The Union of Art and Two Souls free essay sample

My mother was a foreign country to a younger me. The language barrier-or lack of understanding of what was said or meant to be said was as obvious as an unforgiving ketchup stain on a new pair of slacks. Our relationship was at its worst during the end of my eight grade year when my art teacher, Mrs. Freighburg saved what was already thought to be an un-repairable relationship. My mother and I gained a new understanding through an unexpected report card worthy of all refrigerators. That report was an A+ in art class. In my house, a wooden block, a paint palette and a white piece of paper replaced the normal Barbie doll, soccer ball and endless supply of video games present in every child’s home. My creation’s wouldn’t stop on paper, but expand on to faces, link-in-logs and unfortunately to my mother’s dismay, the walls of our house. We will write a custom essay sample on The Union of Art and Two Souls or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I always feared that my potentials in life were not ones that my mother would approve of. How would art be an acceptable career to the mind of a straight-forward, factual woman like my mother? I grew angry at myself for possessing one talent I felt the need to keep hidden because of possible disproval. But one day changed all that. Last semester of my eight grade year, the mail had arrived and my mother quickly rushed outside to retrieve it. Moments later she burst through the door with an odd facial expression, a smile. I had not seen her smile in ages. â€Å"Why didn’t you tell me?† was all that could escape from her mouth. A tear trickled down her eye, slowly as if it were a lazy river, her hand softly dropped a white piece of paper in mine and for once I felt comfortable in my mother’s presence. â€Å"A+ in art class, keep up the amazing work Hayley!† I continued to read on. â€Å"The school would love to showcase you work in its own display boxâ₠¬  That was all I needed to read. I’ve had one future goal that I’ve carried with me since that day. That one goal use to be described as unappreciated and pointless. My goal to become an art teacher is none of those descriptions anymore. My need to ensure others of their talents as well as continue to express my creativity is my backbone to success. The crazy effects love has on the human mind and heart is unbelievable. To know that my love for art could bring to scarcely different souls like my mother and I together, pushes my need to embrace my talents. Painting a picture, you use all different colors, strokes, shapes and designs, but you need the base of a canvas to hold it all together. My mother, surprisingly, is my canvas and with that in mind, I will become an art teacher.

Financial Planning for National Disaster

Financial Planning for National Disaster Abstract Whether natural or fabricated, disasters strike unexpectedly. When they occur, they can cause serious disruptions in the normal way of life of the affected communities. Aftermaths of a major disaster in a society often shatter routines, disrupt jobs, and/or destroy property and people’s lives.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Financial Planning for National Disaster specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If it were possible, disasters would be avoided at all cost because the emotional toll, financial impacts, and disruptions that they cause are very traumatic to the affected society. In line with the realisation that it is difficult to stop some hazards that cause disasters from happening, there have been sustained efforts from the international community to focus on disaster risk reduction and disaster planning. This comparative research on Turkey and Mexico presents the financial arrangement for national catastrophes in the two countries. The goal is to shed light the key measures that the two countries have put in place towards reducing and planning for the many risks that are associated with disasters. Introduction Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Disaster Planning are efforts that are undertaken by a given community or a nation towards promoting disaster preparedness and resilience. In the event of a hazard, the losses of property, injuries, loss of lives, and disruptions to the social and economic wellbeing of the society are greatly reduced and/or eliminated altogether (Ragin, 2004). Owing to the enormous financial losses that are associated with disasters, as well as the financial resources that are required to respond and/or to lead recovery plans, financial planning has become a major tenet of the modern disaster risk reduction and disaster planning activities around the world.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get y our first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This comparative study of Turkey and Mexico discusses the financial planning for national disasters in the two countries with an aim of bringing to the fore the key measures that the two countries have undertaken towards ensuring disaster risk reduction and planning and hence reducing the impact of disasters whenever they occur. Country Profiles and Disaster Management Situations Turkey Turkey is the most disaster-prone country in Europe. It has a long history of natural disasters, majorly earthquakes, which have caused serious disruptions to the Turkish communities in the past (MCEER, n.d). The nation of approximately 80 million people is 80% mountainous. As Sengezer and Koa (2005) confirm, â€Å"Primary and secondary risk zones cover 66% of the country† (p. 173). Geologically, the nation lies at the boundary of the African and Arabian plates, which are both moving towards the north. Following the continuous movement of the plates, a large-scale fault line of more than 1000 kilometres referred to as the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) has formed from the eastern to the western side in the northern territory of Turkey. Along this fault line, many earthquakes have occurred in Turkey. Figure 1: Map of Turkey Showing the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) and other tectonic features Source: (Sengezer Koa, 2005)Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Financial Planning for National Disaster specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The history of Turkey cannot be precise without a mention of major disasters that claimed thousands of lives in the 20th century. For instance, in 1939, an earthquake struck Erzincan City that is located in the eastern part of Turkey. According to MCEER (n.d), â€Å"This earthquake devastated most of the city and caused approximately 160,000 deaths† (Para. 5). Ranguelov and Bernaerts (n.d), it killed between 30, 000-40, 000 people in addition to economic losses that almost brought the city to closure. The same city was the victim of another earthquake in 1992 where more than 700 people perished. In this last earthquake, although the figure that represented the lost lives was significantly lower than the previous earthquake of 1992, losses that were incurred through damages of property, including collapse of buildings, destruction of social amenities, and devastation of important infrastructures were enormous. In fact, Ranguelov and Bernaerts (n.d) say, â€Å"The famous Erzincan earthquake (M~8.0) on 26 December 1939 generated many effects†¦ as well as big destruction and many human deaths (more than 30-40 000)† (p. 62). The situation required massive financial resources to bring back the city to its previous state. However, the turning point in the approaches to disaster management came after 1999 following the crucial lessons that were learnt from two earthquakes, namely Izmit Earthquake a nd Duzce Earthquake. The first earthquake, Izmit, occurred in the late 1999 at a magnitude of 7.6. It caused tremendous loss of human lives and property. This earthquake caused the deaths of more than 17,000 people, especially in the hardest-hit Marmara region where over 31, 000 commercial buildings were destroyed (Bibbee et al., 2000).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is estimated that more than 120000 houses were irreparably damaged while between 27000 and 35000 others had to be demolished due to the irretrievable dents. The cost of the earthquake was estimated to be roughly USD3billion. In November 1999, another earthquake, the Duzce, which was approximately 100km from the first earthquake, occurred again along the NAF region. It was recorded to have had a magnitude of 7.2. This earthquake led to death of approximately 1000 people. It brought about numerous injuries and destruction of property. Previously, the disaster management approaches that were used by the Turkish government were focused on disaster recovery. There was no motivation for disaster risk reduction or disaster planning at the time. However, since then, the government and the international community have increased efforts to establish elaborate disaster risk reduction and disaster planning to minimise the impact of the disasters as will be discussed later. The chart below sh ows how the Turkish government has developed an organisational chart that addresses various catastrophe management roles. Mexico Located in the â€Å"fire belt† where more than 80% of the world’s seismic activities occur, Mexico is a nation that has suffered many geological disasters. Further, because of its diverse geographical landscape and climatic conditions, Mexico is exposed to a variety of natural hydro-meteorological hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, volcanoes, and droughts. For instance, in the period 1970-2010, more than 60 million people in the country that has a population of 113 million people had been affected by natural disasters. These figures have placed Mexico in the top 30 nations in terms of exposure to three or more natural hazards (World Bank, 2005). Annually, it is estimated that more than 90 earthquakes of a magnitude of more than 4.0 in the Richter scale are recorded in Mexico. Almost all territories in Mexico, includ ing the Mexico City, are located in earthquake-prone zones. In addition to the earthquake risk, Alva-Valdivia et al. (2000) confirm that Mexico City lies within the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt that is well known for its nine active volcanoes that have been a major risk to natural disasters in the region. The risk of tsunami is very real in Mexico, especially along the nation’s Mexico Pacific Coast. In addition, hydro-metrological disasters frequently affect the nation where the events range from severe tropical cyclones to heavy rainfall events and high-intensity storms along the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts. The agricultural sector is also faced with the risk of droughts, which can be very disruptive to many people whose main economic activity is farming. The nation has experienced an increased risk of disasters, especially following the evident amplified economic growth and urbanisation. For instance, more than 75% of the population in Mexico lives in urban cities. Mexico Ci ty, which is the world’s fifth largest city, has seen a rapid increase in its population. With the augmented economic wellbeing and urbanisation, more assets, infrastructure, and social amenities have become essential. Consequently, they have increased the risk of loss of lives and property in the region (World Bank, 2005). Another significant risk factor in the Mexican nation is the tendency of people who have lower incomes to conglomerate in high-risk zones such as slums or mountainous areas, as well as exposure to poor quality infrastructure that is susceptible to destruction in case of a natural disaster such as earthquakes or hurricanes. In the past, Mexico had various disasters that had major impacts on the society. Such catastrophes have revolutionised how disaster management approaches and efforts are coordinated. For instance, in 1985, one of the largest earthquakes in the Mexican history occurred. The Mexican city earthquakes of September 19 and 20, 1985 with a magn itude of 8.1 and 7.3 respectively, had the highest impact. They affected millions of people. Firstly, the earthquakes led to the loss of lives of more than 6000 people. They also led to direct and indirect losses that were estimated at USD$8.3billion. They are among the costliest disasters in the history of Mexico (Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d). Almost 87% of the total losses were recorded from the destruction of building and infrastructure while the remaining 13% went to the loss of productivity, increased cost of service provision, loss of income, emergency response, and temporary rehabilitation. More than 1700 schools were damaged while approximately 30% of hospital capacity in the Mexico City was destroyed. More than 250,000 people became homeless while other 900,000 citizens had their homes damaged. In fact, Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d) say, â€Å"More than 400 buildings collapsed, and thousands more were damaged† (Para. 3). Of all the major disa ster occurrences in the history of Mexico, the 1985 Mexico City earthquakes marked an awakening point where the nation of Mexico put more sustainable efforts and emphasis towards disaster risk reduction and disaster planning. Previously, the focus had been on disaster recuperation. However, the impact of these two earthquakes clearly showed that recovery was very costly and that it would cost less to have risk reduction measures to trim down the impact of disasters on the community and nation. Henceforth, Mexico has done a commendable work towards the establishment of disaster risk reduction initiatives that have greatly helped the country in terms of early warning, financial planning, and resilience of the vulnerable communities. Comparison of the Financial Planning for National Disaster in Mexico and Turkey Financial planning for national disaster refers to the efforts that a given nation puts towards disaster risk reduction and disaster preparedness to reduce the financial impact of disasters in case they occur. The financial losses that happen in large-scale disasters are highly disruptive. Sometimes, they require the intervention of the international community for the country or the affected communities to recover wholly. If disasters are not anticipated and financially planned for, the risk of delays in post-disaster response often worsens the adverse human and economic consequences. As such, disaster risk reduction efforts offer the best chance for a country to take a proactive role in preventing or drastically reducing the losses that it may suffer in the event of a disaster (Arnold, 2008). Both Turkey and Mexico face high levels of risk for disaster events. Their history is marred by major disaster events, which have marked an awakening point when the need for disaster risk reduction, including financial planning has become evident as the way to go in addressing future disaster occurrences (Stallings, 1997). With the two countries featuring in the top -ten list of nations that have a high risk for natural disasters, with Mexico at position five and Turkey at position 8, the need for disaster risk reduction and disaster preparedness can only be ignored at the peril of the two nations. In other words, it is no longer tenable for the two nations to sit and wait for a disaster to occur without initiating any recovery plans. From the two 1999 earthquakes in Turkey, where â€Å"At least 17,118 people were killed, nearly 50,000 injured, thousands missing, about 500,000 people homeless and estimated 3 to 6.5 billion U.S. dollars damage in Istanbul, Kocaeli and Sakarya Provinces† (MCEER, n.d, Para. 20), the government was put in a difficult place. Finances that were meant for other development activities and the provision of services to citizens were diverted and directed towards disaster recovery efforts. More than ever, there was a need for the government to revisit its disaster management and response strategies to ensure that s uch events and disruptions would never face the nation again. In recognition of the need to establish an elaborate disaster risk reduction and management approaches to reduce the economic impact of future disasters on the people and the government, Turkey put forward a ten-year roadmap from 1999 to achieve the goals of a well-established disaster risk reduction and management apparatus. The plan included, â€Å"the establishment of a national information centre for processing of all kinds of earthquake data, such as the preparation of earthquake catalogues and earthquake hazard maps of Turkey† (Bibbee, Gonenc, Jacobs, Konvitz, Price, 2000, p. 19). During this time, a wide consolation and involvement of experts from different organisations such as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the USAID, and JICA among other bodies that had an extensive experience in disaster risk reduction efforts around the world were engaged. These efforts were aimed at ensuring su ccessful formation of elaborate policies and authorities that would be in the forefront to coordinate disaster risk reduction efforts in Turkey (Cummins Mahul, 2009). Besides, the framework below was successfully adopted to address disasters in the country. At the end, the government saw that the future of disaster risk reduction lay in the establishment of a central authority that would lead in the coordination of disaster risk reduction efforts that covered preparedness, financial planning, and resilience. The first step in this process was the collapsing of the existing institutions that were focused on disaster management. They had many inadequacies that hindered their capacities to respond to disaster occurrences. The institutions that collapsed included the Directorate General of Civil Defence, Directorate General of Disaster Affairs, and Directorate General of Turkish Emergency Management. Instead, in 2009, a new umbrella body of all organisations that dealt with disaster m anagement was formed. The body became the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (IFAD in Turkey) under the Prime Minister. The IFAD was given enormous resources and authority to be the sole authority in all efforts that were geared towards disaster risk reduction, preparedness, emergency response, and recovery. However, much of the organisation’s efforts have concentrated on preparedness and risk reduction. For instance, the organisation is actively engaged in promoting insurance schemes towards disasters, which have been absent in the nation for a long time. In addition, according to Anan (2011), IFAD recognises the importance of financial planning towards disaster risk reduction. In this case, unlike in the past, the organisation has a strong financial resource base that is allocated by the central government to allow it to carry out disaster risk reduction awareness activities while at the same time responding promptly in the event of a disaster emergency in the cou ntry. The success of the organisation has already been tested and proven, especially during the Elazig Simav and Van earthquakes where the organisation intervened swiftly and responded accordingly to help victims and/or offer disaster recovery plans. Currently, 1% of the national budget of the Turkish government goes to the IFAD, which represents one of the highest percentages of money that is set aside by governments towards DRR in Europe. The situation in Mexico follows almost the same script as that of Turkey. Accordingly, for a very long time, disaster management and coordination efforts were dedicated towards disaster recovery. Very little efforts were focused on disaster risk reduction. Indeed, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, which in its aftermath left over 6000 people dead and over USD$8billion of financial and economic losses, was the awakening point that effectively changed disaster management and coordination efforts in Mexico forever. In the aftermath of the disaster, t he Federal Government of Mexico (GoM) established a National Commission for Reconstruction in October 1985 to coordinate disaster recovery and reconstruction efforts (Arnold, 2008). After the recovery, efforts were commissioned to start the process of ensuring that future disasters would not have such devastating impacts in Mexico. In 1986, the Sistema Nacional de Protection Civil (SINAPROC) was established as an umbrella body for various government bodies, as well as non-governmental organisations whose mandate was to promote engagement between these bodies to ensure that good approaches to future disasters would be deliberated and adopted where necessary. The SINAPROC, which is now under the control of the Ministry of Interior, is charged with the coordination of disaster risk reduction efforts. Under the leadership of SINAPROC, a Natural Disaster Fund (FONDEN) was established to ensure financial preparedness in the event of a disaster in Mexico. Through this fund, the government of Mexico is now able to dedicate not less that 0.4% of the nation’s budget to disaster risk reduction efforts and recovery. The funds that are available through the kitty can be used to towards emergency response, infrastructure reconstruction, building of low-income housing, and other efforts that are geared towards cushioning the community and government from financial shocks during disasters. While a large share of the budget of FONDEN goes towards disaster recovery, a significant share goes towards disaster risk reduction efforts (Cummins Mahul, 2009). The success of the fund, especially in disaster risk reduction, has been evident through the establishment of an elaborate early warning system for major hazards in the country such as volcanic activities, hurricanes, storms, droughts, and earthquakes, which have helped communities to prepare early or to be evacuated to safety before any disasters strike. A good example is the Hurricane Dean, which did not cause any direc t death in the nation, despite its magnitude. Other success stories of the fund have been evident through the collaboration between SINAPROC, which has ensured consistent adoption of better housing codes such that buildings and infrastructure can withstand earthquakes and hurricanes and hence greatly reduce the impact of the disaster on the society (Cummins Mahul, 2009; Neuman, 2006). In addition, the increasing adoption of insurance covers towards disasters is a clear indication of SINAPROC’s efforts towards the transferring of risk to third parties by property owners to guarantee faster recovery and return to the normal state of affairs in the event of disasters. While Turkey has had better success stories in its financial planning for national disaster efforts, Mexico has also achieved considerable success. Both countries are good examples of how disaster risk reduction efforts can greatly cushion the government and society from extreme impacts of disasters. For better di saster risk reduction efforts, both countries will have to dedicate more resources to financial planning and/or establishing collaborative efforts that will allow more partnerships with other nations and organisations to achieve better results in disaster risk reduction. Discussion The impact of natural and fabricated disasters can cause serious devastations to societies and nations. In many cases, the impacts overwhelm the affected nations’ capacity to cope with the situation. As such, the approach of waiting for disasters to occur to initiate disaster response and recovery efforts is no longer tenable (Twigg, 2004). It is very costly as evidenced in the case of Turkey and Mexico. The aftermath of disasters often leaves nations in economic disasters where they have to appeal to international allies for financial support towards recovery. Therefore, in this case, financial planning and preparedness forms a central tenet of disaster risk reduction, which organisations must ado pt to ensure that they can reduce the impact of disasters while at the same time helping in recovery efforts (McEntire, 2006). The success of financial planning in Turkey and Mexico is a good example of why nations around the world must put more efforts towards disaster management instead of applying the wait-and-see attitude, which often backfires on them while leaving hundreds of people dead, billions of dollars worth of properties’ destroyed, and other devastations that have a lasting impact. Conclusion The relevance of financial planning in disaster management and coordination has been laid bare in this paper. Despite the two countries being geographically separated and distinct, they face unique disaster risks that make them susceptible to disaster events such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and other hazards. The path towards financial planning did not happen overnight. It followed hard lessons and bad experiences that the two countries faced from past disaster even ts. Consequently, disaster risk reduction efforts that encompass many programmes, including financial planning, play an important role in the two nations’ efforts towards disaster management and coordination. Reference List Alva-Valdivia, L., Goguitchaichvili, A., Ferrari, L., Rosas-Elguera, J., Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J. Zamorano-Orozco, J. (2000). Paleomagnetic data from the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt: implications for tectonics and volcanic stratigraphy. Retrieved from terrapub.co.jp/journals/EPS/pdf/5207/52070467.pdf Anan, K. (2011). Rural Poverty Report. Retrieved from ifad.org/rpr2011/report/e/rpr2011.pdf Arnold, M. (2008). The role of risk transfer and insurance in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Sweden: Swedish Commission on Climate Change and Development. Bibbee, A., Gonenc, R., Jacobs, S., Konvitz, J., Price, R. (2000). Economic Effects Of The 1999 Turkish Earthquakes: An Interim Report Economics Department Working Papers No. 247. Retrieved fro m oecd.org/turkey/1885266.pdf Cummins, D., Mahul, O. (2009). Catastrophe Risk Financing in Developing Countries: Principles for Public Intervention. Washington, DC: The World Bank. Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d). Mexico City Earthquake of 1985. Retrieved from britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1421132/Mexico-City-earthquake-of-1985 MCEER. (n.d). Major Turkish Earthquakes of the 20th Century. Retrieved from http://mceer.buffalo.edu/infoservice/reference_services/turkey-major-earthquakes.asp McEntire, D. (2006). The Importance of Multi-and Inter-disciplinary Research on Disasters and for Emergency Management. Denton: University of North Texas. Neuman, L. (2006). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Boston: Pearson. Ragin, C (2004). Workshop on Scientific Foundations of Qualitative Research. Arlington: National Science Foundation. Ranguelov, B., Bernaerts, A. (n.d). The Erzincan 1939 Earthquake A Sample Of The Multidisaster Event. Retrieved from b alkangeophysoc.gr/menu/congresses/oral/62-63-O8-13-Boyko-Ranguelov_2.PDF Sengezer, B., Koa, E (2005). A critical analysis of earthquakes and urban planning in Turkey. Disasters, 29(1), 171-194. Stallings, R. (1997). Introduction: Methods of Disaster Research: Unique or Not. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters 15, 1(1), 1-29. Twigg, J. (2004). Good Practice Review: Disaster risk reduction, Mitigation and preparedness in development and emergency programming. London: Humanitarian Policy Network. World Bank. (2005). Natural Disaster Hotspots: A Global Risk Analysis†. Disaster Risk Management Series No. 5. The World Bank: Hazard Management Unit.

Financial Planning for National Disaster

Financial Planning for National Disaster Abstract Whether natural or fabricated, disasters strike unexpectedly. When they occur, they can cause serious disruptions in the normal way of life of the affected communities. Aftermaths of a major disaster in a society often shatter routines, disrupt jobs, and/or destroy property and people’s lives.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Financial Planning for National Disaster specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If it were possible, disasters would be avoided at all cost because the emotional toll, financial impacts, and disruptions that they cause are very traumatic to the affected society. In line with the realisation that it is difficult to stop some hazards that cause disasters from happening, there have been sustained efforts from the international community to focus on disaster risk reduction and disaster planning. This comparative research on Turkey and Mexico presents the financial arrangement for national catastrophes in the two countries. The goal is to shed light the key measures that the two countries have put in place towards reducing and planning for the many risks that are associated with disasters. Introduction Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Disaster Planning are efforts that are undertaken by a given community or a nation towards promoting disaster preparedness and resilience. In the event of a hazard, the losses of property, injuries, loss of lives, and disruptions to the social and economic wellbeing of the society are greatly reduced and/or eliminated altogether (Ragin, 2004). Owing to the enormous financial losses that are associated with disasters, as well as the financial resources that are required to respond and/or to lead recovery plans, financial planning has become a major tenet of the modern disaster risk reduction and disaster planning activities around the world.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get y our first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This comparative study of Turkey and Mexico discusses the financial planning for national disasters in the two countries with an aim of bringing to the fore the key measures that the two countries have undertaken towards ensuring disaster risk reduction and planning and hence reducing the impact of disasters whenever they occur. Country Profiles and Disaster Management Situations Turkey Turkey is the most disaster-prone country in Europe. It has a long history of natural disasters, majorly earthquakes, which have caused serious disruptions to the Turkish communities in the past (MCEER, n.d). The nation of approximately 80 million people is 80% mountainous. As Sengezer and Koa (2005) confirm, â€Å"Primary and secondary risk zones cover 66% of the country† (p. 173). Geologically, the nation lies at the boundary of the African and Arabian plates, which are both moving towards the north. Following the continuous movement of the plates, a large-scale fault line of more than 1000 kilometres referred to as the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) has formed from the eastern to the western side in the northern territory of Turkey. Along this fault line, many earthquakes have occurred in Turkey. Figure 1: Map of Turkey Showing the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) and other tectonic features Source: (Sengezer Koa, 2005)Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Financial Planning for National Disaster specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The history of Turkey cannot be precise without a mention of major disasters that claimed thousands of lives in the 20th century. For instance, in 1939, an earthquake struck Erzincan City that is located in the eastern part of Turkey. According to MCEER (n.d), â€Å"This earthquake devastated most of the city and caused approximately 160,000 deaths† (Para. 5). Ranguelov and Bernaerts (n.d), it killed between 30, 000-40, 000 people in addition to economic losses that almost brought the city to closure. The same city was the victim of another earthquake in 1992 where more than 700 people perished. In this last earthquake, although the figure that represented the lost lives was significantly lower than the previous earthquake of 1992, losses that were incurred through damages of property, including collapse of buildings, destruction of social amenities, and devastation of important infrastructures were enormous. In fact, Ranguelov and Bernaerts (n.d) say, â€Å"The famous Erzincan earthquake (M~8.0) on 26 December 1939 generated many effects†¦ as well as big destruction and many human deaths (more than 30-40 000)† (p. 62). The situation required massive financial resources to bring back the city to its previous state. However, the turning point in the approaches to disaster management came after 1999 following the crucial lessons that were learnt from two earthquakes, namely Izmit Earthquake a nd Duzce Earthquake. The first earthquake, Izmit, occurred in the late 1999 at a magnitude of 7.6. It caused tremendous loss of human lives and property. This earthquake caused the deaths of more than 17,000 people, especially in the hardest-hit Marmara region where over 31, 000 commercial buildings were destroyed (Bibbee et al., 2000).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is estimated that more than 120000 houses were irreparably damaged while between 27000 and 35000 others had to be demolished due to the irretrievable dents. The cost of the earthquake was estimated to be roughly USD3billion. In November 1999, another earthquake, the Duzce, which was approximately 100km from the first earthquake, occurred again along the NAF region. It was recorded to have had a magnitude of 7.2. This earthquake led to death of approximately 1000 people. It brought about numerous injuries and destruction of property. Previously, the disaster management approaches that were used by the Turkish government were focused on disaster recovery. There was no motivation for disaster risk reduction or disaster planning at the time. However, since then, the government and the international community have increased efforts to establish elaborate disaster risk reduction and disaster planning to minimise the impact of the disasters as will be discussed later. The chart below sh ows how the Turkish government has developed an organisational chart that addresses various catastrophe management roles. Mexico Located in the â€Å"fire belt† where more than 80% of the world’s seismic activities occur, Mexico is a nation that has suffered many geological disasters. Further, because of its diverse geographical landscape and climatic conditions, Mexico is exposed to a variety of natural hydro-meteorological hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, volcanoes, and droughts. For instance, in the period 1970-2010, more than 60 million people in the country that has a population of 113 million people had been affected by natural disasters. These figures have placed Mexico in the top 30 nations in terms of exposure to three or more natural hazards (World Bank, 2005). Annually, it is estimated that more than 90 earthquakes of a magnitude of more than 4.0 in the Richter scale are recorded in Mexico. Almost all territories in Mexico, includ ing the Mexico City, are located in earthquake-prone zones. In addition to the earthquake risk, Alva-Valdivia et al. (2000) confirm that Mexico City lies within the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt that is well known for its nine active volcanoes that have been a major risk to natural disasters in the region. The risk of tsunami is very real in Mexico, especially along the nation’s Mexico Pacific Coast. In addition, hydro-metrological disasters frequently affect the nation where the events range from severe tropical cyclones to heavy rainfall events and high-intensity storms along the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts. The agricultural sector is also faced with the risk of droughts, which can be very disruptive to many people whose main economic activity is farming. The nation has experienced an increased risk of disasters, especially following the evident amplified economic growth and urbanisation. For instance, more than 75% of the population in Mexico lives in urban cities. Mexico Ci ty, which is the world’s fifth largest city, has seen a rapid increase in its population. With the augmented economic wellbeing and urbanisation, more assets, infrastructure, and social amenities have become essential. Consequently, they have increased the risk of loss of lives and property in the region (World Bank, 2005). Another significant risk factor in the Mexican nation is the tendency of people who have lower incomes to conglomerate in high-risk zones such as slums or mountainous areas, as well as exposure to poor quality infrastructure that is susceptible to destruction in case of a natural disaster such as earthquakes or hurricanes. In the past, Mexico had various disasters that had major impacts on the society. Such catastrophes have revolutionised how disaster management approaches and efforts are coordinated. For instance, in 1985, one of the largest earthquakes in the Mexican history occurred. The Mexican city earthquakes of September 19 and 20, 1985 with a magn itude of 8.1 and 7.3 respectively, had the highest impact. They affected millions of people. Firstly, the earthquakes led to the loss of lives of more than 6000 people. They also led to direct and indirect losses that were estimated at USD$8.3billion. They are among the costliest disasters in the history of Mexico (Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d). Almost 87% of the total losses were recorded from the destruction of building and infrastructure while the remaining 13% went to the loss of productivity, increased cost of service provision, loss of income, emergency response, and temporary rehabilitation. More than 1700 schools were damaged while approximately 30% of hospital capacity in the Mexico City was destroyed. More than 250,000 people became homeless while other 900,000 citizens had their homes damaged. In fact, Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d) say, â€Å"More than 400 buildings collapsed, and thousands more were damaged† (Para. 3). Of all the major disa ster occurrences in the history of Mexico, the 1985 Mexico City earthquakes marked an awakening point where the nation of Mexico put more sustainable efforts and emphasis towards disaster risk reduction and disaster planning. Previously, the focus had been on disaster recuperation. However, the impact of these two earthquakes clearly showed that recovery was very costly and that it would cost less to have risk reduction measures to trim down the impact of disasters on the community and nation. Henceforth, Mexico has done a commendable work towards the establishment of disaster risk reduction initiatives that have greatly helped the country in terms of early warning, financial planning, and resilience of the vulnerable communities. Comparison of the Financial Planning for National Disaster in Mexico and Turkey Financial planning for national disaster refers to the efforts that a given nation puts towards disaster risk reduction and disaster preparedness to reduce the financial impact of disasters in case they occur. The financial losses that happen in large-scale disasters are highly disruptive. Sometimes, they require the intervention of the international community for the country or the affected communities to recover wholly. If disasters are not anticipated and financially planned for, the risk of delays in post-disaster response often worsens the adverse human and economic consequences. As such, disaster risk reduction efforts offer the best chance for a country to take a proactive role in preventing or drastically reducing the losses that it may suffer in the event of a disaster (Arnold, 2008). Both Turkey and Mexico face high levels of risk for disaster events. Their history is marred by major disaster events, which have marked an awakening point when the need for disaster risk reduction, including financial planning has become evident as the way to go in addressing future disaster occurrences (Stallings, 1997). With the two countries featuring in the top -ten list of nations that have a high risk for natural disasters, with Mexico at position five and Turkey at position 8, the need for disaster risk reduction and disaster preparedness can only be ignored at the peril of the two nations. In other words, it is no longer tenable for the two nations to sit and wait for a disaster to occur without initiating any recovery plans. From the two 1999 earthquakes in Turkey, where â€Å"At least 17,118 people were killed, nearly 50,000 injured, thousands missing, about 500,000 people homeless and estimated 3 to 6.5 billion U.S. dollars damage in Istanbul, Kocaeli and Sakarya Provinces† (MCEER, n.d, Para. 20), the government was put in a difficult place. Finances that were meant for other development activities and the provision of services to citizens were diverted and directed towards disaster recovery efforts. More than ever, there was a need for the government to revisit its disaster management and response strategies to ensure that s uch events and disruptions would never face the nation again. In recognition of the need to establish an elaborate disaster risk reduction and management approaches to reduce the economic impact of future disasters on the people and the government, Turkey put forward a ten-year roadmap from 1999 to achieve the goals of a well-established disaster risk reduction and management apparatus. The plan included, â€Å"the establishment of a national information centre for processing of all kinds of earthquake data, such as the preparation of earthquake catalogues and earthquake hazard maps of Turkey† (Bibbee, Gonenc, Jacobs, Konvitz, Price, 2000, p. 19). During this time, a wide consolation and involvement of experts from different organisations such as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the USAID, and JICA among other bodies that had an extensive experience in disaster risk reduction efforts around the world were engaged. These efforts were aimed at ensuring su ccessful formation of elaborate policies and authorities that would be in the forefront to coordinate disaster risk reduction efforts in Turkey (Cummins Mahul, 2009). Besides, the framework below was successfully adopted to address disasters in the country. At the end, the government saw that the future of disaster risk reduction lay in the establishment of a central authority that would lead in the coordination of disaster risk reduction efforts that covered preparedness, financial planning, and resilience. The first step in this process was the collapsing of the existing institutions that were focused on disaster management. They had many inadequacies that hindered their capacities to respond to disaster occurrences. The institutions that collapsed included the Directorate General of Civil Defence, Directorate General of Disaster Affairs, and Directorate General of Turkish Emergency Management. Instead, in 2009, a new umbrella body of all organisations that dealt with disaster m anagement was formed. The body became the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (IFAD in Turkey) under the Prime Minister. The IFAD was given enormous resources and authority to be the sole authority in all efforts that were geared towards disaster risk reduction, preparedness, emergency response, and recovery. However, much of the organisation’s efforts have concentrated on preparedness and risk reduction. For instance, the organisation is actively engaged in promoting insurance schemes towards disasters, which have been absent in the nation for a long time. In addition, according to Anan (2011), IFAD recognises the importance of financial planning towards disaster risk reduction. In this case, unlike in the past, the organisation has a strong financial resource base that is allocated by the central government to allow it to carry out disaster risk reduction awareness activities while at the same time responding promptly in the event of a disaster emergency in the cou ntry. The success of the organisation has already been tested and proven, especially during the Elazig Simav and Van earthquakes where the organisation intervened swiftly and responded accordingly to help victims and/or offer disaster recovery plans. Currently, 1% of the national budget of the Turkish government goes to the IFAD, which represents one of the highest percentages of money that is set aside by governments towards DRR in Europe. The situation in Mexico follows almost the same script as that of Turkey. Accordingly, for a very long time, disaster management and coordination efforts were dedicated towards disaster recovery. Very little efforts were focused on disaster risk reduction. Indeed, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, which in its aftermath left over 6000 people dead and over USD$8billion of financial and economic losses, was the awakening point that effectively changed disaster management and coordination efforts in Mexico forever. In the aftermath of the disaster, t he Federal Government of Mexico (GoM) established a National Commission for Reconstruction in October 1985 to coordinate disaster recovery and reconstruction efforts (Arnold, 2008). After the recovery, efforts were commissioned to start the process of ensuring that future disasters would not have such devastating impacts in Mexico. In 1986, the Sistema Nacional de Protection Civil (SINAPROC) was established as an umbrella body for various government bodies, as well as non-governmental organisations whose mandate was to promote engagement between these bodies to ensure that good approaches to future disasters would be deliberated and adopted where necessary. The SINAPROC, which is now under the control of the Ministry of Interior, is charged with the coordination of disaster risk reduction efforts. Under the leadership of SINAPROC, a Natural Disaster Fund (FONDEN) was established to ensure financial preparedness in the event of a disaster in Mexico. Through this fund, the government of Mexico is now able to dedicate not less that 0.4% of the nation’s budget to disaster risk reduction efforts and recovery. The funds that are available through the kitty can be used to towards emergency response, infrastructure reconstruction, building of low-income housing, and other efforts that are geared towards cushioning the community and government from financial shocks during disasters. While a large share of the budget of FONDEN goes towards disaster recovery, a significant share goes towards disaster risk reduction efforts (Cummins Mahul, 2009). The success of the fund, especially in disaster risk reduction, has been evident through the establishment of an elaborate early warning system for major hazards in the country such as volcanic activities, hurricanes, storms, droughts, and earthquakes, which have helped communities to prepare early or to be evacuated to safety before any disasters strike. A good example is the Hurricane Dean, which did not cause any direc t death in the nation, despite its magnitude. Other success stories of the fund have been evident through the collaboration between SINAPROC, which has ensured consistent adoption of better housing codes such that buildings and infrastructure can withstand earthquakes and hurricanes and hence greatly reduce the impact of the disaster on the society (Cummins Mahul, 2009; Neuman, 2006). In addition, the increasing adoption of insurance covers towards disasters is a clear indication of SINAPROC’s efforts towards the transferring of risk to third parties by property owners to guarantee faster recovery and return to the normal state of affairs in the event of disasters. While Turkey has had better success stories in its financial planning for national disaster efforts, Mexico has also achieved considerable success. Both countries are good examples of how disaster risk reduction efforts can greatly cushion the government and society from extreme impacts of disasters. For better di saster risk reduction efforts, both countries will have to dedicate more resources to financial planning and/or establishing collaborative efforts that will allow more partnerships with other nations and organisations to achieve better results in disaster risk reduction. Discussion The impact of natural and fabricated disasters can cause serious devastations to societies and nations. In many cases, the impacts overwhelm the affected nations’ capacity to cope with the situation. As such, the approach of waiting for disasters to occur to initiate disaster response and recovery efforts is no longer tenable (Twigg, 2004). It is very costly as evidenced in the case of Turkey and Mexico. The aftermath of disasters often leaves nations in economic disasters where they have to appeal to international allies for financial support towards recovery. Therefore, in this case, financial planning and preparedness forms a central tenet of disaster risk reduction, which organisations must ado pt to ensure that they can reduce the impact of disasters while at the same time helping in recovery efforts (McEntire, 2006). The success of financial planning in Turkey and Mexico is a good example of why nations around the world must put more efforts towards disaster management instead of applying the wait-and-see attitude, which often backfires on them while leaving hundreds of people dead, billions of dollars worth of properties’ destroyed, and other devastations that have a lasting impact. Conclusion The relevance of financial planning in disaster management and coordination has been laid bare in this paper. Despite the two countries being geographically separated and distinct, they face unique disaster risks that make them susceptible to disaster events such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and other hazards. The path towards financial planning did not happen overnight. It followed hard lessons and bad experiences that the two countries faced from past disaster even ts. Consequently, disaster risk reduction efforts that encompass many programmes, including financial planning, play an important role in the two nations’ efforts towards disaster management and coordination. Reference List Alva-Valdivia, L., Goguitchaichvili, A., Ferrari, L., Rosas-Elguera, J., Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J. Zamorano-Orozco, J. (2000). Paleomagnetic data from the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt: implications for tectonics and volcanic stratigraphy. Retrieved from terrapub.co.jp/journals/EPS/pdf/5207/52070467.pdf Anan, K. (2011). Rural Poverty Report. Retrieved from ifad.org/rpr2011/report/e/rpr2011.pdf Arnold, M. (2008). The role of risk transfer and insurance in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Sweden: Swedish Commission on Climate Change and Development. Bibbee, A., Gonenc, R., Jacobs, S., Konvitz, J., Price, R. (2000). Economic Effects Of The 1999 Turkish Earthquakes: An Interim Report Economics Department Working Papers No. 247. Retrieved fro m oecd.org/turkey/1885266.pdf Cummins, D., Mahul, O. (2009). Catastrophe Risk Financing in Developing Countries: Principles for Public Intervention. Washington, DC: The World Bank. Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d). Mexico City Earthquake of 1985. Retrieved from britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1421132/Mexico-City-earthquake-of-1985 MCEER. (n.d). Major Turkish Earthquakes of the 20th Century. Retrieved from http://mceer.buffalo.edu/infoservice/reference_services/turkey-major-earthquakes.asp McEntire, D. (2006). The Importance of Multi-and Inter-disciplinary Research on Disasters and for Emergency Management. Denton: University of North Texas. Neuman, L. (2006). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Boston: Pearson. Ragin, C (2004). Workshop on Scientific Foundations of Qualitative Research. Arlington: National Science Foundation. Ranguelov, B., Bernaerts, A. (n.d). The Erzincan 1939 Earthquake A Sample Of The Multidisaster Event. Retrieved from b alkangeophysoc.gr/menu/congresses/oral/62-63-O8-13-Boyko-Ranguelov_2.PDF Sengezer, B., Koa, E (2005). A critical analysis of earthquakes and urban planning in Turkey. Disasters, 29(1), 171-194. Stallings, R. (1997). Introduction: Methods of Disaster Research: Unique or Not. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters 15, 1(1), 1-29. Twigg, J. (2004). Good Practice Review: Disaster risk reduction, Mitigation and preparedness in development and emergency programming. London: Humanitarian Policy Network. World Bank. (2005). Natural Disaster Hotspots: A Global Risk Analysis†. Disaster Risk Management Series No. 5. The World Bank: Hazard Management Unit.

The Crusades Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Crusades - Essay Example The outcomes of the Crusades on Europe during this era became a significant aspect in evolving and in the development of the European civilization, affecting all aspects of life. These include the riches and control of the Catholic Church. Thus, it further increased and expanded their influence and supremacy, placing the Christian legion and resources under their full control. In addition, they attuned the people to look upon them as leaders. Above and beyond all the clout and dominance the papacy had on the people, the pouring out of gifts of devoutness was engorged by the astonishing zeal of spiritual passion into epic scope. In all these, the preeminence of papal rule and the prosperity of the Catholic Church were immensely amplified. Another aspect that was greatly developed because of the Crusades was on business and trading. A steady exigency for transportation led to the construction of ships. This widened the borders of trade, broadening the market into all of Europe. Overflo wing trade goods coming from the rich lands of China and other Asian countries also found their way to Europe, therefore, building a stronger association with the European and Asian cultures. The crusades undoubtedly changed Western European life. For example, they helped chip away feudalism. Countless noblemen and knights loaned or sold away their lands to finance journeys and expeditions. This deterioration in both the numbers and power, and the matching intensification of the regal power, may be pinned down in the revolution that transpired in the birthplace of the movement, France. The Crusades, aside from their effects on religious and economical facet, facilitated the decomposition of the power of feudal nobility. It gave way to the importance of the kings and the people. Societal growth and expansion were now in the hands of the burgher class, or the middle class. Social changes also sprung out from the Crusades. It was one of the primary and the most important nurturing stim ulus of the code of chivalry. Intensified and re-enforced contact and communication with Eastern influences also were refined during this period. The religious war reformed the crusaders’ intellectual beliefs and ideas as well. They liberalized their mentality, and encouraged them to venture out from castles and villages to go and explore grand urban towns and cities, magnificent palaces, marvelous clothing, and stylish and graceful etiquette. These people came home with enhanced preferences, widened beliefs and views about the world. Because of the crusades, a new world was opened in front of them. The motivation given to geographical breakthrough that changed the entire concept and thinking of the way the world was directed different explorers, such as the notable Italian Marco Polo who discovered the beauty of China, rousing the adventures and voyages of Vasco de Gama, Magellan and Christopher Columbus, may possibly be tracked back to the vigorous awareness in geographical subjects. Jerry Ciacho November 20, 2011 The Black Death The Black Death, the immense outburst of the Bubonic Plague, was indeed among the most terrible and devastating blows in all of history. It wiped out more than a hundred million people, eating into cities and towns, encroaching with a steady but unbelievably rapid stride but hit its upmost death toll in Europe during the Middle Ages between 1348 and 1350. Many believe this global virulent disease initially came from China. The bubonic plague for the most part affected only rodents, but fleas started to spread the disease to people. China was the bustling trading center of the world and with the outbreak, it was bound to extend to Western Asia and the rest of Europe. Reaching the shores of

1. Asian economic integration and production networks OR 2. Review the Essay

1. Asian economic integration and production networks OR 2. Review the following paper online - Essay Example is that back in the mind of millions or even billions of people who contribute the know-how, skills and labor towards the production of a single piece of pencil, most likely never have a pencil in mind as the final product of their contributions (Read, 2008). The only thing that binds all the numerous people together towards the production of a small piece of pencil, which they may never even use throughout their lifetime, is their personal needs. The people involved in cutting down the trees used to produce the wood pieces that are eventually turned into a pencil, do not even know what the tree will be used for, while the people who make the power saws and logging machines never take their time to think that the end product for their inventions is likely to be (Read, 2008). Similarly, the miners in the Mexico mines who produces graphite, the farmers in the Dutch East Indies who cultivates the rape-seed oil crops in their farms, the farmers who cultivate coffee in Brazil to be eventually brewed and served to the workers in the pencil manufacturing factory and offices, as well as the producers of pumice in Italy, do not know the end product of the labor. The fact of the matter is that all the small contributions that the billions of people make in their respective areas while in different countries, end-up as a piece of pencil in the shelves of book stores and shops. To this edge therefore, a single product that reaches the consumer is a factor of millions or billions of laborers, who do not actually know what they are contributing to, but only understands their desires and necessities (Read, 2008). Simply put therefore, the goods, services and innovations that have transformed the world are a product of people who neither know nor care about them. The desire to exchange the skills, know-hows and labor by different individuals for the goods and services they need is the ultimate source of a consumable product. The second main argument that has been advanced by

The Life of Andrea Pia Yates Essay Example for Free

The Life of Andrea Pia Yates Essay She was consequently committed by the court to the North Texas State Hospital, Typically, a woman has a believably tragic story to go along with her deed, although some like Mary Beth Tinning, Susan Smith, and Marie Noe turned out to have killed for reasons other than their initial excuses. Thus, excuses become suspicious. And sometimes an act is so overwhelming that no mental condition seems to count as a reasonable explanation. However, although juries tend to punish the killing of strangers harshly, they often are more lenient with mothers as it is evident in this particular case. It appears that juries have a difficult time in America sending a mother to lethal injection or the electric chair. While postpartum depression occurs in up to twenty percent of women who have children, psychotic manifestations are much rarer, and thus much less understood. Only one in five hundred births result in the mothers postpartum psychosis, says forensic psychiatrist Michael Welner (Ramsland). A psychiatric examination was ordered for Andrea. The psychiatrist asked Andrea what she thought would happen to the children now. She indicated that she believed God would take them up. Â   He reversed the question and asked what might have happened if she had not taken their lives. Andrea said, I guess they would have continued stumbling, which meant, They would have gone to hell. The doctors testifying for Yates made the claim. She did what she thought was right in the world she perceived through her psychotic eyes at the time, said psychiatrist Phillip Resnick. In other words, even if she seemed to understand the difference between right and wrong, she did not know what she was doing (Ramsland). Although the prosecutors did not dispute the fact that Yates was mentally ill, they did argue that she knew her actions were wrong. How these two sides lined up on different poles of interpretation illustrates the great divide between the concepts of mental illness and legal insanity in the U. S. This case made it clear that its time for courts to better address the gap. Yates defense team proved her history of delusional depression, use of anti-psychotic drugs, and suicide attempts, and theres documentation that postpartum mood swings can sometimes evoke psychosis. Yet no matter how many doctors testified to Yates mental decline, the legal issue hinged on only her mental state at the time of the offense. As Yates drowned her children one by one, even chasing down the seven-year-old to drag him to the tub, did she really have any awareness that what she was doing was wrong? In her cell when Yates was interviewed by one of the rebuttal psychiatrist, Andrea admitted that it had been a bad decision to kill the children, and said, I shouldnt have done it. Â   She thought the devil had left after she committed the crime. He destroys and then leaves. Since she was claiming that she did indeed know that it was wrong, the attorneys needed experts who could prove that her manner of processing this information was in itself rooted in psychosis. Not only did they have to meet one of the most restrictive standards in the country for insanity, they had to educate the jury in ideas about mental illness that were rife among the public with stereotypes and m isperception and to help them get beyond the literal interpretation of right and wrong. During Yates trial, psychiatrist Park Dietz who was never Yates psychiatrist testified that she was not mentally ill, but had cleverly patterned her childrens killings after an episode of Law and Order, where a woman drowned her children but was found not guilty by reason of insanity. There was just one problem with Dietz testimony: Law and Order had never filmed a storyline even vaguely like the episode Dietz described. On the basis of Dietz misleading testimony, Yates was granted a re-trial in 2006. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and transferred from prison (where she had spent four years) to a state mental hospital for treatment. Betsy Schwartz, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Greater Houston, said the verdict brought justice to a woman whose severe mental illness was never in question. Dietz, the psychiatrist who said his false testimony was an honest mistake, was never indicted for perjury (Ramsland). Conclusively, it is evident that Andrea’s mental illness journey began shortly after the birth of her first born child. Andrea began to have violent visions: she saw someone being stabbed. She thought she heard Satan speak to her. However, she and her husband had idealistic, Bible-inspired notions about family and motherhood, so she kept her tormenting secrets to herself. She didnt realize how much mental illness there was in her own family, from depression to bipolar disorder—which can contribute to postpartum psychosis.

Leadership and time management skills.

Leadership and time management skills. Leadership is defined as the to make people understand to gain certain course, and also the leader must follow the same power of mind. Leader ship is not an authority of an organization but its a strange strength personality which attracts the ordinary person. Personal and professional skills for a successful Manager/Leader:- Time Management Running meetings Making presentation Stress Management Time management :- It is consider as one of the most important skill under the mangers requirement. A proverb has been said Once the time has gone it never comes again. In this fast moving world time is precious and its been consider as money so time should be utilize in a proper way. The main features of the time management are to organize the work in a proper way and in a proper time, handling the meeting in a specific time period, to utilize the free time. In this business world everyone is concerned about the time management to achieve their success. The time frame which is available in this world for each person is 24 hours. Thus it is not possible for every individual to achieve their goal in the specific time period if its not been managed properly. Components of Time Management are as follow:- The leader/manager should set their priorities as per the time frame and should try to achieve their goal in a specific time with proper monitoring and feedback. Prioritize goal according to their importance. An time log of daily/weekly basis should be made to utilize time effectively Leader/Manger should give motivate and should give guidance to their staff to develop and to achieve goals. Running meetings :- Meeting lead to achieve the goal effectively probably meeting can be successful one or unsuccessful one. While running the meeting all the features are been consider so that the meeting will not be unsuccessful one. The agenda of the meeting should be clear. In which the meeting timing, points to be discussed, last meeting discussion and also the concerned person to carry out meeting should be mentioned properly. The important factor for the meeting is the time .It is necessary to mention the ending and the starting time of the meeting. A proper planning may lead to success of the meeting. For a successful meeting environmental condition should be nice enough. Such as, location, room and the availability of the equipment to carry out the meeting. It is a duty of a manager to maintain a quorum .And to consider the points discussion for the meeting by the subordinates. At the end of the meeting the points discussed by the subordinate should be ensure to all the members and the summary of meeting should be circulated to all the members. Making Presentation_:- It is pattern to shown or present the data in front of audience .presentation should consist of appropriate information related data and should be provided in an under stable language . The manager should be actively take part in the meeting and should be confident enough to carry out the meeting. The meeting starting and ending time should be considered by the manager while running the meeting. The physical presentation by the manger should be good enough he/she should dress them self properly and should be confident to carry out the meeting. While carrying out the meeting manager should make an eye contact with the members and should ask the questions if necessary. To make the meeting interesting it should be more of visuals either than the lectures so the members will not get bored of the meeting. Stress management:- It plays a vital role in the life of the mangers. Its normally been distinguish in two types it is personal and professional. The personal is been related to money problem, sickness, family problems etc while the professional will be the completion, business problems, large workload. To get release with the stress manger should follow the following steps:- He should identify the problem is it a professional or personal stress. A proper solution should be made to reduce the stress. Normally the main reason of the stress is time .If the time is managed by anyone he/she can reduces stress in a proper way. Regular exercise ,yoga, and meditation also help to reduce the stress and increases energy and strength In managers time log there should be some time for his hobbies or for the favorite thing to carry out so that he will be fresh to perform his task. Proper planning should be there for the task which is not the simple. So by the study of it proper notes, remark should be made to reduce stress. Thus by achieving these steps manger can reduce the stress and can achieve its goal in a proper plan time which can leads to an organisation profit. Task 2 (1.1b) The leader /manager have to know himself first mostly in terms of his weakness and the strength to perform the work in the proper way. Following are the practical methods of skills for developing or improving are as follow. Proper time frame should be made to carry out work efficiently in a proper and organized way. By these it become easily t carry out or too run the meetings easily and effectively. With the help of logs like daily and weekly it become easy to identify the problems or the jobs which was carried out and with the help of logs it can be sorted out easily. Proper planning should be there to carry out work easily so that the stress will be get reduced .Normally work is been carried out as per the as per the indivivals satisfaction. Proper planning or using of phone calls or the internet should be specific so that there will be no delay for the work. Proper backup or the files should be saved in a computer data as if it becomes easy to sort out the problems. Outcome 2 Task 3 (1.2a) By personal development it makes us understand to know our strength and weakness. As most of the people are unaware about their sturdy and fragile areas. Due to which the work get spoiled and do not get completed properly. So thats why the term personal skill audit is been used in management studies so that the employee will able to know their weakness and strength so that he can able to overcome with it easily. Due to which it become easy for the organisation to complete its goal. After having a study Advanced Professional Development I came to know that I am pragmatist. My Strength is as follow:- I like to know about the recent things happening around me relates to books and technologies. Most of the times I try to make out some new ideas from the job to make it easy. I make my plan for each work and try to make most of it to complete it. I utilize the option available to me. Most of the time I like to work independently to complete any task. My weakness is prescribed below:- I am very eager to complete the task without considering caution. Most of the time the group task is not performed by me because I try to dominate others. Without involving other people I like to do my work. I try to keep control on other because of which it may underestimate others. With the help of my strength it becomes easy to do work in a proper way. Gathering the information may help to complete the task. With the help of these it become easy to perform or to run the meeting easily. Also proper arrangement of agenda which includes the figures and facts help to make meeting successful. And also some time working alone or to perform the work help me to complete it properly as I dont have to rely on other to complete my work or task. As without considering the caution may leads to crash the task. Because of these act normally it direct me to the way of failure. Due to independent working stress and the mental pressure get increase because of which leads to work failure. Because of underestimating other people by me lead to differences between family, subordinates with me. These differences may cause nervousness, stress to mental condition. Due to which it take directly to the way of failure. After knowing to my weakness and strengths, I will try to overcome with it with the help of four skills which can also reduce the individual and proficient efficiency. I will plan my work in a proper way to compete it. Also I will persistence to my work or task and will study it properly to overcome it. And also I will frame out the related caution which may arise so thats I can overcome it. By utilizing strength I can achieve the goals successfully to hike the company in the right direction Outcome 3 Task 4 (1.3a) Before to be linked with the Personal Development Plan, I have constructed SMART and SWORT analysis to identify my objectives in life and to know my strength and weakness which will help me out to achieve my MBA and to be a successful manager in future. SMART -: It stands for S-Specific, M- Measurable, A-Achievable, R-Relevant and T-Time. Considering these all things I have set my goals for future. Specific-: To gain and implement four skills they are Time Management, Running Meetings, and Making Presentation, Stress Management which will help me out to complete my MBA. Measurable-: To complete the assignment successfully in APD/MBA. Achievable-: To complete and submit the assignment successfully in a specific time period and to get passes through it. Relevant-: As I have gained a perfect group of teachers because of which I have 100% interest and commitment for my subject which aim to concentrate and to put my efforts to achieve my goal. Time-Bound-: To obtain MBA degree by the end of March 2011. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths-: I try to find out more options To disclose the facts I use my detective skills I am eager to find and implement the ideas, techniques and theories. I perform the work well when I am independent. I set the goal and act to meet them I take my opportunities for experiment I am good to gather the information from the entire source available I am good in performing oral presentation which holds the attention of the audience. Weaknesses-: I proceed without caution I underestimate personal feelings I require full control I am impatient I dominate task which is given to others I like to do work/task alone I am not good in making logical disputes for the essay format I am not good in presenting the assignments professionally I am not good in evaluating the progress of any work. Opportunities-: Facilities which are available from our college -Live campus update, advanced technology for teaching like Smart Board, computers,projectors,library with all the books and facilities, the best teachers/staff. Special service for the student that is tutorial service in which we can interact our problems with the tutor. Performing practical workshops by our lecturer Mrs. Ginny Cox at our College. Through workshop it makes us easy to perform and practice our skills Threats-: Problems evaluating like login for live campus and collage computer systems Cannot take books outside the library Time consuming student services token system and limited time period for tutor service Because of newcomers and unprepared members in the group lecture cant able to concentrate on the workshops properly. Workshop cannot be get completed in time Professional Development Plan-: Learning and development need Weaknesses to be overcome and strengths to assist the outcome Learning actions to be taken including resources needed to achieve them Monitoring and feedback point Time frame for success Time management Weaknesses-: Have to wait for the last moment Always work alone To keep reminder or alarm for the deadline To do split up the small task and the large task first and then to do the important one. To decide and frame out the deadline and important dates. To record the summary at the end of the day To study and implement on daily action plan. To study and get on to the result time period of two months is needed. Strengths-: To perform the work on time Working hard for the work Proper planning and techniques can avoid wastage of time. It is hard to meet time constraint by working out daily. Approximately 1 month Running meetings Weaknesses-: Do not practice before performing Do not consider other people effectively Have to be prepare by own first before discussing the matter and implementing the decision assigned to him. To check the others works and allocate work to them. To take the survey in between and to ensure the progress of the work interval check is required. Up till the proper decision is implemented Strengths-: Able to make own decision Able to make control on others To set the goals and try to achieve them To stuck up with the decision and make a use of an employee to achieve the target. Through financial reports, sales reports and annual reports of an company In an interval of 3, 6, 9, 12 months. Making presentations Weaknesses-: Always in hurry Underestimate personal feelings To communicate properly To explain the topic rather than continuity of speech To take the survey in between and to ensure the progress of the work interval check is required. While presentation Strength-: Good speaker To find the facts by using detective skills Proper use of multimedia and PowerPoint in the presentation and getting the feedback from the subordinates/colleagues Through financial reports, sales reports and annual reports of an company After 1 month of presentation Stress management Weaknesses-: Always in hurry Wants the result instantly acts without caution Internal cure Taking break from work and assigning the work to subordinates/colleagues Mental stress progress continuously Strength-: Without depending on others for the work Utilizing essential and useful techniques to do task. Proper planning techniques make it easy to do work Mental stress programs continuously Task 5 (1.3b) Monitoring and feedback- As per the condition changes in the plan is been made to complete the work these skills is been effectively monitored and the feedback is been carried out to achieve the outcome. The confirmation of these monitoring and feedback is represented below. TIME MANAGEMENT-: In the starting weeks of the lecture I was asked to fill the daily/weekly time log table as during which we dint had any assignment to do so I used to utilize my time like with the friends, internet, gaming, watching TV, listening music (please see appendix 1).As after certain weeks I adjusted my time log table because of the assignments and exam were coming closure to submit and write it so using time log I planned my time properly. Also by comparing with the past time log table I come to know what mistakes I have made and how I can make a change in it.Therfore considering the sitivation I have made changes in my study hours which will be helpful for me to prepare for exam and assignment were as I have reduced my hours from the TV and music section to utilize them for studies. (Please see appendix 2).These time log I have done to do the things at time considering their priorities instead of leaving them at the end. Thus with the help of these I will be able to complete my work in ti me as if effective time management. MAKING PRESENTATION As in the lectures we had a presentation in which I had performed one presentation as a workshop in which I was making a mistakes continuously like less speech volume, repeating of the words or the mixture of the words which was not proper enough. After few days I had a presentation for the work shop for which I performed it quite well and I got a very positive results from my friends and teachers. For this presentation I had a very good preparation like to understand the subject pre-planned the matter and performed it at home and recorded it then I saw the mistakes and tried to overcome it. My main intention was to make a good presentation which should be liked by everyone. Thus after these I had many presentation and the results very quite well enough. Thus from these I have secured very good skill. Task 6 (1.3c) Conclusion Thus after completion of these task I came to know about my learning style due to which my strength and weakness is been easily identified though which it is possible for me to work out on any task easily. Also the four skills play a vital role with the help of which it may leads to a successful and good manger. As it is a part of Master of Business studies it shows the importance of time management, preparation of successful meetings which may be helpful as a part of life. Thus though these assignment I have learned also the thing that to respect the others ideas and views and use them effectively for the task which may reduce the stress.

Oedipus Rex Character Analysis Essay

Oedipus, in Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, is by definition, a tragic hero. King Laios of Thebes was given a prophecy from the oracle that he would be murdered by his son’s hand, and that his son would marry his wife, Queen Iocaste. When Oedipus was born, King Laios had him taken to Mt. Cithaeron to die, however, the servant who was instructed to take him to the mountain felt pity for the baby and turned him over to a shepherd from Corinth. Once in Corinth, he was raised by King Polybus and Queen Merope, and the prophecy slowly became a reality. Oedipus grew up, believing that he was indeed the son of Polybus and Merope, when a drunken man informed him that he was not his father’s son. In search of the truth, he went to the shrine at Delphi, where he was told of the same prophecy his birth parents already knew, and fled to Thebes, believing the prophecy pertained to King Polybus and Queen Merope. In going to Thebes, he finds that King Laios was murdered in the same area that he had recently murdered a man in. He tells Iocasta of this event, exclaiming that he had â€Å"killed him. [He] killed them all.† (Scene II, ll. 288-289) His curiosity gets the best of him, and he orders – as the new king of Thebes – that the people find out who murdered Laios, and that they report it to him immediately. When a messenger brings the shepherd to the palace, he is told that he was Laios’ son. Oedipus realizes that he has killed his own father, saying, â€Å"Ah God! It was true! All the prophecies!† (Scene IV, ll. 68-70) Iocaste is horrified by this, and flees to her room, where she is later found â€Å"hanging, her body swaying from the cruel cord she had noosed about her neck.† (Exodus, II. 38-39) Oedipus finds her lifeless body, and breaks down, completely hysterical, â€Å"[striking] his eyes – not once, but many times.† (Exodus, l. 52) His entire lifespan is completely full of tragedy. His nobility, his curiosity, his bad choices, the realization of a foretold prophecy coming to life, the death of Iocaste, and the blinding by his own hand, all contribute to the theory of him being a tragic hero. He was born the son of a king, and lived his life king of both Corinth and Thebes – responsible for the people of his land. His curiosity is his biggest flaw, because he can’t leave well enough alone, and goes to great lengths to find out the truth. His choice to kill the man on the road instead of just letting the confrontation go decided his fate. Realizing that he’s murdered Laios even though he’d tried  so hard to prevent the prophecy from becoming a reality was unbearable. Finding Iocasta dead in her room by her own hand was his suffering. Finally, gouging out his own eyes in a hysterical attempt to punish himself was a punishment far beyond the crimes he had committed. These factors alone do not define a tragic hero, but when brought together the way they do in Sophocles’ play, they make Oedipus a tragic hero.

My Childhood Memories Essay

Oh no! I shouted at the top of my voice, please don’t break down my grandparents’ house I had just returned from New York to Trinidad with my parents. I left Trinidad when I was six years old. I grew up in couva with my grandparents, where I had many friends living in there in the same villag.e I walked through the street where my friends and I once played jump rope. The sight of the many old-fashioned houses caught my attention. I stop as I started at one house with boarded up windows. It looked weather beaten, but the sight of that house painted a mischievous smile on my face because it was the house where I once stole mangoes from my neighour, Uncle Bob. As I approached the yard a sea of colours rushed past my eyes and painted the house and the garden became alive with fresh flowers and swaying coconut trees. I saw myself swinging under the Poui tree and grandma bringing freshly extracted sugar cane juice for me. Even though this was just a memory I could hear the melodious singing of the birds all day. Once again, I could smell the frangranced sent of the large roses that bloomed near to the garden. Before I got off the swing I looked up to the tree and saw the soft, yellow poui petals greeting my face. Some of the tiny blossoms gracefully fell at my feet. I grabbed a handful and through it up in the air. I saw the vision of myself greeting the gardener, who gave me roses to put in the vase. He was always very kind and didn’t mind me playing in the garden.

Free Essays on Sharon Olds

Sharon Olds is a relatively modern poet. Born in 1942 in San Francisco, she attended Stanford and Columbia Universities. Little has been written about Olds, since she has only been published since 1980. She is a teacher at New York University and manages their workshop program for the Goldwater Hospital in New York, and she has enjoyed praise in her short career. Olds has won the San Francisco Poetry Center Award for Satan Says (1980), the Lamont Poetry Selection and National Book Critics Circle Award for The Dead and the Living (1984), and the T. S. Eliot Prize for The Father (1992). (Olds, Wellspring) Sharon Olds has been the recipient of endowments from the National Endowment for the Arts, a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation, and she has published widely in periodicals such as The New Yorker, Poetry, The Atlantic Monthly, and others. (Olds, Living) Since little is known about Olds’ life, she presents an opportunity to be read without the nuisance or baggage of other critics’ opinions or preferences. Fortunately, Olds’ speakers are intensely personal, and much can be inferred about the author through them. Sharon Olds’ work is dominated by her relationship with her family, especially her father. Although only sparse biographical evidence is available, the firm grasp her relationships have on her writing is undeniable. In her early poems, Olds clearly defines her work as very personal and outspoken. The theme of Olds’ speaker’s brutal relationships becomes much stronger as her works progress; perhaps this is Olds’ response to her father’s prolonged death. In The Dead and the Living and The Gold Cell, Olds seems to be focused on her relationships with her children, and on remembering herself as a child. In The Takers, her speaker describes her grotesque experiences with her older sister: Hitler entered Paris the way my sister entered my room at night, sat astride me, squeezed me with her knees,... Free Essays on Sharon Olds Free Essays on Sharon Olds Sharon Olds is a relatively modern poet. Born in 1942 in San Francisco, she attended Stanford and Columbia Universities. Little has been written about Olds, since she has only been published since 1980. She is a teacher at New York University and manages their workshop program for the Goldwater Hospital in New York, and she has enjoyed praise in her short career. Olds has won the San Francisco Poetry Center Award for Satan Says (1980), the Lamont Poetry Selection and National Book Critics Circle Award for The Dead and the Living (1984), and the T. S. Eliot Prize for The Father (1992). (Olds, Wellspring) Sharon Olds has been the recipient of endowments from the National Endowment for the Arts, a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation, and she has published widely in periodicals such as The New Yorker, Poetry, The Atlantic Monthly, and others. (Olds, Living) Since little is known about Olds’ life, she presents an opportunity to be read without the nuisance or baggage of other critics’ opinions or preferences. Fortunately, Olds’ speakers are intensely personal, and much can be inferred about the author through them. Sharon Olds’ work is dominated by her relationship with her family, especially her father. Although only sparse biographical evidence is available, the firm grasp her relationships have on her writing is undeniable. In her early poems, Olds clearly defines her work as very personal and outspoken. The theme of Olds’ speaker’s brutal relationships becomes much stronger as her works progress; perhaps this is Olds’ response to her father’s prolonged death. In The Dead and the Living and The Gold Cell, Olds seems to be focused on her relationships with her children, and on remembering herself as a child. In The Takers, her speaker describes her grotesque experiences with her older sister: Hitler entered Paris the way my sister entered my room at night, sat astride me, squeezed me with her knees,...

Chinese restarant in Australia.

Chinese restarant in Australia. AbstractChina is a gastronomic country with a long history, there had been recorded thousands of recipes from very beginning time until now. In the 30s of the 20 century, since a lot of Chinese immigrated in other countries, many Chinese restaurants operated all the over the world, there different type of Chinese restaurants were opened more and more. Especially for those countries they were accepted immigrants, such as American, Canada and Australia. Those Chinese restaurants provided the menus and foods styles were nearly the same as original Chinese food, the distribution of Chinese foods standard were very distinct. The cheapest price was the same as other western fast foods. It is a pleasant to change different taste for local people, but in Australia, the situation is a little bit different. Although many Chinese restaurants operated all over in Australia, however, some of the cooks are not Chinese; this reason is restricted for the people who would like to try original Chinese food.English: China Court Restaurant, 24 Ladywell Walk ...In addition, the different raw material and quality are limited in Australia market; all above led the Chinese foods not much more popular in American, and Canada. I made a case study with a middle size of Chinese Restaurant in details, I hope all Chinese Restaurants are constantly renewing itself, keeping the traditional food style and adapting to change managements that hang on to weakness for whatever reason-not creation or their own management, weakness-won't be around in the future, I also hope those people who are going to run a Chinese restaurant get some inspirations from this article.BackgroundThe first Chinese Restaurant "Hong Kong Restaurant" was built in Australia 40 years ago. 40 years is a long time for one ethnic cuisine to arrive. And flourish. The Chinese restaurant have been operated about 1,000 from 1960s...

Specializing On Safety Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Specializing On Safety Management - Essay Example Upon studying the PowerPoint presentation entitled â€Å"Goal Setting for Young Professionals†, the first lesson I grasped was on the essence of goals in life. The presentation was rather frank on the areas where individuals waste precious time as they engage in unyielding routine activities such waiting for others (Mark, p5). Upon understanding this perception, the next set of thoughts that were triggered upon reading the presentation is the annual evaluation attributed to a successful individual. The review focused on various topics that define a successful individual, including investment, self utilization and ambition (Mark, p2). This was further stressed by the section that points on the avenues upon which to achieve various goals, inclusive of the appropriate steps of achieving each. These lessons have had a significant contribution to my profession life, especially with regards to issues such as planning and management of issues such as time. Subsequently, they have enabled me to be able to develop a blue print of my goals and ambitions for the next couple of years. This is of significant essence since it enables one lead an organized life that is steered by ambitions and an execution time frame. Apparently, a successful career deserves to incorporate a set of ambitions and beliefs that seek to offer the avenue upon which it subscribes. These factors are anticipated to shape up the path towards apprehending my professional ambitions.

Laboratory Medecine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Laboratory Medecine - Essay Example Further, they stain slides and perform routine tests on the blood's tissues, fluids, and other components. Also, the work involves keeping records, cleaning and sterilizing equipments as well as the use of microscopes, computers and other lab technologies to gather data. This data is used to determine the absence or presence and/or the cause of diseases. The duties also involve handling delicate substances and experiments with utmost care, having an open mind to cater to various perspectives before arriving at a conclusion and various such aspects that have to do with serving human kind. Coming to the decision of entering the field of laboratory medicine was not an easy or clear cut call for me. The preliminary reason why I chose this field of the many career options lurking before me, was the fact that I needed to learn while helping people around me. I would like to understand how the very basic elements of our bodies work and how we can make a difference through research. It is my natural instinct to make a difference towards human kind and this kind of a role helps me learn about varied related fields like molecular virology and immunology to name a few. I feel that these reasons in part also contribute to the fact that I am well suited for this line of work. I feel I will be ready to take on any challenge and come out a more enriched person. Also, my educational background and exposure as well as basic interests lie in this field which makes me a suitable candidate for such a career choice. 3. What are your career goals My career goals in life are very simple. I would like to begin by studying in order to enter the field of laboratory medicine as it is a life long learning process. To begin with I would like to enter the medical laboratory technology program through an associate degree. From here, I would like to proceed towards becoming a student in the clinical laboratory technology program. As a medical laboratory technician, I would like to most of all work in a team and build a niche filled with competent people. As a career, I plan on using my skills in laboratory medicine for the overall betterment of mankind and towards making far reaching contributions to the field of medicine and healing in general. My career will be nothing without these