Buddhism as a religion

Buddhism is a religion with a major following of believers from the Far East Nations. These nations are among the most populous countries of the world commanding about three quarters of the world population; with large part of China professing Buddhism it can be regarded as that religion enjoying the largest number of believers. Bearing in mind that many of this nation are (or they were) communists by ideology it is doubtless that establishment of any form of religion has not been easy, and Buddhism has not been an exception.Craik Kenneth: (1943). In this narration two most important names feature-a devoted Buddha who runs away at the time of heightened persecution, and the second one belonging to an American author and artist, George Crane. Tsai ran away from Mongolia as a young Buddhist monk in the wake of attack by the Red Army in 1959. Unfortunately many of the remaining monks are killed in this operation that was meant to do away with the Buddhism religion.According to Tsai, the main character in the Bones of the Master, he ran away to save the teaching of Buddha. Craik Kenneth: (1943). His exodus takes him to Hong Kong and eventually to the United States where, in New York he meets his neighbor and friend George Crane. As they were all working on translation of poems their relationship gets to grow deep despite their age, although it appeared quiet unusual for Crane in the way the Buddha friend expressed his faith.In observing the Buddhism culture to the maximum Tsai seeks to return to Mongolia with the main aim of searching for the bones of his master and also construct a shrine for his master. Tsai also has a statue of the master which was given him by his student of meditation, but this seems so awkward to Crane who fears for its size and weight. Crane feared because with such a massive thing with them they might not even be allowed to go beyond the boundaries of China. In this return journey he asks his friend Crane to accompany him, and the later is more than willing to come along.The land at this moment is still very dangerous for any individual who professes Buddhism as his religion and for this very reason Crane is worried on how they will enter Mongolia, a land which is more obvious that he is the only one remaining of the stock of Buddhist monks. Craik Kenneth: (1943). George Crane (2000), came out to explain the very basic concepts of Buddhism and begins by saying that this religion is built on main principles and one of them is basically that life is about suffering. He notes that human life is centered on striving and attachments and therefore according to Crane it is this struggles that bring about suffering.Futhermore, of utmost importance according to his views is how to overcome this sufferings in which he suggests that the believer should choose the way of the right action and views. At this point, Crane, who most obviously has been influenced by the Buddha practices points out that this actions lead to a path or a way of nirvana or unification with the universe, in which the author says it is about one being in control of her own experiences. Further on Crane says that this path is brought down into four divisions, three of which deal with mental experiences and the remaining one deal with the physical part of the approach.By doing this the author is giving as the insight of the importance of emotions for any believer of the religion of Buddhism. In addition, an individual of the Buddhism faith should act with emotions in addition to his or her mind as a sign of understanding the faith. Concequently, the believer should use the triangle of emotions, imagination and wisdom as a rule of following the right path. This insight therefore makes us to understand that Buddha religion brings an individual to closer understanding himself and the influence of his actions affect his relation with the spiritual world.Death appears to play a central role, an important pillar in the Buddhism philosophy. In fact, according to this philosophy death has never existed because the spirit undergoes a reformation called reincarnation, a kind of a circle involving deaths and births believed to be eternal up to the point of spirit achieving Enlightment and eventually enters nirvana. Another believe is in the idea of Karma which is actually the totality of good and bad deeds associated to an individual during his or her lifetime and which his future life in nirnava.Devotional Practices The Buddhism religion is characterized by a series of practices which are meant to show how devoted the faithful is in the religion. These devotional practices are a sign of veneration expressed before Buddha. Craik Kenneth: (1943). Shrines It is difficult for a Buddhist to worship without the use of shrines. Shrines are special worship points where the image of Buddha is placed and the worshippers bow down around the image during worshipping.For along time Buddha images and shrines have been used as objects of w orshipping and devotion to Buddha – being important in the sense that they are used as objects of inspiration and helps one to remain focused in worship hence showing maximum reverence and gratitude towards the teachings of the Buddha. Images and shrines reminds one of the importance of having perfection in wisdom and compassion in Buddha in addition to the inspirational aspect which serve in developing important qualities as one recalls the majesty of the teachings of Buddha.A Buddhist will tell you that the image in the shrine helps them to be peaceful because when they go to the temple and see the image it helps them to know that there are some peaceful beings elsewhere and they also ought to be so. Psychologically therefore one settles down. Craik Kenneth: (1943). There are several ways in which the faithful of the Buddha show respect to their majesty, the Buddha. This by: Folding palms and placing them on the chest. This action expresses deep respect to Buddha; Dharma an d Sangha.Another way is by Prostration before the image of the Buddha as a sign of showing deep veneration and makes one set to listen to the teachings. Prostration before Buddha helps a Buddhist to focus on the qualities of Buddha which include compassion, patience and wisdom. George Crane (2000). Therefore, the practices employed by Tsung Tsai from USA are the clear ways of showing how devoted he was to his traditional religion. The first expression of the practice is that of meditation. In the travel account we come of the meditation class organized under Tsung Tsai through the of appreciation him by one of his students.The class organized under Buddhist meditation types of the Western world appreciated their teacher on his return to Mongolia by giving him a gift of a statue of Buddha. Possibly they had understood the weight contained in this act of devotion because establishing a shrine for Buddha is the highest form of devotion one expresses to Buddha. George Crane (2000). Mast ers are highly respected among the Buddha because they are the teachers of the traditions, meditations and devotional practices among the monk communities. As an act of devotion therefore there has to be some respect and reverence to masters of the religion.We remember vividly that before Tsung Tsai left for Hong Kong while escaping the massacre he had to visit his master before leaving. While away his master dies, most likely by the bullets of the insurgents, and is buried not in accordance with the proper Buddhist traditions he used to teach. Consequently, Tsung Tsai seeks to come back to accord his master the required burial as per the Buddhist culture. George Crane (2000). Finally we recognize an act of wisdom as a devotional practice. Wisdom is about having a right understanding about all aspects of life, that is, recognition of one’s environment as it is.This act of wisdom is not viewed by Buddhists as any act of intelligence but the way one is refined and with time bec omes freed of ignorance of this religion wisdom is described as a devotional practice where should give in fully to be transformed . Wisdom is achieved through ethical practices and therefore our mental displine is important in the achievement of understanding. To the Buddhists wisdom is very imperative during meditation where one requires clarity of the mind . This is probably the main reason the old master teacher of Tsung Tsai spend times alone in meditation.According to the Buddha wisdom is a characteristic of an enlightened personality and the possessor is compassionate and is likely to operate wisely. George Crane (2000). Conclusion Devotional practices are the basis of any religion and the determinant of how engraved to the acts of the religion one is. To Buddhism in particular they show reverence and respect to the master and his Buddha. Bones of the master is a clear insight to explaining to us the clear insights of the culture of worship evolved behind the curtains of Budd hism. Craik Kenneth: (1943).T sung Tsai can be described as a Cha’n master and monk and is seen as the last Ch’an on earth. Ch’an is a form of Buddhism from Chinese and when it was later introduced in Japan it was renamed as Zen. Therefore a Ch’an monk is associated with the Mongolian or Chinese while the Zen is to Japan. According to Ch’an traditions in Buddhist writings women are accorded the same status as men, and that is why Crane receives a gift from a lama woman and also believed that he was taught the religion by this woman. Craik Kenneth: (1943). Hinduism and Buddhism are closely related religions and evolved together in the Far East.As a result it has been documented that Buddhism and Hinduism a rose from closely related ideas. In addition the early development in the Indian valleys as documented show that there was a strong flow of faith between the two religions such that at one time the Buddha temples were built under the control of Hi ndu kings. Furthermore, the worship through the use of images brings them together in addition to a strong culture embodied in devotional acts of meditation, building of shrines and the role of teachers in the passing of this beliefs to the next generations. Both religions show venerations to many deities. Kadodwala, Dilip. (1995). References Kadodwala, Dilip. (1995). Hinduism. World Religions Series. New York: Thomson Learning, ISBN 1-568-47-377-X. L.C. BL1203.K33. Grades 5Â ­7. Craik Kenneth: (1943). The Nature of Explanation Cambridge University Press. George Crane (2000). Bones of the Master: A Journey to Secret Mongolia Bantam Books, (paperback) 304 pages.

Krispy Kreme Essay

Krispy Kreme has been in the doughnut business for over 64 years and has been a specialty retailer for doughnuts from the very beginning. Krispy Kreme implements a differentiation strategy, attempting to distinguish their donuts based on taste, quality and simplicity. The company’s goal since its infancy has been to satisfy customers by providing a unique experience. This bold strategy has differentiated them from their competition and created a competitive advantage. Customers are allowed to see how the doughnuts are made through the Doughnut Theatre then served the newly baked treats hot and fresh. The bright neon light that shines from every Krispy Kreme location reads â€Å"Hot Doughnuts Now,† is one of Krispy Kreme’s key marketing strategies. When this sign is lit up, customers know that they will get fresh doughnuts that have just been made. Krispy Kreme provides Code of Ethics which covers a wide range of business practices and procedures. It focuses on recognizing, dealing and reporting any ethical issues. Krispy Kreme’s commitment to social responsibility shines through their fundraising program, which offers three different ways of raising profit for your school or organization. Krispy Kreme has assisted non-profit organizations raise over 46 million through fundraising. Although Krispy Kreme has many competitive advantages, it has its disadvantages as well. The first is the extremely unhealthy nature of its products. By the time a person takes the first bite of their second Krispy Kreme donut, they have already exceeded the USDA’s recommended fat intake for the entire day. This is sure to turn off all consumers who have health concerns or are watching their weight. The second disadvantage is the single product concept and the lack of variety of Krispy Kreme products. Historical success for quick service type products revenue growth is slowest among any restaurant type. The product is not a necessity in hard times and external environmental conditions could hurt consumer’s willingness to buy. Krispy Kreme will encounter many indirect and direct challenges as it continues to increase its market share across the globe. Recent improvements  in IT have reduced mistakes in distribution and lowered the amount of computer malfunctions, but there is still room for improvement. Krispy Kreme will have to continue to supply the baking technology to their new factory stores which will be costly. Communication, along with the distribution of production technology and needed ingredients to each individual store can be difficult. Preserving order will be possible only through identifying certain technologies that will assist in the process of distribution and communication. With the recent upgrades, the employees must be able to operate the new technology without experiencing problems that could damage consumer confidence in the company. Another challenge to Krispy Kreme is the lack of publicity through advertisements. Krispy Kreme depends solely on name recognition and reputation of its business. By choosing to not spend its money on commercials, they risk the chance of having no recognition in certain areas. Moreover, McDonald has a great relationship with its younger consumer base though its mascot and Starbucks has worked out deals with Barnes and Noble to have its coffee shops located inside the bookstore. This way people do not just have to get their coffee and leave, they can relax and read at the same time. Krispy Kreme offers none of these benefits. One of the major problems in their current strategy is that they do not have different approaches in their marketing at all. They do not factor in age or demographics in their methods. No matter what area Krispy Kreme is located, everything will be exactly the same. Finally, growth may cause Krispy Kreme to become less attractive as they become more mainstream. Krispy Kreme may want to slow their growth in location to maintain the authenticity and exclusiveness associated with high quality products. As a universal product and a global brand Krispy Kreme considers its market as truly anyone and anywhere. This concept allows the company to move ahead with their proved business model in all markets. Although some markets will  be more successful than others, in my opinion Canada will emerge as the success story for Krispy Kreme. The Canadian market is more accustomed to the idea of having a donut as breakfast or a snack item versus other foreign markets. Although Canada has Tim Hortons as a popular donut shop, Tim Hortons is not famous for their donuts. Moreover, Canada is similar to the U.S. market in terms of demographics and this will play a great role in its success. References 1. Lamars Donuts News. October 25, 2002. http://www.lamars.com (05/20/04) 2. Krispy Kreme Homepage. http://www.krispykreme.com (05/21/04) 3. â€Å"Case Study: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts†. Corechange. (05/20/04) 4. â€Å"Krispy Kreme Announces store†¦Ã¢â‚¬  October 31, 2002. PR News Wire. http://www.prnewswire.com (05/20/04) 5. â€Å"Krispy Kreme word-of-mouth tactics†¦Ã¢â‚¬  October 21, 2002 Brandweek. V43.p9 (05/20/04) 6. www.moneycentral.com (05/21/04) 7. Miller, Beth. â€Å"The New Doughnut Dynamic†. St. Louis Business Journal (05/20/04)

A Character From Everyman Essay

Everyman is a medieval play written by an anonymous author. The central theme of the play is that when the time to leave the world is approaching, an individual may end up being betrayed by his or her family and friends, and only good deeds is important at the end. God and religion are also important aspects in this Middle Age drama, because it portrays Everyman’s progress from fear of death to a â€Å"Christian resignation that is prelude to redemption† (115). The characters in the play consist of subjects, verbs, and objects. The main character in the drama is Everyman, but the name is a representation of mankind in general. Everyman asks other characters to follow him on his journey to death. Firstly, Everyman goes to Fellowship who is his friend, but the first to forsake him by suggesting drinking or socializing with women instead of going on journey of death. Secondly, he asks his family members, Kindred and Cousin, to join him on his journey. However, Kindred and Cousin are disloyal to Everyman by reminding him of the things he has never done for them. Thirdly, Everyman refers to Goods, which are Everyman’s belongings. However, he is disappointed to find out that he cannot take his material possessions with him to his grave. Fourthly, Everyman calls upon Good Deeds. Good Deeds is unable to accompany Everyman immediately, but recommends first going and speaking to knowledge. Lastly, Everyman takes Good Deed’s advice and goes to Knowledge. Knowledge leads Everyman to Confession in order for Everyman to acknowledge his sin and be forgiven. Good Deeds rises again and Everyman asks Good Deeds, Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five Wits to join him on his journey to death. Although they all agree and follow him, they run away when they approach his grave except for Good Deeds. Therefore, by closing of the play the audience can conclude that Good Deeds is the only character who did not betray Everyman. In conclusion, Everyman is a medieval theater piece that teaches a lesson to the readers about the importance of life, which is that the things an individual does for others during his lifetime are what counts at the end of one’s life. Everyman first thought his family, friends, and belongings would be there when he dies, but realizes that none of that matters when life ends.

Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

The pressure of racial segregation was reaching a boiling point in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. After being arrested for his part in the Birmingham Campaign, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote an open letter in response to â€Å"A Call for Unity†, written by eight white clergymen from Birmingham. King's â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† is a true call for unity, as he clearly states and points out facts that the clergymen have omitted from their letter. King is clearly not looking to stoke the fire of segregation; he was merely looking to solve the situation at hand and trying to peacefully end racial segregation in the United States. A Call for Unity†, written in early April 1963 (Jonathan, 12-18). Discussion After years of segregation and inequality, one man stood up and fought for what was right. This man spoke of dreams and for what he felt as morally right, ethically right, lawfully right and emotionally right. This man spoke of freedom, brotherhood and equality among all people, no matter what race they were. He brought forth facts and emotions to America that was being felt by the black community, which was being treated so badly. This man was Martin Luther King Jr. a clergyman and civil rights leader, who later was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. King opened the eyes of America to a broader sense of understanding, to a wider view of the inequality and hate that almost every black person had to live through at that time. After several peaceful protests King was arrested for demonstrating in defiance of a court order, by participating in a parade, he was then taken to Birmingham jail (Leff & Utley, 8-9). There in the jail, King wrote a letter to 8 fellow clergymen in response to a letter they published in a newspaper. King explained in the letter why he did the things he did, and why that had to be done the way that they were. King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail† was written on April 16, 1963. Eight Alabama clergyman wrote an open letter that questioned King’s methods and suggested that he use the court system as a means for change. King’s letter was a reply that was meant to respond to the clergymen and spread his beliefs (KaaVonia, 10-15). In his letter, he responds to some of his criticisms, such as his demonstrations, direct action, and his timing. He, then, explains his motives for acting, and why they were justified. Argument about â€Å"Justice and injustice† His attitude in the letter changes, at the beginning he is submissive to the clergy’s criticism; at the end he begins to criticize the clergy. This letter was symbolic of a movement, and all the injustices it faced. King uses rhetoric by manipulating language and appealing to the emotions of the reader. In Martin Luther King Jr’s â€Å"A Letter from Birmingham Jail† addresses eight white clergymen from Birmingham, Alabama, clearly states eight arguments. King uses epigrams as a device to make sure the reader still comprehends his message. In the beginning paragraphs, King states what brought him to Birmingham and why he is justified in being there. In his argument he alludes to Apostle Paul, and provides dull factual operational information about the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Even if the reader does not know who Paul is or care about the SCLC, he can still understand King’s message because of the epigrams he uses (Baldwin & Burrow, 111-118). In summing up what brought him here King says, â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere†. In answering why he is justified in being in Birmingham, King says, â€Å"Anyone who lives in the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in the country† (King, 122-128). Now the reader knows through the use of epigrams that King was brought there because there is injustice in Birmingham and that he has a right to be in Birmingham because he is an American and Birmingham is an American City. Blacks are going through a really tough time during this Negro revolution in 1963 and Dr. King accentuates the point by the use of strong diction, which set the tone of the letter. For example, Dr. King elucidates the reason his people can't wait for their rights and that's because â€Å"hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill† his â€Å"black brothers and sisters† and that basically most white people torment them any chance they get. In the letter written by the clergyman they say (like it was something new), that they were now facing demonstrations led by outsiders (King). Religious appeals in King’s latter King wants them to know that he is not really an outsider but the president of The Southern Christian Leadership Conference with an affiliation in Birmingham. He wants to point out that he not only has organizational ties but also was invited to participate in the direct action program in Birmingham in support of desegregation. In the course of the letter, King uses philosophical, religious and historical examples to get his points across. In order to gain control of the reader Martin Luther King Jr. includes vivid images of cruel acts that African Americans in Birmingham endured. Concerning this unsettling time in society King could have described many of the immoral and unjust acts that he encountered on a daily basis. Instead he portrayed these situations by asking rhetorical questions about women, children and loved ones bringing the hardships Negroes faced into the lives of men of all cultures. It does not matter if you are black, if you are white, if you are Asian, if you are Hispanic, or if you are a mixture of any race, through King's words you could imagine yourself in any of the situations he describes. With the ability to touch the reader on not only a personal level, but also an intimate one Martin Luther King Jr. began to bridge the gap between the races (Jessica, 222-225). King consistently brought up the point of morality. Pointing out that certain things are moral and other things aren't. For example King talked about having two different drinking fountains or having blacks sit at the back of the bus, saying that it just wasn't morally right. And that morally right would be to have unity and brotherhood among all people. King tries to show the difference between just and unjust laws, it is because of these two terms that we can â€Å"advocate breaking some laws, and obeying others† (King, 122-128). Segregation in his eyes is and unjust law because it â€Å"disturbs the soul and damages the personality† (King, 122-128). These are both qualifications of an unjust law. Society today is filled with unjust laws. In many schools females are still prohibited from joining a football team, because the school believes they do not have what it takes. By not allowing this person to join the team they are taking away a part of her personality, a piece of who she is and denying her to express it. King also discusses another perspective of just and unjust laws. He explains that an unjust law is made up by a majority of people whom force a minority to follow this law; however the law is not â€Å"binding† on themselves. A just law is one that a majority makes and is also willing to follow themselves. Thus showing that is the only fair law is one that affects all citizens in an equally just way. King states how the Apostle Paul carried the gospel of Jesus Christ over the land, and thus compares himself to him. One way King addresses the eight clergymen and justifies his presence in Birmingham is by comparing himself to the Apostle Paul. He is trying to take the gospel of freedom over the land of America. This idea relates to peoples emotion because most people are religious and believe in God and Jesus Christ. By Comparing himself to the Apostle Paul strikes deep emotion in most people, and almost saying that he is trying to do the work of God by trying to achieve true freedom, this analogy is a great example of pathos and King's use of these appeals to the emotion through examples and figurative language (Carson, Holloran, Luker, Russell & King, 10-15). King uses pathos not just from the Bible but also by evolving ideas from World War II: â€Å"We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was â€Å"legal† and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was â€Å"illegal†. It was â€Å"illegal† to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws† (King, 122-128). Here King refers to all the horrible laws that Hitler created in Germany before World War II. He cites how, â€Å"It was illegal† to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. He is using this example to compare Germany's laws against Jews to â€Å"separate but equal† law of the time against black people (Jessica, 222-225). Creating ethos is a way for a writer to gain the trust of the reader. It can be used to show the effectiveness of one's writing the writer's credibility. King illustrates this quality of ethos when he explains his professional titles: â€Å"I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational, and financial resources with our affiliates† (King, 122-128). Here King shows his credibility by citing what his organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which is in every southern state, does (Baldwin & Burrow, 111-118). Furthermore, Martin Luther King explains to the clergymen in the letter that they have been misinformed on the situation and that not all is alright. King quotes the clergymen’s original letter which commended the Birmingham police for their great efforts in keeping order and preventing violence, King is quick to correct them that they would have not commended the police force if they viewed the gruesome violence which occurred that day firsthand. King concludes the paragraph with. â€Å"I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department† (King, 122-128). This statement comes off as a very bold statement to the clergymen after reading the details of the violence previously. Paragraph fourteen of King’s latter In paragraph fourteen he uses emotional reference when he says â€Å"when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim† (King, 122-128), he doesn't call them Negro, so that the audience could relate to them. He wants them to know how a black man feels always feeling like nobody and being afraid. In the next nine paragraphs he describes in detail the difference between a just law and an unjust law. This time he uses religious leaders such as St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, Martin Buber and Paul Tillich as examples to get his idea across. He says that â€Å"a just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God† (King, 122-128). In paragraph 23, he begins to criticize the white moderates â€Å"People who say they agree with segregation but do not want the Negro people to demonstrate because they don t want their lives disrupted† (King, 122-128). King says that these people are worst than the Ku Klux Klan and other people of ill will, because of their shallow understanding (King & King, 45-48). Lastly, King provides a very good insight for the uninformed in his letter from jail. King states that he wished that the clergymen had actually realized who the real heroes were that day. King had received a letter from a white man from Texas saying that he will reach his equal rights eventually but that maybe he is in too much of a religious hurry. King states that time are not the cure to all maladies, and that his people must use their time more effectively than the people of ill will. King seems to have a perfect response to all arguments thrown at him, but none appear to be flawed of course. There was no other way for the black community to get their point across because they were not being listened. There is no point in this letter where King incites violence, if anything he completely against it and will stop at nothing to ensure that there is no more violence (Leff & Utley, 8-9). Letter from Birmingham Jail† is one of the most touching pieces of writing. All of Kings Arguments are effective, particularly in paragraph fourteen. This letter at times can be hard to read because King gives real life examples of what it is actually like to be black and living in the 60s south. This letter sparks a realization, which people have never recognized before reading this, this latter showing the terrible and disgraceful treatment of the black community. Conclusion â€Å"A Letter from Birmingham Jail† was an opportunity for Martin Luther King Jr. o express to the public his views and the views of other African Americans throughout the South. The effects of King's experiences depicted by his use of language resulted in radical changes for African Americans throughout the nation. It was a bigger victory to sway the Alabama clergymen than to change the mind of a stubborn group of white males, because it proved that the typical southern white male is equal in every way shape and form to that of an African American. Martin Luther King Jr. Once said, â€Å"I have a dream† and dream he did.

Latin american relationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Latin american relationships - Essay Example The George W. Bush presidency brought a new type of foreign policy to the United States, no doubt tempered by the events of September 11, 2001. The if youre not with us, then youre against us temperament of this policy did not play well in Latin America. One nation after another elected leaders firmly dedicated to left leaning policies such as nationalization of key industries, direct welfare relief to the impoverished, and increased taxation on the wealthy. This skewing of national governments to the left side of the political spectrum has affected Latin Americas relations with the United States and the world as a whole. A mistake many on the outside make when looking at these left leaning leaders in Latin America is to fail to recognize the dual nature of this group. Castaneda argues that there are actually two separate groups of leftist leaders exercising power today in Latin America (3). One group has grown out of the old Communist and Bolshevik movements in the 1920s and 1930s. They have experience and have seen what has worked and failed in the past. This group, represented by Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Tabare Vazquez of Uruguay and to a lesser extent Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva of Brazil has moved to strengthen and uphold existing ties with the United States, the world at large and international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund. Lula welcomed president Bush on his visit to Brazil and expressed his determination to keep his economic initiatives within the bounds suggested by the IMF. Bachelet has remained close to the United States, despite his open opposition to the war in Iraq. A free trade agreement was signed by Bush and ratified by congress between the two countries, establishing mutually beneficial economic partnerships. In Uruguay, Vasquez has shown himself to support globalization and stood in league with the United States by protesting

Risk Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Risk Management - Case Study Example Risk management is the practice of managing the resources of the operation in such a way as to maintain an acceptable level of risk. This in turn should generate a corresponding level of return that will allow the goals of the operation and management to be achieved. The use of time, financial and other resources to effectively manage the risks so that goals can be achieved is the risk management. Risk management comprises of risk assessment and risk control. Assessing Risk is identifying and analyzing risk. Controlling Risk is taking steps to reduce risk, provide contingency, monitor improvements. Risk Management is important for ensuring that a computer project isn't scuppered, preventing accidental loss or disclosure of information, avoiding computer fraud, hacking, ensuring the smooth running of an information system and maintaining your career prospects. Sources of Risk: There are five main sources of risk in an operation: production risk, marketing risk, financial risk, legal risk and human resource risks. Production risks include yield and quality variability. Marketing risks include changes in the price and external conditions. Financial risks include variability in debt, equity capital and ability to meet cash demands. Legal risks include responsibilities for contracts, statutory compliance, tort liability and business structure. Human Resource risks include people management and estate transfer. Types of Risk: There are two types of risk that affect the volume of investment. The first is the entrepreneur's or borrower's risk which arises out of doubts in his own mind as to the probability of his actually earning the prospective yield for which he hopes. This is a real social cost, though susceptible to diminution by averaging as well as by an increased accuracy of foresight. If a man is venturing his own money, this is the only risk which is relevant. But when a system of borrowing and lending exists, which means the ranting of loans with a margin of real or personal security, a second type of risk is relevant which we may call the lender's risk. This may be due either to moral hazard, i.e. voluntary default or other means of escape, possibly lawful, from the fulfillment of the obligation or to the possible insufficiency of the margin of security, i.e. involuntary default due to the disappointment of expectation. This is a pure addition to the cost of investment which would not exist if the borrower and lender was the same person. Moreover, it involves in part a duplication of a proportion of the entrepreneur's risk, which is added twice to the pure rate of interest to give the minimum prospective yield which will induce the investment. For if a venture is a risky one, the borrower will require a wider margin between his expectation of yield and the rate of interest at which he will think it worth his while to borrow; whilst the very same reason will lead the lender to require a wider margin between what he charges and the pure rate of interest in order to induce him to lend (except where the borrower is so strong and wealthy that he is in a position to offer an exceptional margin of security). During a boom the popular estimation of the magnitude of both these risks, both borrower's risk and lender's risk, is apt to become unusually and imprudently low.From

Simulation in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Simulation in Nursing - Essay Example Based on these approaches, they state that simulation should entail techniques used to represent direct replication of the original object for purposes of detailed learning of the same object; for instance, the exposure of some vital parts which cannot otherwise be seen or studied using the real phenomenon (Larew, sessions, Spunt, Foster, & Covington, 2005). As Jha, & Bates (2001) note, simulation technique has made it easy for medical practitioners to acquire adequate hands on skills in providing adequate medical care to all patients seeking services. It has helped in building all round experts capable of handling various complications in the medical field with minimum errors compared to those made in the past. Extreme complications for instance excess hemorrhaging in mothers giving birth, occasionally resulting into deaths have been arrested. Minimizing perinatal hemorrhaging is the main agenda behind the introduction of simulation in medical education since it is the major source of death in delivering mothers (Adams, 1999; Alspach, 1995). This paper investigates the importance of simulations in obstetrics education aimed at minimizing prenatal hemorrhage, as well as analyzes the impacts of simulation and its benefits in obstetrics education. Introduction Excess hemorrhaging can cause death of mothers if not stopped soon after birth. Much blood is even lost in cases of caesarean deliveries where a c- section has to be cut as compared to cases of normal birth (Benner, 1984; Adams, 1999; Kahol K., 2009). There is, therefore, a great need for delivering mothers to be prevented from loosing a lot of blood during and after birth. It is estimated that about 140,000 deaths occur annually with 1 woman losing life every four minutes due to OB hemorrhage (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 1998). Between 1995-1999 maternal mortality due to OB hemorrhage in the United States of America was 14%, leading to the second cause of death in the region, cardiomyopath y 21% (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2002). The majority of these deaths is however reported to be 93% preventable if care providers had been more vigilant, recognized the risk and symptom to intervene early (Benner, 1984; Seymour et al, 2002). This is actually in line with the WHO report in 2007 on OB hemorrhage which indicates that OB hemorrhage is one of the most preventable causes of maternal mortality. Driven by the dire need for immediate attention and response to such vital conditions, most institutions have resorted to using simulation techniques to train nurses and gynecologists in the field of obstetrics. Benner, Hooper-Kyriakidis, & Stannard (1999) point out that simulation education is currently becoming the most preferred mode of education and training in most institutions offering training for nurses and gynecologists. Different kinds of simulators have been identified for use by various institutions and training organizations. As a result, the chances o f survival among mothers giving birth have been increased over the last few years (Adams, 1999; Case, 1995).