€Å"He did see three stags wandering; he stopped in his tracks and snatched his bow† and then "he took down three leaders†. Aeneas quick thinking is made evident here by the use of the verb, snatched as it conveys his abilities to make quick logical decisions, a feature which makes him stand out amongst others. Virgil goes further on to tell us that Aeneas has killed â€Å"seven huge carcasses, one for each ship†. This gives an in-depth into Aeneas’ sense of organisation and well structured nature. Self- sacrifice is another quality that Virgil builds in Aeneas’ character, which qualifies him as a good leader.† â€Å"He showed them the face of home and kept his misery deep in his heart†. Here Aeneas is able to put his men’s emotions and feeling first in line at the expense of himself as he is aware of their needs at this moment; a

Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 17

He stared at her for an instant, his golden eyeswide. â€Å"Don't you believe me?† â€Å"I wouldn't put it past Sylvia to try,† he said. â€Å"ButI don't think she's strong enough.† â€Å"She said she got special ingredients. And shesaid that nobody else could take the spell off.†When he still looked doubtful, although a bit more grim, Maggie added, â€Å"Why don't youtry it?† He reached down with long, strong fingers to pullat the fastenings of his brace. It came off easily,and Maggie's eyebrows went up. She blinked. He extended his arm, pointing it at the wall, anddrew a dagger from his belt. Maggie had forgotten about the blood part. Shebit the inside of her cheek and didn't say anythingashe opened a small cut on his wrist. Blood welled up red, then flowed in a trickle. â€Å"Just a little blast,† Delos said, and looked calmlyat the wall. Nothing happened. He frowned, his golden eyes flaring dangerously. Maggie could see the concentration in his face. Hespread his fingers. Still nothing happened. Maggie let out her breath. I guess spells are invisible, she thought. The brace was just for show.Delos was looking at his armasif it didn't belong to him. â€Å"We're in trouble,† Maggie said, trying not tomake it sound like I told you so. â€Å"While they thought they were alone in here, they were talkingabout all kinds of things. All Hunter cares about is getting you to help him destroy the humans. Butthere's been some big split in the Night World, and the witches have seceded from it.† Delos went very still, and his eyes were distant.†That means war. Open war between witches and vampires.† â€Å"Probably,† Maggie said, waving a hand vaguely.†But, listen, Delos, the witches sent somebody here,an ambassador, to talk to you. To try to get you on their side. Hunter said they've got one of the Wild Powers on their side already-the witches, I mean.Are you getting this?† â€Å"Of course,† Delos said. But now his voice wasoddly distant, too. He was looking at something Maggie couldn't see. â€Å"But one out of four doesn'tmatter. Two out of four, three out of four-it's notgood enough.† â€Å"What are you talkingabout?† Maggie didn't waitfor him to answer. â€Å"But, look. I know the girl whocame to talk to you. It's the girl I was with on therocks, the other one you saved from Bern. She'sAradia, and she's Maiden of all the witches. And,Delos, they're looking for her right now. They wantto kill her to stop her from getting to you. And she's my friend.† â€Å"That's too bad.† â€Å"We've got to stopthem,† Maggie said, exasperated. â€Å"Wecan't.† That brought Maggie up short. She stared at him.†What are you talking about?† â€Å"I'm saying we can't stop them. They're toostrong. Maggie, listen to me,† he said calmly and clearly, when she began an incoherent protest. That's the first time he's said my name out loud, she thought dizzily, and then she focused on hiswords. â€Å"It's not just the spell they've put on me. And it'snot just that they control the castle. Oh, yes, theydo,† he said with a bitter laugh, cutting her off again. â€Å"You haven't been here very long; you don'tunderstand. The nobles here are centuries old,most of them. They don't like being ruled by a precocious child with uncanny powers. As soon asHunter showed up, they transferred their loyalty to him.† ‘BUt-â€Å"‘ â€Å"He's everything they admire. The perfect vampire, the ultimate predator. He's ruthless andbloodthirsty and he wants to give them the wholeworldas their hunting grounds. Do you really thinkany of them can resist that? After years of huntingmindless, bewildered animals that have to be rationed out one at a time? With maybe the oddcreaky slave for a special treat? Do you think any of them won't follow him willingly?† Maggie was silent. There was nothing she couldsay. He was right, and it was scary. â€Å"And that isn't all,† he continued remorselessly.†Do you want to hear a prophecy?† â€Å"Not really,† Maggie said. She'd heard more thanenough of those for one lifetime. He ignored her. â€Å"My old teacher used to tell methis,† he said. â€Å"‘Four to stand between the light and theshadow, Four of blue fire, power in their blood. Born in the year of the blind Maiden's vision;Four less one and darkness triumphs.'† â€Å"Uh huh,† Maggie said. To her it sounded likejust more of the same thing. The only interestingthing about it was that it mentioned the blindMaiden. That had to be Aradia, didn't it? She wasone famous witch. â€Å"What's `born in the year of the blind Maiden'svision?†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ she asked. â€Å"It means all the Wild Powers are the same age,born seventeen years ago,† Delos said impatiently. `But that's not the point. The point is the last line,`Four less one and darkness triumphs.' That meansthat the darkness is going to win, Maggie.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"It's inevitable. There's no way that the humansand the witches can get all four Wild Powers ontheir side. And if there's even one less than four,the darkness is going to win. All the vampires need to do is kill one of the Wild Powers, and it's allover. Don't you see?† Maggie stared at him. She did see what he wassaying, and it was even scarier than what he'd saidbefore. â€Å"But that doesn't mean we can just give up,†she said, trying to puzzle out his expression. â€Å"If we do that, it will be all over. We can't just surrender and letthem win.† â€Å"Of course not,† he said harshly. â€Å"We have tojoin them.† There was a long silence. Maggie realized that her mouth had fallen open. â€Å"†¦ what?† â€Å"We have to be on the winning side, and that'sthe vampire side.† He looked at her with yelloweyes that seemed as remote and deathly calm as apanther's. â€Å"I'm sorry about your friends, but there's no chance for them. And the only chance for youis to become a vampire.† Maggie's brain suddenly surged into overdrive. All at once, she saw exactly what he was saying.And furygave her energy. He was lightning-fast, but she jumped up and out of the way before he could close his hands on her. â€Å"Are you out of your mind?† â€Å"No â€Å"You're going to killme?† â€Å"I'm going to save your life, the only way I can.†He stood up, following her with that same eerie calm. I can't believe this. I †¦really †¦can't †¦ believe this, Maggie thought. She circled around the bed, then stopped. It was pointless; he was going to get her eventually. She looked into his face one more time, and saw that he was completely serious. She dropped herarms and relaxed her shoulders, trying to slow herbreathing, meeting his eyes directly. â€Å"Delos, this isn't just about me, and it's not justabout my friends. It's about all the slaves here, andall the humans on the Outside. Turning me into a vampire isn't going to help them.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said again. â€Å"But you're all that really matters.† â€Å"No, I'm not,†Maggie said, and this time the hottears didn't stop at her eyes, but overflowed and rolled down her cheeks. She shook them off angrily, and took one last deep breath. â€Å"I won't let you,† she said. â€Å"You can't stop me.† â€Å"I can fight. I can make you kill me before youturn me into a vampire. If you want to try it thatway, come and take your best shot.† Delos's yellow eyes bored into hers-and thensuddenly shifted and dropped. He stepped back, hisface cold. â€Å"Fine,† he said. â€Å"If you won't cooperate, I'll putyou in the dungeon until you see what's best foryou. Maggie felt her mouth drop open again.†You wouldn't,† she said. â€Å"Watch me.† The dungeon, like everything else in the castle,was heart-stoppingly authentic. It had something that Maggie had read about in books but hadn't seen in the rooms above: rushesand straw on the floor. It also had a stone benchcarved directly into the stone wall and a narrow,barred window-slit about fifteen feet above Mag gie's head. And that was all it had. Once Maggie had poked into the straw enoughto discover that she didn't really wantto know whatwas down there and shaken the iron bars that made up the door and examined the stone slabs in the wall and stood on the bench to try to climb to the window, therewas nothing else to do. She sat on the bench and felt the true enormity of the situation trickle in on her. She was really stuck here. Delos was really serious. And the world, the actual, real world out there, could be affected as a consequence. It wasn't that she didn't understand his motivation. She had been in his mind; she'd felt thestrength of his protectiveness for her. And she wanted to protect him, too. But it wasn't possible to forget about everyoneelse. Her parents, her friends, her teachers, thepaper girl. If she let Delos give up, what happenedto them? Even the people in the Dark Kingdom. Laundressand Old Mender and Soaker and Chamber-pot Emptier and all the other slaves. She caredabout them. She admired their gritty determination to goon living, whatever the circumstances-and theircourage in risking their lives to help her. That's what Delosdoesn't understand, shethought. He doesn't see them as people, so he can'tcare about them. All his life he's only cared abouthimself, and now about me. He can't look beyondthat. If only she could think of a way to makehimsee-but she couldn't. As the hours passed and thesilence began to wear on her, she kept trying. No inspiration came. And finally the light outsideher cell began to fade and the cold started to settle in. She was half asleep, huddled on her chilly bench,when she heard the rattle of a key in a door. She jumped up and went to peer through the bars, hoping to see Delos. The door at the end of the narrow stone corridoropened and someone came in with a flare. But itwasn't Delos. It was a guard, and behind him wasanother guard, and this one had a prisoner. â€Å"Jeanne!† Maggie said in dismay. And then her heart plummeted further. A third guard was half marching, half supporting Aradia. Maggie looked at them wordlessly. It wasn't like Jeanne not to fight, she thought, asthe guards opened the cell door and shoved theother girls in. The door clanged shut again, and the guardsmarched back out without speaking. Almost as an afterthought, one of them stuck a flare in an ironring to give the prisoners some light. And then they were gone. Jeanne picked herself up off the floor, and thenhelped Aradia get up. â€Å"They've got P.J. upstairs,†she said to Maggie, who was still staring. â€Å"Theysaid they wouldn't hurt her if we went quietly.† Maggie opened her mouth, shut it again, andtried to swallow her heart, which was in her throat.At last she managed to speak. â€Å"Delos said that?† â€Å"Delos and Hunter Redfern and that witch.They're all very chummy.† Maggie sat down on the cold bench.†I'm sorry,† she said. â€Å"Why? Because you're too stupidly trusting?†Jeanne said. â€Å"You're not responsible for him.† â€Å"I think she means because she's his soulmate,†Aradia said softly. Jeanne stared at her as if she'd started speaking a foreign language. Maggie stared, too, feeling hereyes getting wider, trying to study the beautiful features in the semidarkness. She felt oddly shy of this girl whom she'd calledCady and who had turned out to be something shecould never have imagined. â€Å"How did you know that?† she asked, trying notto sound tongue-tied. â€Å"Can you justtell?† Asmile curved the perfect lips in the shadows.†I could tell before,† Aradia said gently, backing upquite accurately to sit on the bench. â€Å"When youcame back from seeing him the first time, but Iwas too foggy to really focus on anything then. I'veseen a lot of it in the last few years, though. Peoplefinding their soulmates, I mean.† â€Å"You're better, aren't you?† Maggie said. â€Å"Yousound lots moreawake.† It wasn't just that. Aradia had always had a quiet dignity, but now therewas an authority and confidence about her thatwas new. â€Å"The healing women helped me. I'm still weak,though,† Aradia said softly, looking around the cell. â€Å"I can't use any of my powers-not that breakingthrough walls is among them, anyway.† Maggie let her breath out. â€Å"Oh, well. I'm gladyou're awake, anyway.† She added, feeling shy again, â€Å"Um, I know your real name, now. Sorry about the misunderstanding before.† Aradia put a hand-again perfectly accuratelyon Maggie's. â€Å"Listen, my dear friend,† she said,startling Maggie with both the word and the intensity of her voice, â€Å"nobody has ever helped me more than you did, or with less reason. If you'd been oneof my people, and you'd known who I was, it wouldhave been amazing enough. But from a human, who didn't know anything about me †¦Ã¢â‚¬ Shestopped and shook her head. â€Å"I don't know if we'll even live through tonight,† she said. `But if we do,and if there's ever anything the witches can do foryou, all you have to do is ask.† Maggie blinked hard. â€Å"Thanks,† she whispered. â€Å"I meanyou know. I couldn't just leave you.† â€Å"I do know,† Aradia said. â€Å"And that's the amazingthing.† She squeezed Maggie's hand. â€Å"Whatever happens, I'll never forget you. And neither will theother witches, if I have anything to say about it.† Maggie gulped. She didn't want to get startedcrying. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop. Fortunately Jeanne was looking back and forthbetween them like someone at a tennis match.†What's all this sappy stuff?† she demanded. â€Å"Whatare you guys talking about?† Maggie told her. Not just about Aradia being Maiden of the witches, but about everything she'dlearned from listening to Hunter Redfern andSylvia. â€Å"So the witches have left the Night World,† Aradia said quietly, when she was finished. â€Å"They wereabout ready to when I left.† â€Å"You were coming here to talk to Delos,† Maggie said. Aradia nodded. â€Å"We heard that Hunter had gotten some lead about the next Wild Power. And weknew he wasn't goingto take any chances on letting Circle Daybreak get hold of this one.† Jeanne was rubbing her forehead. â€Å"What's Circle Daybreak? ‘It's the last circle of witches-but it isn't justwitches. It's for humans, too, and for shapeshiftersand vampires who want to live in peace with humans. And now it's for everybody who opposes the darkness.† She thought a moment and added, â€Å"I used to belong to Circle Twilight, the †¦not-so wicked witches.† She smiled, then it faded. â€Å"Butnow there are really only two sides to choose from.It's the Daylightorthe Darkness, and that's all.† â€Å"Delos really isn't on the side of the Darkness,†Maggie said, feeling the ache in her chest tighten.†He's just-confused. He'd join you if he didn'tthink it meant me getting killed.† Aradia squeezed her hand again. â€Å"I believe you,†she said gently. â€Å"So, you're some kind of bigwig of the witches,huh?† Jeanne said. Aradia turned toward her and laughed. â€Å"I'm theirMaiden, the representative of the young witches. If I live long enough, I'll be their Mother one day, and then their Crone.† â€Å"What fun. But with all that, you still can't thinkof any way to get us out of here?† Aradia sobered. â€Å"I can't. I'm sorry. If-this isn'tmuch use, but if I can do anything, it's only to givea prophecy.† Maggie made an involuntary noise in her throat. â€Å"It came while I was asleep in the healers hut,†Aradia said apologetically. â€Å"And it was just athought, a concept. That if there was to be any helpin this valley, it was through appealing to people's true hearts.† Jeanne made a much louder and ruder noisethan Maggie's. â€Å"There is one more thing,† Aradia said, turningher wide unfocused eyes toward Maggie and speaking as gently asever. â€Å"I should have mentioned thisearlier. I can tell you about your brother.†

Heroism – Beowulf

The concept of heroism is one of which that can be somewhat difficult to explain through literature due to the popularity of the â€Å"pop fiction† heroes that illuminate the spotlight today. Heroes like Beowulf are often looked as mediocre when compared to the crime fighting characters known as Batman and Superman. Roger B. Rollin attempts to distinguish the difference and importance of literary heroes in his article, â€Å"Beowulf to Batman: The Epic Hero and Pop Culture. † Beowulf, the epic hero of the Anglo-Saxons, is depicted to be a true hero in the article.Rollins explains the five types of heroes, why people and cultures have heroes, and how movie heroes affect the view of heroism. Rollins states from the very beginning that there are five types of heroes in the literature. Beowulf is described to be the â€Å"type two† hero, â€Å"If superior in degree to other men and to his environment, the hero is the typical hero of romance, whose actions are marvel ous but who is himself identifies as a human being. The hero of romance moves in a world in which the ordinary laws of nature are slightly suspended† (Rollins, 435).This description is translated to mean that Beowulf is the strongest of his men who surpasses the realities of the physical world while still being human himself. As Beowulf embarked into the depths of the dark lake to face Grendel’s mother it was â€Å"for hours he sank through the waves† (line 572). Though the hero suspends the physical limitations of a human being, this does not mean that Beowulf has no error. In his final battle against the fire dragon, Beowulf acknowledges that he will die, an act of pure defeat when a hero is the subject of attention.Beowulf realizes that â€Å"His weapon/ Had failed him, deserted him, now when he needed it/ Most, that excellent sword† (lines 734-36) and that his life was â€Å"a journey/ Into darkness that all men must make, as death/ ends their few bri ef hours on earth† (lines 739-41). Beowulf, being a type two hero according to Rollins, â€Å"is more human than superhuman† (435). This hero is more attainable for readers themselves, knowing that the powers and virtues the hero possesses are possible to achieve, but not to the extent of the hero himself.By being the classic romantic hero, Beowulf is able to suspend the general limitations of human beings yet still identify himself as a human, fully susceptible to flaws and mistakes. People and their cultures look up to heroes, but not the heroes like those in literature. No, the role models for the world’s culture today are those that include Batman, Superman, and Spiderman. During the time in which Beowulf was written, the people of that time looked up to these warriors as the ideal man.However, since times have changed, today’s culture looks to discover heroes who are ideal in the present society. Like the Anglo-Saxons, society today realizes that they will never live up to the heroism of their heroic role models, but enjoy the entertainment the stories bring. Since Beowulf was passed down orally, embellishments were expected, as they are today; Rollins explains that, â€Å"we know, deep down in our hearts, that Batman will not be turned into a shish kabob by ‘The Joker’†¦. e are aware that such victories do not always occur in reality, there is a part of us which very much wants them to occur† (432). The world’s culture forces people to strive for the better of heroism, fully knowing that it will not become a reality. The fact that people today want their own chance for heroism shows that, in a sense, they are all attempting to become a unique â€Å"Beowulf† themselves. The popularity of movie heroes often distorts the image of heroism.Looking at Anglo-Saxon literature, it is obvious that a hero would be a man who is skilled in hunting, fishing, and almost the exact twin of the king. In pop culture, though, a hero is depicted as a strong, crime-fighting, custom-dressed man who lives a double life. For example, Superman. Kent Clark is an ordinary man, but transforms to the seemingly perfect, Superman when disaster strikes. According to Rollins, Superman â€Å"is absolute in his power, his glory, and his goodness† (435). In the movies, heroes are put above the rest of civilization, making them seemingly untouchable.The movies make it that a hero is not someone like a police officer, but just the person who swoops in and saves the day. On the other hand, in ancient literature, like Beowulf, the hero is a well respected man in the community who is elected to save the kingdom. When compared to movies, the hero from literature does not have the glitz, glam, and fame as a â€Å"Hollywood-ized hero. † The heroes in movies are heroes, but have more of a superficiality face rather than the heroic ideal characteristic as those from the Anglo-Saxon time period.From Beowulf to Batman, heroism is expressed for all time periods to relate. Beowulf was a hero for exemplifying the heroic ideal of his time and similarly, Batman is a hero for fighting crime, a characteristic that is makes his heroism credible. Heroes are relevant in all literature and pop culture; distinguishing the difference is what challenges the learner. WIth careful inspection, it is obvious to understand that there is no one type of hero, but a multitude of heroes that are showcased through literature and Hollywood alike.

Supply Chain Management – Greening Beyond Reverse Logistics.

In a world which is experiencing climate crisis in the form of increased ecological footprint because of environmental damage caused by various businesses, there is an immediate need for value seeking and proactive approach based on increasing the efficiency of reverse logistics aspect of modern supply chains. This paper looks at steeps to lower the ecological footprint of the supply chains, challenges involved in adopting green steps and the practical problems encountered in the making of green supply chains. Key words:Supply chain management, ecological footprint, environmental management strategies, green issues Introduction: Supply chain management is the coordination and management of a complex network of activities involved in delivering a finished product to the end user or customer . it is a vital business function and the process includes sourcing raw materials and parts, manufacturing and assembling products, storage, order entry and tracking, distribution through the vario us channels and finally delivery to the customer.A company’s supply chain structure consists of external supplier’s ,internal functions of the company and external distributors as well as customers (commercial or end-user). firms may be members of multiple supply chains simultaneously . the management and corporation is further complicated by global players spread across geographic boundaries and multiple time zones . the successful management of a supply chain is also influenced by customer expectations, globalization, information technology, government regulation, competition and the environment.Management of the supply chain is taking an important role in lowering environmental impact of business in this aspect the principle of ecological footprint shows how relevant are the green initiatives in maintaining ecological balance. It is aurgived that companies should assess the impact of their economic on the environment and resource consumption, the footprint is define d as the amount of land required to meet a typical consumer’s needs for many countries the ecological footprints exceed the actual area of the respective countries, for example the ecological ootprint of the Netherlands is 15 times the area of the countryEnvironmental management is gaining increasing interest among researchers in supply chain management, the concept of greening is becoming a critical avenue of this area, also the organizations are assigning increasing importance to the environmental issues. Despite some early steps a well knit theory or framework for greening of supply chains is lacking. Research initiatives are needed to overcome this problem, especially the research may have to move beyond reverse logistics, into the development of green supply chains.It is proposed that reverse logistics alone may not be enough and that a focus on the entire supply chain is more relevant for understanding the impact of business practices on the environment . this approach gels with value seeking approach of the environment that leverages the potential contribution of greening to the business organizations. The focus of greening as a competitive initiative by the business organizations represents a more proactive approach of greening instead of reacting to compliance measures of environmental regulations of several governments. The concept of reverse logistics:Reverse logistics stands for operations related to the reuse of products and materials which are part of the supply chain, it is the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory ,finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or for attaining proper disposal, simply reverse logistics is the process of moving goods from their typical final destination for the purpose of capturing value or proper disposal, the reverse logistics process inc ludes the management and the sales of sapless as well as returned equipment .Normally logistics deals with events that bring the product towards the customer. In the case of reverse logistics atleast one step back in the supply chain. For example, goods move from the customer to the distributer or to the manufacturer. As reverse logistics is gaining increasing interest and relevance, the question becomes whether it is enough to limit greening efforts to one segment of the supply chain and to single company. Following is a diagram given below which gives a commonly used scheme for implementing environment friendly initiatives in a company.Thisscheme depicts that there is much more to greening than the reversed flow of goods only. reening can start rite at the source with supply conditions and can work its way through storage and packaging practices to distribution and to end-consumers all of which is referred to as green supply chain management (GSCM). green supply chain management i s adding the â€Å"green component† to the supply chain and it involves addressing the influence and relationships of supply chain management through the natural environment. Green supply chain management (GSCM) =green purchasing+ green manufacturing/materials management+ green distribution/marketing+ reverse logistics This reverse flow in reverse logistics can take different forms,from collection to return shipments into the distribution channel followed by disassembly and reuse of selected parts. Alternatively, goods could be scrapped and re-entered into production as raw materials.Return goods or elements of the product, could even be returned to suppliers and supply chain partners for them to re-manufacture. Other possible supply chain applications should be taken into consideration. for example, disassemblies operations in the reverse flow can be replaced by incorporating a proactive â€Å"design for disassembly â€Å" right in the initial product design stage of both supplier and customer. What are the approaches for going green. The implementation of greening as a competitive initiative was explained in detail by porter and van der linde(1995) they reasoned that investments in greening can be recourse saving, waste eliminating and productivity improving.As a result, green initiatives can lower not only the environmental impact of a business, but also rise efficiency, possibly creating major competitive advantages in innovation and operations. Kopicki et al. (1993),introduced three approaches in environmental management: the reactive, pro-active and value-seeking approach. in the reactive approach companies commit minimal resources to environmental management as they start to procure some products with some recycled content, start labeling products that are recyclable. in the proactive approach, companies start to implement new environmental laws by realizing a modest recourse commitment to initiate the recycling of product and designing green p roducts.In this approach the ompany assumes responsibility over product re-use and recycling as an element of environmental management. The most far reaching approach is value-seeking, in that companies integrate environmental activities into a business strategies and operate the firm to reduce its impact on the environment as a strategic initiative. The head of the organization establishes a strong environmental commitment and the capital commitment is shared among partners in the supply chain. Operating systems in the value-seeking face may include the re-design of the products for dis-assembly, the use of life cycle analysis of the product and creating and involment of third parties.Companies are integrating environmental management into corporate strategic planning and into day-to-day process as they adopt a recourse-productivity frame work to maximize benefits attained from environmental programs. Theextention of kopicki et al. (1993) framework offered by Walton et al. (1998) i s that they state that companies will only thrive in the final face of environmental management when they act as a whole system that includes customers, suppliers and other players in the supply chain. By developing a supply chain approach in the environmental management process, the impact on supply chain operation gets leveraged throughout the supply chain.They detail how such an approach requires cross functional and cross company activities including product design, suppliers, processes, evaluation systems and inbound logistics. Walley and whitehead (1994) mentioned the value-based approach as the most far-reaching approach in environmental management. They characterized this approach as systematic, through the strong commitment and integration of flexible strategies and structures, throughout the supply chain. Within this approach three types of activities are undertaken: operational, technical and strategicactivities, depending on the impact on value and the scope of discretio nary response. What are the green steps to be taken: If a supply chain approach is so important in a value-seeking greening initiative how should businesses develop such an approach?The first step to be taken in greening the supply chains involve identifying the various supply chain flows and customizing the greening approaches basing on a particular supply chain flow. There are five supply chain flows- materials, services, financial, information and knowledge, and wasteflows. These flows may also have different scale levels, and thus, are directly related tothe boundaries that envelop them or through which they flow. The types of flows, theirpurpose, and how they are managed may also differ depending on the boundary context. For example, materials flows from an organizational boundaries perspective wouldrequire that materials be cooperatively agreed upon by managers and designers, and froma proximal perspective the decisions on where they are designated to be located andstored.Anot her example would be information flows where legal requirements have themmanaging the information so they can be reported to customers, while information relatedto environmental costs may only be of concern to an operations manager orenvironmental department. We now provide an overview of the different flows and somerelationships and studies on green supply chain. Materials Flows Materials flows are typical physical flows associated with supply chains and mayinclude parts, components, raw materials or finished goods. Much of the research insupply chain management has focused on the management of tangible durable goods. One of the basic tools is material flow analysis which has been recommended forevaluating an integrated environmental supply chain.The environmental aspects ofthese flows are well documented in and between organizations and have implications onall forms of environmental media implications ranging from solid waste management, Resource productivity, dematerialization an d climate change issues. Some recentresearch has proposed that material flow analysis be a core aspect of managing supplierenvironmental relationships. Service Flows These flows represent more intangible flows of services amongst organizations. Example service flows would be utilities and transportation services offered toorganizations. Some of the service flows from these two industries are major contributorsto the major environmental concerns facing the world, climate change, and are criticalelements of the supply chain.Since we incorporate utilities into this flow, we couldinclude energy service and critical water flows, albeit water may also be a physicalMaterial flow. Energy services in the supply chain are essentially pertinent since they aregrouped at levels of importance similar to material flows and are also critical flows for service industries. In fact, the energy service providers have greatly increased inimportance amongst supply chains as deregulation (especially in th e US) has seenincreased growth since the early 1990’s. Services may include many supportingactivities that may not be completely carried out by the organization or require specificmaterials. Information and financial services may also fall within this scope for industrial and retail level consumption.This more generic service industry has seen little researchin the green supply chain management literature, except for some hospitality and tourismservice industry perspectives . Within the supply chain, the shift to dematerialization could be enhanced with servicizing materials flows . Servicizing, also defined as product-service systems, is essentially the process of selling services rather products or materials toorganizations. One example of this is in Xerox’s strategy to offer a service, documentmanagement, for its copiers by leasing them rather than selling them. It provided aleasing service of a product which was taken back and reclaimed after lease expiration.Ina s ervicizing relationship, both the buyer and the supplier wish to decrease materialusage, where cost savings can be shared. Another aspect of service flows are those services provided by nature and includethe following ecosystem service categories: provisioning such as the productionof food and water; regulating, such as the control of climate and disease; supporting, suchas nutrient cycles and crop pollination; cultural, such as spiritual and recreationalbenefits; and preserving, which includes guarding against uncertainty through themaintenance of diversity. Managing these service flows may or may not be under thecontrol of a man-made supply chain, but certainly have some relationships to all supplychains. Financial FlowsFinancial flows are primarily the flow of capital (money) across the supply chain. These flows are critical to the management of supply chain practices. The environmentalimplications of these flows are mostly associated with the funding of practices andservice/mate rial flows which may cause environmental damage and consumption. The management of these flows can have profound environmental implications (forexample financial institutions may not lend due to environmental risks associated withcertain organizational projects). Tools integrating the financial flows into supply chainmanagement have relied on standard accounting tools such as activity based costing.Financial flow evaluation and analysis integrated into environmental supply chainmanagement has been very limited. As the recent world financial crisis shows, financialsystems will greatly regulate the amount of material flows and requirements for allsupply chains. One of the missing links in evaluating financial (capital) flows is the integrationof nature’s capital into the evaluation of supply chain economics. Integration ofnature’s services into supply chains’ financial flows analyses can provide significantlymore accurate perspectives on the influence of environme ntal supply chain managementpractices of organizations. The difficulty arises from the various assumptions that have tobe made for such a flow.Valuation of environmental resources is certainly a mystifyingexercise with significant variances in estimations. Information Flows Information and knowledge flows are also one of the critical management aspectsof green supply chain management. Much of the environmental information withinthe supply chain can be related to product life cycles and LCA type analyses . Operations across the supply chain can also benefit the environment just with regularinformation. Some of these benefits can be tied to the principle of informationsubstitution, having accurate information about material and goods that replace the needto hold durable material and goods.Information substitution can greatly reduce theamount of energy, transportation, and material inventory in the supply chain. Withthe advent of e-commerce and inter-organizational information systems within the supplychain, information substitution along the supply chain will have significantenvironmentally beneficial influence. Knowledge flows arise from having knowledge of environmental policies,technology, practices, and programs that can be shared across the supply chain. Not onlyare operations effected by knowledge, but supply chain innovation is also influenced. Innovation builds on and requires knowledge, knowledge generation, and knowledgeexchange.Innovation from knowledge flows are especially pertinent to smallerorganizations within the supply chains who typically lack the knowledge resourcesrelated to environmental actions for their operations. Environmentally orientedorganizational and inter-organizational learning is also dependent on effective knowledgeflows through training and continuous improvement programs and supply chain Collaboration, Information is not only critical for internal supply chain management operations,but can be a very effective regulatory tool w hich may cause organizations to reevaluatetheir supply chain processes. That is, environmental information flows may be usedto provide certain public images of the supply chain and its members.Having thisinformation made public can cause significant pressures from external stakeholders onthe overall supply chain to improve environmental and social performance . Recentresearch has shown that within the supply chain, information will have varying impactsand will be used in different ways by supply chain members. Overall, these differences inapplication and sharing of information and management of environmental informationflows is based on a variety of factors including expected costs or expectedrevenues/benefits related to environmental improvements, perception of externalstakeholder demand, perception of supplier relationship (from the perspective of thesupply chain manager) and top-management environmental commitment . Waste FlowsWe could consider waste flows as an element of all th e previous flows which doesnot necessarily have social (environmental) or economic benefit, non-value adding, to theunit under consideration. These waste flows cause greater costs to occur and may requireseparate programs to minimize them. For example, lean and green typically focus onminimizing waste and inefficiency within supply chains. Thus the management ofthis flow will also be critical, and may be separated within a supply chain. From abroader informational and industrial symbiosis perspective, waste exchanges betweenorganizations can alter the waste flows into useful material flows and have been appliedto disparate materials and flows such as water, construction material ,plastics,electronic products and energy .These waste exchange networksand flows not only can span inter and intra-organizational boundaries, but also acrossinformational boundaries as the waste exchanges become more available through Information and e-commerce systems. The other aspect of waste flows is tha t of end-of-lifemanagement or products andthe type of disposal that should be completed. There are issues with landfilling,incineration and returning materials back into the supply chain. Within the landfilling andincineration debate, the type of material may determine which is more economically andenvironmentally feasible. Rather than disposal of these wastes, recycling andreverse logistics network flows can be designed to manage these streams.Thus, as withany systems decisions, many variables will come into play before a clear-cut solution isavailable and decisions on managing these waste flows will range from individualconsumer level to broad governmental policies. The concepts pertaining to greening the supply chain or supply chain environmental management (SCEM) are usually understood by industry as screening suppliers for their environmental performance and then doing business with only those that meet the regulatory standards the driving forces for implementing the concept in to the company operations are many and comprise a range of â€Å"reactive regulatory reason to proactive strategic and competitive advantage reasons†.These concepts include working collaboratively with suppliers on green product design, holding awareness seminars, helping suppliers establish their own environmental program and soon. Thus there has to be a conscious need to integrate environmental concerns into the economic concerns of the strategy, in order to help contribute to the sustainability of the company’s future. Concern for the environmental performance of suppliers has now become the characteristic of responsible business practices. For instance, ford motor company has demanded that all of its suppliers with manufacturing facilities, comprising about 5000 companies worldwide, must obtain a third-party certification of environmental management system(EMS) for at least one of their plants by the end of 2001, and for all plants by 2003.o help the suppliers esta blish their own environmental management system, ford offers awareness seminars and training for its suppliers ,for them to be like any world class organization and attain their goal of environmental excellence . in the same manner, nestle Philippines also conducts seminars and provides technical assistance to its suppliers and contractors to help them implement and environmental management system that is consistent of Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s environmental management system (NEMS). nestle hopes this initiative will help its suppliershave a fully functioning and effective EMS complies with regulations, judicious use of raw materials, the conservation of water and energy, and the minimization of the waste.This initiative of urging suppliers and contractors to meet certain standards of environmental performance is among the 16 principles of environmental management listed in the â€Å"business charter for sustainable development†, adopted by the international chamber of commerce in N ovember in 1990,it emphasizes the need for contractors and suppliers to ensure that their environmental practices are consistent with those of the enterprise and encourages wider adoption of these principles Supplier chain environmental management is being adopted by industry, though not in a very apparent way, in different parts of the world. The extent and mode of implementation vary significantly. In some instances the implementation takes the form of questionnaires identifying what suppliers are doing, often in terms of quality programmers such as ISO-9001.More and more of these questionnaires are now adays supplemented by specific environmental questions. In other instances the suppliers are assessed at their own sites either by personnel from the customer company or by a third party or consultant, supported by a examination of company records, documents and by interviews with company personals. gain, in certain other case the large companies are even going for partnering and m entoring with their suppliers: mentoring involving the development of a close relationship between them, say providing guidance to set-up an environmental management system(EMS) or a waste minimization program; partnering involving and integrated approach to their relationship to improve operational efficiency of each. Measuring the performance of supply chains: In supply chains with multiple vendors, manufacturers, distributors and retailers, whether regionally or globally dispersed, performance measurement is challenging because it is difficult to attribute performance results to one particular entity within the chain. There are difficulties in measuring performance within organizations and even more difficulties arise in inter-organizational environmental performance measurement.The reasons for lack of systems to measure performance across organizations are multidimensional, including non-standardized data, poor technological integration, geographical and cultural differences, di fferences in organizational policy, lack of agreed upon metrics, or poor understanding of the need for inter-organizational supply chain performance measurement. Performance measurement in supply chains is difficult for additional reasons, especially when looking at numerous tiers within a supply chain, and green supply chain management performance measurement, or GSCM/PM, is virtually non-existent. With these barriers and difficulties in mind, GSCM/PM is needed for a number of reasons (including regulatory, marketing and competitiveness reasons). Overcoming these barriers is not a trivial issue, but the long-term sustainability (environmental and otherwise) and competitiveness of organizations may rely on successful adoption.The basic purposes of GSCM/PM are: external reporting (economic rent), internal control (managing the business better) and internal analysis (understanding the business better and continuous improvement). These are the fundamental issues that drive the developm ent of frameworks for business performance measurement. It is important to consider both purpose, as well as the interrelationships of these various measurements of GSCM/PM. Corporate performance measurement and its application continue to grow and encompass both quantitative and qualitative measurements and approaches. The variety and level of performance measures depends greatly on the goal of the organization or the individual strategic business unit’s characteristics.For example, when measuring performance, companies must consider existing financial measures such as return on investment, profitability, market share and revenue growth at a more competitive and strategic level. Other measures such as customer service and inventory performance (supply, turnover) are more operationally focused, but may necessarily be linked to strategic level measures and issues. Conclusion: As supply chains are becoming increasingly globalized and multi-company based, the ecological footprin t principle deserves a broader application in the supply chain. Footprints are not only nation-based as suggested by Hart (1997); the scope of supply chains is far broader. This also implies that a focus on reversed logistics, as commonly used in the literature, is no longer adequate.Based on the existing literature, this paper presents a categorization of green approaches and suggests the value-seeking approach as the most relevant in greening the supply chain as a whole (instead of logistics, and regulatory compliance alone). In order to develop greening approaches as a competitive initiative, various elements have been suggested, including sets of actions for various players along the chain, as well as, measures of success. Much research still has to be done to support the evolution in business practice towards greening along the entire supply chain. Hopefully, this paper has identified some of the steps to take, while minding our footprint.