Rural Public Health Analysis Health And Social Care Essay

Current State of the ProblemBackground: The population of rural Texas is about 3,060,392 which is about 8 % of the entire Texas population ( 25,145,561 ) . Harmonizing to the US nose count Bureau about 70.4 per centum of province ‘s population is white, 11.8 per centum is Afro-american, 3.8 per centum is Asiatic, and 37.6 per centum is Hispanic ( 2010 ) . There are about 4044 infirmaries in Texas and merely a mere 149 of them are located in rural countries ( 3 ) . Although the rural communities of Texas have 499 exigency medical bureaus and 303 accredited suppliers and 193 first respondent organisations but still about 21 counties are deprived of accredited exigency medical service organisation in their countries and merely 32 % ( 161 ) infirmaries are located in rural counties ( 10 ) . The rural countries are confronting a possible ruin with regard to exigency services. This public wellness issue is originating as a consequence of scarceness of exigency medical trained staff, unequal fiscal resources, outdated medical equipment usage and supply, geographic barriers, communicating spreads. The comparative hazard for decease from motor vehicle clang in rural countries is 15 times higher than urban countries, adjusted for gender, age and type of clang and 40 per centum higher hurt related deceases in rural countries than urban countries ( 6 ) . These statistics reflect the grade of demand of quality exigency attention services in rural countries. Physician Recruitment and Retention Problem: The 2001 study by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners stated there are a sum of 196 rural Texas counties out of which 24 counties had no doctors, 22 had two doctors and 19 of them had merely one doctor. A study showed that the urban countries have 11 times higher figure of physician when compared to rural countries ( Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, 2003 ) . In rural Emergency Department, there are a greater figure of primary attention doctors on contract or impermanent doctors than exigency medical specialty trained doctors functioning merely a little community. Rural countries are confronting jobs such as most of Emergency medical managers are non trained in exigency medical specialty which worsens the state of affairs besides lead to staffing job. This is chiefly happening as a consequence of deficiency of fiscal resources and specialised doctors choosing to acquire employed in urban countries than rural communities. Other Problem is medical malpractice liability insurances in rural countries of Texas particularly in Rio Grande Grade Valley and the South Texas ( 4 ) . Trained Staff deficit: Rural Emergency services have deficit of EMS professionals and about one tierce of rural exigency medical forces voluntary. About 57 to 90 per centum voluntaries are first respondents in rural countries ( 4 ) . These voluntaries may non be available round the clock and are non to the full trained to manage complex instances. This forms a major challenge for EMS because most of them are non medical professionals ( 10 ) . If we compare counties on footing of advanced life support capableness so merely 5 counties have that installation and 22 counties have basic support organisations and 45 out of 131 counties have first respondent organisations ( 10 ) . It is difficult to supply exigency attention services for low volume population with unequal fiscal resources, deficiency of trained staff and basic medical equipment. Some EMS organisations still use manual defibrillators and are non equipped with all diagnostic machinery. Harmonizing to DHHS, Texas has 3106 lice nsed land ambulances out of the lone 22 % are for rural countries ( 10 ) .Geographic barriers:One of the most of import property that effects entree to wellness attention in rural countries is the big distance between abodes and services. The ability to transverse these distances becomes imperative in obtaining wellness attention. Most of the rural occupants refrain from seeking medical services because of the clip and money they have to pass in acquiring treated for a peculiar disease. Language Barrier: In South Texas peculiarly at U.S-Mexico cad part, linguistic communication barrier is another job faced by rural EMS. More than 20 percent population in rural Texas is bilingual and Spanish speech production population ( 10 ) . Resources Allocation Problem: Reason for less exigency medical professional are low wages, longer displacements, and geographic unavailability. The rural communities largely rely on the basic exigency service suppliers and voluntary first respondents. EMS is dearly-won in rural countries compare to urban countries because they cover larger country. They largely get low net income so hold to trust on unpaid staff. Since most of the first respondents work voluntary so they can non afford long distance travel for exigency. Trauma-Related Injuries and Deaths: Harmonizing to the Texas Department of Health ‘s Bureau of Emergency Management, in Texas about day-to-day 30 people die because of trauma-related hurts. Trauma is one of the taking cause of deceases among age groups 1 to 44yrs. 11,898 people died from hurt in Texas and in that 68.8 per centum were unwilled deceases ( 4 ) ( 2002 ) . From surveies, if terrible injured patient receive intervention from injury centre will hold better opportunity of endurance ( 2 ) . The above statistics reflect that injury are one of the major causes of deceases which call for immediate attending peculiarly in rural countries.Golden Hour and Response Time:‘Golden Hour ‘ is the term used for the first hr after incident happens. A patient receiving intervention within this first hr of incident has greater opportunities of endurance. A victim ‘s life would be jeopardized if the waiting clip is increased for more than 30 proceedingss. The rural cou ntries have mean response clip 18 proceedingss and for urban countries it is 8 proceedingss lesser than rural country ( 5 ) . A five twelvemonth survey in Arkansas rural county, 72 per centum deceases occur at scene because of delayed intervention. Response clip for urban country is 7 min. and for rural country its 13.6 proceedingss and so transit clip is 17.2 min and for urban its 8 proceedingss ( 11 ) . Most of deceases from injury in rural countries occur even before hospitalization. Harmonizing to Bureau of Emergency Management at Texas Department of Health, the preventable decease rate in rural countries is about 85 % higher in rural countries as compared to their urban opposite numbers. Harmonizing to Vermont and New York metropolis survey, the paediatric injury decease instances is twice in rural countries compared to urban countries ( 11 ) . The information of Texas Department of Health Bureau of Epidemiology ( Texas DSHS ) shows that rural countries have a response clip up to 2 hours and 16 proceedingss and conveyance clip to infirmary was 2 hours and 12 proceedingss. 157 of 254 counties of Texas have response clip of about 10 proceedingss and for 151 counties transport clip is greater than 20 proceedingss ( 2002 ) ( 10 ) . A study conducted by the National Highway Transportation Administration showed a important difference of 98 % in the response clip for exigency services between rural and urban countries ( 15 ) . This has been illustrated in the figure belowThe graph clearly indicates the trouble in accessing transit services and waiting clip in the rural infirmaries.Medicare and Medicaid:Other job is uninsured population ; about 25 per centum of Texas Population was uninsured in 2002 ( 4 ) . A bulk of rural occupants are financially weak and are less likely to hold insurance coverage than urban occupants. This suggests that the rural population will confront greater resource restraints in accessing attention. Rural occupants tend to hold lower incomes, and are normally freelance as husbandmans. Besides the concern houses in rural countries are smaller in size and the insurance benefits provided by the employers are less likely to cover the standard wellness attention services. Hence, it is more like ly that we can happen greater uninsured or underinsured population in these countries and when it comes to accessing medical services they have to pass a immense sum compared to urban population. Rural populations have more ageing population so they require more immediate and effectual exigency services. In 2001, Texas was top ranked for unsalaried attention to gross patient gross ( 4 ) .Equipment and installation Problems:From 2002 Texas Department of Health reported 61 Texas counties have no infirmaries, 105 had one infirmary and 26 counties had two infirmaries ( 4 ) . In 2002 Texas Hospital Association conducted Emergency Care Issues Survey and found that 72 % of rural installations had issues reassigning the patients and directing ambulances because of deficiency of beds. Harmonizing to Texas Department of Health, there are 131 trauma centres have basic Level IV installations in Texas State. Level IV injury is basic exigency service, normally they lack in equipment and trained staff. Most of accidents occur on rural roads because of high velocity, inefficient usage of place belts, intoxicant ingestion. The hold in reassigning the patients to infirmaries leads to complicat ions like pneumonia, sepsis and multi-organ failure. Since the rural exigency medical services have deficit of trained staff most of the rural exigency services are working over their capacity therefore endangering the quality of services.Review of Current Policies Affecting the SubjectFederal Policies:The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act was approved by U.S in 1986. This act ensures that the entree to exigency medical attention would non be dependent on individual ‘s economic ability ( 4 ) . With the execution of this Act many uninsured and underserved population got entree to exigency medical services. National Highway Safety Administration created the EMS to diminish traffic related deceases ( Mead, 1998 ) . The Highway Safety Act 4 was passed in the twelvemonth 1996 which resulted in the formation of EMS and in 1967 EMS began officially. After constitution of EMS, there was a important decrease in the mortality rate from injury related deceases. The rural countries are less dumbly populated and at long distance from the degree I and II injury installations. So Balance Budget Act ( BBA ) in 1997 modified the compensation policies by adding Medicare ambulance fee agenda and besides started Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program to back up little infirmaries in rural communities to exchange into Critical Access Hospitals ( CAH ) ( 12 ) . CAH helped to beef up the EMS in rural countries. This was the attempt to better the quality, entree to exigency medical services to better rural wellness system. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy ( FORHP ) Grant plan provides the resources to prolong the betterments to rural EMS systems ( 12 ) . National Association of State EMS Officials ( NASEMSO ) and National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health ( NOSORH ) formed Joint Committee on Rural Emergency Care in 2009 ( 13 ) . This commission serves to implement the policies to supply seasonably, low-cost and high quality exigency medical services in rural countries. Healthy people ( HP ) act 2010 was an enterprise which was developed to better the quality of wellness attention services and entree to exigency medical services in rural countries ( 11 ) . Texas is portion of federal plan for enlisting and keeping of medical professionals in Texas rural countries ( 4 ) . With all federal attempts there is range to better the EMS in rural Texas. But still increased attempts are needed to better the quality of EMS in rural countries. Other plans which are working to better the exigency attention services in rural countries are The Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program, The Rural Health Network Development Grant Program, The Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program, The Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program, Grants for Policy-Oriented Rural Health Services Research, The Rural Health Research Grant Program, Public Access Defibrillation Demonstration Projects Grant Program, The Rural Emergency Medical Service Training and Equipment Assistance Program, The Rural Health Best Practices and Community Development Cooperative Agreement Program etc. ( 4 )State Policies:The 77th Legislature passed House Bill 7 in 2001 and formed Office of Rural Community Affairs. It provided funding for many plans to better entree to rural wellness attention. It provides fundss to plans like Critical Access Hospital Board Training Reimbursement, Critical Access Hospital Designation, Critical Access Hospital Feasibility Study Grant, Critical Access Hospital Feasibility Study Grant, Access to Emergency Dev ices Grants, Capital Improvement Loan Fund, Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program, Rural Communities Healthcare Investment Loan Reimbursement Program, Rural Physician Relief Program, Medically Underserved Community, Rural Recruitment and Retention Initiative, Outstanding Rural Scholar Recognition Program and Texas Health Service Corps Program. The 78th Texas legislative assembly passed an act in November 2002 to cover with jobs like unequal support issues, inaccessibility of EMS system and deficit of doctor ( 4 ) . There is no entirely federal and province plan for injury services. Both the federal and province authoritiess are working in a synchronism to supply grants for injury attention, EMS suppliers and first respondents to better and prolong the quality of EMS services in the rural countries. In 2003, new history for EMS was created in 78th Texas Legislature. A $ 100 mulct was imposed for poisoning related offenses and the money was deposited in this history ( 4 ) . Fifty per centum of that money is allocated for local Emergency Medical Services, no more than twenty per centum is for Rural Assistance Clinics for 22 TSAs, 27 per centum is for unsalaried injury attention installations and three per centum is for administrative cost for Bureau of Emergency Management ( 4 ) . State resources are non equal to for enlistin g and keeping of wellness attention professionals, better exigency medical equipment and keep the quality of EMS in rural countries of Texas. Most of federal and province rural wellness policies and plans rely on nose count Bureau information and bounds set by the OMB, ERS, agency, and HRSA for country of appellation such as urban and rural, metro and non tube or frontier ( 4 ) . The agency of Health Professional National Center for Health Workforce Analysis of Health Resources and Services Administration has criterions to sort certain geographic countries and population groups into a wellness professional deficit country ( HPSA ) or medically underserved country or Population ( MUA/MUP ) . Harmonizing to this study, Texas has 100 HPSA in non tube or frontier parts and in those 60 seven counties, 20 nine are population groups and three comprehensive wellness centres and one Rural Health Clinic ( 4 ) . As per the Bureau of Emergency Management has administered presently 131 as Level IV ( basic ) injury installations, 36 as Level III ( general ) injury installations, 9 as Level II ( major ) injury installations, and 12 installations designated, as degree I ( comprehensive ) injury installations, . In 1997 Senate Bill 102 approved the regular session, 75th Texas Legislature and provided the EMS/Trauma attention system impermanent fund. Permanent resources provided by 76th Texas Legislature for EMS, with the money from the baccy judicial proceeding colony ( 4 ) .Federal and State Programs:Plans like Statewide Rural Health Care System provided by Texas Department of Insurance to rural population aids in supplying insurance coverage for exigency attention. The School-based Health Centers plan is offered by Texas Department of Health for rural country where there is a lack of medical professionals. Besides Rural Emergency Medical Services Scholarship Incentive plan is provided by the Center for Rural Health Initiatives for rural countries holding a population of less than 50,000 which are non designated as metropolitan statistical country and they besides have community scholarship plan for nonmetropolitan Texas rural countries. The Office of Rural Community Affairs have Rural Health Facility Capital Improvement plan is for 150,000 populated rural countries and other plans like Outstanding Rural Scholar Recognition and loan Program for Rural Health Care, Rural Physician Recruitment Program and Rural Physician Relief Program. The Bureau of Emergency Management has Temporary Exemptions for Rural EMS which covers 50,000 or less populated rural countries. ( 4 )

Nick Hornby: a Long Way Down

His first book Fever Pitch was released in 1992. It’s an autobiographical story about his fanatical support for Arsenal Football Club. High Fidelity — his second book and first novel — was published in 1995. The novel was adapted into a film in 2000 and a Broadway musical in 2006. For his second novel About a Boy (1998) Hornby received the E. M. Forster Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult starred in the 2002 film version. A Long Way Down was published in 2005 in the UK. The book received mixed reviews from critics. Johnny Depp bought the rights to the book before it was even published and has since hired writer D. V. DeVincentis, who previously wrote the script for the film High Fidelity, to write the screenplay. The story takes place in London sometime these days. Martin Sharp – Martin Sharp is a former celebrity. We don't know his exact age but he is in his 40-s. Martin's life was perfect: he had a wife and two little daughters, a well-paid job and was successful. He was host of a famous show but Martin made the mistake of sleeping with a 15 years old girl, for which he spent three months in prison. This made him even more popular as his case was stripped in the yellow press. When he is released from prison he discovers that his marriage is ruined. From that point he works for a cable TV channel with low popularity and has an affair with Penny, his former colleague. He does not make an effort to see his daughters or to clarify the tense situation with his wife. He's very unhappy about his situation and feels that he has â€Å"pissed his life away† and that's why he wants to end his life. Maureen – Maureen is a 51-year-old single mother of a disabled son named Matty. Her whole life is turning around Matty. She believes that it is her cross she must bear for her mistake (Matty was born out of wedlock). She has led a completely closed-in life for two decades raising him. Before she got Matty she was employed and outgoing. This has changed because she has to care for Matty the whole day. She has no freedom and free time except the services at church she attends every Sunday. She wants to get rid of her problems, which seems impossible to her. That is why she wants to commit suicide. Jess Crichton – Jess is an eighteen-year-old girl. She does not have real friends. Jess is a person who pisses people off very quickly with her direct and rude character because she says everything that comes to her mind. Jess's father is a local politician and the family is completed by her mother. Her sister Jen, who is really important to her, left the family a few years ago and is thought to have committed suicide. The whole family, especially the mother and Jess, are still very upset about it. She wants to commit suicide by jumping from the tower block because of her family problems and losing her ex-boyfriend though it's also slightly impulsive. JJ – JJ is an American who came to London with his girlfriend Lizzy. He used to play in a band called â€Å"Big Yellow† and toured across the whole UK. For Lizzy he gave up his dream of becoming a rock star, the band broke up and Lizzy dumped him. Now he earns money by delivering pizza, a fact that he is really unhappy with. He compares his own ambition for suicide with the ambitions of well-known musicians These four strangers happen to meet on the roof of a high building called Topper's House in London on New Year's Eve, each with the intent of committing suicide. Their plans for death in solitude, however, are ruined when they meet. After telling their individual stories to the others, they decide to hold off on jumping and to protect themselves. Thus a group of four unfortunate and very individual people forms. Jess' condition not to jump is that they help her to find her ex-boyfriend Chas. So they take a taxi and drive to the party they suppose Chas to be at. After finding and talking to Chas they decide to go to Martin's place where they find Penny, who has obviously been crying. After this event the press begins to chase them. The newspapers claim that Martin has slept with Jess and that they concluded a suicidal-pact. Jess suggests that they can try to profit from the suicidal-report in the newspaper. Jess tells a reporter that they saw an angel that looked like Matt Damon, who saved them from jumping. Because of this silly lie their lives get worse. They go on vacation together and then plan next meeting for Saint Valentine's Day. They meet at 8 o'clock on the roof of Topper's House on Saint Valentine's Day. While they have a conversation, they detect a young man who is planning to jump from the roof. They try to stop him from committing suicide but he jumps. They are really taken aback. They decide to go home and to meet the following afternoon. Martin tells them about a newspaper article he read according to which people who want to commit suicide need 90 days to overcome their ambition. So they decide to wait with their decision until the 31st of March. A lot of event happens during these three months. Things improve a bit. Maureen, JJ and Martin have new jobs now. Martin teaches pupils and wants to start a new life, JJ is a busker and is happy to make music again and Maureen works in a newspaper-store. Jess’s relationships with her family come to normal. The ninety days have passed and they meet in front of the Topper's House again. They decide to go on the roof. On top, while watching the London Eye they realize that their lives are not so bad. They decide to wait with killing themselves for another six months. The book is divided into 3 big parts. And every big part consists of many small ones, each is written in the first-person narration from the points of view of each character. The language differs significantly from one character to another. Jess and JJ use a lot of slang, rude words. It’s interesting to compare British and American languages, thus JJ is an American. Though this is a book about four suicidal people, it is written in rather humorous and witty way. There are a number of laugh-out-loud passages, but also moments of real heartbreak (scenes with Maureen and her son, the suicide of a young man) Ideas Jess, Martin, and Maureen can be seen to represent Freud’s concepts of the Id, Ego, and Superego. The person’s change and development, overcoming difficulties and love for life are the main ideas of the book. Though the changes in the characters appear slight, Hornby shows that such changes are often the ones that lead to real progress in the right direction

Power Quality in Electrical Power System Assignment

Power Quality in Electrical Power System - Assignment Example Hence the load that develops is one of the most prominent reasons as well as the most important victim of power quality related issues. Since they are non-linear in nature this causes great load which results in turbulence in the waveform of the voltage.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Component  can be established. It is possible in the same way to correlate certain disturbances with consumption patterns of electricity, such as the early evening television peak in the harmonic distortion and signal Processing of  Power Quality etc.† (Bollen, 2006) Thus in order to overcome this disturbance there are numerous components used. These components prove to be quite efficient as they manage the load. Basically these devices are capacitors which are responsible to store electrical charges within them. This is designed according to the task that they need to cater. These capacitors aid in effective functioning of the machine ensuring standard power quality. The ranges may vary depending on the purpose they are meant to serve, today it has been observed that they also posses self healing capabilities which increase the life of the capacitor and moreover the product. This not only helps to increase voltage quality but also is economical. †¢ Why is it important to maintain high power quality? It is extremely important to maintain high power quality. It is noted that the best power quality is when the frequency of the electric supply results in a steady magnitude which coincides with the frequency of the sinusoidal waveform of the voltage. Since there is always some error and non-zero impedance occur in the supply system which is because of the great amount of load that might be faced by the system. This gives birth to another phenomenon of transients and outrages which fluctuates the reality. Hence when one considers the power quality they consider to what extent the power supply system is in correspondence with the ideal power supply system. â€Å"The targeted  power qualit y disturbances on the utility side include input voltage harmonics, voltage unbalance, and input inductor unbalance.† (Lee, 2008) these are the major causes of power disturbance which make it essential to maintain high power quality. Hence if the power quality of a system is good, reliable and efficient then any load which is associated with it will work effectively and efficiently. Also it will help to cut down the installation cost and minimize the carbon footprints. On the contrary if the power quality of a system is not satisfactory then the life of the product will fade furthermore the effectiveness of the installation will be badly affected. Economy would hamper as well as the cost of installation would eventually maximize and the carbon footprint will also be affected. This can result in no operation what so ever. The following reasons justify so as to why maintaining power quality is essential They will help to avoid unexpected power failures. Failure or malfunction of product is less. Causes no or little damage to sensitive devices. Avoids interference in communication. Saves loses and protects the systems. There is no requirement of increasing the installation in order to deal with failures resulting in economical solutions.

Nursing High School Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nursing High School - Case Study Example As for this patient, or for any patient for that matter, it is vital that the past medical history of the patient should be asked as to the diagnosis, date of onset, duration and medical management. The chief complaint was present, however, it still lacked in some aspects such as the onset of the complaint, duration and precipitating and relieving factors (though in this scenario, one relieving factor was given for the SOB). Lloyd & Craig (2007) noted that the medication history of the patient is "crucially important" and should not only consider the current medications but include as well past medications. For this patient, history of smoking or for any smokers in the household should be asked because of his cardiovascular risk. For physical examinations, important body systems which should be checked should include the cardiovascular system, respiratory system and the muscular system, particularly the lower extremity muscle and joints. The cardiovascular system should be checked because of the presence of the lower extremity swelling (dependent edema), sudden weight gain and breathlessness. The respiratory system should also be checked because of the complaint of SOB. The specific examination findings from the scenario should be documented on the objective part of the SOAP notes.

Organisational Behaviour and Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organisational Behaviour and Tourism - Essay Example ‘ Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model for Leading Change’ leadership thoughts viewed 3 May 2013 16 Introduction In current economic times, internal and external factors that affect an organization are changing at a very fast and sometimes the future is unpredictable especially for multinational companies that operate in different external environmental factors such as political, economic, social and technological factors. The organization needs to redevelop a strategy to survive, adjust and continue operating in the hard times (Ates and Bititci 2011, P. 5601). The ability to overcome the challenges that comes with the changes helps the business to grow and offer innovative products to its customers. Global economic down turn is causing turbulence in business environment and many companies have not been able to achieve their goals and profitability and therefore the need to change their business strategy as well as restructuring their operations. Changes in an organizatio n if not properly planned and implemented may fail to attain the expected objectives affecting the organization negatively. In some cases the managers fail to involve their employees in the planning stage and there the employees who are the implementors resist the changes especially if the changes have a negative impact on them (Blomme 2012, P. 9). In a dynamic business environment, the situations that necessitated the change may seize to exist and the execution of the planned changes may create more challenges. To avoid the negative impacts of changes in an organization the company need to conduct an analysis of their current position and understand its future expectations’, analysis their business environment and involve all the stakeholders, design the strategy, predict the outcomes and prepare to handle the negative outcome. This paper will critically evaluate the current position of the France based Car Parts manufacturing company and recommend the best approach the mana gers can take to avert the expected outcomes through several theories and outcomes. D2 Company D2 is a multinational car spare parts manufacturing company that operates in three countries namely France, Spain and United Kingdom. The company’s headquarter based in France where it also operates two manufacturing plants and one plant the other countries. The main objective of the company is to increase their profitability by product improvements, improving and developing their employees and use of advanced technology. Previously the company has managed to offer valuable returns to its shareholders by sustaining their competitive advantages despite the ever increasing competition from other organization especially companies based in low cost regions. The current economic hard economic times that have changed the supply and demand chain due to high cost of living and low purchasing power on non basic products the company is not able to meet its objectives. The company’s to management has in turn formulated a new strategy to reduce the management and production cost by stopping manufacturing of some products and operating less facilities. However they have not involved their staff and they are yet to inform them of their decision and in fact the top managers have created the impression that they will be expanding some of their facilities soon. This strategy may have negative impact o

HRD Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HRD - Research Paper Example This paper seeks to provide a synthesis of academic/scholarly literature written on work-life initiative, and give a literature review on the work-life initiative. This paper will focus on eldercare as a work-life initiative. Traditionally, elderly care is a responsibility of members of a family, and is provided in the homes of the extended family. However, in modern states, care for the elderly is provided by charitable institutions or state. This is due to the decreasing size of families, geographical dispersion of families, greater life expectancy, and tendency of women to work outside homes and access to education. Various countries provide differing forms of elderly care, rapidly changing. This is because there are various regional differences regarding taking care of the elderly. It has been noted that globally that elderly care consume majority of health expenditures compared to other age groups. Increasing large proportion of the elderly has also been accounted for globally ( Petterson, Donnersvard, Lagerstrom & Toomingas, 2006). In most of the western countries, facilities of elderly care are within residential family care homes, continuing care retirement communities, nursing homes, and freestanding assisted living facilities. These facilities have supervisory and support staff that provide board and room, rehabilitation services, and personal care in a family environment. Evidence shows that eldercare programs are a care service that provides free, confidential assistance to senior citizens: the elderly. The programs offer a wide range of services including informative lectures and workshops; confidential, free counseling, assessment, consultation, and referral to both long distance and local facilities; and periodic group meetings with caregiver support (Denton, 2012). There are different benefits of eldercare initiatives depending on different countries. However, in most western nations, senior citizens receive social security and eldercare benefits . Social security and Medicare are long term benefits that the elderly receive. Receiving such benefits often begin at 65 and continue until death. This is a long time approach paid out in many years (Ansah, Matchar, Love, Malhotra, Chan & Eberlein, 2013). Eldercare services are normally paid for by the working class. Money is taken out of every paycheck until the retirement age when such people begin to receive money every month to survive on. Senior citizens make the majority of those receiving social security. This is termed as elder care benefit and benefits people who live up to the qualified age to receive it. Long term eldercare is a relief to the population of senior citizens as it lasts for years of receiving monthly payment to live on. However, government has a way to ensure beneficiaries qualify for the benefits (Ansah, Matchar, Love, Malhotra, Chan & Eberlein, 2013). Apart from social security, there are other long term benefits that come with the eldercare program. Prog rams like Medicare and Medicaid are available to the elderly at the age of retirement. These two programs supplement the eldercare program with accessible and affordable health programs, and limited co-pay. The programs help the elderly with all sorts of care they require so as to live and keep their places of living without

Managment accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managment accounting - Essay Example The profit should be higher than the cost of production. There is increased desire by companies to know the behaviour of factors that drive to different cost .In increasingly competitive business environment organizations seeking to maintain or improve their competitiveness need cost information that is relevant and accurate. This system is based on cost modelling that traces an organization expenses both direct and indirect (Thukaram, 2007, p. 171). The activity based costing is fashionable because it has the advantage of advanced technology to the management of an organization. Hence; organizations are automating what previously had been manual jobs. The primary reason for the shift is also due to the different channels of distributing the variety of products and services, in addition the organization has been servicing different types of customers (Nolan, 2004, p. 17).Hence sufficient information can be obtained to make decisions about the profitability of different product lines. It also helps the organizations provide value added services or â€Å"top-ups† to existing products on actual cost incurred basis thus creating efficiency. The introduction of this greater variation and diversity creates complexity and increasing complexity results in greater overhead expenses. The fact that this expense overhead in recurring the labour expense does not mean that the organization is becoming inefficient, is means that the company is offering variety to different customers (Humphrey, 2007, p. 100).It traces indirect cost also called overhead to products, customers and services by identifying resource and their cost, the consumption of this resources by activities and performance of activities to produce output. Thus eliminating unprofitable items from the product line, thereby increasing profitability without increasing prices, a

What is economic diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is economic diplomacy - Essay Example on the part of the countries to negotiate the right course of action which is required for the economic as well as the trade activities and processes for the different players present in the market or the industry for that matter. These could include the tactics which are there for the short term aimed as making alliances and mergers and the strategic shifts towards social development with the help of growth and cooperation hand in hand. The international political and economic relations between different states and countries has promoted as well as saved the varied interests of these nations when it comes to the relevant discussion regarding the economic diplomacy. The superpowers of the world are focusing their attention on the well being of their respective economies whereby the production levels in these countries in relation to different goods and the provision of services has increased and got better in the years that have passed by. There is so much competition that a nation cannot stay at a place for a considerable period of time and it needs to evolve and change its direction every now and then. Economic diplomacy ensures that the countries remain on their toes to the ever changing market conditions and remain attentive to the industrial amendments which happen from time to time. Thus the countries carry out their external economic relations with the help of the tool that we call as the economic diplomacy. This is not a new phenomenon in the related contexts but surely one which will stick on for years to come in the field of economic development and prosperity of nations. The changing role of the nations in the wake of their joining different alliances and treaties like NAFTA, WTO, EU, ASEAN and the like suggests that there is constant upheaval on the domestic and international front and that the diplomatic activities will continue to suffice in the times to come. Economic diplomacy takes care of the factors which include aid, trade, reduction in

Critical Issues In Policing Essay Example for Free

Critical Issues In Policing Essay Abstract There is an abundance of issues when concerning policing. In this paper the following things will be discussed: the dangers of policing, less-than-lethal-weapons, technology used in policing, and police corruption and how it relates to this paper. Critical Issues in Policing Policing has grown in possibly the most positive and beneficial direction since the beginning of time. It is a constant grueling and agonizing pace at some times but in all reality that is what makes it even more beneficial because the officers, supervisors and the community are taking their time in making sure they are establishing a proper balance of needs. In all of this time they have continually figured out ways to reduce crime, protect citizens and the community while putting themselves at the risk of danger and death. As the technology continues to rises as time goes on and the changes in society the law enforcement will become an unpredictable turn of events. The realistic view is that there has been a lot of things to change and keep up with but some of the biggest changes in the policing area have been changes in how they deal with recruitment, gender and racial equality, better education, dangers, technology, less than lethal weapons, and Dangers of Policing While working in or at a job or in a position where you have to protect people or even the whole community, your job will be filled with a huge number of risks and dangers. Policing involves a number of dangers, and the officers that are there to serve and protect face different dangers every  day. Some of the dangers that are an issue in policing are the risk of physical injury and or death of an officer, automobile crashes, the mental and emotional stress not only of the job but of the balance between the job and personal lives. They have to deal with the elements of Mother Nature, with extreme temperature changes which involve heat stroke and or hypothermia. They also have to worry about the lack of proper nutrition, and also the exposure to contagious diseases, such as AIDS or Hepatitis. The final and most severe aspect of most of the dangers in policing is the threats of violence to themselves and their families. I can’t imagine that these thoughts don’t play a r ole in the thoughts of a police officer’s mind every time they get ready to do their job every day, it would also have an effect on how they do their jobs. There really is only one positive that someone can see out of the dangers that these officers expose themselves to on a daily basis. It is with hope and faith that having so many dangers keeps these officers prepared, attentive, and conscious of everything around them and how cautiously and carefully they do their jobs. Looking into the issues of policing we need to help improve officer safety with more effective and possibly even more equipped cars, more effective firearms, and the better invention of less lethal weapons for our officers to use when they are in the streets battling and fighting with criminals. There is no doubt that we also need to have better communication with the entire police force and other agencies, but that will come in time as everything else evolves. I think that another good way to combat the dangers in policing is that our government heads mandate it that no officer is allowed to work the beat alone. Although it is an understanding that extra patrol costs money, there is no single person that can put a price on another person’s safety or life. Driving is a huge concern for officers because not only are they having to concentrate on how they operate a car they are also having to be aware and almost have to predict in some instances what the person next to them is going to do. Now getting to the health aspects of dangers in policing, the reality of this is that the equipment that they wear can sometimes weigh more than most two month old babies and it puts quite a lot of stress on their lower extremities such as hips, knees, and feet. They also get in and out of vehicles up to hundreds of times in one day and so they risk the wear and tear on their joints and tissue. They also have to  deal with people who have various communicable diseases such as AIDS, HIV or hepatitis. They are constantly dealing with people spitting or urinating on them or by them. Part of that health is the mental and physical aspects of it, the job alone can be a hard, tiring and exhausting day to day job, then a lot of these officers go home to another life, a wife, kids, pets all of which demand even more from these people that have just spent hours out there protecting citizens and a community from criminals and terrorists. Less-than-lethal weapons These are weapons that officers use to protect themselves from a distance, they usually use them as a distraction, to disorient or incapacitate a suspect or known criminal. It is not considered to be a deadly weapon although if used in the wrong manner could cause death. There are a variety of options in relation to less than lethal weapons such as chemical agents, electrical weapons, projectile weapons, and pepper spray. It would seem that out of these options a taser is something that is more common among officers and agencies, although this is not a lethal weapon used with force it could cause death or serious injury. Less than lethal weapons are a positive thing for officers to be able to use. If an officer is alone and cannot get control of a person and they are being resistant or violent then they have another option than to just use their lethal weapon. It is a great alternative to a deadly weapon choice and usually helps the officer protect himself just as good in most cases. Without the assistance that officers have with less than lethal weapons most officers wouldn’t feel as secure in certain situations and they can also avoid someone being seriously injured or even shot to death. Technology used in policing When it comes to technology, it is and will continue to be one of the most growing and evolving parts of policing. There are what seem to be millions of types of technology that police officers use are, crime lights, lasers, crime mapping, global positioning systems. (The Future Is Here: Technology in Police Departments, 2003-2014). One example that the officers use is dashboard cameras. These cameras are mounted inside police cars and they videotape images that happen in front of the police car and outside of the  police car, they are not a new form of technology but they are as usual coming out with newer and better imaging and sound recordings and the angles at which they can be set can now be changed to view different angles. The cameras are beneficial to not only help catch criminals but they also have been used to catch police officers that are using criminal behavior. Another example is RADAR/LIDAR-Radar is a system in which they use for detecting the direction or distance, even the speed of objects by sending out pulses or waves that reflect off the article and back to the starting place. LIDAR is the light detection and ranging that is yet another acronym to describe the technology used in LTI’s family of Lasers. This technology allows for more information and communication to be more accurate and instant among police organizations and their police officers, command centers and citizens even. They are benefiting from technology because they have better chances to identify perpetrators through a higher technology base such as AFIS, they also can collect data through the DNA analysis. Police Corruption I think that there is one critical issue in policing that needs more attention and it is about police corruption. Police corruptions are abuses of police authority. (Police Corruption and Misconduct, 2014. There are multiple example of police corruption but one example would be an officer allowing someone to keep trafficking drugs as long as they receive something in return for letting them traffic them across state lines. It has been a part of society since the beginning of time and it will probably find a way and spot into the future of policing. The thing that drives police officers to commit such corruption is usually greed or personal gain. The prevention of corruption is a hard one to deal with, there is always going to be one officer somewhere out there that is going to want more than they have. They are not blamed for doing anything but action on those decisions that they have made when they are tempted by such corruptive things. It is a critical issue because citizens are suppose to put their life and trust in these officers hands and if they can’t make good decisions for themselves then how can one trust they will make good decisions when it comes to the community. Conclusion The best way to improve the concerns we have about safety is to have constant and reoccurring training that way we are keeping our officers up to date about any and all dangers that they may have to deal with in their fields that they go out and work in everyday. I also believe that we have to try and stay ahead of the criminals when it comes to technology; they have the ability to use this as something to better the amount of violence and crime. Without police forces being able to use the same technology we will fall behind on crime prevention and the reality of the situation is that policing will not ever be effective in catching these criminals is we are continually a step behind them. References Police Corruption and Misconduct. (2014). Retrieved from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Police+Corruption+and+Misconduct The Future Is Here: Technology in Police Departments. (2003-2014). Retrieved from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?article_id=1527fuseaction=displayissue_id=62008

Hebrew Wisdom on Diligence and Laziness Essay Example for Free

Hebrew Wisdom on Diligence and Laziness Essay Part I 1) I chose the Islam worldview i)The Question of Origin Islams believe that man came into being through a long process of evolution. They believe the evolutionary process which produced man in its form today took millions of years, and man evolved from lower forms of animal life. In their belief,it was only small types of animals in the beginning, and in the course of time animals got larger and eventually one of these animals developed into man. This animal is believed to have become extinct, but is believed to have been represented by the monkey. The basis of argument is certain kind of monkeys have a strong resemblance to man. ii)The Question of Identity—Islamic identity is an upmost possession. It is your faith, religion, moral values, and your whole life. This identity is the one that makes you wake up before sunrise to pray to Allah. This identity makes you kind, sincere, responsible, and thoughtful when you deal with people. It also forbids you to steal, gamble, participate or engage in implicit behavior. This identity makes you realize and understand that Islam is a way of life in other words this identity makes you a good human being. iii)The Question of Meaning/PurposeAllah states in the Quran, that he created man to be his Khalefah (confident ,attractive handsome, man),and to regulate humans; the Quaran is the constitution revealed by Allah, the name of Islam’s God. Very simple, the purpose for man’s creation is to worship the creator, Quaran 51:56-58.Allah states that he made this life in order to test man so that every person may be recompensed after death for what he has earned. iiii)The Question of Morality-A person becomes a Muslim by believing there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and saying the Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)with sincere conviction. Muslims are believers of the Islam worldview. They believe this present life is a trial in preparation for the next realm of existence. They also believe the world was created by man. iiiii)The Question of Destiny-Islam teaches that destiny is written by one’s personal hands, and then handed over to God for judgement. They believe the good and evil are in Allah’s responsibility, but if you accomplish good things in life you attain heaven and if you do bad things you will attain hell; this also means that Allah is the knower and creator of all things, and nothing exist outside of his will and decree according to the Islam worlview. Part II i)The Question of Origin—The Islamic worldview, and the Biblical worldview has no comparison, or similarity in the origin of man. Genesis 2:7, clearly states that God created man from the dust of the earth, blew into the nostrils of man, and man became a living soul. Man was also created in God’s image, Genesis 1:27. This destroys the theory of evolution; man was not developed from an animal, assumably some type monkey. ii)The Question of Identity—According to the Biblical worldview, God gave man dominion over the animals on earth in Genesis 1:26.We, not only were created in God’s image which is a very distinctive quality, but with the authority to rule. There are some similarities with the man in Islam worldview, such as being distinguished in character and morals. Although; God views are different from man’s, there are standards, and character that Christians should live up to, just as the muslims do in the Islamic faith. Christians should not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and be willing to tell others of Jesus and even willing to die for the gospel: the same with muslims, they are bold in their belief, and they are persistant and steadfast in their way of life. iii)The Question of Meaning/Purpose—‘For god so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ’John 3:16.God came to give us life, eternal life with him. As Christians, we are made to worship God. Allah states that he made this life to test man for their recompensation after death. God doesn’t test or tempt us with evil, he gave us his son to help us overcome evil by believing in Jesus. The Islamics must control their own desires to do good or evil; the biblical worldview has Jesus to help us overcome. After death, hell is the payment for a person who chooses to live an evil life, and the similarities are the same in both worldviews. iiii)The Question of Morality—Genesis 1:31 tells us that everything God made was good. Muslims, recite with conviction the shahadah, and the change transpires in their life of belief. A Christian, too, with conviction repents of their sin, confesses Jesus as their lord, and in the belief, one is a new creature iiiii)The Question of Destiny-Destiny is something that Christians, and Islams have in common. One day life will come to an end. According to Allah, nothing is out side his will, and no one is forced to obey Allah, because he has a freewill. There are minor similarities, such as :nothing is done without God’s will, no one is forced to obey God, and we are free moral agents, BUT one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Effect of Spontaneous Breathing Trial (SBT) Duration

Effect of Spontaneous Breathing Trial (SBT) Duration Effect of Spontaneous Breathing Trial (SBT) Duration on the Clinical Outcomes of Mechanically Ventilated Patients Admittted at Medical Intensive Care Units of a Tertiary Government Hospital In Davao City INTRODUCTION Background of the Study: Mechanical ventilation (MV) is primarily used to support patients whose respiratory function is compromised due to a variety of reasons. However, several studies have shown that prolonged MV among intensive care patients is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Thus, MV should be discontinued promptly as soon as patients are capable of breathing spontaneously. Furthermore, patients who are dependent on MV stay longer in the intensive care unit, requiring dedicated care and frequent monitoring. The inadequate number of intensive care unit beds necessitates maximizing the use of limited resources in delivering essential care to critically ill patients. Discontinuing mechanical ventilation in a well-timed and safe manner should lead to desirable outcomes for both patients and clinicians. Hence, strategies that assist in early withdrawal of patients from mechanical ventilation should be investigated. The process of liberating from mechanical support is known as weaning. In most studies, it was noted that nearly half of the total duration of mechanical ventilation is spent in the weaning process. Each day, a set of weaning predictors is tested and patients who meet the criteria proceeded to a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT). Several researches set the SBT at 120 minutes. The American Thoracic Society guidelines recommend SBT for 30 minutes to no longer than 120 minutes. In our institution, current practice involves an overnight duration of SBT. The optimal duration of SBT, however, is not known. The long duration of SBT requires close monitoring of a critically ill patient, which is challenging for the limited number of intensive care unit staff. Hence, this study will investigate the hypothesis that short (30 minutes), intermediate (120 minutes) and long (overnight) duration of SBT have similar clinical outcomes. Review of Related Literature: Mechanical ventilatory support is used when spontaneous ventilation is insufficient for the sustenance of life. The word supportis emphasized in this context since mechanical ventilation is not a cure for the underlying disease, but it is at best a type of support, offering rest to the patient while the disease processes are treated. A study by Esteban et al showed that half of the intensive care units in North America had at least 40% of adult patients receiving mechanical ventilation. This data is similar to that of a prospective study involving 20 countries in 2004, where it was reported that 33% of patients required mechanical ventilation. Invasive mechanical ventilation is a risky, uncomfortable, and costly procedure that should only be utilized when indicated. Major indications for mechanical ventilation are: (1) partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) cannot be maintained above 50 mm Hg despite high levels of delivered oxygen; (2) partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood rises above 50 mm Hg; (3) ventilation becomes inefficient and/or exhausted; (4) airway protection. According to Esteban et al (2002), the most common causes for mechanical ventilation were acute respiratory failure in the postoperative period (20.8%), pneumonia (13.9%), congestive heart failure (10.4%), sepsis (8.8%), trauma (7.9%), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (4.5%). The goal of mechanical ventilation is to improve ventilation, oxygenation, and lung mechanics. However, as is the case with other medical therapies, the benefit of mechanical ventilation comes at a price. An Indian study revealed that 55 of the 100 mechanically ventilated patients admitted at a university hospital developed complications as follows: nosocomial pneumonia (29%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (11%), airway complications, (10%), cardiovascular complications (8%), equipment failure (7%), and barotrauma (2%). The most common complication is ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) which occurs 48 to 72 hours or thereafter following endotracheal intubation. The incidence of VAP ranges from 9 to 27%, with mortality rate of between 33 to 50 %. A local private tertiary institution reports a lower incidence of VAP at 7.6%.In this institution, a total of 621 adult patients were intubated from September to December 2014. Of these patients, 13.3% developed ventilator-associated pneumon ia. Numerous studies report that weaning from mechanical ventilation after the underlying reason of respiratory failure has been resolved, account for more than half the total duration of mechanical ventilation. In some trials, however, weaning comprise only 40% of the whole duration of mechanical ventilation. Nevertheless, the duration of weaning is an important component that needs close attention. In a study by Coplin et al higher mortality, more cases of pneumonia and longer hospital admission was reported in patients who underwent more than 48 hours delay of liberation from mechanical ventilation. Hence, physicians should be encouraged to minimize the duration of weaning. Researchers have long recognized the complications of mechanical ventilation. They have proposed multiple techniques to facilitate the transition to spontaneous ventilation. Successful weaning from MV at any time was reported to be associated with a higher survival rate. Generally, weaning has two components. The first component is a list of â€Å"readiness to wean† criteria based on clinical factors that help decide if a patient is ready to breathe spontaneously. Ely and colleagues developed a scoring system wherein all five criteria should be met to pass the screening test. The criteria are as follows: the ratio of the partial pressure of arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) had to exceed 200; the PEEP should not exceed 5 cm H20; there had to be an adequate cough during suctioning; the ratio of the respiratory frequency to the tidal volume should be less than 105 breaths per minute per liter; and no infusions of vasopressor agents or sedatives. The second component is the spontaneous breathing trial (SBT), a period of unassisted breathing during which the patient is observed for signs of respiratory failure. Several studies have investigated the methodology for weaning. The commonly used techniques are T-piece, synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV), or Pressure Support Ventilation (PSV). The traditional mode of weaning is the T-piece weaning, which involves attaching the endotracheal tube to a T-piece such that one of the two remaining limbs of the T is connected to a humidifier, which supplies humidified oxygen while the third limb is left open to allow for exhalation. The primary disadvantage of this method of weaning is that apnea, low VE and airway pressure alarms are disabled, and close visual monitoring is required. However, this type of weaning provides an estimation of post-extubation breathing, resulting in rapid recognition of patients who are able to tolerate weaning. One of the potential areas of study is improving processes that shorten the spontaneous breathing trial. Three previous studies conducted in years 1999, 2002 and 2003 demonstrate the equivalence of 30 minutes and 120 minutes SBT using both T-piece and PSV protocols. Based on these trials, Macintyre (2012) recommended that an SBT should be at least 30 min but no longer than 120 min to allow proper assessment of ventilator discontinuation Similarly, White reported that the length of an SBT should be approximately 30 minutes to 120 minutes. However, an overnight duration of SBT has been in practice in this institution for many years due to limited data on the success rate of extubation using a shorter SBT duration. After the patient is able to sustain spontaneous breathing, the next step is to ascertain whether the patient can tolerate extubation. This is an important decision, as both delayed and failed extubation are associated with prolonged ventilation and mortality. Several factors may predict extubation failure after a successful SBT. The decision to extubate patients is largely based on the ability to clear secretions and protect the airway. A weak cough and moderate volume of secretions are also associated with extubation failure. Some studies suggest that a Glasgow coma score of ≠¤ 8-10 is correlated with extubation failure since increased risk of aspiration occurs in patients with reduced level of consciousness. Other characteristics recognized as risk factors for extubation failure are: older age, severity of illness on ICU admission, prolonged duration of ventilation prior to extubation, and continuous sedation

Significance of the Attire of Men and Women in the 18th Century Essay

Significance of the Attire of Men and Women in the 18th Century The attire of men and women in the eighteenth century cemented the roles they were supposed to play. The style of made dress belied his nature as somewhat more free from restrictions whereas the woman, bound by corsets and strict dress-codes found herself held back in clothing as in society. A sphere of influence, behavior and conduct was assigned to both sexes; each was valued for different qualities. These gender distinctions do not allow any overlap between the two sexes. (Marsden, 21) In light of this, society viewed cross-dressing (the practice of one gender dressing themselves in the attire of the other) as a threat to its own structure. For a woman to forsake the clothes and character of women for that of men sounded monstrous. Such a practice would create sexual ambiguity - a woman would assume the clothes of a man and thus the manner and actions of a man, yet her physical nature denied her that right. Cross-dressing creates monstrations - a woman ceases to be a woman after she has assumed male garb and can never hope to be a man. An aversion to cross-dressing has its roots in the Bible: "The women shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God" (qtd. in Garber, 28). On August 13, 1597 Queen Elizabeth announced a sumptuary (dealing with attire) proclamation which defined the "separate categories for men's and women's apparel: each took the form of a long list of proscribed items of dress with an indication of who alone was permitted to wear them" (Garber, 26). This law sought to prohibit the rise in classes that was transpiring - ambitious ind... ...both may wear the prototypical shirt and pants}, the gender distinctions become blur. Men feared the idea of women as sexually aggressive as men - or perhaps worse, women who pursued other women. mite simply, the idea of 'gender-swapping' caused fear and anger. Individuals designed the practice to work outside of the uniform social structure; such actions were seen as threats to the social structure. Thus, society acted strictly towards those who thought themselves 'above' social gender laws. Works Cited Garber, Marjorie. Vested Interests: Cross Dressing and Cultural Anxiety. New York: Routledge. 1992. 21-41, 211-215. Marsden, Jean I. "Modesty Unshackled: Dorothy Jordan and the Dangers of Cross-Dressing." Studies in Eighteenth-Century Culture vol. 22. Ed. by Patricia B. Craddock and Carla H. Hay. East Lansing, Michigan: Colleagues Press Inc. 1992. 21-36.

Government must seekto meet citizens needs :: essays research papers

SOME INVESTORS have applied to the government for permission to operate ferry services between Tuen Mun and Macau and the Pearl River Delta (PRD). However, the Transport Bureau has delayed approving their applications, greatly to the applicants' and residents' resentment. If there were such services, things would be much more convenient for north-western New Territories residents who want to go to Macau or the PRD, and it would be in line with Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's strategic plan of making better use of the PRD hinterland. People cannot help asking why it remains impossible to offer the public such ferry services. The government has been saying it wants to remove obstacles to the market's smooth operation. However, it has delayed approving those applications, whose approval would bring about new jobs. How does the government propose to justify itself? Nearly one million people live in Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and adjacent areas (north-western New Territories). At present, a citizen living there must take a one-hour vehicle ride to Tsim Sha Tsui or Central if he wants to go to Macau or the PRD by ferry. Such a ride takes almost as much time as a ferry journey from Central to Macau. More important, Tuen Mun is nearer Macau and the Pearl River's mouth. It would take 10 minutes to 15 minutes less time for a jetfoil to travel from Tuen Mun to Macau than from Central. If there were a Macau ferry terminal there, north-western New Territories citizens going to Macau could save more than one hour and some money. Two companies have applied to the government for permission to operate ferry services from Tuen Mun to Macau and Nansha. Last year 19 million citizens left Hong Kong by sea. Most of them went to Macau or the PRD. As one out of seven Hong Kong citizens live in north-western New Territories, one may infer that last year more than two million north-western New territories residents travelled to Macau or the PRD by ferry. If the government decided to have a new Macau ferry terminal in Tuen Mun, things would be much more convenient for them, and investors could do business. However, nothing has been heard about those companies' applications since they were submitted. In response to our inquiries, a Transport Bureau spokesperson said that, since the two existing Macau ferry terminals would not become saturated until 2011, there was no urgent need of building another.

Crossing: Fiction and Story Essay

When we hear the title â€Å"Crossing† it will give us a feeling of someone who is still crossing something. This is due to the ing-form because this form will always give us a feeling of an uncompleted or unfinished action. The short story â€Å"Crossing† is by Mark Slouka who is an American novelist and critic. A relationship between a father and a son is the starting point of the story but it has many other angles too. We live in a post-modern society which means we break a lot of traditional norms and we are beyond the scope of fixed boundaries. Many signs indicate that the main character of this story is a modern man too. The modern man is a father of a little boy and is divorced with the child’s mum. It seems very clear that he is the reason to their divorce which can be seen in this quotation: â€Å"when he looked at her she shook her head and looked away and at that moment he thought, maybe—maybe he could make this right. † ( P. 2, ll. 19-20). The man is very depressed which is probably because of the divorce. He wants to make it up and he cares a lot about his child which is mentioned in the two following quotations below: â€Å"†¦when the boy came running into the living room he threw him over his shoulder, careful not to hit his head on the corner of the TV†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (P. 2, ll. 16-17) †It would take a little while, but he’d be able to see him the whole time. † (P. 3, ll. 44-45) Both of the quotations show us that he is a caring father and this can also be the reason to, why he wants to make it up with his ex-wife. The father wants to pass his childhood memories on to his child and one of them is jaunts to the river with his own father and these jaunts mean a lot to him and it’s why he wants to pass the memories on. When they arrive to the place with the river and the barn he realise that the river is bigger than he has expected. He considers to cancel the jaunt but he says that he has nowhere else to go. This consideration can be a symbol of that he is in a middle of something in his life which means that he can’t turn back but that he has to look forward. It can probably be in the connection with his relationship. He is in the middle of their problem and he can’t go back in time and make it up but he can look forward and hope for the best. The barn on the other side of the river is described in a very strange way. It is compared to rib cage and skeleton but in between these strange descriptions, the place is also described as a wonderful place with, for instance herds of elk. During the whole story, we get the feeling of that something really bad is going to happen because of the suspense composition. This composition is only possible with particular settings in the story. Rain, mist, the strange barn and other depressive and strange settings are all sign of that something bad is on its way. At one point the situation gets really bad and the river is about to swallow the man and his child, the river is personified which can be seen in the following quote: †The river. It wanted to be whole, unbroken. It wanted him gone. He could see it, forming and re-forming, thick-walled jade, smoothing out its sides with its thumbs like a hypnotized potter. † (ll. 134-145) The sad mood during the whole story can be a symbol of his life and how he feels when he is alone without his wife. The themes of the story are therefore absolutely loneliness and phase change, because he is about to pass/go into a new phase in his life. All the characters are mentioned as anonym persons, which means nobody in the story has a name. The characters are therefore not individual persons but they are reduced roles in the man’s life. The narrator of the story knows how the man feels , what he thinks and as reader we see everything from his perspective. This kind of narrator is called third person limited narrator and the man’s point of view. It’s called limited narrator because we are not allowed to hear the boy’s thoughts and feelings. The end of the story is open which means the reader has no idea what is going on and it’s up to the reader to decide which ending the story will match. This is also the reason for the title â€Å"crossing†. As a reader you will not know what is going on after the story ends. Slouka, the author leave the characters in the river in between the secure, the wonderful place and the insecure, dangerous river. This could be the symbol of the man’s life. He has to pass many bad things to get a better life as he has before. The man is a clear sign of a modern man, who is divorced with his wife, he can’t complete his jaunt with his son and he has to fight to get a better life.

Hacktivism: The Anonymous Hackers. Essay

Hacktivism is the act of hacking, or breaking into a computer system, for a politically or socially motivated purpose. The anonymous hackers are part of the hacktivisim, it originated in 2003, however, in 2008 the group began to move toward political and social change. â€Å"We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us† (Brian 2012). The anonymous hacker group has presented itself in the street of different cities in the world after downloading a Youtube video asking all the anonymous for a meeting in the street, and starting their own community. â€Å"After WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. government documents in 2010, the ensuing cyber-attacks waged by all sides in the controversy brought the phenomenon of hacktivism into popular focus† (Noah 2012). After WikiLeaks many forms of hacktivism exploit illegal. The anonymous help in saving people life in Arab spring country. As in Egypt the anonymous team up tog ether from the US and Egypt to provide communication tools for Egyptian people after the Egyptian government starts shutting down the internet for the whole country (Brian 2012 Anonymous). The hacktivisim is used to search for freedom in Arab spring country from the dictatorial government. In Tunisia and Egypt, anonymous took down the government websites, and allowed people to enter the websites, and post their messages in the government consider it as freedom of speech as the websites own by the people not by the government (Kris 2011). Hacktivism most of the time is illegal act of getting secret information from our own government and publish it to the public. It looks for individual and group freedoms that may achieve with hacking (Shalin 2013). MasterCard, Visa, and PayPal also have been attacked by the anonymous hackers. A phone interview with anonymous in RT news about these hacking, the anonym said â€Å"that we did that for the movement of freedom of information speech† as the anonymous support WikiLeaks and the information that WikiLeaks provide, and these three company cut the fund to WikiLeaks. â€Å"On February 25 @AnonymousIRC, an Anonymous Twitter account with over 280,000 followers began posting â€Å"teasers† about a massive Bank of America data leak (Dell 2013)† the anonymous found 4.8 gigabyte of information about people career and salaries. The anonymous collective said â€Å"the data was actually retrieved from an open, insecure server in Tel Aviv, Israel, but also managed to obtain a full version of Clear Forest’s text analyzing software (Dave 2013)†, and at the end the anonymous left a message asking about these information and why it’s in the Israeli server. The anonymous isn’t about the good guy or the bad guy; it’s the character of the individual. One minute they are heroic and good in saving civilization. A few minutes later they are hacking, and doing unethical thing by hacking personal information and put them for the public, and steeling credit cards. â€Å"Anonymous was never anyone’s personal army, and never stayed on any one topic for very long (Quinn 2011).† The anonymous can be anything from anywhere, a child, a mother, a doctor, and a teacher anyone can be anonymous. The anonymous groups are people who have opinion, and they express their opinion with hacking corporation and government websites. They are looking for the freedom of speech and exchanging information among others without any limitation from the government that hide information from the people, and from the big corporations that they just look at the people as profit. The anonymous have been success of expressing their opinion in Arab spring country, and they were one of the biggest reasons in starting the revolution in those countries. The anonymous have been hacked many Israeli website to show the world the unethical act that the Israeli government does against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Hacktivism is expressing a lot of people opinion that they can’t say because they are scared of the government, and it is going to play major role in the future, like it’s right now or more. As the technology will get wider the hacktivism will get bigger. The anonymous might continue with same name or with different name, as long as, people looking for the truth and freedom hacktivism will stay around and grow. The Anonymous is a group of people from all over the world doing illegal acts, but most of the time they are showing the bad activity that government big corporation does to the people. And is hard for any government to follow them and a rest them, because they are anonymous and anyone can be one of them. Works Sites Anonymous Internet Users Team Up To Provide Communication Tools For Egyptian People (2011 January 29). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/29/anonymous-internet-egypt_n_815889.ht ml Brian Knappenberger. (2013 February 26) Anonymous/4Chan/LulzSec/Hacktivism – Full Documentary. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MYl1CbW5jY Dave Smith (2013 February 28). Bank of America Hacked By Anonymous: Hackers Leak ‘Secrets’ About Executives, Salaries, And Spy Activities. http://www.ibtimes.com/ Dell Cameron (2013 February). ANONYMOUS HACKED BANK OF AMERICA AND SEEMINGLY REVEALED THAT THEY ARE SPYING ON HACKTIVISTS. http://www.vice.com/read/anonymous-hacked-bank-of-america Kris Notaro (2011 March 9). From Tunisia and Egypt to Wisconsin: Anonymous Hacker Group Helps Take Down Insupportable Websites. http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/notaro20110309 Noah C.N. (2012 July 1). HACKTIVISM: A NEW BREED OF PROTEST IN A NETWORKED WORLD. Boston College International & Comparative Law.

Human Rights Violations Essay

Human rights are commonly understood as â€Å"inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being.†[1] Human rights are thus conceived as universal (applicable everywhere) and egalitarian (the same for everyone). These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national and international law. The doctrine of human rights in international practice, within international law, global and regional institutions, in the policies of states and in the activities of non-governmental organizations, has been a cornerstone of public policy around the world. The idea of human rights states, â€Å"if the public discourse of peacetime global society can be said to have a common moral language, it is that of human rights.† Despite this, the strong claims made by the doctrine of human rights continue to provoke considerable skepticism and debates about the content, nature and justifications of human rights to this day. Indeed, the question of what is meant by a â€Å"right† is itself controversial and the subject of continued philosophical debate. Many of the basic ideas that animated the human rights movement developed in the aftermath of the Second World War and the atrocities of The Holocaust, culminating in the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The ancient world did not possess the concept of universal human rights. Ancient societies had â€Å"elaborate systems of duties†¦ conceptions of justice, political legitimacy, and human flourishing that sought to realize human dignity, flourishing, or well-being entirely independent of human rights†. The modern concept of human rights developed during the early Modern period, alongside the European secularization of Judeo-Christian ethics. The true forerunner of human rights discourse was the concept of natural rights which appeared as part of the medieval Natural law tradition that became prominent during the Enlightenment with such philosophers as John Locke, Francis Hutcheson, and Jean-Jacques Burlamaqui, and featured prominently in the political discourse of the American Revolution and the French Revolution. From this foundation, the modern human rights arguments emerged over the latter half of the twentieth century. Gelling as social activism and political rhetoric in many nations put it high on the world agenda. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. History of concept The modern sense of human rights can be traced to Renaissance Europe and the Protestant Reformation, alongside the disappearance of the feudal authoritarianism and religious conservativism that dominated the Middle Ages. Human rights were defined as a result of European scholars attempting to form a â€Å"secularized version of Judeo-Christian ethics†. Although ideas of rights and liberty have existed in some form for much of human history, they do not resemble the modern conception of human rights. According to Jack Donnelly, in the ancient world, â€Å"traditional societies typically have had elaborate systems of duties†¦ conceptions of justice, political legitimacy, and human flourishing that sought to realize human dignity, flourishing, or well-being entirely independent of human rights. These institutions and practices are alternative to, rather than different formulations of, human rights†. The most commonly held view is that concept of human rights evolved i n the West, and that while earlier cultures had important ethical concepts, they generally lacked a concept of human rights. For example, McIntyre argues there is no word for â€Å"right† in any language before 1400. Medieval charters of liberty such as the English Magna Carta were not charters of human rights, rather they were the foundation and constituted a form of limited political and legal agreement to address specific political circumstances, in the case of Magna Carta later being recognised in the course of early modern debates about rights. One of the oldest records of human rights is the statute of Kalisz (1264), giving privileges to the Jewish minority in the Kingdom of Poland such as protection from discrimination and hate speech. The basis of most modern legal interpretations of human rights can be traced back to recent European history. The Twelve Articles (1525) are considered to be the first record of human rights in Europe. They were part of the peasants’ demands raised towards the Swabian League in the German Peasants’ War in Germany. The earliest conceptualization of human rights is credited to ideas about natural rights emanating from natural law. In particular, the issue of universal rights was introduced by the examination of the rights of indigenous peoples by Spanish clerics, such as Francisco de Vitoria and Bartolomà © de Las Casas. In the Valladolid debate, Juan Ginà ©s de Sepà ºlveda, who maintained an Aristotelian view of humanity as divided into classes of different worth, argued with Las Casas, who argued in favor of equal rights to freedom of slavery for all humans regardless of race or religion. In Britain in 1683, the English Bill of Rights (or â€Å"An Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the Crown†) and the Scottish Claim of Right each made illegal a range of oppressive governmental actions. Two major revolutions occurred during the 18th century, in the United States (1776) and in France (1789), leading to the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen respectively, both of which established certain legal rights. Additionally, the Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776 encoded into law a number of fundamental civil rights and civil freedoms. Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen approved by the National Assembly of France, August 26, 1789. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. —United States Declaration of Independence, 1776 These were followed by developments in philosophy of human rights by philosophers such as Thomas Paine, John Stuart Mill and G.W.F. Hegel during the 18th and 19th centuries. The term human rights probably came into use some time between Paine’s The Rights of Man and William Lloyd Garrison’s 1831 writings in The Liberator, in which he stated that he was trying to enlist his readers in â€Å"the great cause of human rights†. In the 19th century, human rights became a central concern over the issue of slavery. A number of reformers, such as William Wilberforce in Britain, worked towards the abolition of slavery. This was achieved in the British Empire by the Slave Trade Act 1807 and the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. In the United States, all the northern states had abolished the institution of slavery between 1777 and 1804, although southern states clung tightly to the â€Å"peculiar institution†. Conflict and debates over the expansion of slavery to new territories constituted one of the reasons for the southern states’ secession and the American Civil War. During the reconstruction period immediately following the war, several amendments to the United States Constitution were made. These included the 13th amendment, banning slavery, the 14th amendment, assuring full citizenship and civil rights to all people born in the United States, and the 15th amendment, guaranteeing African Americans the right to vote. Many groups and movements have achieved profound social changes over the course of the 20th century in the name of human rights. In Europe and North America, labour unions brought about laws granting workers the right to strike, establishing minimum work conditions and forbidding or regulating child labor. The women’s rights movement succeeded in gaining for many women the right to vote. National liberation movements in many countries succeeded in driving out colonial powers. One of the most influential was Mahatma Gandhi’s movement to free his native India from British rule. Movements by long-oppressed racial and religious minorities succeeded in many parts of the world, among them the African American Civil Rights Movement, and more recent diverse identity politics movements, on behalf of women and minorities in the United States. The establishment of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the 1864 Lieber Code and the first of the Geneva Conventions in 1864 laid the foundations of International humanitarian law, to be further developed following the two World Wars. The World Wars, and the huge losses of life and gross abuses of human rights that took place during them, were a driving force behind the development of modern human rights instruments. The League of Nations was established in 1919 at the negotiations over the Treaty of Versailles following the end of World War I. The League’s goals included disarmament, preventing war through collective security, settling disputes between countries through negotiation and diplomacy, and improving global welfare. Enshrined in its charter was a mandate to promote many of the rights later included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At the 1945 Yalta Conference, the Allied Powers agreed to create a new body to supplant the League’s role; this was to be the United Nations. The United Nations has played an important role in international human-rights law since its creation. Following the World Wars, the United Nations and its members developed much of the discourse and the bodies of law that now make up international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Philosophy The philosophy of human rights attempts to examine the underlying basis of the concept of human rights and critically looks at its content and justification. Several theoretical approaches have been advanced to explain how and why human rights have become a part of social expectations. One of the oldest Western philosophies of human rights is that they are a product of a natural law, stemming from different philosophical or religious grounds. Other theories hold that human rights codify moral behavior which is a human social product developed by a process of biological and social evolution (associated with Hume). Human rights are also described as a sociological pattern of rule setting (as in the sociological theory of law and the work of Weber). These approaches include the notion that individuals in a society accept rules from legitimate authority in exchange for security and economic advantage (as in Rawls) – a social contract. The two theories that dominate contemporary human rights discussion are the interest theory and the will theory. Interest theory argues that the principal function of human rights is to protect and promote certain essential human interests, while will theory attempts to establish the validity of human rights based on the unique human capacity for freedom. Non-governmental Organizations International non-governmental human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Service for Human Rights and FIDH monitor what they see as human rights issues around the world and promote their views on the subject. Human rights organizations have been said to â€Å"†translate complex international issues into activities to be undertaken by concerned citizens in their own community† Human rights organizations frequently engage in lobbying and advocacy in an effort to convince the United Nations, supranational bodies and national governments to adopt their policies on human rights. Many human-rights organizations have observer status at the various UN bodies tasked with protecting human rights. A new (in 2009) nongovernmental human-rights conference is the Oslo Freedom Forum, a gathering described by The Economist as â€Å"on its way to becoming a human-rights equivalent of the Davos economic forum.† The same article noted that human-rights advocates are more and more divided amongst themselves over how violations of human rights are to be defined, notably as regards the Middle East. There is criticism of human-rights organisations who use their status but allegedly move away from their stated goals. For example, Gerald M. Steinberg, an Israel-based academic, maintains that NGOs take advantage of a â€Å"halo effect† and are â€Å"given the status of impartial moral watchdogs† by governments and the media. Such critics claim that this may be seen at various governmental levels, including when human-rights groups testify before investigation committees. Human rights defenders Main article: Human rights defender A human rights defender is someone who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. Human rights defenders are those men and women who act peacefully for the promotion and protection of those rights. Corporations Multinational companies play an increasingly large role in the world, and have been responsible for numerous human rights abuses. Although the legal and moral environment surrounding the actions of governments is reasonably well developed, that surrounding multinational companies is both controversial and ill-defined.[citation needed] Multinational companies’ primary responsibility is to their shareholders, not to those affected by their actions. Such companies may be larger than the economies of some of the states within which they operate, and can wield significant economic and political power. No international treaties exist to specifically cover the behavior of companies with regard to human rights, and national legislation is very variable. Jean Ziegler, Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights on the right to food stated in a report in 2003: [T]he growing power of transnational corporations and their extension of power through privatization, deregulation and the rolling back of the State also mean that it is now time to develop binding legal norms that hold corporations to human rights standards and circumscribe potential abuses of their position of power. —Jean Ziegler In August 2003 the Human Rights Commission’s Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights produced draft Norms on the responsibilities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises with regard to human rights. These were considered by the Human Rights Commission in 2004, but have no binding status on corporations and are not monitored. Human rights violations Human rights violations occur when actions by state (or non-state) actors abuse, ignore, or deny basic human rights (including civil, political, cultural, social, and economic rights). Furthermore, violations of human rights can occur when any state or non-state actor breaches any part of the UDHR treaty or other international human rights or humanitarian law. In regard to human rights violations of United Nations laws, Article 39 of the United Nations Charterdesignates the UN Security Council (or an appointed authority) as the only tribunal that may determine UN human rights violations. Human rights abuses are monitored by United Nations committees, national institutions and governments and by many independent non-governmental organizations, such as Amnesty International, International Federation of Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, World Organisation Against Torture, Freedom House, International Freedom of Expression Exchange and Anti-Slavery International. These organisations collect evidence and documentation of alleged human rights abuses and apply pressure to enforce human rights laws. Wars of aggression, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide, are breaches of International humanitarian law and represent the most serious of human rights violations. In efforts to eliminate violations of human rights, building awareness and protesting inhumane treatment has often led to calls for action and sometimes improved conditions. The UN Security Council has interceded with peace keeping forces, and other states and treaties (NATO) have intervened in situations to protect human rights. Substantive rights Right to life Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life. —Article 6.1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights The right to life is the essential right that a human being has the right not to be killed by another human being. The concept of a right to life is central to debates on the issues of abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, self defense andwar. According to many human rights activists, the death penalty violates this right. The United Nations has called on states retaining the death penalty to establish a moratorium on capital punishment with a view to its abolition. States which do not do so face considerable moral and political pressure. Freedom from torture Throughout history, torture has been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion. In addition to state-sponsored torture, individuals or groups may be motivated to inflict torture on others for similar reasons to those of a state; however, the motive for torture can also be for the sadistic gratification of the torturer, as in the Moors murders. Torture is prohibited under international law and the domestic laws of most countries in the 21st century. It is considered to be a violation of human rights, and is declared to be unacceptable by Article 5 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Signatories of the Third Geneva Convention and Fourth Geneva Convention officially agree not to torture prisoners in armed conflicts. Torture is also prohibited by the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which has been ratified by 147 states. National and international legal prohibitions on torture derive from a consensus that torture and similar ill-treatment are immoral, as well as impractical. Despite these international conventions, organizations that monitor abuses of human rights (e.g. Amnesty International, the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims) report widespread use condoned by states in many regions of the world. Amnesty International estimates that at least 81 world governments currently practice torture, some of them openly. Freedom from slavery Main article: slavery Freedom from slavery is an internationally recognized human right. Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. Despite this, the number of slaves today is higher than at any point in history,[68] remaining as high as 12 million to 27 million, Most are debt slaves, largely in South Asia, who are under debt bondage incurred by lenders, sometimes even for generations. Human trafficking is primarily for prostituting women and children into sex industries. Groups such as the American Anti-Slavery Group, Anti-Slavery International, Free the Slaves, the Anti-Slavery Society, and the Norwegian Anti-Slavery Society continue to campaign to rid the world of slavery. Right to a fair trial Main article: Right to a fair trial Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him. The right to a fair trial has been defined in numerous regional and international human rights instruments. It is one of the most extensive human rights and all international human rights instruments enshrine it in more than one article. The right to a fair trial is one of the most litigated human rights and substantial case law has been established on the interpretation of this human right. Despite variations in wording and placement of the various fair trial rights, international human rights instrument define the right to a fair trial in broadly the same terms. The aim of the right is to ensure the proper administration of justice. As a minimum the right to fair trial includes the following fair trial rights in civil and criminal proceedings: the right to be heard by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal the right to a public hearing the right to be heard within a reasonable time the right to counsel the right to interpretation Freedom of speech Main article: Freedom of speech Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used. In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations, such as on libel, slander, obscenity, incitement to commit a crime, etc. The right to freedom of expression is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 19 of the ICCPR states that â€Å"[e]veryone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference† and â€Å"everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, eit her orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice†. Freedom of thought, conscience and religion Main articles: Freedom of thought, Conscience, and Freedom of religion Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. —Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Freedom of thought, conscience and religion are closely related rights that protect the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to think and freely hold conscientious beliefs and to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any religion. The freedom to leave or discontinue membership in a religion or religious group—in religious terms called â€Å"apostasy†Ã¢â‚¬â€is also a fundamental part of religious freedom, covered by Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International organises campaigns to protect those arrested and or incarcerated as a prisoner of conscience because of their conscientious beliefs, particularly concerning intellectual, political and artistic freedom of expression and association. In legislation, a conscience clause is a provision in a statute that excuses a health professional from complying with the law (for example legalising surgical or pharmaceutical abortion) if it is incompatible with religious or conscientious beliefs. Rights debates Events and new possibilities can affect existing rights or require new ones. Advances of technology, medicine, and philosophy constantly challenge the status quo of human rights thinking. Future generations In 1997 UNESCO adopted the Declaration on the Responsibilities of the Present Generation Towards the Future Generation. The Declaration opens with the words: Mindful of the will of the peoples, set out solemnly in the Charter of the United Nations, to ‘save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’ and to safeguard the values and principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and all other relevant instruments of international law. —Declaration on the Responsibilities of the Present Generation Towards the Future Generation Article 1 of the declaration states â€Å"the present generations have the responsibility of ensuring that the needs and interests of present and future generations are fully safeguarded.† The preamble to the declaration states that â€Å"at this point in history, the very existence of humankind and its environment are threatened† and the declaration covers a variety of issues including protection of the e nvironment, the human genome, biodiversity, cultural heritage, peace, development, and education. The preamble recalls that the responsibilities of the present generations towards future generations has been referred to in various international instruments, including the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (UNESCO 1972), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (UN Conference on Environment and Development, 1992), the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (World Conference on Human Rights, 1993) and a number of UN General Assembly resolutions relating to the protection of the global climate for present and future generations adopted since 1990. Sexual orientation and gender identity See also: LGBT rights by country or territory Sexual orientation and gender identity rights relate to the expression of sexual orientation and gender identity based on the right to respect for private life and the right not to be discriminated against on the ground of â€Å"other status† as defined in various human rights conventions, such as article 17 and 26 in the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and article 8 and article 14 in the European Convention on Human Rights. Through the way many because of their religious beliefs claim that they support human rights in general while denying that LGBT rights are human rights, LGBT rights stand prominent in the very defense of the universal principle of the human rights. If human rights are understood in a way that makes it possible to exclude the basic rights of certain groups only because of certain religious and cultural prejudices, we find that the principle of universality is taken right out of the human rights, and human rights are trans formed to a set of rules only reflecting certain historically values. Homosexuality is illegal in 76 countries[citation needed], and is punishable by execution in seven countries. The criminalization of private, consensual, adult sexual relations, especially in countries where corporal or capital punishment is involved, is one of the primary concerns of LGBT human rights advocates. Other issues include: government recognition of same-sex relationships, LGBT adoption, sexual orientation and military service, immigration equality, anti-discrimination laws, hate crime laws regarding violence against LGBT people,sodomy laws, anti-lesbianism laws, and equal age of consent for same-sex activity. A global charter for sexual orientation and gender identity rights has been proposed in the form of the ‘Yogyakarta Principles’, a set of 29 principles whose authors say they apply International Human Rights Law statutes and precedent to situations relevant to LGBT people’s experience. The principles were presented at a United Nations event in New York on November 7, 2007, co-sponsored by Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. The principles have been acknowledged with influencing the French proposed UN declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity, which focuses on ending violence, criminalization and capital punishment and does not include dialogue about same-sex marriage or right to start a family.[95][96] The proposal was supported by 67 of the then 192 member countries of the United Nations, including all EU member states and the United States. An alternative statement opposing the proposal was initiated by Syria and signed by 57 member nations, including all 27 nations of the Arab League as well as Iran and North Korea. Trade Although both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights emphasize the importance of a right to work, neither of these documents explicitly mention trade as a mechanism for ensuring this fundamental right. And yet trade plays a key role in providing jobs. Some experts argue that trade is inherent to human nature and that when governments inhibit international trade they directly inhibit the right to work and the other indirect benefits, like the right to education, that increased work and investment help accrue. Others have argued that the ability to trade does not affect everyone equally—often groups like the rural poor, indigenous groups and women are less likely to access the benefits of increased trade. On the other hand, others think that it is no longer primarily individuals but companies that trade, and therefore it cannot be guaranteed as a human right.[citation needed] Additionally, trying to fit too many concepts under the umbrella of what qualifies as a human right has the potential to dilute their importance. Finally, it is difficult to define a right to trade as either â€Å"fair† or â€Å"just† in that the current trade regime produces winners and losers but its reform is likely to produce (different) winners and losers. See also: The Recognition of Labour Standards within the World Trade Organisation and Investor state dispute settlement Water See also: Water politics and Right to water In November 2002, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued a non-binding comment affirming that access to water was a human right: the human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights. —United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights This principle was reaffirmed at the 3rd and 4th World Water Councils in 2003 and 2006. This marks a departure from the conclusions of the 2nd World Water Forum in The Hague in 2000, which stated that water was a commodity to be bought and sold, not a right. There are calls from many NGOs and politicians to enshrine access to water as a binding human right, and not as a commodity. According to the United Nations, nearly 900 million people lack access to clean water and more than 2.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. On July 28, 2010, the UN declared water and sanitation as human rights. By declaring safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right, the U.N. General Assembly made a step towards the Millennium Development Goal to ensure environmental sustainability, which in part aims to â€Å"halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation†. Reproductive rights Main article: reproductive rights Reproductive rights are rights relating to reproduction and reproductive health. The World Health Organisation defines reproductive rights as follows: Reproductive rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. They also include the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence. — World Health Organisation Reproductive rights were first established as a subset of human rights at the United Nations 1968 International Conference on Human Rights. The sixteenth article of the resulting Proclamation of Teheran states, â€Å"Parents have a basic human right to determine freely and responsibly the number and the spacing of their children.† Reproductive rights may include some or all of the following rights: the right to legal or safe abortion, the right to control one’s reproductive functions, the right to quality reproductive healthcare, and the right to education and access in order to make reproductive choices free from coercion, discrimination, and violence. Reproductive rights may also be understood to include education about contraception and sexually transmitted infections, and freedom from coerced sterilization and contraception, protection from gender-based practices such asfemale genital cutting (FGC) and male genital mutilation (MGM). Information and communication technologies Main articles: Right to Internet access and Digital rights In October 2009, Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications announced that every person in Finland would have the legal right to Internet access. Since July 2010, the government has legally obligated telecommunications companies to offer broadband Internet access to every permanent residence and office. The connection must be â€Å"reasonably priced† and have a downstream rate of at least 1 Mbit/s. In March 2010, the BBC, having commissioned an opinion poll, reported that â€Å"almost four in five people around the world believe that access to the internet is a fundamental right.† The poll, conducted by the polling companyGlobeScan for the BBC World Service, collated the answers of 27,973 adult citizens across 26 countries to find that 79% of adults either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the statement: â€Å"access to the internet should be a fundamental right of all people†. Relationship with other topics Human rights and the environment There are two basic conceptions of environmental human rights in the current human rights system. The first is that the right to a healthy or adequate environment is itself a human right (as seen in both Article 24 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Article 11 of the San Salvador Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights). The second conception is the idea that environmental human rights can be derived from other human rights, usually – the right to life, the right to health, the right to private family life and the right to property (among many others). This second theory enjoys much more widespread use in human rights courts around the world, as those rights are contained in many human rights documents. The onset of various environmental issues, especially climate change, has created potential conflicts between different human rights. Human rights ultimately require a working ecosystem and healthy environment, but the granting of certain rights to individuals may damage these. Such as the conflict between right to decide number of offspring and the common need for a healthy environment, as noted in the tragedy of the commons. In the area of environmental rights, the responsibilities of multinational corporations, so far relatively unaddressed by human rights legislation, is of paramount consideration.[citation needed] Environmental Rights revolve largely around the idea of a right to a livable environment both for the present and the future generations. National security See also: National security and Anti-terrorism legislation With the exception of non-derogable human rights (international conventions class the right to life, the right to be free from slavery, the right to be free from torture and the right to be free from retroactive application of penal laws as non-derogable),[120] the UN recognises that human rights can be limited or even pushed aside during times of national emergency – although the emergency must be actual, affect the whole population and the threat must be to the very existence of the nation. The declaration of emergency must also be a last resort and a temporary measure. —United Nations. The Resource Rights that cannot be derogated for reasons of national security in any circumstances are known as peremptory norms or jus cogens. Such United Nations Charter obligations are binding on all states and cannot be modified by treaty. Examples of national security being used to justify human rights violations include the Japanese American internment during World War II, Stalin’s Great Purge, and the modern-day abuses of terror suspects rights by some countries, often in the name of the War on Terror.