Religion and Education free essay sample

?U. S. President Dwight D. Howard stated that, â€Å"If our government is not based on deep religious beliefs it has no meaning. † (H. R. Guggisberg, 1988, p. 2) (MENG Xianxia/Cross-cultural Communication Vol. 7 No. 2, 2011, p. 232). Although religion has been a heated topic since the beginning of mankind, we cannot deny the influence it has had in educational institutions through the development of all civilizations. The role of religion in public education is not limited to America alone. Religion and Education are directly related to the development of all societies and cultures. In this paper, I will discuss and explain the influence of religion and education on societies since the beginning of mankind. 1) Religion deals with almost all aspects of human life. 2) History cannot be taught in education without the mention of religious influences on civilizations. 3) The role of religion in public education is not limited to America alone, since the beginning of mankind every civilization has shown some type of evolution within their religious and educational institutions. We will write a custom essay sample on Religion and Education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are several examples from different parts of the world to prove how widespread the problem is. 4) All societies and civilizations are made up of individuals that belong to families. Families are the core of all societies and the religious choices of each family will society as a whole. 1) It may have influence in education, marriage, work, and even food. â€Å"American religious education, as a kind of spiritual support, has been playing a supportive role in Americans’ outlook on life, the realization of life value, the shaping of personality, ethic concepts and national spirit. It’s important role is manifested in the economic and political fields. † (MENG Xianxia/Cross-cultural Communication Vol. No. 2 1001, p. 231) Religion influence many aspects of day to day issues such as life choices, dress, and education. As shown in the article, â€Å"Religious Experience and Progressive Education,† published in the American Educational History Journal by Jared R. Stallones, â€Å"A recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life revealed that fully eighty-four percent of Americans identify themselves as adherents of a specific religion. Eighty-eight percent are absolutely or fairly certain of the existence of God or a universal spirit, including fifteen percent of self-identified atheists. Eighty-two percent of the population considers religion to be very or somewhat important in their lives, and seventy-five percent of Americans, including ten percent of atheists, prayed at least once per week. † (p33) This demonstrates how religion is an important entity in the daily lives of many. This is because religions deal with the human life as a whole. For centuries people have searched for the meaning and truth of their own nature and the nature of the universe, religions are the result. We view religions as communities of people who share practices and beliefs, who gather together in special buildings to worship, and who have a special way of living. More than three-quarters of the world’s population consider themselves members of some kind of religion. Religion influences almost all aspects of human life. It may have influence in education, marriage, work, and even food. 2) The United States was founded on the principles of religion, the citizens of this country can practice whatever religion they like without being persecuted. The liberties provided under the Constitution allow individuals to practice their religious beliefs openly and without judgment. These beliefs provide guidance and structure in the lives of these individuals. â€Å"After the founding of the United States, although the Constitution clearly regulates â€Å"secularism†, religions in America are always closely intertwined with the process of American history, and play a huge impact on the political, economic, legal and cultural fields. American sociologist Richard Newhouse said, â€Å"A basic fact about the United States is that Americans themselves claim that most of them are Christian and the moral foundations of American society are Jewish-Christian morality just as non-Christian believe. † (Zhang, 2007, p. 13) (MENG Xianxia/Cross-cultural Communication Vol. 7. No. 2, 2011). There are thousands of religions and thousand more subdivisions of those. Religions are divided mainly into ancient and modern religions. Not to say that the â€Å"modern† religions just originated in the past couple years, just they are still practiced in present times. Some of the ancient religions include Egyptian, Zoroastria, Greek, Norse, and Celtic. (Source and Cite) 3) People have been shunned, ostracized, sacrificed, and killed because of their religious beliefs. These acts take place because individuals have different views. There are several examples from different parts of the world to prove how widespread the problem is. American society is a blend of secularized and religious elements. Anderson (2004) noted that these two elements have always posed a dilemma for public education. The struggle is how to accommodate both of these societal characteristics. He pointed out that the secular nature of American public culture and its underlying pluralistic character are important aspects of the context for our system of education. The role of religion in public education is not limited to America alone. There are several examples from different parts of the world to prove how widespread the problem is. Thomas (2006) reported a case in France in which a Muslim girl was expelled for wearing a traditional Islamic headscarf. The President supported the move saying that religion should not be permitted in public schools. Islamic leaders protested that the ban was prejudicial, singling out Muslims for discriminatory practices. Hinsliff (2004) reported an interesting controversy in which Christian evangelists in England wanted to have the strengthening of faith teaching in schools. They dropped the idea when†¦ 4) Families are the core of all societies and the religious choices of each family will affect society as a whole. The religious choices of a family will influence an individuals decisions that will in turn affect society as a whole. What in individual puts out into society will come back as their decision and actions affect society as a whole. Religion is an important entity in the lives of many. According to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, â€Å"Religious freedom includes the right to assemble for private and public worship, determine the conditions of membership, give religious instructions, preach its message publicly, and publish and circulate religious material† (International Religious Freedom, Sec. 2 (3) Article 18). The United States is one of the nations with most fantastic religious background, and in reality religion and religious education permeates all aspects of American life. Religion lies in American family education, school education, political activities and social life, playing a role that cannot be ignored. (MENG Abstract p. 1) Conclusion: Although religion has been and is a heated topic at times and since the beginning of mankind, we cannot deny the fact, the influence it has had in educational institutions through the development of all civilizations, I feel that this is a great thing. â€Å"You will not get very far into any educational issues without somehow bumping into religious themes. † Marty goes on to explains in Christianity and its legacy in education that â€Å"We Americans are taught to think of American society as a secular one in which religion does not count for much, and our educational system is organized in such a way that religious concerns often receive little attention. But if you think for a moment, you may realize that a better question is, where does religion not come into all this? â€Å" (Burke and Segal p. 631). To have religion thwarting together with education is what gives us history. It is what takes us to the next point in life. It gives us guidance and even sometimes warnings. As a young boy that has been brought up in the ministry and to see how religion has played a key role in my life and education†¦I applaud this. It is known that religion and education has been around for thousands of years and I believe it will continue for many more. From teaching your grandson to assemble a tomahawk to worshipping the Greek god of war, people show religion and education in many different ways. As, David P. Setran referenced in the Teachers College Record article More Religion in Education and More Education in Religion: Liberal Progressivism and the Educational Common Faith, 1917-1940, â€Å"The Kingdom of God proved to be a powerful image of the ideal democracy and a powerful representation of religion and education working together to build a better world. It is recommended that future scholars continue to look in other parts of the country and among other individuals to trace these powerful cooperative relation, thus restoring the place of religion as an important source and ally of progressive education. † (p. 1, abstract) (Teachers College Record, v114 n1 2012. 29pp. ) Religion and education have been wedded in western culture for as long as schools have existed, and as long as religious diversity and democratic decision-making endure in American society, then struggles between and about religion and education will continue in American schools (Religious Experience and Progressive Education,† published in the American Educational History Journal by Jared R. Stallones, p33. ) Religion and education has been around for thousands of years and it will continue for many more.

The Importance of Good Writing Skills for Prospective University Students The WritePass Journal

The Importance of Good Writing Skills for Prospective University Students Introduction The Importance of Good Writing Skills for Prospective University Students ). However, this hobby is highly important for students in order to help them improve their structuring, their ability of expression, and their vocabulary skills. Writing a diary or a blog: While diaries may be slightly out-dated, students can create a blog on a topic of interest which will help them regularly post their thoughts, feelings, and opinions regarding various topics. This will help enhance their creativity, expressive abilities, and enable them to generally enhance their writing skills to capture the interest of readers. Becoming a freelance writer: While prospective university students search for various part-time jobs, it may be beneficial for them to look for jobs as freelance writers. Indulging in activities such as writing advertising and marketing messages, writing emails, and other small tasks to earn a small income may pay a long way in their future. Avoid using slang when chatting, writing emails, or in any other form of communication: Using slang impairs a person’s spelling and vocabulary skills and may often hinder a person’s ability to write properly structured sentences. Hence, avoiding the use of such language can help a student write more appropriately in the future. Having good writing skills can help prospective students in their university years and can also pay a long way when looking for prospective careers. Most employers are looking for candidates with a good level of expression, excellent writing skills, and a high level of creativity.   Research has found that individuals with good writing skills score 80% higher than those who do not possess such skills in university and tend to find jobs 30% quicker than others (Aims Community College, 2013). References Aims Community College. (2013) Online Writing Lab. [online] Accessed on: November 10, 2013 Available at: aims.edu/student/online-writing-lab/overview/why CollegeXpress. (2013) â€Å"Cultivating Exceptional Writing Skills for Success and Beyond†. Accessed on November 11, 2013 Available at: collegexpress.com/articles-and-advice/majors-and-academics/articles/college-academics/cultivating-exceptional-writing-skills-success-college-and-beyond/

What actions might be taken by governments to reduce or limit price Essay - 1

What actions might be taken by governments to reduce or limit price fluctuations - Essay Example The paper tells that the price fluctuation concept is a natural concept, most especially for the seasonally produced goods. This is owing to the fact that applying the law of demand and supply for example in the [production of agricultural products, there will always be surplus during the harvesting time and low supply during the rest of the seasons. This means that the prices will be lower during harvesting, and then increase sometimes later when the season is far from harvesting. Thus, such seasonality is a natural aspect that the government cannot control. However, the government can intervene to mitigate or at least limit the rates of price fluctuations for the seasonally produced goods, through production planning that would ensure that enough products are generated during the season, which can last through the off-season and sustain the demand for this period, thus keeping the prices relatively constant. However, while this strategy may seem to be very practical, the limiting f actor is the perishability of the products. While bulk production can be done to last through the off-season and sustain the demand, how about the products that are perishable, and that cannot last for a few weeks or months without going bad? This calls for the development of a different strategy to address the price fluctuations. Price fluctuations are caused by a variety of economic factors that are at play at any one given time within an economy. New technologies could emerge that causes production to increase, or even the cost of production to reduce, thus causing a reduction in prices. Alternatively, substitutes can emerge which may cause the prices of the existing goods to reduce or increase, based on the nature of substitutes created. Seasonal changes in climates and other environmental factors may cause the supply of goods to reduce, thus increasing the prices of the limited commodities supplied. These factors create uncertainty in the economy, resulting in the prices changi ng with every change of the situation. Thus, measures such as importing in order to cover the deficit in supply, as well as improving the infrastructure to ensure efficient supply throughout the economy, are important strategies

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl - Essay Example Nevertheless, there is a woman who has been through better situations as a slave during her childhood that influenced and shaped her life which she revealed in her autobiography. Harriet Jacobs was born in a slave family but was raised with so much love and good bearing. She enjoyed the love her mother who unfortunately died while Jacobs was still young. She was also lavished with the care and concern of her grandmother who seemed to have thought of nobody else but her family. Moreover, she was also privileged to have such a wonderful mistress who taught her how to read and write. These early experiences shaped her to become a respected slave girl who was not only praise-worthy for her work but also for her principles and wit. She later became known among the slaves to be able to read and write that her help was often sought. For instance, there was a time when rumors were heard that there are white men who were interested in helping slaves. With the desire of every slave to gain his freedom, they wanted to verify the information. However, as slaves, they were not able to read. Therefore, they asked Jacobs to read the papers for them and help them to know more about the help being offered. In addition, there was also a Black man who sought her to teach him how to read and write because he wanted to read the Bible. However, such advantages were not the only things that the author encountered. There were so many difficulties that she went through which made her decide to do things which she might not have don under better or different circumstances. First, when she was used by her master as a sex object, being abused not only physically but emotionally and psychologically, she despised him so much that she extremely wanted to have her freedom. With her master not wanting to sell her though, she was hard-pressed on a decision that she thought would become her way of escape. She decided to bear children for a white man who showed goodness to her however, this prove d to be of no help at all. Instead, it became a source of more burdens as she now have the responsibilities of protecting and providing for her children. This shows the difficult situations which could drive slaves to do unimaginable things that they would have never thought about. Initially, Jacobs sought to free herself from the loathsome treatments of her masters, with the male sexually taking advantage of her and the wife being angry and intensely suspicious and jealous of her. However, instead of freeing herself, she made her situation more complicated by having children with a white man. Filled with jealousy and anger, her master never wanted to give her up to other masters although the wife would have gladly released her. Although Jacobs’ intentions were good, she failed to consider that her master would still continue to be very possessive of her despite what she did. Consequently, she was never given the freedom she desired instead, brought her more misery because he r master used the children as instruments to keep her as his possession as a revenge to her. Despite her sufferings though, Jacobs never gave up but braved the thought of abandoning her children to her grandmother’s care if only to prevent them from eternally suffering in the hands of her old master. When she heard that it was planned that her masters were to bring her children to her dwelling place, she ran away and hid herself in the residence of a trusted friend. Although she and her family have been through a lot

Johnson and Johnson Company Analysis

Johnson and Johnson Company Analysis This assignment is on the company called Johnson and Johnson. I have collected marketing information of this company as my topic is marketing research on Johnson and Johnson. I have covered marketing strategy, product strategy, product innovation. Also I have mentioned a case study of Brystol-Myers and explained it in this assignment below. Johnson and Johnson company sponsors brands for women health care child health care etc. This brand is most popular in child health care segment. Mothers fist choice is Johnson and Johnson for her babys health. Their products are uninfected to babys skin. Now Johnson and Johnson company has started giving babys products in a kit so that all the useful products for a baby can be available in one kit only. In this assignment I have also done company analysis as what is the condition and position is in market. SWOT analysis is also been covered. Johnson and Johnson company help mothers and infant survive childbirth and analyze their own products that how they are making the differences in the peoples lives. Johnson  Ã‚  Johnson and its many operating companies support community-based programs that improve health and well-being. The companys desire to make people healthier and safer, this is included in companys giving. JJ Corporation has a very good perception of India. This has been supported by good results in the country. JJ is also exploring the opportunities for setting up BPO operations in the country. Introduction Johnson Johnson was founded on more than 120 years ago on a radical idea. It provides medical diagnostic sections which offer surgical equipment orthopedic products, monitoring devices and contact lenses. The team brought the new ideas products that can transform human health and well being to use the hygienic sutures, dressings and bandages to pleasure peoples wounds. They have grown to meet worldwide since 1886. Because of the mergers, the formation of new companies and acquisitions, they are now worlds largest and most largely based health care company. In the consumer sections they manufactures markets a high range of products used in baby care, child care, skin care, oral and womens health care fields. The medical diagnosis sections cover products utilized by or under the direction of physicians, nurses, hospitals and clinics. It is a company of continuing strength. Its products, services, ideas are giving the touch to the lives of billions of people every day. They like to share small stories of the people and they have also introduced new ideas their passion and stories and introduced stands a team of people. Johnson and Johnson cares the world however one person at a time this inspires and unites the people of this company. JJ had worldwide pharmaceutical sales of $24.6 billion for the full-year 2008. Robert Wood Johnson served as the first president of the company. Upon his death in 1910, he was succeeded in the presidency by his brother James Wood Johnson until 1932, and then by his son,  Robert Wood Johnson II. CEO of Johnson and Johnson is William C. Weldon. Literature Review (Johnson and Johnson) Marketing is the process that creates interest among customers in goods or services. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication and business developments. It is a process by which companies build strong customer relations and create questionable value for their customers and for themselves. ^  a  b  Kotler, Philip;  Gary Armstrong,  Veronica Wong,  John Saunders  (2008).   Marketing is basically used to make out the customer, to convince the customer, and to keep the customer. The marketing concept id to achieve organizational goals depends upon knowing the needs and satisfying the customer needs and also delivering the4 desired satisfactions. Marketing strategy means to allow an organization to focus on its related resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive benefit. The strategy is centered on the key concept that the main goal is customer satisfaction. 4Ps of Marketing Product   Mass is produced on a large scale as intangible service or tangible object with a specific volume of units. Service based products are intangible products like tourism industry and hotel industry or codes based products like cellphone load and credits. Examples of tangible object are motor car and the disposable razor. Packaging also needs to be considered. Price   The price is the amount paid by the customer for a product. It is firmed by a number of factors including market share, competition, material costs, product identity and the customers perceived value of the product. If other stores have the same product the prices may be fluctuated in the business. Place   Place represents the location where a product can be purchased. It is also known as the distribution channel. Any physical store as well as virtual stores can be included on the Internet. Promotion  -May be used by the marketer in the marketplace as represents all of the communications. Promotion has four distinct elements: advertising, public relations, idle talk and point of sale. When promotion uses the four principal elements jointly, which is common in film promotion, a certain amount of crossover occurs. Case Overview (Block Marketing Strategy) Johnson Johnsons well-executed competitive intelligence (CI) strategy and following marketing defensive block against Bristol-Myers during Tylenol Datril argument on the market is considered as a typical example of the CI effective use. Bristol-Myers has not executed any kind of counterintelligence strategy, as a result the company failed to notice the Johnson Johnsons competitive intelligence activities. Then James Burke, a President of Johnson Johnson Domestic Operations, called Chairman Richard Sellars and convinced him that emergency defense block marketing strategy should be executed. It was discussed to slice Tylenols price immediately to match Datrils contributions (Hoovers, 2008). Johnson Johnson announced dipping the retail price of Tylenol by 30% 2 weeks before. Johnson Johnson Strategies Product Strategy To improve the quality of your everyday life Products from our Consumer companies stand at the ready. We present products and information targeting baby care, oral care, nutritionals, pain relief, topical care, skin and hair care and much more. Within the Consumer business franchise they create a meaningful innovation in healthcare which relies on a research strategy equally entrenched in technology and consumer insights, in maintaining with our vision: BRINGING SCIENCE TO THE ART OF HEALTHY LIVING. Marketing Strategy Sell skin care products for mothers the worlds over which are of trusted brands. Johnson and Johnson able to address all of the different segments within the market, because each segment is different in terms of its users and equipment, its products are helpful to all of the different segments. Brand Values- Vision Mission of Johnson and Johnson is that this is a global company, to provide scientifically sound is the fundamental objective high quality products and high standard of living. To provide a baby healthy life right from the start. Understanding mothers babys balanced emotional needs, so that every mother and baby can be a Johnsons mother or Johnsons baby. It also recognizes the weight of healthcare professionals. To enhance the position and facilitate the special connection between a mother and her baby product attributes. The following steps done: Given utmost importance to safety, comfort, and gentleness. It is clinically proven that Johnson and Johnson brand is a Seal of Mildness. Source : The Hindu Business Line, June 19,2009 Product Innovation Make products as per the needs of the customers. Customized baby oil as per Indian consumers requirements. As per Indian preference providing fragrances in soaps / powder etc. Pricing Promotional Pricing Strategy Advertising On parity with competition Johnson and Johnson tries to bring new products in a new market so that their marketing doesnt leave the race. For economic value determining the products or services. Creation of tiered offerings to drive growth and margin. Using price analytics to identify opportunities for policy and process change. Managing negotiations to avoid the price trap. SWOT Analysis Company Analysis The success of Johnson and Johnson in blocking the Bristol-Myers product Datrils penetration on the numbing market and extending its own brand reputation in the market can be attributed to the following factors: To develop effective defense strategy Johnson Johnson had a capability to learn its rivals plan and also planned well-positioned competitive intelligence program. Johnson Johnson management faced problems in decreasing the Tylenols prices however since in the course of the conflict the company lost millions in profits. However, on long run, this change made capture major market share and to turn into a biggest player on the market. As Johnson and Johnson could not anticipate so fast this was one of the reasons that Bristol Myers dismissed the Johnson and Johnsons warning as a Chart Image Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/charts/johnson-and-johnson/jnj/nys/classic-charts Conclusion Every day, many people enjoy the products and benefits of Johnson and Johnson. The ethical practices of this brand is leading to a strong brand however they should also focus on customers as well as on product development. For this brand baby care market is growing at 8% per annum. Johnson and Johnson is the 2nd largest player in Dabur India Ltd with Kimberly-Clark Corporation in third place. Very strong franchise has been led amongst doctors and patients in the country by the consistent practices over the period of time. The cases like waiting 3 months for a heart surgery to use a newly introduced stent by Johnson and Johnson as this can be concluded that it is one of the most trustable brand and equity that the people are enjoying today in India. It can also be concluded by the above research that it helps in understanding the consumers, doctors and medical professionals about its products and its great importance in the market. JJ makes investments to educate and train doctors and nurses. These types of initiatives resulted in augmenting the brand image of Johnson and Johnson. I have also concluded for this brand that research and develop a brand through supply teams and partnership

International Monetary Fund Essay

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a central organization in the world whose mandate of establishment in 1945 revolves around world economic and monetary cooperation (imf. org, 2006). By following microeconomic policies of the member countries, this intergovernmental organization manages or oversees the global financial system. In this organization, almost all the countries in the world work together in cooperation for the common good. The primary purpose of IMF is to propagate and stabilize international monetary system which is key in ensuring and maintaining stable international payments and exchange rates that are critical in promoting trade between countries. In its efforts to ensure stability of the international monetary system, IMF has the responsibility of reviewing the financial developments in the national, regional, and global arena. The major purpose for which International Monetary Fund was established can be explained in three points. First is to promote stable exchange rates while at the same time ensuring that order is maintained in the exchange arrangements between its member countries and to prevent competitive exchange from depreciating. Secondly, IMF was established to enhance the expansion of international trade in a balanced manner so that all the member countries can benefit from increased levels of employment and real income in addition to better development and utilization of economic resources of these member countries. Thirdly, IMF has the mandate to contribute in the establishment of a new system of payment which is multilateral in nature and which functions to eliminate the many restrictions imposed by foreign exchange and which impedes the blossoming of world trade (munfw. org, n. d). The 184 member countries are required to adopt policies which protect them from financial and economic crises, promote economic stability and policies which have the capacity to raise the living standards of the citizens (imf. rg, 2006). In any given organization, the mission and the set goals are very important since they form the basis for the strategies and management of different affairs in the organization including the critical area of decision making which determines whether the goals will be achieved or not. It is therefore the objective of this paper to describe the mission and the goals of International Monetary Fund and also analyse the process of decision making in the orgaization so as to achieve these goals. One of the mission of IMF is to offer financial assistance to various countries which have faced crises of balance-of-payments as a result of domestic policies. The governments of such countries do not have a choice other than to borrow from the IMF so as to propagate various economic activities in their countries. On the part of IMF, it has to safeguard the interest of the shareholders and therefore it requires that the countries borrowing the funds put in place stringent policy adjustments which will facilitate repayment. Another mission of the IMF is to function as a reserve pool for global economies. This is in light of the fact that various countries especially in the developed world have accumulated colosal amounts of resources and money which act to insure them against shocks. On the other hand, many countries especially in the developing world lack the capacity to accumulate resources for insurance purposes but rather would use them for consumption and investments. The IMF therefore in this case acts as reserve pool which can manage these reserves so that even poor countries can access financial assistance in times of economic crises (Eichengreen, 2009). The third mission of the IMF is to act as a supervisor with regard to macroeconomic activities and trends. This means that it has to be very prudent in keeping an eye on the prevaling financial conditions or trends in the whole globe and in case of any signs of financial instability, provide warnings on the same so that appropriate actions can be taken. However, it has only played a supporting role since most of these activities have been undertaken by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) following the suggestions by the G-20. The goals of the International Monetary Fund are in line with the goals set by the international community in 2000 popularly known as the UN Millennium Development Goals. These goals focus on fundamental aspects of human existence and are geared toward ensuring improved living standards by curbing poverty and improving the health of world populations. The time frame for the achievement of these goals is set to be by the year 2015 and therefore decision making and actions taken are done systematically and resources managed carefully to meet the set deadline. The areas of focus of the first seven goals are on eradication of extreme hunger and poverty, ensuring that primary education is accessible by all children, empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality, improvement of maternal health and reduction of child mortality. The sixth goal is with regard to HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases which have been wrecking havoc in many developing countries. The seventh goal focus on issues of environment in that IMF intends to achieve environmental sustainability by the year 2015 (imf. org, 2010). The last goal requires that a global partnership for development be formed to address issues of debt relief, aid and trade. Decisions made by the IMF are meant to ensure that the resources available are managed carefully so that the organization can meet its goals without having problems caused by lack good management of available resources in many organizations. From the goals described, it is clear that IMF targets to offer assistance to poor countries in order to overcome some of the most common challenges facing them such as disease, poverty and illiteracy. However, the organization is not a development institution like the World Bank and regional development banks. This implies that it has no mandate to provide funds for building physical infrastructure in the poor countries rather it only offers loans to the low-income countries on concessional terms in an effort to ease the pain which these countries have to endure when making critical adjustments in terms of their spending (imf. org, 2006). The purpose for making these adjustments is to bring the levels of spending to the right levels which are commensurate with their income. Consequently, this promotes important reforms which enhance much stronger and sustainable economic growth which results in poverty eradication in the affected. In addition, following streamlining of a country’s economic policies, the IMF loan given to a particular country may attract other donors who are encouraged to provide more financial support. Therefore, this organization has well elucidated approaches which are used to fight poverty and achieve the rest of the goals which it has set to accomplish by the year 2015. Decision making at the IMF revolves around two major aspects one of them being on membership of countries which may want to join the organization and on the other hand on the internal operations of the organization. Both of these areas are quite important in ensuring the sustainability of the operations within IMF. For instance, bearing in mind that the major source of money of the organization is the quotas which are contributed by different countries upon joining the organization, decision making at this stage is critical since it impacts directly on the financial stability of this organization. Quotas are basically a reflection of the size of the economies of the member countries so that a country with a broad economy in terms of variability of trade, national income, monetary reserves and output is required to deposit more into the IMF kit than a country whose size of the economy is small and whose trade variability is not great. The decisions made on the amount of quota a particular country is required to deposit also affect the voting power of that country as a member of the IMF. This means that, the larger the quota of a member country, the more decision making power or voting power it possesses. For instance, the US contributes the largest quota into the IMF kit and therefore has the highest decision-making power at nearly 18%. On the other hand the whole African continent due to its small quota in the IMF possesses only a 5% decision-making power (munfw. org, n. d). The Board of Governors can review these quotas periodically and increase them when deemed necessary. The IMF staff and management comprise of different bodies which govern and manage the affairs of the organization to facilitate the realization of the laid down goals by 2015. These include the Board of Governors, International monetary and financial committee, the Executive board, and the standing committees. However, the important decisions are made by the Board of governors. The whole IMF staff and the management are accountable to the managing director of this organization who is appointed by the executive board to whom he is also accountable. The supreme decision-making body of the IMF is the Board of governors which is made of one governor and one alternate governor from each member country who is appointed to represent the interests of the country at the organization. The alternate governor of each member country is usually the governor of the central bank or the minister of finance. The board of governors is bestowed with the responsibility of making decisions concerning membership and also internal operational activities of the organization such as changes that might be required to the Fund’s structure. Decision making process requires ample time and therefore the Board of governors usually meets twice every year to deliberate on critical issues. The Executive board has the responsibility of carrying out the day-to-day activities of the organization. The board is chaired by the managing director who is assisted by three deputy managing directors. The member countries or groups of countries elect or appoint 24 executive directors make the bulk of the board. To ease the decision making process at the board level, most member countries are grouped into constituencies but the largest shareholders that is US, Germany, Japan, UK, France are not grouped but instead each has one chair. The decision making with regard to appointment of executive directors is in some countries based on the number of votes that a particular country has so that a country with the highest number of votes appoints the executive director. Good decision making process is characterized by consensus and this is adequately embraced in the organization whereby the board relies on consensus in making decisions. The nature of this consensus is determined by the number of executive directors who agree or disagree with a certain issue. In the light of the principle that a good decision making process gives room for opinions and views from all members involved, IMF is keen to allow for a voting exercise to take place in case different opinions crop up in the initial stages of the decision making process. In this voting approach, a needed majority is established in order to give a direction on decision making. However, the percentage majority required will be determined by the nature of the decision which is being made so that a 51%, 66% or 85% majority may be required (brettonwoodsproject. rg, 2005). During this process, the managing director of the IMF who chairs the executive board is required to advice the board to consider matters arising and be patient until that time when a broad majority has made a clear decision on the issue under discussion. Decision making process is characterized by the presence of options or alternatives so that if one fails, the other alternative can be employed to see whether the anticipated results will be achieved. This is exactly what happens at IMF when the majority still fails to precipitate consensus. The alternative is to go by the simple majority of the voting power in which a decision can be quickly made through a collective agreement involving G-7 chairs and a few directors (brettonwoodsproject. org, 2005). The IMF as a firmly rooted organization is therefore a good example of an organization whose excellent management strategy is reflected by its ability to facilitate many poor countries especially in Africa overcome common challenges such as poverty and disease. The mission and the goals set by this organization go hand in hand with the Millennium Development Goals and therefore consistent management of all the resources available to the organization is critical to meet the 2015 time target. The decision making process employed by the IMF also points to one of the key reasons for successful operations since it offers alternatives, democracy and dialogue in addition to the well organized management staff.

Crime and Dye Lab Essay

Light is usually viewed as a result of the heating of a substance. The higher the temperature at which the substance is heated, the greater the vibrations that lead to certain light intensity given off by the molecule. It is this same theory that suggests why steel glows red hot when heated to high enough temperatures. The process of light emissions can also be induces through other means. 1 One of such means termed fluorescence occurs when a substance can be induced into giving off light is through absorption of a photon through light or other means of radiations. During this process, electrons are excited from their standard state. The electrons jump from their highest unoccupied orbital (HUMO) into a certain level of the unoccupied orbital (LUMO). As the electrons loose energy, they fall back to a lower orbital, thus emitting light. 1, 2 During the process leading to fluorescence, a certain change could occur during the excitation of the electron, changing the spin of the electron as it gets excited. This change has to be undone as the electron goes back to its standard state. The emitting of light in this process is known as phosphorescence. The process of fluorescence is much faster than phosphorescence. This is due to the fact that in phosphorescence, the electron has to undergo an extra step of undoing its current spin. This process is thermodynamically unfavorable compared to fluorescence. 1, 2 The last means by which light could be generated is through chemiluminescence. In such a case a chemical reaction occurs, causing an excitation of the product. As this product decays into its standard state, light is emitted. This form of luminescent is different from the previous two in the sense that no absorption of light is required to induce the glow. The glow results from the product of the chemical reaction having to be in an exited state or of higher energy. 1 The process of photon absorption and emission is certain a phenomenon that plays a vital role in our society. Such importance is expressed during rescue operations, where victims can be easily found due to waving of a fluorescent material at night. It is evident that fluorescence becomes important when a thermally induced light emission is deemed impossible. 1, 2 Separation techniques were concepts that were important in the course of this experiment. One of such is through the means of UV Vis Spectrophotometer. The constituents of ink dyes can be determined using a spectrophotometer. By placing the dyes in the spec, various wavelength peaks will be obtained. These peaks can be used to find out the constituent colors making up the dye. Another important form of separation used during this experiment is chromatography. Chromatography utilizes the differences in polarity of substances as means of separation. Such is the case of a crime lab involving the finding of a pen used in writing on a piece of paper. If a pen out of four is used to write a note, the particular pen can be detected using chromatography. The dyes of all four inks and the unknown ink can be obtained. This ink can be run through a chromatograph column, allowing a solvent to run above the ink dyes, carrying them along. After a certain point the RF values of all the inks can be used to detect the particular ink. The RF value is the distance the ink travels divided by the distance travelled by the solvent. The ink with the same RF value as the unknown is the same ink used. Chromatography has a wide range of use. It use can be stretched from this as it can also be used to indicate the component amino acids found in various proteins. The protein can be run through the column, resulting in the various amino acids that make the protein, to be separated. 1, 2 Materials and Methods (Summarized from Lab Manual) 1 Procedure * Phosphorescence Two different polyaromatic acids, 1- naphthoic acid and 4-biphenylcarboxylic acid, were obtained and drops were added unto two filter paper. The solvents heated to dryness for 11 minutes using a hot plate on low heat. The filter papers were then placed under long and short wavelength ultraviolet lamps. Observation of the intensity and duration of glow were recorded. * Fluorescence Tonic water was poured into a beaker. Long and short wavelength UV lamp was shined above the beaker. Observations were recorded. Now, a beaker of water was taking to the UV lamp and was shined at the beaker. Observations were recorded. After, 3 drops of concentrated fluorescein solution was added into the beaker. The UV lamp was shined above the beaker and observations were recorded. * Chemiluminescence 2 mL of Tekrakis-(dimethylaminoethylene) was added into a small test tube. This test tube was taken to the UV lamp and shined at. Observations about the intensity and duration of glow were recorded. After, 1 mL of luminol in DMSO was added into five test tubes. Now, in each test tube fluorescein, rhodamine, rubrene and perylene solutions were added in 4 four of the five test tubes. Observation of the color of each solution was recorded. At this point, 1M NaOH was added into each test tube and was then shined with a UV lamp. Further observations were recorded. Finally 1 g of Al2O3 was added into four 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask. This was mixed with 1 mL of 3% H2O2. In each flask, perylene, tetracene (2,3-benanthracene), 9,10-Dipehenylanthracene, and rubrene were added respectively. Now, 1 mL of oxalic chloride was added in each flask and swirled. Observations were then recorded. * Crime Lab A water bath was heated and maintained at 650C. Now, scribbles were made on papers from each of the four pens. The paper with each scribble was cut into small pieces and placed into a marked test tube. Also, a scribble of an unknown pen was obtained. The paper was also cut into small pieces and placed in a test tube. 2 mL of methanol was added into each test tube and was placed in the hot bath for 5 minutes. The test tubes were allowed to cool, the color of the inks were recorded and poured into five cuvettes. Using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer, the wavelength peaks and absorbance of each ink solution were recorded. Four of the five dyes were then poured into new marked test tubes. The solutions were then boiled for 14 minutes until the there were less than 1 mL. The solutions were allowed to cool. Now, a 250 mL beaker was obtained. In it was added a small amount of methanol (less than half a centimeter in height). A filter paper was then obtained and cut towards the end (B.1). This was placed at the side of the beaker. Finally, an alumna plate was cut in the dimension of 8 x 4 cm. A line was drawn at a 1 cm height using a pencil. In this line, drops of the four inks were spotted. This plate was then leaned inside the end of the beaker (B.2). The plate was left in the solvent until it reached  ¾ of the way up. The height the inks and solvent reached up the plate was recorded.