Acquiring a jewelry company

Nowadays, the trend in companies establishing strategic alliances has become more apparent as compared to the trend in 1980s and 1990s.Companies have viewed that diversity in the global market has been increasing rapidly and such formation of alliances may help them achieve a fast and a long-term profitable growth for their businesses.   The establishment of strategic alliances is a technique of expansion and diversification, accomplished through the strategic implementation of merger and of acquisition.Merger and acquisition are two different terms that are often interchanged because the purposes in determining these two strategic implementations are often very similar.   These two methods start with the acquisition strategy where a company attempts to find an appropriate company to merge with.Accordingly, a merger occurs as two companies agree to stand as a new single company where the original identity is maintained.   On the other hand, acquisition occurs as a company purch ases and takes over another company to venture into a new separate business.Most companies who decide to merge with or acquire another company have the goal of ensuring stability and growth of their businesses in the future.   However, every company also has distinctive goals that relate to their business.A company may decide to merge or acquire to save its collapsing business, to operate with reduced competition, or to diversify its services or products.   In the process of merging and acquiring, these goals of the companies are coupled with advantages and potential disadvantages as well.This paper aims to discuss the potential benefits that Zale Corporation will obtain as it pursues its plan of merging with or acquiring Blue Nile, Inc.   In addition, this paper aims to analyze each of the company by providing a company backgrounder and a comparative financial statement analysis, which includes liquidity analysis, activity analysis, profitability analysis, and capital structu re analysis.Furthermore, this paper aims to provide a company valuation of Blue Nile, Inc. as well as information on mergers and acquisitions that Zale Corporation need to consider prior to pursuing its plans.COMPANY BACKGROUNDERA. Zale CorporationZale Corporation is one of the largest specialty retailers of fine jewelry.   Morris Zale, Ben Lipshy, and William Zale founded the company in 1924.   It is now operating 2,203 retail locations throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.   More so, Zale Corporation has established several different business units.   These include:Zales JewelersZales Jewelers, also known as the â€Å"Diamond Store,† is recognized nationally as an authority in fine jewels.   It has grown into an international jewelry corporation relying on its commitment to excellence as well as its strong traditions.   The focus of Zales Jewelers is to provide a range of choices for the majority of jewelry customers.   Apart from fine jewelry , it also offers brand-name watches, which provides customers a variety of merchandise at a scope of price points. Zales OutletThe stores of Zales Outlet are tied-up with the national marketing programs of Zales Jewelers.   Thus, it has gained recognition with customers.   It competes with well-known retailers; however, it tops the fine jewelers of the outlet market.   Zales Outlet offers a diversified range of merchandise including certified diamond engagement rings, colored gemstones, platinum jewelries, and Swiss watches from famous makers.   It has established a loyal customer base that specifically seeks for tremendous value of discontinued styles. Gordon’s JewelersThe target market of Gordon’s Jewelers is the upper moderate customers who seek a complete selection of diamonds and fine jewelry.   Gordon’s Jewelers has created an expert sales team that offers a rare combination of value, service, and quality to its customers.   Its marketing strategy includes direct mail and newspaper inserts and regional television features.   The stores of Gordon’s Jewelers are designed in an appealing environment with friendly sales staff. Peoples JewelersPeoples Jewelers is the largest national jewelry retailer in Canada.   Its focus is to provide a varied selection of fine jewelry and brand-name watches at affordable prices.   Peoples Jewelers has developed its exclusive 100-facet Peoples Canadian Diamond Collection, which is mined, cut, and polished in the Northwest Territories.   It ensures its customers that the hottest trends in jewelries including titanium, stainless steel, gemstones in all colors, gold fashions, circle pendants, and cultured pearls are offered in its stores.Mappins JewelersMappins Jewelers also caters to customers in Canada who seek classic fine jewelry and watches.   Mappins offers a varied range of merchandise from engagement rings to modern and contemporary jewelry.   The marketing programs of Mappins establish strong commitment to excellence as well as strong traditions.   Its television campaigns aim to carry out gift-giving programs while its direct mail campaigns aim to provi de special values and strong communication with customers.Piercing PagodaPiercing Pagoda started from a single retail location to chains of kiosks.   It is the largest specialty kiosk retailer of extensive selection of gold charms, rings, body jewelry, bracelets, earrings, chains.   It also offers stainless and silver jewelry.Piercing Pagoda was acquired by Zale Corporation in 2000 to broader the range of customers specifically in the younger customer category.Zale Corporation believes that this market appreciates quality jewelry at level price points.   In return, the acquisition of Piercing Pagoda has opened the opportunity to capitalize on the resources of Zale Corporation and modernize the look of Piercing Pagoda in order to provide its customers with more desirable products.ZLC DirectZLC Direct is the online base of the brands of Zale Corporation, which provides e-commerce web stores for both Zales and Gordon’s Jewelers.   It provides direct access to customers w ho prefer to purchase quality merchandise on the Internet.   The quality and service found in the stores of Zale Corporation is also exhibited in the sites of ZLC Direct as it also offers value, excitement, and convenience for online shoppers of today.Zale Corporation has established its mission of being the best fine jewelry retailer in North America.   Its goal is to innovate and market unique jewelry assortments as well as to offer superior customer experience.   Zale Corporation is committed to establishing strong and lasting relationships with its customers and at the same time build value for its shareholders.   It assures its talented workforce of continues success through trainings and rewards as well as permanency of jobs.

Introduction to Literature; Plot; Character

ENG 150 Reynolds 1 Online Lecture 1: Introduction to Literature; Plot; Character If you've ever taken a literature class, you will have realized that not all literature is the same. There's the stuff you read for information (mostly nonfiction, and not our concern in this class), there's the stuff you read for fun (literature with a little â€Å"l†), and there's the stuff you read in classes like this (Literature with a capital â€Å"L†). The stuff you read for fun (â€Å"literature†) is mostly easy to read. Most romance, science fiction, and mystery novels fall into this category, for example. Okay, you hard-core sci-fi fans: I said â€Å"most†! ) It's usually plot-oriented; that is, you read it to see what's going to happen next, and you enjoy it more if it builds suspense and keeps your interest. It entertains you. It doesn't require much thought; no one needs to discuss it to discover its hidden messages–it doesn't have any. When you've finished it, you're finished. This sort of reading rarely challenges your ideas about the world. In fact, it usually reinforces the things we'd all like to think are true: everything happens for a reason, the good are rewarded and the bad suffer, everything comes out okay in the end. You'll notice that most of these books have happy endings. When they don't, you cry along with the characters, but their sad fates don't make you question the order of the universe. Those who die, die for a clear and logical reason. Literature with a capital â€Å"L† is different. It demands more of you. It requires both your attention and your participation. It asks you to think, to analyze, to stop occasionally in the middle and ask, â€Å"Why did that happen? † or â€Å"What is he doing in this scene? † Many of these stories (or poems or plays) make you uncomfortable. They make you question your comfortable and easy assumptions about the world and your place in it. And sometimes there's not a happy ending. In return, Literature helps you grow. It allows you to experience events emotionally and intellectually without having to suffer the physical danger. You get to experience the Vietnam War in â€Å"The Things They Carried† without having to worry that you'll be the next to die. You get to meet a serial killer in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† without having to worry about being murdered. You get to follow a woman into insanity in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† ithout having to be institutionalized yourself. You get to look into the hearts and minds of the characters and take home for free what they teach you about yourself, your family, and your friends. Everything in this class is designed to enhance that experience–to help you learn to read more effectively, so that you can experience Literature more fully, and enjoy it more. And any reader will tell you, that's the point of all this: enjoyment. I can't promise you that any of the information you receive in this class will ever make you a dime. I seriously doubt that any Human Resources director is going to look at your resume and say, â€Å"Oh! Here's someone who's read A Streetcar Named Desire! Let's hire him! † Your gains will be less tangible: an enhanced ability to see things from other points of view, to detect patterns in people's actions, to have a deeper understanding of the complexities of human motivation. Okay, okay, enough with the theory; let's get to some real stuff. ENG 150 Reynolds 2 One example of a literary work that challenges the traditional canon is â€Å"All about Suicide† by Luisa Valenzuela, an Argentinean writer. A brief, shocking story, â€Å"All about Suicide† is part of a large and growing genre of literature from around the world that purposely violates our standard literary expectations to make its point – in this case, a point about the political realities of Argentina in the 1960s. LUISA VALENZUELA (1938- ) All about Suicide (1967) Translated by Helen Lane Ismael grabbed the gun and slowly rubbed it across his face. Then he pulled the trigger and there was a shot. Bang. One more person dead in the city. It's getting to be a vice. First he grabbed the revolver that was in a desk drawer, rubbed it gently across his face, put it to his temple, and pulled the trigger. Without saying a word. Bang. Dead. Let's recapitulate: the office is grand, fit for a minister. The desk is ministerial too, and covered with a glass that must have reflected the scene, the shock. Ismael knew where the gun was, he'd hidden it there himself. So he didn't lose any time, all he had to do was open the right-hand drawer and stick his hand in. Then he got a good hold on it and rubbed it over his face with a certain pleasure before putting it to his temple and pulling the trigger. It was something almost sensual and quite unexpected. He hadn't even had time to think about it. A trivial gesture, and the gun had fired. There's something missing: Ismael in the bar with a glass in his hand thinking over his future act and its possible consequences. We must go back farther if we want to get at the truth: Ismael in the cradle crying because his diapers are dirty and nobody is changing him. Not that far. Ismael in the first grade fighting with a classmate who'll one day become a minister, his friend, a traitor. No, Ismael in the ministry without being able to tell what he knew, forced to be silent. smael in the bar with the glass (his third) in his hand, and the irrevocable decision: better death. Ismael pushing the revolving door at the entrance to the building, pushing the swinging door leading to the office section, saying good morning to the guard, opening the door of his office. Once in his office, seven steps to his desk. Terror, the act of opening the drawer, taking out the revolver, and rubbing it across his face, almost a single gesture and very quick. The act of putting it to his temple and pulling the trigger – another act, immediately following the previous one. Bang. Dead. And lsmael coming out of his office (the other man's office, the minister's) almost relieved, even though he can predict what awaits him. (When reading this, remember that the ENG 150 Reynolds 3 story takes place in Argentina; there, a â€Å"minister† is a highly placed government employee, similar to a Cabinet member in the U. S. ) Then tell me: what happened? Did Ismael kill himself? What details of the story make you think he did or didn't? Did Ismael kill the minister? What details of the story make you think he did or didn't? Are there other possibilities? How does the use of pronouns (â€Å"he,† â€Å"him,† â€Å"his†) contribute to the ambiguity of the story? (â€Å"Ambiguous† means â€Å"susceptible to more than one interpretation. â€Å") If Ismael didn't kill the minister, why is the story called â€Å"All About Suicide†? Why doesn't Valenzuela tell the story in chronological order (that is, in the order in which the events happened)? Do you think Valenzuela is deliberately confusing the reader? What point might she be making about the political situation in her country by doing that? Theme When I asked that last question, I was asking you to think about the author's intentions. Most authors, in addition to telling a story, want their stories to explore ideas. The â€Å"theme† is the dominant or central idea of the story. It is seldom stated explicitly–most stories do not have a â€Å"Moral† at the end. A theme is not the same as a plot. The plot is what happens in a story, the events that take place in the story. A theme is the ideas the story asks you to think about. For example, in â€Å"All About Suicide,† Luisa Valenzuela is telling you about Ismael–but not just about Ismael. We know he's just one of many people in the country who have died. (â€Å"It's becoming a vice. ) So maybe the story is asking you to think about what it's like to live in a country where you can't speak freely and where it's easy for the government to kill. How might that affect a person's character? How might it affect his way of handling problems? And Valenzuela doesn't tell her story straightforwardly, in the same way that people may not be a ble to speak straightforwardly in this country. So the truth gets confused, and you never really know what it is–just as someone living in this country would have to deal with never knowing the real truth; the most he could hope for would be the official version of the truth for that day. A story may have one theme; more often, it has several, as you can see from Valenzuela's story. Interpreting Literature As you can see, it is possible–in fact, it's likely, that different readers will come up with different interpretations of stories and poems. Many works are deliberately written so as to allow more than one interpretation. So if, in the discussions, you find yourself disagreeing with anyone else's ideas about the story, please don't hesitate to say so, and volunteer your ideas. The point of having the discussions is to allow readers to learn from each other, to show each other things they might not have noticed themselves. ENG 150 Reynolds 4 But! A note of caution here. While it is usually true that there is no single correct reading of a text, your interpretation must be supported by the text. It is often tempting to â€Å"read into† a work things that are not there. After all, we all bring our own experiences and preconceptions to anything we read. Like scientific theory, literary interpretation must have a basis in fact: you must be able to support your interpretation with dialogue, descriptions, events, or other details from the text. The Reading Process To read more effectively, follow these steps: Read the story once, all the way through. Highlight or otherwise mark the text to identify key elements: words, phrases, or images that are repeated; any elements that seem out of place or unnecessary. Make notes in the margins of any ideas that occur to you about what the writer's theme(s) might be, any questions you might have, or the definitions of any words you didn't know and had to look up. Read the story a second time, and make note of anything else that occurs to you. Literary Criticism Many books and articles have been written by professional literary critics who analyze and interpret literature. Reading their work can help you gain new perspectives on particular works and help you understand them better. But you should not accept the ideas of any critic unquestioningly. Each critic, like other readers, has his own interpretation. And different critics come up with very different conclusions about the same work. For an example of this, look on pp. 1912-1920 followed by a sample student paper on page 1921-1926 each with a different interpretation of a story. Plot The plot of a story is simply the events that take place in the story. Most people read only for plot–but you now know to look for theme, too. And often, clues to the author's intentions can be found in the plot. For example, pay attention to beginnings and endings of stories, and ask yourself questions: Why did the author choose to begin the story with this event? Why choose to end it with that event? What has changed between the beginning and the end? â€Å"The Secret Lion,† for instance, begins when the boys are in junior high, and then moves back in time. Why wouldn't Rios choose to begin when the boys were younger, and then work his way up to junior high? And what has changed in the boys, and in their lives, between the beginning and the end of the story? Look also at the stages in all the important changes. What happens to change things or people? Why do you think the author chose to take this course of action? In â€Å"Happy Endings,† Atwood ENG 150 Reynolds 5 details the possible outcomes of a single event. What is her point in showing us all these alternatives? Look for events, people, and/or circumstances that work against the action of the story. In â€Å"The Things They Carried,† for example, the narrator tells us what happens to the soldiers–but he also repetitively tells us what they carry, and this slows down the story. Why would O'Brien choose to include all this information? Why not just tell us what happened? Look for characters, events, and details which seem to make no contribution to the plot or movement of the story, and ask yourself why they are there. In â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona,† (pg. 474) for instance, the narrator tells us a lot of stories about Victor's and Thomas's past which seem to have nothing to do with the events taking place on their trip. Why tell us? We are told about a gymnast they meet; but the gymnast is unnecessary to the plot; why is she there? The reservation where the boys live is described; what details are we told about the reservation? What is left out? Why? Look for repetition of events and details. What details repeat themselves in Faulkner's â€Å"A Rose For Emily†? (pg. 29) Is there any sort of pattern that you can detect in this repetition? The narrator of â€Å"The Tell-tale Heart† also repeats himself; why? Note the conflicts that occur in the story, whether they are between the characters, the characters and their surroundings, or within the characters themselves. And look at how those conflicts are resolved. In â€Å"Kansas,† the narrator describes the conflict between the boy and the farmer; why is he so frightened? How does this affect his later actions? And how is the conflict resolved? What does this resolution reveal about the boy? About the reader? Character Characters in books and stories can function in two ways: they can be individuals, with unique characteristics, habits, quirks, and personalities, so that they seem like real people; or they can be â€Å"types†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthat is, they can typify or represent something larger than themselves. The best characters do both. In a story, the main character is called the â€Å"protagonist. † The protagonist's opponent is the â€Å"antagonist. † The antagonist is usually another person, but in some stories it is an animal, or a spirit, or even a natural force. Figuring out which character is the protagonist can help you to interpret the story's theme. For example, in â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† we might say the protagonist is Emily–or we might say the protagonist is the town. If we choose Emily, we might see the story's theme as having to do with fear, loneliness, or mental illness. If we choose the town, we might see the story as having to do with social isolation or social class. Some characters are â€Å"flat†; others are â€Å"round. † Flat characters may play a small or a large role in a story, but they experience no change or development throughout the course of the story. Round characters change, grow, develop. (This does not make round characters superior to flat characters; it simply means they serve a different function in the story, depending on the author's ENG 150 Reynolds 6 intention. ) In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† (pg. 436) for instance, the husband is flat; we do not see him experience any growth or development during the story. But the narrator, his wife, is round; her experiences change her. Sometimes it is not easy to figure out whether a character is round or flat, and that in itself can help you arrive at an interpretation of the story. For example, is the narrator of â€Å"The Tell-tale Heart† flat or round? Does he change or develop during the course of the story, or does he stay the same? The way you answer this question may affect the way you see the theme(s) of the story. Often, the names of characters are revealing. Authors are usually careful to give their characters appropriate names. Charles Dickens, for example, in Nicholas Nickleby, names a schoolmaster â€Å"Mr. Choakumchild†; right away, we know that Nicholas is in for a rough time at this school. Sometimes, the

Chinese religions and Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chinese religions and - Essay Example Secondly, Chinese used the concept of Yin and Yang to explain the way the universe works. That is Yan describes the negative forces of nature while Yang the positive forces. Thirdly, Chinese people stand out for their filial piety and ancestral worship. Every Chinese home has a small shrine or altars to offer sacrifices to old generation and ancestors. Fourthly, divination is common in Chinese religion and they believe that unity of the universe allowed future events to be predicted. For instance, heating of a shell and divining the future through the cracks that occurred. In the eleventh century B.C.E political unrest through rebellion of Chou affected the Chinese religion. Chou rulers suggested existence of one god called Shang Ti who they asserted to be more than an ancestor. A great confusion after this rebellion resulted to three main Chinese religions the Confucians, the Legalists, and the Mohists. Shinto is the oldest native Japanese religion that describes formation of Japan as a land superior to other lands with its shrines commemorating its great heroes. The word Shinto comes from Chinese words Shen and Tao, which mean the way of the gods. Shinto was developed to distinguish native Japanese from other emerging religions form China like Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. In the sixth century C.E, Buddhism introduced by the Chinese and the Koreans made Japanese collect their myths and rituals in the name of kami-no-michi. This created a distinction between the native religions with the foreign. The myths allowed for a limited number of gods, goddesses, spirits, ancestral worship, and forms of animism. Although Chinese religions had a great influence on Japanese religion, Japanese used Shinto to depict their own revelation of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They developed their own Buddhism, distinctive form other Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism is one of these religions that included a

Controlling Organized Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Controlling Organized Crime - Essay Example This can lead to vast problems such as destabilizing different economies and interference in public processes by buying way through elections and putting corrupt officials in charge. Organized crime has spread its wings all over the world; illegal items might be exported from one country to another, and then sold in a third. This has really weakened the system and has created problems not only for the governments, but for the local people as well. (Organized Crime) Organized crime can cause serious socio-economic problems in whichever country it is operating. Violence is one of the major issues related to this. Crime kingpins will do whatever they can to protect their empire, and included in this is the use of violence, which usually involves firearms. Normally, these crime families are trying to kill the competition, so their aggression is pointed towards each other. But innocent victims get caught in the crossfire, and hundreds of casualties occur due to this. Moreover, these acts of violence are also used against the local population, in order to scare them and make them live in fear, so that the criminals can establish their control in a region. Illegal trafficking of drugs such as marijuana, heroin and cocaine, as discussed earlier, is also practiced by organized crime, and has caused serious issues everywhere. It is the main focus of the mafia, and their main source of income. Due to this marketing of said drugs, incidents of assails, homicides, and stealing property are not uncommon at all. These acts of violence are mainly results of tussle of control over regions between two crime families, or individuals trying to purchase drugs and make their way into this market. The consequences of this massive drug trade are not just limited to this; due to drug trafficking all over the world, a larger number of people are now suffering from adverse health effects of these drugs, which includes HIV. Other than the illegal drug trade, organized crime has found its way into the financial structure of different countries, and is harming it at an alarming rate. Credit card and mortgage fraud are the most ordinary of these crimes, and are practiced at a superior rate. Securities fraud such as crimes in the stock market and frauds related to marketing schemes such as telemarketing fraud ruin the lives of individuals and investors. For example, in some third world countries, due to the presence of land mafia and other several fraudulent cases, investors suffer from heavy losses, and less likely to continue their projects there. Money laundering is heavily practiced by many criminal organizations and it has planted a big dent on economic structures, worldwide. Money laundering normally comprises the use of a number of financial facilities such as banks, exchange and insurance companies etc. that can have adverse reactions on a number of institutions. As a result, services of lawyers, accountant and investment brokers are required, who accidentally o r on purpose assist the laundering process. Criminal organizations are capable of controlling financial systems and bribe corrupt officials of private or public institutions to aid with money laundering. This damages the financial structure of a region and also investors and the people lose confidence in the involved financial institutions. (Socio-economic Harms of Organized Crime) Many criminals organizations are said to have established working relations with law enforcement agencies. The system becomes

Article Review Cell Transfer During Pregnancy Essay

Article Review Cell Transfer During Pregnancy - Essay Example The main point in the article was that cells’ crossing the placenta is an established fact (microchimerism) but that new research is suggesting that these same cells can result in health or illnesses in both the mother and the child for a considerable time after the sharing occurred. Also that these cells can persist for an indefinite period of time and can become part of the body’s organs. There are instances when microchimerism can cause an immune attack in some individuals, but in some cases the body can actually be helped to heal through the same interplay of cells. Two examples in the paper showed an example of this. Firstly mothers who have rheumatoid arthritis can often have an improvement in their symptoms when they are pregnant, but that the condition returns after birth. This was initially considered to be because of higher levels of Cortisol in the blood of the mother, but because this phenomenon is not consistent in all cases (it doesn’t work for some women) this idea as discounted. Studies are now considering the disparity in Class II HLA’s as a possible reason for the decrease in symptoms during pregnancy. The second example was juvenile dermatomyositis. In this case transferred immune cells (mother to foetus) can result in an attack on the child’s body tissues. Another case in children is scleroderma and neonatal lupus. In both of these cases the adopted cells can cause the host body to attack the affected body tissues. The final point in the article was that this transfer could be harmful for some, and a helping aid in others. The reasons why this is the case seems to differ from case to case and more research is needed to determine how and why this happens. The transfer of cells between foetus and mother has been well documented especially in studies relating to negative impacts the mother can have the on the babies health through the ingestion of alcohol and other harmful substances. The foetus is basically plugged

Financial Markets and the Real Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Financial Markets and the Real Economy - Essay Example In this perspective, recorded economy includes all economic activities within a country that are recordable and reported through gathering of appropriate statistics (Bailey 78). Non-monetized economy on a different perspective refers to all economic activities that are linked to self-consumption. Therefore, real economy is a composition of all the aspects of economic activities within a given nation. Overview of Financial Markets Financial market on the other hand refers to a place where buyers and sellers (individuals and entities) meet to trade on assets that include equities, currencies, derivatives, and bonds. In most cases financial markets are referred to as stock markets. Amazingly, financial markets are as old as humanity. Financial markets started the moment mankind settled down to engaging in serious activities of growing crops and exchanging them with other crops. Despite this aspect of trade was known as barter, there were some financial markets aspects within the trade. For instance, there are possibilities that some people due to one reason or another attain bad harvest (Levinson 99). However, with the bad harvest such individuals had to struggle and obtain a way of farming and obtaining food for their families. In so doing, there was the aspect of obtaining credit hence the assertion that financial markets are as old as humankind. With advancements and developments, financial markets in the contemporary business environment have taken a totally different shape. There are many forms of financial markets currently all of which have their specific purposes to accomplish. In addition, financial markets developments and advancements have led to formation of highly organized markets like the...This essay attempts to create an understanding of the link between real economy and financial markets, adding to the numerous debates, articles, and studies on the link between financial markets and real economy Real economy is part of economy concerned with actual production of goods and service within a country. Real economy in most cases is referred to as the total economy, which encompasses all the economic components such as economic activities, both monetized and non-monetized transactions, official and unofficial, and all transactions or activities that take place between rural and urban areas Financial markets serve functions in which they are formed or mandated to within a given economy. The first fundamental function that financial markets perform is that of setting price. Through determining the exchange rates, financial markets have the vista of providing price discovery. The second fundamental function of financial markets is the valuation of assets. Through determining market prices, financial markets are in a position of valuing assets Economists believe that a powerful measurement of economic performance is only attainable through obtaining a marginal value of wealth from asset markets. Other than the fact that real economy impacts positively and negatively on financial markets, it is inevitable that financial markets also affect real economy either positively or negatively. In most cases, real economy benefits or is disadvantaged from the various functions of financial markets.

Health Care Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Health Care Reform - Essay Example One disadvantaged group are the employers. They have to pay for medical coverage for all their employees. Additionally, there will be a major increase in the insurance price coverage for all employees. Illegal immigrants in the U.S will not be entitled to any medical coverage even if they use their own money (Jackson & Nolen, 2010). In the reforms, practices and individuals with the motive of carrying out abortion will not be provided with any medical insurance cover. After the reforms have been effected, DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) agencies will have the task of ensuring that the implementation of the reforms is successful. Additionally, the agencies will have the mandate of providing guidelines to medical institutions, insurance institutions and the ordinary individuals on the requirements of the reforms (Holtz, 2008). The agencies will also be provided with the right of prosecuting individuals and institutions which fail to adhere to the reforms requirements. In the reforms, some legal issues have been added in regards to nursing. For instance, nursing practitioners have been cautioned on the carrying out of abortions. The health care reforms has also advocated for wage increases for nurses as well as inclusion on medical coverage from their employers (Holtz, 2008). In addition, several nursing agencies have been established to act on behalf of the welfare of all nurses in the Unites

Developing Autonomous Practice in Mental Health Nursing Essay

Developing Autonomous Practice in Mental Health Nursing - Essay Example Assessment in mental health nursing is something that is most understood through its application in the case of a patient. In relation, this essay will then examine case of a patient with Paranoid Schizophrenia, who was the patient during my community placement. Performed in a form of a case study, this essay will pay attention to the patient`s psychiatric and personal history. The current sociological, psychological and physiological needs of the patient will be also examined from the point of view of therapeutic approaches. Moreover, this essay aims to demonstrate how the nursing therapeutic approaches work in practice and develop a deeper understanding of applying some therapeutic methods in the care of individuals suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. More specifically, this paper will utilize Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as the main guiding theory or theoretical perspective in the assessment and intervention processes. In addition, the goal of the paper is to examine the role of the nurse, especially as a health educator, in caring for the mentally ill patient. Finally, this paper will discuss therapeutic nursing interventions, assessment of needs, and patient`s progress, analyze the therapeutic efficacy of environment where the patient is being cared for. Case Study Patient’s Background and History As mentioned, the case to be studied involves schizophrenia. This condition is usually diagnosed in adolescents or young patients. In some cases, it can even manifest in the person’s earlier years of life. The peak incidence for the onset of the disease lies between 15 and 25 years for men and 25 to 35 years for women (America Psychiatric Association, 2004). More specifically, this case study will involve the case of Patrick Jones (pseudonym; the name of the patient is changed for confidentiality), a 25 years old who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia last year. Paranoid schizophrenia is considered to be the most common type of schizophrenia all over the world. The clinical picture of this condition is characterized by delusions, paranoia. As with most paranoid schizophrenic patients, Patrick Jones usually has perceptual disturbances and hallucinations, generally of the auditory type. Two months before Patrick was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, his girlfriend was killed by a gang committing acts of violence in the neighbourhood. Patrick`s relatives and friends were concerned about his constant complaints of abdominal pain and headache. He experien ced severe appetite loss and as a result he lost a lot of weight in two and a half months - about 12 kg. Patrick stopped taking his showers and did not pay attention to personal hygiene. As a result, his body acquired an unbearable odour. Patrick also developed an ungrounded fear that he was about to be run over by a car, so he constantly stayed at home and refused to leave it even to go to the store to buy himself some food. His behaviour became utterly anti-social. He stayed locked in his bedroom for days. He also had episodes of outbursts of anger with elements of violence, which greatly terrified his family. Because of these different occurrences and observations, as well as the assumed cause of the patient’s condition (death of girlfriend), Patrick’s family opted to call for medical assistance. Thus, Patrick was brought in for assessment and evaluation. After a series of assessments and interactions with the patient,

Scope statement( course)- project management( major) Assignment

Scope statement( course)- project management( major) - Assignment Example One of these will be noted to be constraints. Most of the time project managers fail to accept from the onset that there could be constraints, which can militate against the success of the project. Consequently, most of these constraints come to them much unprepared, making it difficult to use any continuous process method to address them (Jacob, Bergland & Cox 89). There have been times that the scope statement has worked particularly well and other times that they have not worked so well. In a personal experience, there was a time that the scope statement did not work well because the stakeholders who were to put their efforts together to make the project a successful one failed to play their roles adequately. Consequently, the project manager had to take care of everything, which became problematic because the scope that was used to finish the project seemed to be different from the expectation of project owners when the project was completed. The use of requirements documents and work breakdown structure has however proven to give good support to scope statements in ensuring that they work

Managerial Effectiveness and its impact on organization Research Paper

Managerial Effectiveness and its impact on organization - Research Paper Example ..7 An Overview of Managerial Effectiveness †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...8 Theoretical Framework †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...9 Methodology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦..9 Research Approach†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 Research Design†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10 Pilot Test†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.11 Data Analysis Techniques.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.11 Data Collection Procedures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 Observer Journal Data†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 Data analysis†¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..13 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..19 Introduction A well-established fact in management research has been that managers faced various tasks, conflicting demands, and challenging expectations frequently that can pose to be as serious barriers to managerial effectiveness. Prior researches did extensively have pointed in the direction of a prominent and significant relationship between managerial behaviours and organizational outcomes, including employees’ job satisfactionp, productivity, performance, job involvement, intentions for voluntary turnover, and likelihood of burnout at the workplace (Andersson and Floren, 2008). Hence, managers need to be highly capable of responding to numerous role expectations and behaviours for them to accomplish a trait that is most important in today’s highly competitive scenario, which is managerial effectiveness (MacMahon and Murphy, 1999). Change is an inevitable feature of workplaces due to several inherent reasons and situations. The presence of change has become a great challenge for companies in trying to achieve long-term success and survival, thus, the need for highly capable and competent managers. In order to efficiently and effectively select managers, competent enough to face organizational issues is one of the most important measures that a company can take as a response to the changing environment. This could be accomplished by enhancing their skills and knowledge continuously, so as to keep up with rapidly change pace (Martynov, 2010). Essentially, while organizations ensure that, only the most competent employees are recruited and trained, developmental efforts are constantly in place to further enhance the effectiveness and overall quality of their managerial workforce. Managerial effectiveness

Todays Changing Families Essay Example for Free

Todays Changing Families Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Parents play a crucial role in almost every aspect of a child’s development, especially because they are the first people who get to teach them basic knowledge from the time of their birth. They are the ones who teach them, or at least, helped them learn, basic skills such as walking, speaking, and other things that they can use for the development of other skills. Aside from directly teaching or training them to these basic skills, the presence of the parents also contributes to the child’s emotional state. Parents who give their children their full attention would be a factor for to the child’s happiness, usually resulting to children who are generally more lively and expressive of their own feelings. The emotional state of a child is extremely important to give time to because it ripples almost to all the other areas of the child’s life. It affects the child’s motivation to do other things, including the manner by which he or she deals and intereacts with peers. Lack of proper nurturing may result in an unhappy child and may develop in other behavior problems. In recent years, depression in children, from infants to pre-schoolers, had been recognized as a clinical disorder similar to depression in adults. This can be characterized by a child’s lack of facial expression, temper problems, frequent tantrums, and other symptoms. Usually, this condition arises because of the lack of time devoted by the parents for their children. Another reason could be various family problems that can even prove to be traumatic to a child’s memory, resulting to fears and other behavior problems. Family problems are commonly attributed to conflicts between parents for different   reasons. These conflicts may develop into bigger and chronic relationship problems that could lead to divorce and separation whose unpleasant effects would fall on the child, as such problems would render the important development stages unattended to. This is to add to other traumatic experiences that the child may experience along the process. Not only quarrels between parents can affect the child’s emotional state. When both parents are working, they may not be able to spend quality time with their children. Usually working parents seeks the help of caretakers during the day which would take the place of the nurturing that should have come from the parents. There are available daycare schools that offers this services, but it is argued that the development of a child is still better handled by his or her own parents. Parents who work during the day most probably would not get to know their children well, as they are not physically involved in taking care of the child, and this proximity plays an important role in the development of their relationship. When a child is inflicted with depression, it can manifest in different ways. Usually this would come in the form of tantrums or anger, and would try to get the parents’ attention as much he or she could. The child would try harder to do get their attention when the parents do not give it already, but when they child was still not able to get the attention he or she wants, the child may give up and go to a state where the child distances himself from the parents. This is considered as the children’s defense mechanism against the possible future emotional pain that can be inflicted once the attachment grows and the parent does not give enough attention to the child. Quality time as an important factor Spending time with children is vital in order to achieve a healthy relationship between parents and their children. This will not be possible if the parents themselves are not ready to parenting life, or are just plainly immature to handle the responsibilities that being a parent entails. Raising children requires a lot of time and sacrifices for both parents and should be very well planned as part of family development. Some even consider parenting as a career choice and deems it necessary to choose between a job and being a parent. Quality time could be difficult to come by when both parents are busy doing their own jobs. As such, the relationship between parent and child may not be well enough for a healthy growth of the child, as it could end up as the child feeling unloved and neglected. Usually the parents try to compensate their lack of time by rewarding the child with material things, but it is only a matter of time before the child realizes that it’s not really what he or she wants. These are the cases in which the parents may not know a lot about the child’s personal life, even when the child has grown to an adult, as personal involvement was not encouraged nor practiced. Also, when both parents are too preoccupied with their own concerns against each other, such as feelings of jealousy and anger out of his or her partner, they may both end up neglecting the social and emotional needs of their child. Coupled with traumatic quarrels, this may well mark to the child’s memory and something he or she does not want to look back on. Effects of Divorce Usually the main issues during during events of divorce are the differences between the parents. But the effects of divorce to a child’s mentality is different, and would require a close inspaction. Divorce needs to be viewed as a permanent condition that goes far beyond the issues about custody and arrangements between their parents. During a study, it is found out that children who had divorced parents got into drugs and alcohol. Also, it was found out that these children have the fear of intimacy and generally became loners. Aside from this, it is revealed that one-third of these children finished only up to high school education. Role of parents with the child’s education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since the parents are considered the first teachers of their children, they play vital role in the schooling of the child. It had been studied that the involvement of parents with school activities greatly improves the children’s learning abilities. In this regard, schools are encouraged to foster and maintain activities involving the parents of the students. These activities includes family days where the parents would visit the school for a gathering and get to know the other parents of the students. Also, some schools have associations for teachers and parents that serve as a venue to air concerns and suggestions as how to improve the leadning processes of the school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is true for all levels, including elementary, high school and university. Activities are not limited to those inside the school as parent-involvement through helping in school work taken at home can also help. Aside from it creating a bond between the child and the parents, it helps in the child’s education. During times that the parents visit the school, it is vital that they get to communicate with the teachers so they can form an understanding and assessment as to how a child had been doing. This way, any problems can be discussed and addressed accordingly. References CBC News. (May 4, 2004) Fewer Canadian marriages end in divorce. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2004/05/04/divorce040504.html Child Development Institute. Research Shows Parent Involvement in Education Important To Student Success. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/ Divorce Law FYI. What is Divorce? Retrieved February 27, 2008, from http://www.divorcelawfyi.com/ Divorce Magazine. Divorce Statistics. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from http://www.divorcemag.com/statistics/statsUS.shtml Divorce Source Website. Stark Legacy of Pain for Kids of Divorce. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from http://www.divorcesource.com/CA/ARTICLES/starky.html Madison Libraries. Children of Divorce Research Guide. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from http://www.college.library.wisc.edu/research_guides/childdivorce.shtml

Price Determination in Market Forces of Demand and Supply

Price Determination in Market Forces of Demand and Supply Introduction It is inevitable that world prices of commodities are increasing substantially. The increase of commodity prices does not only affect producers and consumers, but also governments. Around the world, governments face renewed pressure to reform their budgeting processes, including Malaysia. Malaysia has a well-established infrastructure and is one of the most economically advanced countries in South Asia. This essay is opted to discuss the rational of price hikes and its impacts to the cost of living particularly in the Malaysian context as well as providing the blueprint for Malaysian government in bracing the price hikes. 2.0 Do Oil Price Increases Cause Higher Other Commodity Prices? Current commodity price hikes are not only affecting the Malaysian economy and society, but also affecting the whole world. According to OECD Economics Department Policy Notes, commodity prices have risen considerably since mid-2010. The rational of price hikes is due to the price hikes of world’s primary sources like crude oil, food, steel, wheat and such. Oil is one of the world’s basic necessities and the backbone of most countries, especially developing countries, as some developed countries do have renewable resources as alternatives in their productions of commodities. OECD Economics Department Policy Notes states that higher energy prices have contributed to rising food prices, because energy accounts for over one-third of the cost of grain production. 2.1 Scarcity of Oil as One of the Important Natural Resources This is further encouraged by the scarcity of natural resources and raw materials. It is expected that world supply and production of oil are falling into depletion. This problem is commonly referred to as â€Å"peak oil†, where the production of oil reaches a maximum and will subsequently begin to decline until full depletion is ultimately reached. According to Hassan (2010), it is expected that the world’s oil supply will be completely diminished by 2025. Prices are Set by Both International and Local Market Factors Commodity prices are largely determined by international market powers within regional basis at most of the time. This shows that commodity prices are in-part out of government’s control in most countries around the world including Malaysia. 3.1 Mixed Economy in Malaysia Malaysia is practicing a mixed economic system and not exempted by international price changes. The economic activities in Malaysia are carried out by entrepreneurs in the production activities of goods and services as well as by the government that provides public goods and services to Malaysian citizens in terms of education, transportation, health and others. Based on Price Control Act 1961, Malaysian government is controlling only seven types of goods—white refined sugar, petrol, diesel, liquid petroleum gas, flour, cooking oil, and facemask (as illustrated in table 1). According to Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism, Malaysian government previously controlled other five goods which are steel (price control was repealed on 12 May 2008), chicken (price control was repealed on 12 May 2008), cement (price control was repealed on 5 June 2008), sweetened condensed milk (price control was repealed on 1 April 2009) and white bread (price control was repeale d on 1 Jan 2010). Table 1: List of Controlled Goods Source: Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (MDTCC) Commodity Price Increases in Malaysia According to Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong, Ayer Hitam MP and MCA Deputy President, 2014 is seen as a tough year for Malaysians as the prices hikes, including the impending ones that impacting the middle-income earners and below (Foong, 2014). The price hikes are assumed as one of the impacts of the Malaysian government’s rationalisation exercise of fuel subsidies and the electricity tariff in the effort of reducing the nation’s economic burden. 4.1 Reducing Nation’s Economic Burden The Malaysia’s federal government is in a bad state because it is spending more than it earns, causing a persistent budget deficit. Malaysia’s debt-to-GDP ratio is higher than officials would like. With the exception of India, that deficit burden is the highest among the Non-Japan Asian economies (KPMG, 2011). According to Deputy of Ministry of Finance Datuk Ahmad Maslan, at the end of June 2013, the federal government owed tax of RM 284.7 billion, which is 28.8% of Malaysian GDP (Bernama, 2013). Until September 30, 2013, the shortfall is funded by the federal government incurring more debt, which was in total of RM529.2 billion or 53.6% of GDP (Bernama, 2013). 4.2 Subsidy Removal According to Shanmugam, â€Å"In Malaysia, the electricity tariff, food prices and toll rates on urban highways are all going up in 2014 as the government cuts subsidies and reigns in its operating expenditure†. Scrapping energy subsidies has become a target for government austerity measures over the past years. In complying with the latest budget, Malaysia has recently cut its annual subsidy on petrol and electricity (The Economist, 2014). Malaysia slashed its petrol subsidies by 20 cents a litre and by 20 to 80 cents on diesel (BBC News, 2013). This is the first time in more than two years that Malaysia cuts fuel subsidies as it tries to reduce its budget deficit. On the other hand, the electricity tariff in Malaysia is increased by an average of about 14.89% for Peninsular Malaysia, and by about 17% for Sabah and Labuan starting January 1st, 2014 as shown in Table 2 (Shagar, 2013). This is in line with the Government’s effort towards gradually reducing energy subsidi es to industries through the Subsidy Rationalisation Program. Table 2: The table on implications of the revised rate on domestic users Impacts of price hikes to Malaysian cost of living It is pretty clear that the cost of living in Malaysia is going to rise substantially as we stepped into 2014. According to Alliance Financial Group Bhd. and Malaysian Rating Corp., the 14 percent increase in sugar cost starting in October 2013 and 11 percent increase of petrol in September 2014 as well as 15 percent increase of electricity in January 2014 could inhibit private consumption growth by 0.9 percentage point in 2014 (Chong, 2014). Chong (2014) anticipates that Malaysia’s middle class is harshly hit by the price increases with elevated household borrowings as slower pay increase than the lower-income earners. According to Wan Saiful Wan Jan, the chief officer at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, with as little as RM 3,000 salary per month, the middle-income earners or the ‘Sandwich Class’ is not benefitting as much as other higher and lower classes from the government income tax cuts (Chong, 2014). Despite the increase cost of living, the Malaysian Employers Federation estimates that there will be lower salary increases as well as bonuses in the private sector in 2014, where executives will get a 5.63 percent average increase in salaries and non-executives will get a 5.65 percent raise as the results of an MEF survey of 257 companies (Choong, 2014). The producers are the ones that expected to gain much of the price hikes, especially for those who take advantage by their hidden charges through overprice selling of goods on consumers. However, Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry is taking serious actions to protect consumers’ rights. Figure 1: Food Prices Comparison between 2013 and 2014 Source: Utusan Online—3 January 2014 How do Malaysian government brace such increases in commodity prices? In many ways, Malaysia has been an early adopter of important financial reform programs. According to Shanmugam, the opposition has claimed that corruption and wastage are the main reasons the government is not able to spend within its means, thus increasing its spending that leads to high debt. Nevertheless, the technocrats in the Cabinet, Dato’ Seri Idris Jala and Dato’ Seri Abdul Wahid Omar say that Dato’ Seri Najib Razak’s administration has spelt out clear measures to tackle leakages in government spending and end corrupt practices. 6.1 Long-Term Agreement One of the ways that is taken by the Malaysian government in bracing the price increases is by having agreement with the resources supplying countries. For example, the government is able to control sugar price because of its long-term agreement with Brazil in supplying raw sugar to Malaysia. Nevertheless, sugar is pressured by price hikes due to the usage of sugar canes as primary supplier of raw sugar in biofuel (Department of Information, 2008). This causes sugar canes for the use of biofuel having high demand in the world market. Outcome-Based Budgeting The government has also introduced the Outcome-Based Budgeting (OBB) which is also known as Performance-Based Budgeting in Budget 2014 as a way to allocate resources based on achieving agreed upon objectives, program goals and measured results. This will help in improving the implementation of efficiencies, reducing redundancy and systematically evaluate the performance of all ministries. Furthermore, according to Dato’ Seri Abdul Wahid, the government is now more focusing on public-private partnerships, where the private sector implements the projects and end-users pay for it. He said that â€Å"there will be less emphasis on private finance initiatives (FPI) where the government has to pay annual lease payments, which contribute to a growing operating budget† (Shanmugam, 2013). Goods and Services Tax Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a broad based consumption tax which will generally be applicable on all goods and services, where consumers pay only on what they consume. Any registered business that charges GST can offset the GST it pays against the tax it collects before forwarding the balance to the government, so that the tax is ensured to be imposed only once. This is called as an â€Å"input tax credit mechanism†, where businesses are able to operate without tax cost and the final 6% tax is borne by the end consumer (Kumaran and Simpson, 2013). However, basic goods such as unprocessed meat, cooking oil, and sugar as well as public services like education, healthcare, tolls, financial services and life insurance will be exempt from GST (Kumaran and Simpson, 2013). This will help Malaysians in curbing their expenses with the increasing living cost. Furthermore, under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2010, it is illegal for businesses to increase prices by 4% across the board with the introduction of GST (Kumaran and Simpson, 2013). Pricing decisions by businesses are also obliged to be justifiable or else stringent penalties will be taken by domestic trade cooperatives and consumerism ministry. In brief, instead of making everything more expensive in addition to international price hikes, GST is going to help Malaysians by providing a more transparent, streamlined and fairer tax based on our consumption patterns (Kumaran and Simpson, 2013). Conclusion In conclusion, despite the drawbacks of price hike to the cost of living particularly in the Malaysian context, price hikes are seen as a good cause in reducing the government’s burden. The government does need to reduce its fiscal deficit for the long term economic wellbeing. Therefore, cuts in government subsidies executed by the Malaysian government are viewed as a rational approach. Based on the blueprint discussed in this essay, it shows that the government also has proposed some measures to curb the impacts of price hikes to consumers. The government and its people are supposed to be partners in their shared journey of development and progress, thus both parties have to play their parts in fiscal consolidation. References BBC News. (2013, September 3). BBC NEWS BUSINESS. Retrieved from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23926411 Bernama. (2013, November 25). Hutang negara RM284.7b pada akhir Jun tahun ini, lapor Kementerian Kewangan. Retrieved from The Malaysian Insider: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/bahasa/article/hutang-negara-rm284.7b-pada-akhir-jun-tahun-ini-lapor-kementerian-kewangan Chong, P. K. (2014, January 7th). Malaysians Seen Curbing Spending as Living Costs Surge: Economy. Retrieved from Bloomberg News: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-07/malaysians-seen-curbing-spending-as-living-costs-surge-economy.html Choong, P. (2014, January 7). Malaysians Seen Curbing Spending as Living Costs Surge: Economy. Bloomberg News. Malaysia: Bloomberg L.P. Department of Information. (2008). Clarification on Subsidies and Price Increases of Goods and Services. Kuala Lumpur: Perkasa Nilam Sdn. Bhd. Foong, P. (2014, January 6). Malaysian Politics 2014: Tough explaining price hikes to people, says Dr Wee. Retrieved from The Star Online: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/01/06/Malaysian-politics-2014-Wee-Ka-Siong-MCA-Barisan-Nasional/ Hassan, M. (2010, July 19). Bersediakah kita menuju negara hijau? Retrieved from Utusan Online: http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2010dt=0719pub=Utusan_Malaysiasec=Rencanapg=re_06.htm KPDNKK. (2014, January 10). Price List of Controlled Items. Retrieved from Offical Portal of Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism: http://www.kpdnkk.gov.my/en/pengguna/penguatkuasaan/brg-kawalan/harga-brg-kawalan KPMG. (2011, September). Outcome-based Budgeting: A Six Nation Study. Making the Transition. KPMG International Cooperative. Kumaran, R., Simpson, T. (2013, October 21). Real impact of GST on cost of living. Retrieved from The Star Online: http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Business-News/2013/10/21/Real-impact-of-GST-on-cost-of-living-It-helps-change-the-way-we-pay-tax-provides-more-transparent-s.aspx/ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2011). The Effects of Oil Price Hikes on Economic Activity and Inflation. Economics Department Policy Note No. 4. OECD. Shagar, L. K. (2013, December 2). Electricity tariff up by average 15% from Jan 1. The Star. Malaysia: Star Publications (M) Bhd. Shanmugam, M. (2013, December 23). Shake-up in the economy. Malaysia: The Edge Malaysia Weekly. Star Publications (M) Bhd. (2014, January 21). Traders to pay for steep prices. Retrieved from The Star Online: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/01/21/Traders-to-pay-for-steep-prices-Shop-owners-will-be-taken-to-court-if-they-violate-regulation/ Tenaga Nasional Berhad. (2014). Tariff Rates. Retrieved from Tenaga Nasional: http://www.tnb.com.my/residential/pricing-and-tariff/tariff-rates.html The Economist. (2014, Jan 11th). Fuelling controversy. The $9 Trillion Sale (Almost) Everything Must Go! The Economist Newspaper Limited. The copyright of Nur Nisrin Alina Abdul Aziz (MBA Services Management, UniRazak)Page 1

An Assessment Of The Political Violence In Nigeria Politics Essay

An Assessment Of The Political Violence In Nigeria Politics Essay Though man is by nature, gregarious, diversity of goals and interest among individuals and groups has made conflict leading to crises a recurrent phenomenon in human communities. To discuss about violence whether political, religious or ethnic is to also to talk about conflict which serves as the major platform for such violence. Conflict of interests creates the ground for all forms of crises and violence witnessed in Nigeria. There is need therefore to set the ball rolling by explaining the concept of conflict. According to Mkpandiok (2006, p.116), conflict occurs when two parties (individuals or groups) possess opposing goals and interests in a manner that the behavior of one or both parties threatens the other`s goal attainment. Corroborating the above opinion, Bagaji (2006, p.181) defined conflict as a situation in which one identifiable group of human beings (which could be tribal, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious, socio-economic, political or otherwise is in a state of conscious opposition to one or more other identifiable human group(s) in pursuance of what appear to be incompatible goals. Milton in Olagunju (2007, p.87) specifically maintained that real liberty is only expressed where and when complaints are freely heard, deeply considered and quickly reformed. In other words, since no society is absolutely homogenous, absolute absence of conflict is rather a demonstration of covert oppression and suppression. This is contingent on the competitions that characterize struggle for the acquisition of the social status, power and resources which are by nature limited in supply. Wright in Ologitere (2008, p.14) contends that conflict can be between individuals in a group, groups within state, factions and the state or between states. According to him conflict may refer to a particular relationship between states or rival faction within a state with implications of subjective economic or military hostilities. According to Imobighe (2008, p.20), conflict represents a condition of disharmony within an interaction process which usually occurs as a result of a clash of interest between parties involved in some forms of relationship, with the parties pursuing incompatible goals or using incompatible means to pursue their chosen goals. Okibe (2002) and Osagie (2008) in Ologitere (2008 pp.16-17) attempted to throw more light on the nature of incompatibilities that breed conflict in group interactions. To Bagaji (2006, p.154) , individuals regular compliance to rules, regulations, plans and procedures is determined by their degree of emotional attachment to the surrounding values which include their expectations from others from within or between the groups. According to him, clash of ideas, opinions, or beliefs can produce emotional antagonism and struggle between individuals and groups in any environment. He therefore defined conflict as a social interaction between individuals or groups with incompatible goals. Aduiba (2009, p.88) on the other hand contends that conflicts are propelled basically by the same factors which he identified as struggle for scarce resources, social injustice, class antagonism, unequal power relation, differences in values and interests and states and governments partisanship. Conflicts in whatever situation whether political, religious, cultural and otherwise have good results in the long run if it is violence free. Burton (1987, pp.137-138) contends that without conflicts, a society would remain static. As a creative element in human relation, he therefore, sees conflict as the means by which societal values, welfare, security, justice and opportunities for personal development can be achieved. On this note, Weeks in Ologitere (2008, p.14) thus, submitted that given our highly complex competitive and litigious society, conflict is both inevitable and inescapable. The consensus opinion of most scholars whose contributions have been discussed above is that conflict as a product of interaction, is an expression of dissatisfaction with the existing social order. It may therefore be referred to as a discord that occurs when the goals, interests or values (real or imagined) of two parties intersect at the point where the available resources or opportunities for simultaneous realization or maximization are limited. NATURE OF CONFLICT Conflict as described above, may not be necessarily avoidable but it can be prevented from assuming destructive dimension. This is facilitated by understanding the conflict proneness of a given society. The most common symptoms of conflict proneness Stewart (1998, p.35) identified include the following: (i) A serious past conflict at some time over the previous twenty years. (ii) Evidence of a considerable degree of horizontal inequality (iii) Low income; and (iv) Economic stagnation. Ogban-Iyam (2005, p.2) observed that conflict could be non violent or violent but further submitted that violent conflict is more often an extreme form of conflict that emanates from a poorly managed non violent form. He however submitted that most conflicts that have challenged the integrity of most states across Africa are both organized and violent with attendant large scale humanitarian emergencies. Contributing to the analysis of these conflicts, Gberie (2007, pp.26-35) has identified horizontal or relative inequalities as the major cause. For instance, in as much as every inequality (vertical or horizontal) is undesirable, relative (rather than absolute) is more often the underlying determinant of conflict because, group mobilization which is essential to effectiveness of conflicts is easier when there are sharp political, social and economic differences among the people. He added too that even if these indicators of relative inequalities are available, conflict may be latent until it is effectively triggered by the factors such as information, ready leadership, resources and the possibility of changing the contradiction through the force of arms. Corroborating this position, Nzongola-Natalaja (2008, p.4), while reacting to the orthodox idiolects of the underdevelopment scholars which had often blamed all African woes on what they called the `imported or `arbitrary` states of the colonial systems, contended that African leaders had ample opportunities to nurture the nationalistic sentiments they had generated in the cause of their independence struggles, if they had focused on comprehensive state-building projects through leadership integrity. According to him, the emergent ruling class rather compromised their emancipation promises shortly after they inherited the privileges of their masts. Accordingly, their idea of power soon became how to plunder the state resources solely for the benefits of themselves, their immediate families and their collectivities to the detriment of the entire people. Given the enormous powers of the state in this region, not only are the advantages and opportunities of the collectivities of these leaders outrageously visible but the competition for powers became too multiple for the narrow political spaces in most African states. Thus, instead of inter-class conflicts, most conflicts in Africa are inter-ethnic, secondary to the manipulation of group`s (ethnic) symbols by the elites of each group either to change or to maintain these existing contradictions. From this perspective, conflict does not just happen but a reaction to series of negligence of the need to address the principal causes of conflict. POLITICALLY MOTIVATED VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA Violence or the threat of violence as a phenomenon is human activity which has been recognized in African countries as a dimension of local, national and international politics. Individuals and groups throughout history in one form or the other resorted to violence or its potential use as a tactics of political action. Direct violence refers to acts of deliberate violence resulting in a direct attack on a person`s physical or psychological integrity. This category includes all forms of homicide (genocide, war crime, massacres, murders (terrorism) as well as all types of coercive or brutal actions involving physical or psychological suffering (kidnapping, torture, rape, maltreatment) such behavior corresponds in all instances to illegal acts running counter to the most basic of all human rights, the right to life. Salami (2006, p.99) opined that indirect violence on the other hand is intended to cover harmful, sometimes even deadly situations or actions which, due to human intervention, do not necessarily involve a direct relationship between the victims and the institution. Olagunju (2007, p.57) defined political violence as the use or threat of physical force or group of individuals within a political system against another individual or individuals, and/or property, with the intent to cause injury or death to persons and/or damage or destruction to property. Political violence is endemic in most of the world`s political system today. This is particularly true of the developing countries including societies where political violence has become a prominent feature of the political process, especially after independence. After political independence of Nigeria in 1960, it was hoped that the country will embrace and consolidate democracy devoid of political violence because of the peaceful, free and fair nature of the 1959 election, even through the results were disputed by some political parties. However, it is rather unfortunate that after independence, Nigeria has gone through a series of political violence and assassinations as the country witnessed a marked increase in the bitterness of party politics. After a long period of military rule, the ban of political activities was once again lifted and democratic rule was received in the country in 1999 with a lot of hope and expectations for a better state because the people were once again given the opportunity to participate in the ruling of their own fatherland through representation. The April, 1999 general elections were conducted in an atmosphere of relative peace and stability as much as political violence and assassinations were not witnessed. This was perhaps because the people were tired of military rule and decided to remain calm to ensure the enthronement of democracy. However, when the 2003 general election drew near, there were a lot of pointers that the country`s nascent democracy was under threat because of the spate of political violence and assassination that were witnessed in the country. During the elections, there were numerous reports of assassinations of political candidates, clashes between supporters of different politicians both within political parties and between rival parties, and intimidation and harassment of political candidates and supporters. Often ethnic and local conflicts led to political violence, supported by politicians both candidates and those holding political office and traditional rulers. The large number of firearms available in Nigeria and the creation of armed gangs enabled politicians to instigate political violence at local and state levels. Government officials and legislators were reportedly harassed and intimidated by rival candidates and their followers. More than a hundred people were killed and many more injured. The Pre-election period of the 2007 election was marked by intimidation and harassment of party candidates, violence against supporters, and several political candidates were assassinated, reportedly by political opponents. There were allegations that individual political candidates as well as some local and state political parties hired armed gangs to instigate political violence. In many cases law enforcement authorities failed to take adequate steps to protect human rights and perpetrators were not brought to justice. Several candidates running for political office in the April 2007 elections were killed, including two candidates who were standing for the state governorship in the primary elections in Lagos and Ekiti States. Many other politicians and political candidates were subjected to violent attacks and attempted killings, but managed to escape. On 3 February 2007, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted a by-election in Iree, Osun State, for the National Assembly member for the Ifelodun/Pdo-Otin/Boripe federal constituency. Men heavily armed, and allegedly paid by politicians, invaded the polling booth in Iree, smashed the ballot boxes and destroyed the INEC registers used for the election. The officer who registered the voters, reported that an ANPP member, was beaten to death. Many other people were wounded. Violence erupted in Aliade, Benue State, on the weekend of 9th and 10th December 2006 after a PDP appeal panels nomination of a candidate for the House of Assembly. Rampaging youths protested against this nomination, blocked the road, attacked his supporters and torched houses. A woman prospective PDP candidate for the Senate received several threatening phone calls in October 2006 warning her that she should withdraw from politics. Several of those standing against her reportedly told her to stay out of the contest and stressed that if she continued to contest the nomination, the consequences would be more than she could handle. After two weeks, the police reportedly arrested someone who confessed that he had been hired to kill her. In November 2006, another woman prospective candidate for the Federal House of Representatives received several threats, allegedly from opponents within her own party, the PDP. She lodged a complaint with the State Police Commissioner and was put under police protection. On 18 November 2006, when she attended a political meeting in her constituency, she was again threatened by her opponent and his supporters beat her and dragged her out of the venue. Sometime this year (2010), the former Ogun State Action Congress (AC) gubernatorial candidate in the 2007 election was assassinated in the state capital. Not a few pointed accusing finger on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state as having hand in the assassination. AC is the major opposition party in the state. The cases mentioned above are just but a few out of many. THE NATURE OF THE STATE AND ETHNIC VIOLENCE There are over (250) distinct ethnic groups in the country. Post colonial politics has been dominated by the three major ethnic groups- the Hausa/ Fulani, Yoruba and Ibo. However, the minorities became restive, particularly those in the oil producing region of Nigeria. Their restiveness arises from the feeling that while the petroleum on which the country is also dependent on is found in their territories, they got little of the benefits accruing from oil revenues. Instead, they suffered environmental degradation, loss of livelihood, punitive state action that was mobilized against them by a combination of security forces and oil producing companies. For many of these ethnic groups, petroleum is a scourge rather than a blessing. This necessitated the emergence of dare devil militant youths who have taken up sophisticated arms and retorted to kidnapping and pipeline vandalism. The amnesty program me instituted by late President Yar Adua is intended to curb militancy in the Niger Delta area. The effectiveness of this program leaves more questions than answers as militancy activities are still very much on ground. A new dimension has even been introduced- Bombings. When stakeholders of the Niger Delta amnesty program gathered in Edo state in March 2010 to deliberate on the way forward, the meeting was cut short when there was a bomb blast which was planted in a car nearby. The Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility for the blast threatening to heighten their violence if they were not included in the amnesty program. Another bombing took place in May 2010 in a hotel owned by the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State which is also in the Niger Delta. He cried foul and insinuated that the Governor who had been in a feud with him was after his life. The minorities of the Niger Delta have been engaged in many instances of ethnic conflict- the Ijaws Vs Urhobos and Itsekiri and each of them Vs Chevron, the Ogori Vs Shell and the state government, these groups call for a change in the revenue allocation formula in a way that acknowledges their contribution to the state well being by rewarding them handsomely. In the middle belt, the latest Jos inter-ethnic clashes between indigenes and settlers were traumatic. The once peaceful and serene city of Jos, capital of Plateau state leaves one with much worry. Hundreds of lives were lost, properties were destroyed, and many saw Jos that used to be a tourist attraction as death zone. In Lagos and Ibadan, there were prolong clashes between a faction of the Odua peoples congress and the Hausa/Fulani Youth. Thirty years after the civil war, there is still a silent feeling by the indigbos (Elders forum of the Ibos) that the Ibo people are being marginalized and excluded from political power especially the presidency. RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA Religious violence has had its own prolonged effect on Nigeria. The menace caused by various religious violence have become a very big embarrassment to Nigeria and her citizens. In November 2002, riots and protest from some Moslem youths that were opposed to Miss World contest in Abuja led the organizers to cancel it and subsequently relocated the show to London. About 100 people lost their lives in that incident. Ironically, a lady from Turkey (a Moslem country) won the contest in London. All these religious disturbances run contrary to all efforts of the federal government to boost tourism. The talk of attracting foreign investors in the face of regular religious mayhem might be a total waste of energy and resources. Local investors are even tired of the instabilities in Northern Nigeria. A number of Ibo business people had to relocate completely to Owerri, Onitsha, Aba, Lagos etc due to these riots. Many have completely lost their means of livelihood. The truth is that a single religious crisis will have a negative multiplier effects on other sectors of the economy. Some people became armed robbers when their means of livelihoods were destroyed. Many innocent non-Moslems paid costly prices for these religious crises. The Muslim dominated northern part of Nigeria hardly has a year passed without witnessing crises between the islam faithfuls and Christians. Such crises always lead to mass killings, burning of churches and mosques as well as property. Last year a group known as Boko haram that is opposed to western education unleashed so much terror on people in trying to push their ideals that only Arab and Islamic religion is worth learning. Victor A. (@ http://countedforchrist.blogspot.com/2009/07/causes-of-religious-violence-in-nigeria.html) gives the following reasons the frequent religious crises witnessed in Nigeria: Colonial Rule System: The British Colonial rule and the administrative policy of Sir Frederick Lugard and his successors created a bedrock for muslims-christians hostility. After the conquest of northern Nigeria and the imposition of indirect rule system, Christianity was restricted. This is to ensure the continuous use of their emirate system for a good tax collection system. Later attempts therefore to extend the influence of Christianity and western education in the areas that were predominantly Muslims, gave rise to inter-religious riots in some parts of northern Nigeria. This has continued up till today. Increasing Acts of Religious intolerance: Religious intolerance means the inability of some people, be they individuals or groups to tolerate the weak or deviant behaviour of other members. In Nigerian context however, religious intolerance is vividly manifested as the inability of members of one religious group to tolerate the other, such intolerance often leads to tension, discord, hostility, and possibly violent confrontation. The Upsurge of Religious Fanaticism: The increasing incidence of violent and religious conflicts in Nigeria can be linked to the growing number of both fanatical Islamic and Christian groups in some parts of the country. These religious fanatics carry their dogma, beliefs and sectarian religious views to the extreme. They are often prepared to wage war against those who have contrary beliefs, and who maintain different mode of worship or religious principles and practice that are not acceptable to them. The fanatics have no regard for the fundamental human rights, which guarantee freedom of worship for the citizens. The United States Government agrees with this when it stated through its Secretary of state, Mrs Hillary Clinton on Monday 10th May, 2010 that religious crises in Nigeria were being fuelled by violent extremism. It said this development was one of the greatest worries of the President Barrack Obama-administration in trying to build a new relationship with the Islamic world, a US-based Nigerian news agency, E mpowered Newswire, has reported. Politics of Religion The use of religion as a tool for achieving political ends has contributed immensely to the problem of religious conflicts in Nigeria. Some politicians in Nigeria are known to engage in reactionary recourse to religious fervour as a means of either holding on the power, or as an instrument for political ascendancy. In such circumstance, their fellow religious adherent are often manifested, mobilized and utilized to achieve selfish political goals. POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN KOGI STATE Violence, under whatever guise, has a very negative impact on the life of people and has suddenly become a nightmare in political coat tormenting citizens of Kogi state. Indisputably, the political scenario in Kogi state is in consonance with Karl Maxs political philosophy resulting from political violence like killing, thuggery, blackmail destruction of lives and property as individuals struggle for selfish interest. This philosophical diction has become a landmark in Kogi state which is a macrocosm of what obtains in the country as a whole. More so, this political crises or clashes have successfully enabled other forms of violence under the umbrella of religion and ethnic crises. The Igbiras of Okene in Kogi state are known nationally for their notoriety. Their incessant massive violence with utmost brutality characterised by merciless killings has become a nightmare in Kogi state. Several lives have been lost in the past; houses, business ventures, markets, offices, cars, police stations etc were set ablaze at instances of violence. Many people over time have been rendered homeless and jobless. In Okene, anything can just cause a fight. Misunderstanding between two people resulting in a fight can graduate into inter communal clash if both parties are from different communities. Defection of a prominent person from one party to another can stem up crises among the youths. This unfortunate situation has led to mass exodus from Okene to other parts of the state. In addition to the violence in Okene and Ogaminana are the frequent crises in Ejule, Ofu Local Government Area. At every political transition period, the town becomes dreaded. The activities of thugs are at its peak there. So much that when at a time, armed policemen were deployed to the town to curb the mayhem thugs afflict on political opponents and people, the thugs overpowered the policemen who eventually gave up and ran for their lives. It is said that the thugs equip themselves with charms that make their skin bullet proof. With that, they are fearless and take laws into their hands. Anyigba in Dekina Local Government Area is not left out of the thuggery saga. The killing of innocent citizens, forcing people out of their houses, and committing all forms of crime in the name of politics, causing civil disturbances, making people run away from their farm works and businesses have become associated with their operation. Across the other Local Government Areas, you hear of thuggery operations. The use of thugs by self seeking politicians to intimidate and victimise political opponents is a regular phenomenon in Kogi State. Well one question that might agitate the mind of any right thinking individual is why are they not being arrested even when you know who they are? One manifestation of the inadequacies of the Nigerian criminal justice system is the failure to carry out inquiries in cases of politically motivated killings, Most politically motivated violence and killings committed in the 1999 and 2003 elections were not investigated or punished, the scenario has immensely contributed to the culture of impunity that characterizes the political climate in the country today. The last eight years has witnessed much political killings in Nigeria, such as the murders of Bola Ige, Marshall Harry, Aminasaori Dikibo, Barnabas Igwe and Dele Arojo among others. In the months before federal and state elections in April and May 2003 political killings were reported throughout the country, with allegations of the involvement of individual members of state and local governments officials and political parties. The failure of the police to investigate political killings effectively and to bring to justice the perpetrators is a concern for current cases of political killings. The UN Special Reporter on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions stated: In recent years many leading political figures have been assassinated. Prosecutions have been rare and convictions almost non-existent The de facto impunity enjoyed for these crimes risks undermining Nigerian democracy, and the 2007 election year threatens many more killings unless impunity is ended. There are so many social factors that influence peoples decision to indulge in violence or crisis as their way of resolving political issues and sure way to survival such as: Poverty Unemployment Ethnic differences Insincerity on the part of the government policy Government policy Lack of effective communication Selfish interest RESOLVING CONFLICT Since the issue of violence cannot be discussed without bringing in conflict, so violence cannot be tackled without talking about conflict resolution. The contention of Burton (1982, pp.137-138) that conflict is desirable does not contradict the position of Bagaji (2006, p5) which held that unresolved conflict drains the society of its capacity to maximize its diversity to satisfy its needs and that contending parties might even retort to the use of violence to achieve their purpose. Rather, it emphasizes that every conflict provides an opportunity to renegotiate desirable social changes among the disputants through the process of resolution. According to Meyer in Akowe (2007, p.117) conflict resolution refers to the entire process of settling disputes, disagreements or doubts by listening to and providing opportunities to meet each side`s needs and adequately address their interests so that each party is satisfied with the outcome. Here, identifying the needs of the parties in conflict is very crucial to the realization of resolution objectives. Aduiba (2009, p.23) refers to conflict resolution as a shift in the mode of interaction between contending parties. At the point of resolution, according to him conflict is terminated and legitimacy is restored while crude forces previously used for attack or defences of values are substituted for enlightened bargains. By implication, conflict resolution is an analytical process of dispute settlement which can only be achieved in a free and stable environment. Burton (1987, p.13) distinguished conflict resolution from allied terms such as conflict management and conflict settlement by the durability of the solutions each offers. According to him, conflict management simply employs skills that confine or limit or contain conflict while conflict settlement connotes legal/authoritative procedures and may be imposed by the elites. These two, according to him, are characteristically temporary in nature. Conflict resolution to him refers to terminating conflicts by methods that are analytical and get to the root of the problem. To him, it focuses on an outcome that in the views of the parties involved, is a permanent solution to the problem as it initiates the process of changes in the political, social and economic system that address both the individual and collective needs of the disputants. Obasanjo (2005) described conflict resolution as including peace-making, peacekeeping and peace-building, which according to him requires clear identification of the core issues underpinning the conflict and development of strategies aimed at the balancing of power, matching of power with responsibility and reduction of the possibility of a successful violence. From the foregoing, conflict resolution covers the entire process of reconciling the disputants in a manner that addresses the causes of the dispute, heal the consequences of the dispute and reduce the possibility of its re-occurrence. This often connotes an adjustment in social relations through effective redistribution of the societal values to address the needs that underpinned the conflict. This depends on the willingness of the disputants, the capacity and integrity of the third party and the stability of the environment of the conflict. To achieve these, Mkpandiok (2006, p.128), contends that the knowledge of the following facts about conflict is imperative: That conflict is typical of human interactions and should thus be anticipated. That people are drawn into conflicts where and when their interest, values and needs are threatened. That it is difficult for parties in conflict, even with outside assistance, to satisfy all their needs at the same time. That third parties or intermediaries can only facilitate the resolution process while the real resolution lies within the proper sphere of the conflicting parties. That the role of the third party is mainly to assist with their knowledge, experience, perspectives and power to make previously unconsidered option visible and feasible. That elites in conflicts who double as the principal beneficiaries, tend to be hawkish, fanatical and more resistant to resolution than the average victims. STRATEGIES FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION Imobighe (2008, p.77) identified three strategies for conflict resolution. These are conciliation, mediation and arbitration. According to him, conciliation is a process whereby the parties to a dispute agree to the services of a conciliator who meets them separately in an effort to resolve their differences. A conciliator, according to him has no legal standing or authority to seek evidence or call witnesses. He therefore usually writes no decision or make awards but merely seeks concession among the disputants. When that understanding is secured, it is committed into writing and signed by the parties in dispute. At this stage, the understanding becomes binding on the parties. Mediation according to Miller in Ologitere (2008, p.26) refers to voluntary, informal; non-binding process undertaken by an external party that fosters the settlement of differences or demands between directly invested parties. According to this thesis, mediators generally have a vested interest in the resolution of a given conflict or dispute but are required to operate neutrally and objectively.

The Red River Settlement :: Free Essay Writer

The Red River Settlement The Red River Settlement was founded by the Fifth Earl of Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, In the year 1812. He called his settlement Aissinidoia. Aissinidoia was a close knit community whose economy was built around the Hudson Bay Company. The settlement was split into two major groupings: The French speaking and predominate Roman Catholic Metis and the English speaking and predominate Protestant â€Å"country born†. The Earl of Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, bought the Hudson Bay Company in 1811 and was able to get a grant of land for 300 000km2. The Earl called this settlement Aissinidoia. The Earl hoped his settlement would attract some former Hudson Bay Company employees. He hoped the settlement would produce enough food for his company. The Metis were half-breed French/Natives. They were extremely helpful to the settlers when the first moved to the red river area. Some historians believe that if it was not for the Metis that the settlement would not have survived. Eventually the Metis allied with the North West Company who were highly opposed to the Hudson Bay Company moving in. The Nor’westers were worried that they could lose their fur supply and pemmican. In 1815 the Nor’westers tempted people to move to Upper Canada with offers of better land. The Earl of Selkirk quickly resettled the colony. Some tension between the nor’westers, with their allies the Metis, and the settlers led to violence. North West Company men and half-breeds now resorted to violence on a large scale, killing 22 in the massacre of Seven Oaks (June 19, 1816). Upon hearing of the violence the earl went to the fighting with a group of Swiss soldiers. Not only did they win the battle but also captured the Nor’westers trading post of Fort William. Other attacks followed. The result of these moves was a series of court charges and counter charges that ruined Selkirk. When Lord Selkirk's legal battles were finally settled, he returned to England. He died in France in the year 1820, just a few months before the two bickering companies resolved their differences and merged. Once Selkirk heard what happened he made his way to where the fight was happening with some Swiss soldiers. Selkirk re-established his colony and also took controlled fort William. The last fight proved to be the last straw for the fur trade companies in the area. The Red River Cart was an excellent transportation method invented by the Metis.