Weight Loss and Triglyceride Level Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Weight Loss and Triglyceride Level - Essay Example A diet containing more energy than needed may lead to prolonged postprandial hyperlipidaemia and to deposition of triglycerides in adipose tissues resulting in obesity. From a practical point of view, all hypotheses regarding the genesis of obesity can be put down to over-nutrition, meaning a hyper-energy food intake. If at all a relationship exists, this could make a sound basis for preventive and therapeutic recommendations (Anderson, J.W. and Hoie, L.H., 2005). Elevation of serum cholesterol is one of the factors that carry an increased risk for the development of coronary heart disease. Today, there is a vast body of evidence demonstrating a triangular causal relationship between habitual diet, blood cholesterol-lipoprotein levels, and coronary heart disease. In a very large proportion of individuals with a raised cholesterol level, the blood concentration of the triglycerides is also markedly increased. It has been claimed that correlation between triglycerides and coronary heart disease is as good as that between serum cholesterol and coronary heart disease. Research work has suggested that triglyceride levels may act as significant independent risk factors for coronary heart disease. Both cholesterol and triglycerides are associated with specific proteins in the plasma to form lipoproteins (Van Gaal, L.C., Mertens, I.L., and Ballaux, D., 2005). Thus the significance of the risk factor has not been determined, and this case study aims at finding this relationship in a small sample size of 35 obese patients with the hypothesis that restricting the consumption of fatty acids and exercise in order to reduce the body weight of these patients will reduce the triglyceride levels and would reduce the risks of coronary heart disease in these patients in a predictable manner such that a generalization can be made as to how much weight needs to be reduced to achieve a goal serum triglyceride level, and this can be calculated with the formula in a given population that matches with the patients included in this study. Characteristics of the Patients: The patients were obese. By definition, obesity is abnormal growth of the adipose tissue due to an enlargement of the fat cell size or increase in the fact cell number or a combination of both. Obesity is often expressed in terms of body mass index. The composition of the diet and the amount of energy driven from it are relevant to the aetiology of obesity. Consequently, a diet containing more energy than needed may lead to prolonged post-prandial hyperlipidaemia and to deposition of triglycerides in adipose tissue resulting in obesity. This group of patients is obese as per the previous definition. In these patients, the obesity is presumed to be due to high energy intake in the diet as opposed to the energy expenditure in the form of work or exercise (Nordmann, A.J. et al., 2006). The most important determinant of triglyceride level is the activity of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase in the endothelial lining of the capillaries of a variety of tissues including heart. If dietary fat intake is high, then the capacity of this enzyme to remove triglycerides particularly from the very low density lipoproteins and converting them to lipoproteins of the higher density would be affected. The result would be deposition of triglycerides in the media of the small arteries leading to atherosclerosis and luminal compromise leading to decreased blood flow at the time of the need. Thus the only way to reduce this risk of coronary heart disease is to reduce body weight by means of reduced consumption of fatty acids and exercise. Concomitantly, drug therapy with statins would also reduce the trigly

Education in the United States Essay Example for Free

Education in the United States Essay India has made large strides in educating its population of more than a billion people, yet a lot remains to be done. It is commonplace now that education is both intrinsically valuable and also instrumental for economic well-being, and this is true for individuals and entire nations. No country in the world has been able to develop without the spread of mass education. An educated population is a prerequisite for take-off into high economic growth. Table 1 in the appendix shows literacy rates for India as a whole and by sex. It also shows the decadal rates of change from 1901 to the present. 2 Literacy rates have increased for both males and females, and though the latter continues to lag behind the former, there has been a narrowing of the male-female gap in literacy: from 24. 8% in 1991 to 21. 7% in 2001. In 2001, the absolute number of illiterates declined historically for the first time by nearly 32 million. In terms of state-wise performance, Kerala continues to occupy first rank as it has done historically; on the other hand, densely populated states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar are yet to overcome their educational inertia. 3 The average figures for India as a whole hide a great deal of variation among states. Table 2 in the appendix provides literacy rates for states for the years 1991 and 2001, for the population as a whole, by sex and also provides the decadal rate of change. In 2001, Kerala, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh had more than 75% of their population of 7+ years literate. On the other hand, even in 2001, less than half of Bihar’s population of seven years and above was literate with female literacy rate only 33. 6%. In terms of zones, states in the South and West outperform states in the North and East. 2. Primary Education Primary education refers to the education of children between the ages 6-11 years (grades 1-5). Universalization of Primary Education (UPE) is a constitutional provision in India and there has been a steady expansion in the spread of primary education since Indian independence in 1947. The Indian educational system is the second largest in the world after China. In 2001-02, there were nearly 0. 66 million primary schools in India 1 This study has been undertaken as part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Project. 2 Before the 1991 census, only those belonging to the age-group 0-4 years were excluded from the population in order to compute literacy rates and the basis of the computation was the entire population. From the 1991 census onward, literacy rates were computed based on the population aged 7+ years and above. 3 In Bihar, Nagaland and Manipur as well as Delhi and Chandigarh, the absolute number of illiterates has increased in the 1990s. 4 providing access to 84% of habitations with a primary school located within a distance of one kilometer. Between 1997 and 2002, the gross primary school enrolment rate4 for India was 111 for males and 92 for females. The net primary school enrolment rate5 on the other hand was only 78 for males and 64 for females. The net primary school attendance rate between 1999 and 2002 was 79 for males and 73 for females. However, of the children who entered primary school, only 68% reached grade 5 between 1995 and 1999 (UNICEF, 2004). Table 3 provides data on gross primary school enrolments by sex between 1950-51 and 2001-2002. As can be seen from the table there has been a steady increase in the numbers of boys and girls attending primary school over time. In Table 4, state-wise enrolment of boys and girls as a percentage of their age-group is provided for 1997-1998. Girls’ enrolment has been steadily increasing over time and in 2001-02, nearly 45% of girls in the age-group 6-11 were enrolled in school. These statistics are heartening because at least until the 1990s, one of the most dismal aspects of India’s education system was the large percentage of the population in the younger age groups that were out of school. Socio-economic disparities Despite the strong constitutional backing for the provision of primary education in India6 and its expansion over time, the system is characterized not only by low achievements but also by large unevenness of achievements. Huge gaps remain between rural and urban areas, and the probability of getting any education at all sharply depends on gender, caste and income. Women, scheduled castes and tribes and the poor are faced with formidable barriers when it comes to getting basic education. Of the 200 million children in the age group 6-14, it is estimated that 59 million are out of school. Of these 35 million are girls and 24 million are boys (Ministry of Human Development, GOI). Apart from socio-economic determinants, the educational infrastructure and the management and the governance of the educational system in India are far from efficient or sufficient. The government is the largest provider of education in India with only about 10% of primary schools owned by the private sector. 7 The quality of education provided by the public education system is low which translates into low educational abilities even for those who are able to complete primary education cycle. Moreover, there is a lot of ‘waste’ in the educational system with dropout rates as high as 40% for the country as a whole and in some Indian states, they are as high as 75%. Though the number of primary 4 Gross primary school enrolment rate is computed as the number of children enrolled in primary school regardless of age divided by the population of that age group. 5 Net primary school enrolment rate is computed as the number of children in that age group enrolled in primary school divided by the population of that age group. 6 In 2002, the Supreme Court of India decreed that free primary education was a constitutional right. 7 Around 3% of private schools are aided by the government, which makes government intervention in the education sector even greater. 5 schools in the country increased, more than 1 lakh8 habitations still do not have access to a primary school within a distance of one kilometer. Teacher-pupil ratios are inadequate: less than 2 teachers are available in rural areas to teach a class size of around 100 students. Teacher motivation and teaching incentives are also very weak. India perhaps has the highest rate of teacher truancy in the world. Poverty and Education. Empirical evidence strongly shows that, both at the level of the household as well as at the level of the country, there is a positive relationship between income (and wealth) and educational attainment. More income simply means more resources available to spend on the acquisition of education. With more than 250 million people in India living on less than a $1 a day, poverty remains a major barrier to educational access. Although education is provided ‘free’ by the government, the cost of uniforms, textbooks and transportation costs are beyond the reach of many households (Tilak, 2004). Added to these direct costs are the indirect (opportunity) costs of wage/domestic labor which children perform and the costs of acquiring education become considerable for households. Graphs 1 and 2 in the appendix show simple regressions of literacy rates for sixteen states against state poverty rates and state per capita income for 2001. As is expected, literacy rates decline with poverty and rise with per capita incomes. State per capita incomes seem to explain literacy rates better than poverty rates. Filmer and Pritchett (2001) using Demographic Health Survey data for India find that the gap in enrolment between the highest and the lowest wealth class is as much as 52 percentage points. Gupta (2003) using the 52nd round of National Sample Survey data finds that the percentage of people who have completed five years of schooling declines as one descends consumption deciles. In the lowest consumption decile, the proportion of people who have not completed the primary school cycle is greater than 80%. 9 While poverty status and income class are strong determinants of who goes to school and for how long, they do not make up the whole story. Indian states of Kerala and Himachal Pradesh even with fewer resources at their disposal have been able to achieve much better educational and health outcomes compared to rich states such as Punjab and Haryana in India. This is true even when we look at cross-country outcomes. For example, Sri Lanka and Botswana do much better in education and health terms than would be predicted based on their level of resources; the Latin American countries do much worse given their resources (Mehrotra and Jolly, 1998). 8 One lakh is equal to 100,000. 9. These graphs are meant to be illustrative of the association between resources and education and do not claim any direction of causality. The relationship between resources and educational attainment is bidirectional. The poor cannot afford schooling. With little human capital, the opportunities to escape persistent poverty are very restricted and the poor can be trapped in a low education, low income vicious cycle across generations. A large literature has analyzed both theoretically and empirically persistence of poverty inter-generationally due to lack of resources to invest in education.

Essay --

Alaina Novotny February 19, 2014 Research Paper Jackie Joyner-Kersee is an intelligent, generous, fun-loving famous African American who happens to also be an Olympic heptathlete. Inspite of growing up in a big family, a dangerous neighborhood, and with little money, she grew up to be the record holder of the long jump and to own many Olympic medals. Jacqueline Joyner, widely known as Jackie Joyner, was born March 3, 1962 in East St. Louis, Illinois. She was named Jacqueline after President John Kennedy’s wife. When she was born, her grandmother predicted, â€Å"Someday this girl will be the first lady of something.† (Source 2) Oddly enough, her prediction came true. The Joyner family consisted of Alfred, Mary, Al, Jackie, Angela, and Debra. Jackie’s family was Baptist. Mary and Alfred Joyner needed to work hard to help support their family, since they married at a young age. Mary worked as a nurse’s assistant at St. Mary’s Hospital. The family was very poor. Most of their dinners were bread and mayonnaise. Also, Jackie only owned one pair of shoes. Additionally, Jackie participated in many different sports. When she was younger, Jackie studied modern dance and she was in a dance group called the Fabulous Dolls. This was what Jackie thought she wanted to do with her life, until her dance coach unexpectedly died. She could not move on after that incident. Along with dance, she was also a cheerleader. She participated most of her sports at Mary E. Brown Community Center. Which included track and field, basketball, and volleyball. She excelled well in every sport she did, especially the ones she did at Mary E. Brown Community Center. Jackie started track and field when she was nine years old. By twelve, she had jumped almost seventeen f... ...ld record holder for long jump. Then, in 1987, she scored the longest legal jump that year by a woman in the United States. However, Jackie ended up retiring from track and field because of her asthma. When she was finished with track and field she joined the Richmond Rage a basketball team in the American Basketball League. She also had enough time to write and publish an autobiography in 1997 titled A New Kind of Grace which was all about the story of how she became an Olympian. Jackie Joyner is known for her determination, bravery, and of course her six Olympic medals but there is more to becoming an amazing athlete than training, you have to be dedicated. She overcame a life of little money and without having much training equipment, to live a life as an Olympian. â€Å"It’s better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret.† –Jackie Joyner (Source 3)

Changes in Latitude :: Personal Narrative Essays

Changes in Latitude I was nominated to go to Singapore based on my achievements in the science fair. However, looking back on my recent experience in Singapore, it was the people, and not the science, that really stick in my memory. I think that's just as well. Most of the science will be yesterday's news by the time I go to college anyway. This was my first opportunity for international travel, and certainly, Singapore is about as far away as it is possible to travel from Pennsylvania. Singapore is also far away from home in its culture and climate. Traveling there opened my eyes to new ideas, values, and attitudes. The talks at the festival were great. One of the highlights of the festival for me was the spirited and humorous talk given by the Australian scientist / radio show host. I also learned a lot of new information about the human genome project, which seemed to be a prime interest of APEC's scientific community, and certainly an important project for demonstrating cooperation. Several distinguished scientists talked to us about their work with HUGO and their role in deciphering the genetic code of the human species. In addition to this exposure to scientific research in the region, I learned something about the education system of Singapore. It is, I found, somewhat different than ours. They swap the last two years of high school for something called junior college. These students are looked on with admiration by the younger students, and the adults from Singapore seem to entrust all leadership responsibilities to them, rather than the younger students. These junior college students from Singapore were also favored over students of the same age from other countries. This was upsetting to some. For example, I know one junior college-aged boy in my group who was not from Singapore complained of this. I understand, however, that this preference for the junior college students from Singapore reflects their culture's reverence for elders. Besides learning something about the education in Singapore, I had the opportunity to discuss international careers with other attendees of APEC. I think that the biggest advantage of thinking "internationally" is that you benefit from having minds from all over the globe help you solve scientific problems. And from a business perspective, you can make use of a global market to sell to a wider variety of customers.

Protection of Refugees in India

PROTECTION OF REFUGEES IN INDIA Deepak Shahi and Navrati Dongrey 2nd year B. A LL. B (Hons) . Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, Punjab ABSTRACT The development of the society and the nation brings with itself a lot of problems also. There are a lot of problems faced by India, be it gender issues, poverty, unemployment etc. one of these burning issues is the protection of refugees. Refugees are those people who have migrated from other country seeking shelter and protection. This paper deals with the various efforts taken to protect them at the national as well as international level. The concept of protection refugees in India dates back to the partition in 1947, which brought in India millions of refugees. Then came the creation of Bangladesh which invited refugees who settled in eastern states. The lack of uniform law governing the refugees has created chaos and dealing with the problem. The instable social, political and economic condition in the neighboring countries had led to the settlement of natives of these countries in India, as India is considered to be a very easy destination to live in illegally. There are lot of problem being faced by the government to tackle the growing number of refugees. The lack of strict vigil of the bordering states is one the reason for the settlement of refugees in India. This paper studies the protection provide by the Indian government to refuges and deals with the problem faced by them. In the end there is the conclusion and some suggestion given by us regarding the issue of protection. INTRODUCTION India’s multifariousness, constancy and relatively well established rule of law have made it a natural terminus for people fleeing persecution, ill-treatment, imbalance and instability in their own countries. Within the South Asian region, India stands out as an exception of tolerant, liberal, democratic and secular government in a neighborhood of unstable, fickled and volatile states. India has historically faced a legion of influxes over many millennia and the ability of these people to integrate into a multi-ethnic society and contribute peacefully to local cultures and economies has strengthened the perception of India being a country traditionally hospitable to refugees. India shares seven land borders and one sea border with countries in varied states of strife and war; and, over the years, has hosted large refugee populations not only from neighbouring countries but also from the countries outside the Indian subcontinent. Throughout the world and over the centuries, societies have welcomed frightened, weary strangers, the victims of persecution and violence. This humanitarian tradition of offering sanctuary is often now played out on television screens across the globe as war and large-scale persecution produce millions of refugees and internally displaced persons. Yet even as people continue to flee from threats to their lives and freedom, governments are, for many reasons, finding it increasingly difficult to reconcile their humanitarian impulses and obligations with their domestic needs and political realities. At the start of the 21st century, protecting refugees means maintaining solidarity with the world’s most threatened, while finding answers to the challenges confronting the international system that was created to do just that. [1] REFUGEE A person who is outside his or her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself or herself of the rotection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution. [2] According to the humanitarian definition, a refugee is someone who has fled his country because he has a well-founded fear of persecution if he remains. The major obligation of refugee protection is the principle of non-refoulement, which ensures that a person is not returned to a life-threatening situation. [3] Refugees are a subgroup of the broader category of  displaced persons. Refugees flee because of the threat of persecution and cannot return safely to their homes in the prevailing circumstances. Persons, who have participated in war crimes and violations of humanitarian and human rights law including the crime of terrorism, are specifically excluded from the protection accorded to refugees. [4] Also Environmental refugees (people displaced because of  environmental  problems such as  drought) are not included in the definition of â€Å"refugee† under  international law, as well as  internally displaced people. Refugees are people who have demonstrated to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate that they have a well grounded fear of being persecuted in their home country for reasons of: †¢ Race Religion †¢ Nationality Or membership of a particular: †¢ Social group †¢ Political opinion These conditions are laid down in the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the status of refugees to which the United Kingdom is a signatory. Sometimes people cannot meet the criteria laid down in the 1951 United Nations Convention but may be allowe d to stay in the United Kingdom on humanitarian grounds for a limited period of time. Refugees have the same rights and responsibilities as any other citizen, including rights associated with; †¢ Family reunion Welfare Benefits †¢ Work THE DEFINITION OF REFUGEES INCLUDES 1. That the person has to be outside their country of origin 2. The reason for their flight has to be a fear of persecution 3. This fear of persecution has to be well founded (i. e. they have to have experienced it or be likely to experience it if they return) 4. The persecution has to result from one or more of the five grounds listed in the definition 5. They have to be unwilling or unable to seek the protection of the authorities in their country[5] HOW IS REFUGEE DIFFERENT FROM ASYLUM SEEKER? An asylum seeker is a person who is seeking protection as a refugee and is still waiting to have his/her claim assessed. The Refugee Convention definition is used by the Australian Government to determine whether their country has protection obligations towards asylum seekers. If an asylum seeker who has reached Australia is found to be a refugee, Australia is obliged under international law to offer protection and to ensure that the person is not sent back unwillingly to a country in which they risk being prosecuted. 6] Refugees and asylum seekers are externally displaced people and cannot return Refugees and asylum seekers share their well-founded fear of persecution with internally displaced people (IDPs) who, although they have not crossed an international border, also cannot return to their homes. WHERE DO REFUGEES COME FROM? Most of the world’s recent refugees come from Afghanistan, Iraq and Colombia. Afghanistan continued to be the leading country of origin for refugees. As of the end of 2007, there were almost 3. million Afghan refugees, or 27 per cent of the global refugee population. Even though Afghan refugees were to be found in 72 asylum countries worldwide, 96 per cent of them were located in Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran alone. Iraqis were the second largest group, with 2. 3 million having sought refuge mainly in neighboring countries. Afghan and Iraqi refugees account for almost half of all refugees under UNHCR’s responsibility worldwide, followed by Colombians (552,000). [7] Top countries form where the Refugees originates Afghanistan |31,100,000 | |Iraq |23,00,000 | |Colombia |552,000 | |Sudan |523,000 | |Somalia |457,000 | |Burundi |376,000 | |DR Congo |370,000 | | | | Following countries takes Refugees Pakistan |2,033,000 | |Syria |1,503,800 | |Iran |963,500 | |Jordan |578,900 | |Germany |500,300 | |Tanzania |435,600 | |china |301,100 | |UK |299,700 | |Chad |294,000 | |us |281,200 | INDIAN CONTEXT India’s diversity, stability and relatively well established rule of law have made it a natural destination for people fleeing persecution and instability in their own countries. Within the South Asian region, India stands out as an exception of tolerant, democratic and secular government in a neighborhood of unstable and volatile states. India has historically faced numerous influxes over many millennia and the ability of these peoples to integrate into a multi-ethnic society and contribute peacefully to local cultures and economies has reinforced the perception of India being a country traditionally hospitable to refugees. India shares seven land borders and one sea border with countries in varied states of strife and war; and, over the years, has hosted large refugee populations from neighboring countries. India’s status as a preferred refugee harbor is confirmed by the steady flow of refugees from many of its sub continental neighbors as also from elsewhere. India continues to receive them despite its own over-a-billion population with at least six hundred million living in poverty with limited access to basic amenities. However, the Indian legal framework has no uniform law to deal with its huge refugee population, and has not made any progress towards evolving one either; until then, it chooses to treat incoming refugees based on their national origin and political considerations, questioning the uniformity of rights and privileges granted to refugee communities Indeed, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has submitted numerous reports. The current number of refugees and asylum seekers in India stands at approximately 435,900 according to the World Refugee Survey 2007 conducted by the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), and supported by the latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR). [8] India mostly plays host to refugees from its neighboring countries who are either forced to leave their countries of origin due to internal or external conflict, political persecution or human rights infringements. India has offered refugee status to asylum seekers from countries like china, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan. [9] The circumstance in which the refugee’s exodus from their country may vary from political persecution However, it is clear that all these refugee populations deserve their basic human rights and the assistance that can be afforded by the Government of India. To define the word ‘refugee’ in Indian legal terms is theoretically not possible since neither the Foreigner’s Act (1946) nor its amendments or additions, contains or defines the term. However, this study shall consider the definition propounded by a commission chaired by Justice P N Bhagwati in 1997,[10] whose task was to construct a uniform national law on refugees. Although the bill was never tabled in Parliament, the term ‘refugee’ was adequately defined in the ‘Model Law’ as either. There are no authoritative statistics on the number of people who have fled persecution or violence in their countries of origin to seek safety in India. However, because of India’s porous borders and accommodative policies, it was estimated that India hosted approximately 3, 30,000 such people in 2004. [11] It is estimated that over 20 lakh Nepalis fleeing from civil conflict have entered India undetected over the open border. There are also an unknown but large number of people displaced from Bhutan because of their ethnic-Nepali origins. [12] LEGAL SETUP FOR REFUGEE’S PROTECTION After the Second World War, the Refugee Convention was adopted with restricted geographical and temporal conditions to apply to post-War Europe In 1967, in an effort to give the Convention universal application, a Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees that removed the restrictions of the Convention was added. Together, these two key legal documents provide the basic framework for refugee protection across the world. As of February 2006, 146 countries were States Parties to either the Convention or its Protocol or both. However, India has repeatedly declined to join either the Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. In addition, India has resisted demands for a national legislation to govern the protection of refugees The relative success that India has had with this approach, which is guided by political instinct free from legal obligation, has led to an institutional complacency towards legal rights-enabling obligations to refugees. There has also been a hardening of attitudes about foreigners in recent years in light of heightened security concerns. This has resulted in genuine refugees paying an unfortunate price in a country that otherwise has an impressive history of protecting refugees. FOREIGNER’S ACT, 1964 India relies on the Foreigners Act, 1946 to govern the entry, stay and exit of foreigners in India. However, the Foreigners Act is a primitive legislation that was enacted as a reaction to the need of Second World War in the colonial period. The continuity to deal with this legislation in independent India even after the independence only show the government’s desire to retain absolute power to deal with foreigner[13] and thus covering all refugees within its ambit as well. CONSTITUIONAL PROVISION Also some provision of the Indian Constitution[14] reflect that the rules of natural justice in common law systems are equally applicable in India, even to refugees. The established principle of rule of law in India is that no person, whether a citizen or an alien shall be deprived of his life, liberty or property without the authority of law. The Constitution of India expressly incorporates the common law precept and the Courts have gone further to raise it to the status of one of the basic features of  the Constitution  which cannot be amended. Courts may apply international law only when there is no conflict between international law and domestic law, and also if the provisions of international law sought to be applied are not in contravention of the spirit of  the Constitution  and national legislation, thereby enabling a harmonious construction of laws. It has also been firmly laid that if there is any such conflict, then domestic law shall prevail. [15] RESTRICTED PROVISIONS OF THE CONSTITUITION There are a few Articles of the Indian Constitution which are equally applicable to refugees on the Indian soil in the same way as they are applicable to the Indian Citizens The Supreme Court of India has consistently held that the Fundamental Right enshrined under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution regarding the Right to life and personal liberty, applies to all irrespective of the fact whether they are citizens of India or aliens. 16] The various High Courts in India have liberally adopted the rules of natural justice t o refugee issues, along with recognition of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as playing an important role in the protection of refugees. The Hon’ble High Court of Guwahati has in various judgments,  recognized the refugee issue and permitted refugees to approach the UNHCR for determination of their refugee status, while staying the deportation orders issued by the district court or the administration. In the case of National Human Rights Commission v. State of Arunachal Pradesh [17]the Hon’ble Supreme Court held that refugees are a class apart from foreigners deserving of the protection of Article 21 of the Constitution. INDIAN’S CONCERN TOWARDS REFUGEE’S PROTECTION There have been a number of special legislative measures to deal with refugee influxes inspite of any law which makes refugees as a special class distinct from foreigner Special laws to deal with refugees have been used primarily by the various State Governments[18] There are three main way in which the Indian government deal with refugees are refugees in mass influx situations are received in camps and accorded temporary protection by the Indian Government including, sometimes, A. A certain measure of socio-economic protection B. Asylum seekers from South Asian countries, or any other country with which the government has a sensitive relationship, apply to the government for political asylum which is usually granted without an extensive refugee status determination subject, of course, to political exigencies C. Citizens of other countries apply to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for individual refugee status determination in accordance with th e terms of the UNHCR Statute and the Refugee Convention The first ‘foreign’ influx of refugees occurred in 1959 from Tibet when the government, politically uncomfortable with China, set up transit camps, provided food and medical supplies, issued identity documents and even transferred land for exclusive Tibetan enclaves across the country for cultivation and occupation along with government provided housing, healthcare and educational facilities. The Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, having arrived in India in three waves beginning in 1983, have also been relatively well received in the geographically and ethnically contiguous State of Tamil Nadu where a large degree of local integration has occurred. In comparison, the Chakma influxes of 1964 and 1968 saw a subdued and reluctant government response. [19] The largest mass influx in post-Partition history occurred in 1971 when approximately 16 million refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan sought safety in India. Although most of the refugees returned within a year, the experience left the Indian government both bitter at the non responsiveness of international organizations and complacent in the confidence of being able to deal with future mass influxes. Refugees who are not extended direct assistance by the Indian Government are free to apply to the UNHCR for recognition of their asylum claims and other assistance. The ambivalence of India’s refugee policy is sharply brought out in relation to its Treatment of the UNHCR. While no formal arrangement exists between the Indian government and the UNHCR, India continues to sit on the UNHCR’s Executive Committee in Geneva. India has not even signed refugees convention. It is paradoxical but true that India allows UNHCR to operate it on its territory despite of being entered into any legal treaty. REFUGEES RIGHT UNDER LAW IN INDIA Many experts in the area of refugee law believe that the more practical alternative to proposing an entirely new law is to push for changes in India’s current policy regarding refugees. As stated above, no current Indian law refers directly to refugees. Refugees thus fall under the purview of the legislative framework that addresses all foreigners in India in the same way, under the Foreigners Act 1946. The Act contains broad powers of detention subject to the discretion of the executive, and makes illegal entry into the country a crime punishable by up to 5 years with no exception for refugees and asylum seekers. Also pertinent to determining the rights of refugees in Indian law are two pre-independence enactments that enable the government to impose stringent conditions of entry and stay in India. This body of legislation indisputably gives the Indian executive excessive powers over foreigners in India, including  the power to restrict movement inside India, to mandate medical examinations, and to limit employment opportunities. This framework is problematic for refugees because the government’s unrestrained power of expulsion could possibly lead to  refoulement  and deny refugees their basis human rights while in India – in contravention of international obligations. The Extradition Act 1962 provides some protection to refugees facing extradition by restricting the government’s freedom to remove from its territory a particular category of foreigners. 20]  This restriction, however, is so narrowly relevant that it does not provide any real safeguards for the majority of refugees in India whose removal from the territory is most likely to fall under the category of  expulsion  rather than  extradition. INDIA’S INTERNATIONAL EFFORT IN TH E PROTECTION OF REFUGEES Although India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol, it is party to a number of international human rights instruments that create protection obligations toward refugees. Indian and other commentators from developing countries also call attention to the current state of flux in international refugee law. In a statement to the Executive Committee of the UNHCR in October 2003, the Indian Permanent Representative pointed out that the situation of refugee and migratory movements in the world today are vastly different from what they were when the UNHCR was created and this had to be reflected in practice to enhance the UNHCR’s ability to play a meaningful role. [21] THE 1951 REFUGEE CONVENTION The 1951 refugee’s convention is considered as an internationally agreed instrument and a mile stone in refugees protection, since as mentioned earlier in the definition[22]. A person becomes refugee as soon as he or she is in the situation, and not after a state has formally recognized him to be so. He automatically becomes entitled to the protection under this definition. The ‘well found fear’ is to be judged to the advantage of the claimant which should take into account the situation prevailing in his origin and his individual circumstances. ‘Persecution is not defined in the convention but has been interpreted to mean ‘a violation of someone’s basic human right of sufficient gravity that the protection of another state is needed’. [23] INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS (ICCPR) It recognizes the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable right of all member of the human family. It takes into account the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and character of the United Nation. It binds that state to conform to the spirit of the covenant ‘ each party to the covenant to respect and ensure to all individual within its territory the rights herein recognized without distinction of any kind via; race, color, sex, language, political or other opinion national or social origin property birth or other status. [24] CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION Although India’s past efforts in dealing with mass influxes has been commendable, its geopolitical position in the subcontinent makes it a preferred destination for asylum seekers and migrant workers. It can be easily seen from the foregoing paragraphs that India notwithstanding its own security concerns, particularly in the last couple of decades, and pressure of population and the attendant economic factors, continues to take a humanitarian view of the problem of refugees. Even though the country has not enacted a special law to govern ‘refugees’, it has not proved to be a serious handicap in coping satisfactorily with the enormous refugee problems besetting the country. The spirit and contents of the UN and International Conventions on the subject have been, by and large, honoured through executive as well as judicial intervention. By this means, the country has evolved a practical balance between human and humanitarian obligations on the one hand and security and national interest on the other. The need for a refugee law is immediate. The uniform treatment of refugees is a must as long as India continues to accept asylum seekers across its porous borders. The restrictions and unequal treatment imposed on the refugee population by the Indian government is discriminatory and tarnishes its human rights record, which is not outstanding in any case. India can require foreigners to reside in mandated areas, thereby barring their right of movement across the country, and providing India the ability to confine foreigners to refugee camps and conduct periodic camp inspections. One of the concerns that the host states have is the environmental degradation, which results from the activities of the refugees. The concern is real and needs to be addressed. In this regard the national law can place certain duties on the local administration, aid agencies, and on the refugee community. Often simple measures can avoid causing harm to the environment. For example in Bangladesh the UNHCR has distributed compressed rice husks as cooking fuel to all families in the refugee camps in order to minimize the collection of firewood and mitigate against deforestation around the camps. Since 1996, kerosene used for the ignition of the compressed rice husks is also being distributed to refugee families, to ensure that they do not need to collect firewood for this purpose. From the perspective of solutions, an important question which needs to be addressed concerns the problem of stateless persons in the region. For, among other things the problem of disputed nationality is the major obstacle in the process of repatriation. For example there are four large groups of stateless persons in the South Asian region. Despite the widespread consensus that detention should be viewed as an exceptional measure, a problem which confronts the refugees is detention without justification. The provision of the International Human Rights Law, which offers protection against arbitrary arrest and detention should be properly implemented. A key problem in India relates to the frequent denial of access to camps to NGOs and the UNHCR. While India may have legitimate concerns that motivate NGOs and states may indulge in disinformation to embarrass it before the international Community, the problem can be handled through establishing more effective communicative channels and diplomacy. The increasing emphasis of UNHCR in the last decade on voluntary repatriation as a solution meant that refugees are often returned against their will. Where return has been voluntary there needs to be thought given to devising effective mechanisms to ensure that the state of origin lives up to the promises which it had made in order to persuade refugee to return. Thus the chakma refugees who returned from India to the Chittagong Hill Tracts In Bangladesh found that the Government did little to give them back their lands, or to provide them with enough resources to guarantee a minimum standard of life. [25] Without any law or protocol, the Indian government has full autonomy to decide which rights and freedoms should be conferred upon which groups. Even ‘favored’ communities like the Tibetan refugees have suffered due to lack of a firm policy. There is also a need for a change in the law. The model law has not been sufficiently considered by the Union Government. For the last five years, the NHRC has been requesting the Government to provide refugee protection. Its present Chairman, A. S. Anand, has even set up a Committee to examine the law. The argument of terrorism and numbers having been met, there is no reason why the minimal protection against non-refoulement should not be enacted. This can probably be done even through rules. But the argument is not just over the Sri Lankan refugees, the Bangladeshis, the Afghans, the Bhutanese or the Myanmarese. It is whether India wants its voice on the world's most persecuted to be heard so as to mould future policy. If India is waiting for a cue from its neighbour, China has joined the convention and enacted refugee protection legislation. African countries have got together to devise both national and regional solutions. India needs to review its ambivalent refugee law policy, evolve a regional approach and enact rules or legislation to protect persecuted refugees. This is one step towards supporting a humanitarian law for those who need it. As a refugee-prone area, South Asia requires India to take the lead to devise a regional policy consistent with the region's needs and the capacity to absorb refugees under conditions of global equity. ———————– [1]Ms. Kate Jastram and Ms. Marilyn Achiron, Refugee Protection: A Guide to International Refugee Law, http://www. ipu. org/PDF/publications/refugee_en. pdf, (29 April 2010) [2] Article 1 of 1951 Refugee convention 1951 [3] Rajeev Dhavan, Refugee Law and Policy in India (New Delhi: PILSARC, 2004), p. 156. [4] Basic Facts, http://unhcr. org. ua/main. php? article_id=5&view=full ( 29 April 2010) [5] Article 1A(2) of the Refugee Convention, 1951 [6]Background information of refugees and asylum seeker http://www. refugeecouncil. org. au/docs/news&events/RW_Background_Information. pdf (visited on 26th march 2010) [7]World Refugee Survey 2007, United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, http://www. refugees. org/WRS_Archives/2007/48- 69. 27 march, 2010) [8] Rajeev Dhavan, On the Model Law for Refugees: A Response to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC),† NHRC Annual Reports 1997- 1998, 1999-2000 (New Delhi: PILSARC, 2003). [9] Drafted under the auspices of the Regional Consultations on Refugees and Migratory Movements in South Asia initiative in 1995, with Justice P N Bhagwati as the Chairperson of the Drafting Committee of the India-specific version of the national law on refugee protection. [10] Florina Benoit, India: A National Refugee Law Would Equalise Protection, Refugees International, 2004. [11] Asian Development Bank, Nepal Country Strategy and Programme 2005-2009. [12] Section 2(a) of the foreigner’s act, 1964 defines ‘foreigner’ as â€Å"a person who is not a citizen of India†. [13] Article 22(1), 22(2) and 25(1) of the Indian constitution [14] T. Ananthachari, Refugees In India: Legal Framework, Law Enforcement And Security http://www. worldlii. org/int/journals/ISILYBIHRL/2001/7. html, (1 April 2010) [15] Articles,14,20 and 21 of the Indian Constitution [16] AIR 1966 SCC 742 [17] UNHCR Statistical Yearbook – India, 2003, UNHCR Geneva. [18] National Human Rights Commission (1996) 1 SCC 742 at pr. 15 [19] V. K. Dewan, The Extradition Act 1962’  in Law of Citizenship Foreigners and Passports, 2nd ed, Allahabad: Orient Law House, 1987,  p. 515. [20] James Hathaway, The Emerging Politics of Non-Entree, Refugees, Migration Review Vol. 91, December, pp. 40-41. [21] Article 1A(2) of the Refugee Convention,

Heres Why Your College GPA Matters

Here's Why Your College GPA Matters In high school, you likely focused on getting good grades- and, consequently, having a high grade point average (GPA)- because you wanted to get into to college. But now that youve done that, you may be wondering, Does GPA matter in college? While this may seem like a simple question, it doesnt have a straightforward answer. In some situations, your college GPA can matter quite a bit; on the other hand, a GPA can mean nothing beyond whether or not you can graduate. Why Your GPA Matters in College There are many reasons you will want to maintain a good GPA in college. Ultimately, you will need to pass your classes in order to get your degree, which is the point of going to college in the first place. From that perspective, the answer is clear: Your GPA matters. If your GPA drops below a certain threshold, your school will send you a notice youve been  placed on academic probation  and tell you what steps to take in order to recover from it. Along the same lines, you may need to keep it at or above a certain level to keep your scholarships, other financial awards or loan eligibility. Additionally, things like academic honors, research opportunities, internships, and some classes have GPA requirements. Its always a good idea to ask your academic adviser about any GPA requirements you should be aware of, so you dont find out youre in trouble after its too late to fix it.   Do College Grades Matter for Jobs? Your GPA may or may not play an important role in your life after college- it depends on your post-graduate plans. For example, Graduate school admissions are very competitive, and youre required to put your GPA on an application. If youre interested in furthering your education but the damage to your GPA is already done, dont fret: Good scores on the GRE, GMAT, MCAT or LSAT could make up for a sub-par GPA. (Of course, getting into grad school will be a lot easier if you focus on maintaining a good GPA from the start of college.) Even if youre not thinking about more school, you should know some employers will ask you for your GPA when you apply for a job. In fact, there are companies- generally, large companies- who require applicants to meet the basic GPA requirement.   Beyond the aforementioned situations, theres a good chance your GPA may never again come up after graduation. In general, employers focus more on your level of education, not the grades that got you there, and theres no rule that says you  need  to put your GPA on your resume. The bottom line: Your college GPA is only as important as it is for your future plans. While you may not feel pressure to focus on maintaining a high GPA as you did in high school, theres no reason why you shouldnt work hard in your classes and succeed as best you can academically. You never know, after all, what jobs or graduate school programs you might end up applying for years after you graduate.

3 Ways Kids Can Teach Us About Content Writing and Delivery

3 Ways Kids Can Teach Us About Content Writing and Delivery Do you ever feel like your business writing is overly formal? Stilted? Drab? You’re not alone. Companies face the same problem, often bringing in experts like me because so many of their employees write and deliver content that makes their audience yawn, or worse, hit â€Å"Delete.† To address this issue, I ask clients the following question frequently: â€Å"How would you say or explain this to a child?† Here are three places I recommend using this trick to transform content into something people actually want to read: 1) Your LinkedIn profile. In presentations like How to Put Your Personality into Your LinkedIn Profile, I suggest doing this exercise: Explain what you do for work to a 5-year-old. That way, instead of using big words that few people understand, you will be forced to present what you do in a simplified, engaging way. You might not use the exact same words you’d use to talk to someone 35 or 55 years your junior, but something might come out that is fresh and refreshing! Here’s how one LinkedIn user, Jess Hornyak, describes herself: Its safe to say I don’t fit into a traditional bubble. Im an art director, but Im really so much more. Im a strategist. A writer. An artist. A competitor. Its why I’m looking for people who could use a little more non-traditional in their everyday lives. Plus, it means Im never bored. And definitely not boring. Do you see the childlike energy in what she wrote? She definitely keeps me reading! I challenge you to put this type of wonder in your own LinkedIn profile, even in subtle ways. Your readers will appreciate it. They might even pick you first for the kickball team. 2) Video scripts and videos. When I was working with a company who writes video scripts and then produces the videos to explain its product to users, I was fortunate to have the speaker from the video in the room. I asked her to read her script, and she asked if I wanted her to use her â€Å"video voice.† â€Å"Sure!† I said. It turned out that her video voice sounded like she was reading and presenting, rather than like she was talking to me. I asked her to read the script as if she were reading to a child. She started to see that the script contained so much lingo that it was actually impossible to read it that way. A conversation ensued about how to create less terminology-dense content for the company’s users. Shortly thereafter, I encountered a perfect example of kid-friendly content. Take a couple of minutes to listen to the audio for this Social Media Examiner article on How to Use Showcase Pages for Business. You’ll notice the excitement, even giddiness in her voice. You can hear her smiling. That’s the voice we use to talk to little ones. You may also notice a nice amount of variety in sentence structure in the Social Media Examiner article. There are shorter sentences, longer sentences and questions mixed in throughout. That’s how we talk to kids too. Not all of your content will be read aloud in an audio or video. But reading content aloud to yourself or another person, even if it’s being sent in an email or posted on a site, will give you a great sense of how it sounds to the reader. After all, most readers read things with an internal voice that we want to sound conversational and not bore us to death. 3) Instructional materials. When we talk to kids we don’t say things like, â€Å"These toys need to be picked up by you.† No. We say, â€Å"Pick up your toys!!† You’ll notice that the first sentence is written in passive voice (for a tutorial on passive vs. active voice, see Grammar Girl’s article on the topic). If you’re a writer, you know that passive voice takes more words and generally puts people to sleep much faster than active writing. Yet technical writers often default to phrases like, â€Å"The search box is found in the upper right corner of your screen. When a search term is entered into the box, the site will be searched.† Are you asleep yet? What about something more like this: â€Å"Looking for something on our site? Just enter what you want in the search box in the upper right corner of your screen. Presto! Your search results appear!† That second option is much more kid-friendly, isn’t it? Of course, depending on your company’s brand, you might choose to use words like â€Å"Presto† – or not. Always be appropriate to your company brand guidelines. Or you might get sent to your room. If you’re having trouble breaking out of adult speak, try talking to an actual child about any of the above three items. Or, do this exercise: Write a script where you invite a child in your life to go on a trip to Disney World. How would you talk? What questions would you ask? How would they respond? Writing this way will jostle your brain and wake up some creativity cells. Let’s face it: We’re kids at heart. And with everything we’re juggling on a daily basis, we can have the attention span of a 5-year-old. So let’s keep our communications simple and wondrous. Tap into your inner kid and have fun!

Battle of Puebla and Cinco de Mayo

Battle of Puebla and Cinco de Mayo The Battle of Puebla was fought May 5, 1862 and occurred during the French intervention in Mexico. Landing a small army in Mexico in early 1862 under the pretense of forcing the repayment of Mexican debts, France soon moved to conquer the country. As the United States was occupied with its own Civil War and could not intervene, the government of Napoleon III saw an opportunity to install a friendly regime while gaining access to Mexicos natural resources. Advancing from Veracruz, French forces drove inland before engaging the Mexicans outside of Puebla. Though outnumbered and outclassed, the Mexicans successfully repulsed the French assaults on the city and forced them to retreat. Despite the fact that French forces succeeded in taking control of the country a year later, the date of the victory at Puebla inspired the holiday that has evolved into Cinco de Mayo. Background In the summer of 1861, President Benito Jurez announced that Mexico would suspend repayment of loans to Britain, France, and Spain for two years as he worked to stabilize his nations finances. These loans had primarily been taken to finance operations during the Mexican-American War and the Reform War. Unwilling to accept this suspension, the three European nations concluded the Convention of London in late 1861 and formed an alliance to deal with the Mexicans. In December 1861, British, French, and Spanish fleets arrived off Mexico. While a blatant violation of the U.S. Monroe Doctrine, the United States was powerless to intervene as it was embroiled in its own Civil War. On December 17, Spanish forces captured the fortress of San Juan de Ulà ºa and the city of Veracruz. The following month, 6,000 Spanish, 3,000 French, and 700 British soldiers came ashore. French Intentions On February 19, 1862, Mexican Foreign Minister Manuel Doblado met with British and Spanish representatives near La Soledad. Here the two European nations agreed not to advance further while debt negotiations were in progress. As talks progressed, the French captured the port of Campeche on February 27. A few days later, on March 5, a a French army under the command of Major General Charles Ferdinand Latrille, Comte de Lorencez was landed and began operations. As it quickly became evident that French intentions extended far beyond debt repayment, both Britain and Spain elected to depart Mexico, leaving their former ally to proceed on its own. With the United States unable to intervene, French Emperor Napoleon III sought to topple Jurezs government, install a favorable regime, and gain unfettered access to Mexicos resources. Concentrating his army, Lorencez moved forward with an attempt to conquer Mexico. Lorencez Advances Pressing inland to avoid the diseases of the coast, Lorencez occupied Orizaba which prevented the Mexicans from taking possession of key mountain passes near the port of Veracruz. Falling back, the General Ignacio Zaragozas Army of the East took up positions near Acultzingo Pass. On April 28, his men were defeated by Lorencez during a large skirmish and he retreated toward Puebla. On the road to Mexico City, Jurez had ordered fortifications constructed around the city in anticipation of a French offensive. Reporting his victory at Acultzingo, Lorencez stated, We are so superior to the Mexicans in organization, race...and refinement of manners, that I am pleased to announce to His Imperial Majesty, Napoleon III, that from this moment on, as the leader of my 6,000 brave soldiers, I can consider myself the owner of Mexico. Battle of Puebla Conflict: French Intervention in Mexico (1861-1867)Dates: May 5, 1862Armies Commanders:MexicansGeneral Ignacio Zaragozaapprox. 4,500 menFrenchMajor General Charles de Lorencez6,040 menCasualties:Mexico: 87 killed, 131 wounded, 12 missingFrance: 172 killed, 304 wounded, 35 captured Major General Charles de Lorencez. Public Domain The Armies Meet Pushing on, Lorencez, whose troops were among the best in the world, believed he could easily dislodge Zaragoza from the town. This was reinforced by intelligence suggesting that the population was pro-French and would aid in expelling Zaragozas men. Reaching Puebla late on May 3, Zaragoza set his men to improving the citys defenses before placing his forces in an entrenched line between two hills. This line was anchored by two hilltop forts, Loreto and Guadalupe. Arriving on May 5, Lorencez decided, against the advice of his subordinates, to storm the Mexican lines. Opening fire with his artillery, he ordered the first attack forward. The French Beaten Meeting heavy fire from Zaragozas lines and the two forts, this attack was beaten back. Somewhat surprised, Lorencez drew upon his reserves for a second attack and ordered a diversionary strike towards the east side of the city. Supported by artillery fire, the second assault advanced further than the first but was still defeated. One French soldier managed to plant the Tricolor on the wall of Fort Guadalupe but was immediately killed. The diversionary attack fared better and was only repulsed after brutal hand-to-hand fighting. Attack of the Mexican cavarly at the Battle of Puebla, May 5, 1862. Public Domain Having expended the ammunition for his artillery, Lorencez ordered an unsupported third attempt on the heights. Surging forward, the French closed to the Mexican lines but were unable to breakthrough. As they fell back down the hills, Zaragoza ordered his cavalry to attack on both flanks. These strikes were supported by infantry moving into flanking positions. Stunned, Lorencez and his men fell back and assumed a defensive position to await the anticipated Mexican attack. Around 3:00 PM it began to rain and the Mexican attack never materialized. Defeated, Lorencez retreated back to Orizaba. Aftermath A stunning victory for the Mexicans, against one of the best armies in the world, the Battle of Puebla cost Zaragoza 83 killed, 131 wounded, and 12 missing. For Lorencez, the failed assaults cost 462 dead, over 300 wounded, and 8 captured. Reporting his victory to Jurez , the 33-year old Zaragoza stated, The national arms have been covered with glory.† In France, the defeat was seen as a blown to the nations prestige and more troops were immediately sent to Mexico. Reinforced, the French were able to conquer most of the country and install Maximilian of Habsburg as emperor. Despite their eventual defeat, the Mexican victory at Puebla inspired a national day of celebration best known as Cinco de Mayo. In 1867, after French troops left the country, the Mexicans were able to defeat the forces of Emperor Maximilian and fully restore power to the Jurez administration.

Group Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Group Decision Making - Essay Example There are studies which support the concept that groups influence work behavior. A group is composed of individuals working together towards common goals by interacting with one another and utilizing appropriate resources. They need a certain period of time for common interests to be discussed, explained and internalized so that stability and efficiency would ensue. From the cohesiveness that a group develops, certain level of performance is achieved. It is therefore the objective of this paper to proffer issues pertinent to group decision making by focusing on experiences with group decision making in a professional setting. One successful and one unsuccessful experience would be identified. Likewise, the reasons for the group’s good or poor performance, drawing from concepts in the course readings would be identified and discussed, accordingly. A group is composed of individuals working together towards common goals by interacting with one another and utilizing some resources. They need a certain period of time for common interests to be discussed, explained and internalized so that stability and efficiency would ensue. According to Martires & Fule (2000, 109), â€Å"many specific roles can be categorized according to the actual behaviors of the group members. Group-building roles lead the group toward positive member interaction and interpersonal behavior†. Different studies present varying models of a typical decision-making process depending on their perspectives. Some models follow eight steps, others five. For purposes of making intuitive choices, one structurally follows six steps in decision making. The six steps of this natural, intuitive decision-making process, according to Ethics Resource Center (2009) are: â€Å"Step 1: Define the problem; Step 2: Identify available alternative solutions to the problem; Step 3: Evaluate the identified alternatives; Step 4: Make the

Personal Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Personal Analysis - Essay Example In taking such undertakings, such an individual totally gains the approval as well as the confidence of his subjects. In this regard, the author elucidates that a promoter is someone who can very easily persuade people in many ways (Keirsey, 298). In such situations, people often come to terms easily with whatever proposals made, or whatever contributions made by the said individual. Relevant to persuasion, a promoter depicts several other qualities involving trustworthiness, positiveness, confidence, faithfulness as well as surety. In addition to persuasion, it is important to note that promoters are always outgoing, wise and very attentive, as well as respects the rule of law. People always find promoters very dependable. Promoters always take their time with people. They are always very sociable and easy to mingle with as well as easy to understand. All these qualities describe that of promoters. I always take great interest in people, perhaps the reason other people find me warm, sociable and interesting. While I take time alone sometimes, I spend much more of my time being with people, talking to them and trying to bring out the best in them. It hardly goes without my notice when a friend or close acquaintance is in a bad or good mood. In addition, I always take no pride seeing my people suffer. In such a case, I always offer my assistance as much as possible. Other than being with people, I am also quite dependable. In this regard, I take my work seriously and often focus on the details maintaining warmth and energy. Perhaps it is for this reason that in many occasions I find myself being chosen as a team leader. I have what it takes to ensure that things get done the right way. I also generally like to be in control and will give my opinion without fearing, no wonder some people consider me manipulative. As an aspiring person, I always concentrate on developing several skills to meet the demands of people within the

The Lynching of Persons of Mexican Origin in the United States Essay

The Lynching of Persons of Mexican Origin in the United States - Essay Example They formed organization among Mexican Americans in the Southwest of United States. A number of local southwest social and political clubs were mainly comprised of both Mexican Americans and Mexicans that united and formed the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). LULAC played a significant in establishing how Mexicans racial identity was derived from their class status and how whiteness played a role in racial and class construction in the Southwest. The leaders voted to limit membership in the organization to U.S. citizens, but half of the members left the conference in protest. However, the LULAC had significant success helping the Mexicans Americans fight for their identity. Carrigan and Webb (412) indicate that the LULAC was the regional equivalent of the national association for the advancement of Colored People (NAACP). It financed a couple of anti segregation and antidiscrimination cases that were brought on behalf of Mexicans Americans in California, Texas and Ne w Mexico. It derived victories in education and jury selection identity. Meanwhile, parents of migrant children won a suit against a California school district for segregating Mexican American and Mexican children from whites. These children travelled miles by bus to attend Mexicans schools in other school districts because it was illegal to attend white neighborhood schools. The origins of this case were due to inconsistency of the binary racial logic of the United States and the racial complexity of the Mexicans based on their unique claims to white identity. Meanwhile, Americans Mexicans fought for their identity by presenting their claims in jury hearings because they were discriminated against as a class. Discrimination indicated there was a lack of their jury rolls in United States. Although they fought for their rights, the discrimination cases indicated that abstract identity was itself internally fractured by class difference. Carrigan and Webb (415) indicate that the fight for identity revealed what is referred to as whiteness and the social construction of Mexicans in Southwest. Mexican Americans were legally referred to as Whites due to the treaty obligations with Mexico that allowed Mexicans to become United States Citizens. The federal laws practiced at that period required that an alien to be White he or she was supposed to become United States Citizen. Thus, the government of Mexico and the U.S department of state forced the United States census Bureau to reclassify Mexican as white. In the Texas school desegregation case, the Jury ruled that Mexican children could not be segregated on the racial basis but it allowed segregation based on linguistic issues or migrant status. Institutions that are controlled by dominant groups have established the legal definitions of a racial group and force them to adhere to their status quo. Thus, the law in United States considered racial group identity when such identity was based on exclusion and subordinat ion of Mexicans. For instance, the Texas court ruling that imposed a definition of Whites on Mexicans Americans and caused them to protest against segregation as a district group in the Southwest. Meanwhile, the court rejected the Mexican American claims for class representation in a class action suit demanding for equal education opportunities. Despite Mexican Americans being legally constructed as white, this status had only marginal

Flight Stability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Flight Stability - Essay Example The most important flight management and control information is based on stability principles that are mainly referred to as static and dynamic principles. Considerations of the stability elements as highlighted in the section below are useful in the formulation of appropriate stability systems in aeroplanes. A balanced position of an aeroplane in flight is termed as a trimmed position in terms of stability, which is affected by introduction of static instability forces. Static stability is the capacity of an aeroplane experiencing static disturbance to revert to its trimmed state. An aeroplane is deemed to be in stability if there are no changes of acceleration towards a particular axis when in flight. When the aeroplane is exposed to static forces of disturbance, instability is experienced and the ability of the aeroplane to return to the static condition is determined by its capacity to overcome the disturbance and achieve the earlier stability (Ly 1997, p23). In the trimmed state, the aeroplane is generally in a stable condition that does not require extra input in order for it to be sustained in the condition. The aeroplane must be installed with systems to assist it revert to the steady state after a disturbance, which creates a disorientation of the stable axis conditions. Along the longitudinal axis, the appropriate conditions are achieved by introducing elevator trim tabs which are engaged until the previous static condition is achieved (Pamadi, 1998). This is achieved by the aeroplane system where the input of the pilot is not needed because it is on a hands-free operation installed in the design of the aeroplane. To assist in the detection of the instability of the aeroplane after a static disturbance, there are two types of analyses systems that can be used in such systems. On one hand, there is the stick-fixed manoeuvre which detects disturbance and maintains the same position in response while stick-free system is designed to

Conflict in Darfur Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Conflict in Darfur - Research Paper Example The armed forces of the government and the Janjaweed have responded to the growing fight of the rebels with crushing violence. They have killed a large number of people in and around the ethnic tribes who are supporting the rebel groups. Most of the countries around the world, particularly the US, have recognized this killing as genocide and have been forcing the Sudanese government to stop these atrocities. UN Security Council has passed a resolution, deploying UN Peace Keeping Forces to Darfur. This is the situation under which this research is being conducted. The primary question in front of us now is whether the Darfur situation will affect efforts in the global war on terrorism. With the known support for Al-Qaeda by the Sudanese Government and the Janjaweed, it is not a surprise that the Al-Qaeda has an on going interest in the happenings at Darfur. At the same time, the rest of world is also interested because of the large support that Al-Qaeda enjoys and its close link with the world terrorism. To identify the various possibilities of the research question, consequently its impact on the hypothesis, a survey will be conducted with the interested parties. This will comprise of people who are directly involved and people who are knowledgeable on the said issues. Twenty people who are resident or were residents of Darfur will be picked up for the purpose of this survey. In addition to this, similar opinion will be elicited from twenty other people who are interested in the making of a solution for Darfur. Another ten people who are from the general public who are not directly or indirectly involved in Darfur will also be queried to identify the right kind of an impact that they have all had on the topic. The entire process will be completed in a month's time and this would involve traveling to the relevant locations. Since this involves meeting some of the people who are directly involved in the fight at Darfur, there is a mild risk for the interviewer and for the participant too. But the impact is very minor. The survey will make use of a questionnaire that will have a Likert Scale in place. This would make comparison easy. However, there will also be five numbers of open ended questions posed to the participants which will bring out their thoughts on the subject. Participating in this study is not a risk for the participants. However, safety precautions should be taken up. If the subject or the participant has to travel and incur expenses for participating in this survey, then the same is refunded to the person. However, the researcher will be keen to avoid disturbing the life of the subject; instead, he or she will travel down to the location of the subject to interview him / her. Quantitative and Qualitative analysis methods will be adopted to make use of the data

Flight Stability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Flight Stability - Essay Example The most important flight management and control information is based on stability principles that are mainly referred to as static and dynamic principles. Considerations of the stability elements as highlighted in the section below are useful in the formulation of appropriate stability systems in aeroplanes. A balanced position of an aeroplane in flight is termed as a trimmed position in terms of stability, which is affected by introduction of static instability forces. Static stability is the capacity of an aeroplane experiencing static disturbance to revert to its trimmed state. An aeroplane is deemed to be in stability if there are no changes of acceleration towards a particular axis when in flight. When the aeroplane is exposed to static forces of disturbance, instability is experienced and the ability of the aeroplane to return to the static condition is determined by its capacity to overcome the disturbance and achieve the earlier stability (Ly 1997, p23). In the trimmed state, the aeroplane is generally in a stable condition that does not require extra input in order for it to be sustained in the condition. The aeroplane must be installed with systems to assist it revert to the steady state after a disturbance, which creates a disorientation of the stable axis conditions. Along the longitudinal axis, the appropriate conditions are achieved by introducing elevator trim tabs which are engaged until the previous static condition is achieved (Pamadi, 1998). This is achieved by the aeroplane system where the input of the pilot is not needed because it is on a hands-free operation installed in the design of the aeroplane. To assist in the detection of the instability of the aeroplane after a static disturbance, there are two types of analyses systems that can be used in such systems. On one hand, there is the stick-fixed manoeuvre which detects disturbance and maintains the same position in response while stick-free system is designed to

Carl Rogers Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Carl Rogers Theory - Essay Example Furthermore Rogers believed that if the clients turned inwards and examined themselves they would find the means to end hurting. This treats persons as inimitable, values their dreams and goals and elevates their particular feelings about the world. Rogers sees the role of the therapist primarily as an empathic listener who must enters into the client's journey of self-actualisation. Jones and Butman in Modern Psychotherapies succinctly describe the goal of the self-actualisation process. It is the ongoing process of bringing self-view, the ideal self and the real self into line with one another. DeMarinis in her book, Pastoral Care, Existential Health and Existential Epidemiology attempts to conceptualise pastoral care. In her research she noted several themes that most people accept as belonging to pastoral care. The main ones of these are care of the soul and inner life, primarily Christian, spanning the complete life cycle, under the direction of God, providing a shelter from a hard world, connects God to life, is part of the whole work of the church not only in specific sessions and is not to be confused with psychology. This essay will keep in mind these main themes as it explores the helpfulness of Roger's approach. Jones and Butman begin their exploration of Roger's theory by claiming that the emotional content of person centred therapy is intuitively appealing. They have a valid point here. Person centred counselling differs from the mainstream notion of psychotherapists as distant experts and is alluring in its humanity based ideas. It promotes a positive view of humankind and its central tenet is that humans are, at heart, good and filled with the possibility to change and achieve anything. Furthermore it concentrates on goals and dreams and endorses the need for positive regard for others. In addition Roger's theories are based on his clinical work and endless research. Rather than remaining a fixed theory he developed his ideas as they were tried out, constantly responding to criticism and results. This dedication to base his hypothesis on what actually worked enhances the appeal of the theory and lessens the distance between pure theory and practical administration. Finally, the simplicity of Roger's theory and the fact that it is accessible to everyone gives it credibility. Its founding principles are not complicated and so the majority of people can follow his train of logic and see how he came up with his conclusions. Person Centred Therapy's Contributions to Pastoral Ministry Roger's contribution to psychotherapy has traditionally been attractive to a religious audience because his formulation of a helping relationship embodies the Christian ideal of a loving servant to others. Rogers and Butman notice how it, 'appears to give us valuable clues and guidance on how to respond to those in misery or distress, or how to concretely 'love the brothers and sisters'.1 It is a guide for the pastoral worker because it treats people as inimitable, complete beings in the same way that Christianity would. The pastoral worker takes this view because she believes humans are made in God's image and must be treated with the appropriate respect. The qualities that a therapist must have to undertake this kind of help are almost identical with the qualities the Bible describes a Christian should have; grace, unconditional love, servant-like. Moreover it focuses on 'unconditional regard'

Nuclear Energy Essay Example for Free

Nuclear Energy Essay There are many advantages and disadvantages of using nuclear power. Nuclear power is said to prevent power outages that happen in areas without nuclear power. For an example, if we were using hydroelectricity and the dam suddenly malfunctions, then we won’t have electricity until someone fixes the dam, and that would be difficult if it happened in the middle of the night. However, on the other hand, nuclear power is also considered toxic and it pollutes the Earth with harmful and deadly waste. Here are a few reasons why we should and should not use nuclear power. One of the reasons why we should use nuclear power is that it doesn’t pollute like coal and other fossil fuels. Scientists have said that using nuclear power is used to power electricity in most homes. They have also been saying that nuclear power tend to work better than using fossil fuels, gas power, and hydroelectric power. Since scientists are saying it works better, than we can use more nuclear power than using fossil fuels, gas power, and hydroelectric power. Another reason why we should use nuclear power is that scientists have said that it is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single nuclear power plant unlike coal, gas, hydroelectric power plants since they need a few to power electricity. This is important because it costs more to build a nuclear power plant than to build a coal, gas, or hydroelectric power plant. That way, we can save money by building one nuclear power plant instead of a few coal, gas, or hydro electric power plants. One more reason why we should use nuclear power is that scientists have been saying that the affect of global warming because of nuclear has been relatively little compared to coal, gas, and hydroelectric power. If we keep using nuclear power for electricity and other good uses, then there would be less global warming, but if we start to use more and more fossil fuels, then global warming will keep increasing in the future, so to prevent this, we can use nuclear energy. One of the reasons why we should not use nuclear power is that nuclear power is that nuclear energy releases radiation such as alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Alpha particles can cause skin injuries similar to severe burns, beta particles can travel into the body and damage cells, and finally, gamma rays can deliver intense energy to the cells and cause severe damage. Radiation  from nuclear energy can wipe out the human generation, since mutation usually occurs when a person is affected by radiation. In order to prevent this from happening, we shouldn’t take chances and use nuclear energy. Another reason why we shouldn’t use nuclear power is because it takes many years for it to decay. Unlike coal, gas, and hydroelectric power, once you use it, it is not done. After a point where it has no more nuclear power, there are still radioactive waves in it that will still damage your cells. After the half-life of the radioactive element occurs, which could take a long time , only half of it has decayed. Nuclear energy can help, but later on we would have to dispose the nuclear waste to decay in a remote location. If we need remote locations to dispose nuclear waste, then one day we would run out of those areas, and possibly half of the world will be not be accessible to humans due to nuclear waste occupying the areas. One more reason why we shouldn’t use nuclear power is that one of the types of nuclear energy, nuclear fission produces high amounts of nuclear waste. Scientists have been saying that if we use nuclear energy, then we should be disposed off at a safe place since they are extremely hazardous and can leak radiation if not stored properly. If the wastes somehow get into the freshwater and saltwater systems, then all the sea animals will get affected, and we won’t be able to drink the water from the freshwater. Another type of nuclear energy, nuclear fusion doesn’t produce any nuclear waste unlike nuclear fission, but it is really hard to make, so since it is hard to make, it won’t be helpful for everyday electricity. In conclusion, there are many advantages and disadvantages against nuclear energy, but I think that as long as we keep the nuclear power plant is in a remote location where no one can go and get affected, we can use nuclear energy. When the nucle ar waste is produced, then we can dispose it off at a safe place since it’s extremely hazardous and can leak radiation if not stored properly. If we are going to use nuclear energy, then we should handle it carefully even if it is for electricity because if it is misused, then people who are affected by the radiation from the energy will have mutations or possibly even die.

The Dead Mens Path Theme Analysis Religion Essay

The Dead Mens Path Theme Analysis Religion Essay Dead Mens Path is a short story written in 1972 by African Author Chinua Achebe. It is about Michael Obi, a young and energetic man excited about all things modern who is just assigned a position to run a traditional school. Not long into the job, he finds that along with his misguided zeal, ignoring the traditions of his people can have great consequences. Obi is a bright and enthusiastic young man who is excited to find out that he will be the new headmaster of a school that has been in desperate need of help for some time. Obi was considered a pivotal teacher and he and his wife are both forward thinking and eager to share the modern life with everyone. Chinua Achebe shows the Obis modern enthusiasm by writing: We shall do our best, she Obis wife) replied. We shall have such beautiful gardens and everything will be just modern and delightful He also shows Obis views of the traditionalist people by attacking their character referring to them as, these old and superannuated people in the teaching field. Of his two goals for the school, one was to make the grounds a place of beauty. An upcoming inspection was the perfect motivation to begin what he thought to be great improvements. In time the gardens blossomed with beautiful red and yellow flowers. As Obi is admiring his work, he comes across an old woman from the village who walks str aight across the flowers onto what Obe discovers to be an old faint almost unused path. Obi speaks to a teacher and finds out exactly what the path was used for. It amazes me, said Obi to one of the teachers who had been three years in the school, that you people allowed the villagers to make use of this footpath. It is simply incredible. He shook his head. The path, the teacher said apologetically, appears to be very important to them. Although it is hardly used, it connects the village shrine with their place of burial. Obi didnt care about the reason and for fear that the coming inspector may see people on school grounds who didnt belong, demanded that the footpath be closed off immediately regardless of warnings from the teacher. The path was then blocked with heavy logs and reinforced with barbed wire. A priest was sent by the outraged villagers to try and talk some sense into Obi, pressing upon him the significance that the path has not to just the villagers, but also the dead who walk the path.Look here my son, this path was here before you were born and before your father was born. The whole life of the village depends on it. Our dead relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it. But most important, it is the path of children coming in to be born. Obi rejected the priests words and in mocking replied to him Dead men dont walk. he dismissed his ancestry and instead chose the modern way. The path remained blocked and a few days later a village woman died in childbirth. The villagers took that as a sign that if the path remains blocked they would suffer great misfortune. Believing that the mother would be unable to rest in peace and the child unable to walk the path and enter the world, the villagers became agitated and tore down a school building as well as everything used to block the path and the flowers planted to impress the inspector. When the inspector finally arrived, he was presented with grounds that were completely destroyed along w ith a headmaster who thought only about himself and erasing the past to become modern. In the story, with the descriptions of the pretentious headmaster and his lack of respect for the elders and their traditions the narrator clearly has taken sides with the villagers. Chinua Achebe writes, The whole purpose of our school is to eradicate such beliefs as that. Dead men do not require footpaths. The whole idea is just fantastic. Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas. The main point in question in the story is in reference to the villagers beliefs and customs and the importance it held in their lives. Obi was wrong in his thinking and in his methods, believing that he can just cut the people off from what in our time would be considered a funeral. When it comes to the destruction and rejection of something that was and is important to people such as traditions no matter how old the customs may be, nobody has the right to negate a persons background and nobody has the ability to remove a persons belief and substitute it with their own. An unfamiliar cul tures belief may seem fanciful but to those who believe it, it is as much a vital part of their lives as technology is in ours. The heart of a persons belief is in having faith although what you believe can never be proven. What happens in death is a perfect example of this. Nobody alive can know what happens after death so we are left with our imaginations to hope that our loved ones are in a better place rather than in the ground or left as ashes. People need that faith to carry on because at times the thought of never again seeing those people can be unbearable. Our ancestors traditions and customs are important because the only knowledge we have of things we have no proof on is in the things passed down for generations. Just as the story explained, the villagers were so strong in their beliefs of the path that when it became blocked they attacked the school and everything that was blocking the sacred path: The beautiful hedges were torn up not just near the path but right around the schoolflowers trampledone of the school buildings torn down The importance of a persons culture is more than just the faith of a single person, it connects a group of people who believe alike and allows them to work together with the same end results. As stated in Achebes Dead Mens Path, contemporary community shouldnt do as Obi and try to eradicate the core of a peoples beliefs which, with his mocking reply to the priest is just what he tried to do. Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas. It is important to remember and to honor traditions. Many people fight to keep their traditions alive, whether its an old woman making her 80th annual pilgrimage to a Mexican cemetery to light a candle at Dona Candelaria de Sapiens grave or Native American tribe members dressed in full ceremonial clothing dancing to celebrate the coming rain. In Achebes story, the people fought to keep the path free so that those who pass on can rest in peace and the traditions of the vill agers can carry on for generations to come, far beyond the lives of the priests, villagers and Obi.

Practicing Theory :: essays research papers

Putting Theories into Practice In politics, humans seem to be very contradictory towards one another. Many situations allot for disagreement as well as interesting discussions and conversations. I was watching the presidential debate when my girlfriend started shedding her opinion, which I didn’t quite agree with. It was as if she ignored what one candidate said and believed the other because there was a bias in her thinking. That, along with what each candidate was saying was causing sway in my opinion and I felt discomfort. I chose Cognitive Dissonance Theory for this incident due to the conflicting ideas going on in my head during this situation. When she started making biased comments about whatever a particular candidate said, I had conflicting thoughts that go right along with the dissonant relationship aspect of the Cognitive Dissonance Theory. I thought that in order to make a decision you need to know everything that happens not just bits and pieces of it, but what conflicted with this thought was her biased comment that was based solely on one statement. What I was after to make my own thoughts and judgments agreeable was to arrive at some level of consistent thoughts within myself as to how I can alleviate the tension. The reason for this dissonance was because of outside sources that led me to take action that caused an effect. But after the discussion with the other person I found myself trying to achieve consonance and reduce dissonance because of my discomfort. In essence I was trying to co nvince myself that I should try and find some compromise with what she was saying so the conflict would cease to exist. In order for the conflict to stop and cope with the dissonance my attitude had to change, which led me after the conversation to seek out selective exposure. This meant I had to seek information not present at that time to help reduce the dissonance within myself and stop the arguing between her and myself. From what she was saying I also sought out a different type of perception, selective interpretation. From the ambiguous information she offered I tried to compromise and make some of it consistent to my own thoughts that could help further to end the dissonance. The ultimate tactic I used that I wasn’t even aware of until I saw this term was minimal justification. The minimal incentive given in this case was just me saying, â€Å"I’m not saying you are wrong, I just want you to see the whole picture before you pass judgment.

Free College Essays - A Captain’s Metamorphosis in The Secret Sharer :: The Secret Sharer Joseph Conrad

The Secret Sharer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Captain’s Metamorphosis      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the short story â€Å"The Secret Sharer† by Joseph Conrad, the captain of the ship, the Colorado, changes from an insecure and inexperienced ship captain to a more confident and secure individual, due to his experiences with the Secret Sharer.   At first, the captain is not sure of his place on the ship and does not feel right about being in charge.   Through his relationship with the Secret Sharer, the captain finds identity and becomes a confident person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beginning of the story, the captain is very uneasy when he is thrown into the position of captain of a ship travelling on a long and arduous journey.   The captain begins to feel insecure about running his ship and questions his ability to lead his ship.   During one of the first nights on board the ship, the captain demonstrates his thoughts of insecurity and self-consciousness when he does something that a captain would not normally do: he plans to take part in the night watch.   â€Å"I felt painfully that I - a stranger - was doing something unusual when I directed him to let all hands turn in without setting an anchor watch† (941).   The captain is so self-conscious and insecure about his actions that he reacts almost painfully to the crew’s judgement of his orders.   He also states that he perceives himself to be a stranger amongst the others.   Among his insecurities, the captain also sees himself as a stranger to himself a nd not fit to run his ship.   The captain thinks, â€Å"But what I felt most was my being a stranger to the ship; and if all the truth must be told, I was somewhat of a stranger to myself.   The youngest man on board (barring the second mate), and untried as yet by a position of the fullest responsibility, I was willing to take the adequacy of the others for granted† (940).   The captain is young and does not feel he really knows himself.   This insecurity leads him to believe he is not fit to lead others if he does not even have confidence in himself.   The captain begins to change when he develops a close relationship with the secret sharer, a criminal that he harbors and to whom he can relate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through a close and secret relationship with the Secret Sharer, the captain begins to find his identity and transforms into a very confident and able captain. Free College Essays - A Captain’s Metamorphosis in The Secret Sharer :: The Secret Sharer Joseph Conrad The Secret Sharer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Captain’s Metamorphosis      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the short story â€Å"The Secret Sharer† by Joseph Conrad, the captain of the ship, the Colorado, changes from an insecure and inexperienced ship captain to a more confident and secure individual, due to his experiences with the Secret Sharer.   At first, the captain is not sure of his place on the ship and does not feel right about being in charge.   Through his relationship with the Secret Sharer, the captain finds identity and becomes a confident person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beginning of the story, the captain is very uneasy when he is thrown into the position of captain of a ship travelling on a long and arduous journey.   The captain begins to feel insecure about running his ship and questions his ability to lead his ship.   During one of the first nights on board the ship, the captain demonstrates his thoughts of insecurity and self-consciousness when he does something that a captain would not normally do: he plans to take part in the night watch.   â€Å"I felt painfully that I - a stranger - was doing something unusual when I directed him to let all hands turn in without setting an anchor watch† (941).   The captain is so self-conscious and insecure about his actions that he reacts almost painfully to the crew’s judgement of his orders.   He also states that he perceives himself to be a stranger amongst the others.   Among his insecurities, the captain also sees himself as a stranger to himself a nd not fit to run his ship.   The captain thinks, â€Å"But what I felt most was my being a stranger to the ship; and if all the truth must be told, I was somewhat of a stranger to myself.   The youngest man on board (barring the second mate), and untried as yet by a position of the fullest responsibility, I was willing to take the adequacy of the others for granted† (940).   The captain is young and does not feel he really knows himself.   This insecurity leads him to believe he is not fit to lead others if he does not even have confidence in himself.   The captain begins to change when he develops a close relationship with the secret sharer, a criminal that he harbors and to whom he can relate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through a close and secret relationship with the Secret Sharer, the captain begins to find his identity and transforms into a very confident and able captain.