Immigration from Iraq Because of Religion Assignment

Immigration from Iraq Because of Religion - Assignment Example Christians used to account for about 4% of the population but their numbers dramatically dwindled after the US invasion of the nation in 2003 (Chanaa 15). Currently, the proportion of Iraqi Christian immigrants has significantly increased owing to a number of political and social factors. First, Iraq has always given Christians a minority status in which they feel as though they are second class citizens who are vulnerable to injustices at any time. Furthermore, the law has historically minimised their ability to express themselves freely in the nation even though this has often been disguised by constitutional provisions that claim to respect the freedom of conscience (Salloum 60). In the political arena, Christians are scarcely afforded the right to become leaders in government, security organs or the military. Such institutional discrimination has ensured that Christians in this nation lack the ability to become influential in their society, so a number of them now have an even greater impetus to leave Iraq. Many Christians have not forgotten the history of oppression that they have been subjected especially in 1915, 1933, 1961 and 1975. All these attacks created numerous villages of Iraqi immigrants in Syria and other surrounding nations. The 1975 incident was accompanied by the burning of Christian villages that caused the displacement of thousands of Iraqi Christians (Rassam 23). Continued discrimination and persecution of Christians was revived in 2003 after the US-led invasion against Iraq and Afghanistan; this chaos and sectarian violence heightened in 2006.

Personal Reflection Journal Assignment Unit 6, 7, 8, and 9

Personal Reflection Journal Unit 6, 7, 8, and 9 - Assignment Example Now, I am aware that these strengths will be my keys to success in my career and personal life. I did not really need an assessment to tell me that. However, it surely motivated me to go on and even try harder at what I do. I do not have an excuse to be mediocre. How can I apply the results of the strengths-finder assessment in my personal life and career? As a relator, I am a people-person. I am not one to shy away from meeting new people and getting to know them for various purposes. This definitely helps me in my networking activities. As an achiever, engaging in tasks drives me to do more. The exhilaration of completing them excellently is very fulfilling. Being analytical can make me appear cynical of other people’s ideas. I need to consider all options and possibilities before I finally give my nod. I know it keeps people on their toes, and for me, that is a good thing so they also strive to do their best with me. I can link this to being an arranger. I strive to iron everything out so operations run without glitches. Lastly, being in command ensures that I get things done. I can take charge of things, and assume a leadership position with confidence because of my other strengths that contribute to my credibility. Given a choice, I would opt to be an Operations Manager instead of my current job as Technical Advisor. I believe my strengths as a commander, relator and achiever will greatly benefit the position. Being in command enables me to act out decisions with ease because I know I take action and not merely think. My being an achiever makes sure of that. Being a relator helps me connect with people and place them where they are best suited. I am confident that as an operations manager, I will excel with the help of my strengths. As for my weaknesses, I need to keep reflecting on my performance to know where I need improvement on. My self-evaluation will help me identify these weaknesses

The Value Of Reducing Carbon Footprints Environmental Sciences Essay

The Value Of Reducing Carbon Footprints Environmental Sciences Essay This report examines the concept and value of measuring and reducing a business or product carbon footprint as well some renewable energy systems available, that could contribute to Carbon reduction and energy efficiency. Guides and legislation already exist. In anticipation of future developments, regarding sustainable practices and strict mandatory requirements for organizations and businesses, it is important to take action. Finally, several renewable energy systems are presented and evaluated with recommendations for the companys building. Introduction  ­ The last three decades the detrimental human impact on the environment became the subject of extensive study. Today it is internationally acknowledged that the extensive use of fossil fuel and overexploitation of earths resources has led us into an environmental crisis. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions produced by the burning of fossil fuel are the most threatening factor to Climate Change (IPCC, 2007). The international commitments concerning carbon reduction emissions, at the recent Climate Change Summit in December 2009, show the need for quick and effective measures. To meet this challenge the industry and commerce sectors must also take action. Today the quantification and makeup of GHG emissions is expressed by the term Carbon Footprint. This report analyses the composition of a businesss Carbon Footprint in relation to its activities, products and properties. Moreover, its explained why this course of action is necessary and how it could benefit the whole business and its production process. Finally, some of the most typical renewable energy technologies are examined and suggested for the companys office premises located in Athens Greece. The definition of carbon footprint. Throughout time there were many attempts to define what a carbon footprint is. Nowadays, the definition of Wiedmann and Minx (2007, p.4) is what is widely accepted: The carbon footprint is a measure of the exclusive total amount of carbon dioxide emissions that is directly and indirectly caused by an activity or is accumulated over the life stages of a product. This includes of individuals, populations, governments, companies, organizations, processes, industry sectors etc. Products include goods and services. In any case all direct (on-site, internal) and indirect emissions (off-site, external, embodied, upstream, downstream) need to be taken into account. The above reference to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions includes all six Kyoto Protocol (1997, Annex A) Green House Gases (GHGs). These gases, besides Carbon Dioxide, (CO2) are Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). They are all aggregated and quantified in tonnages of CO2 equivalent (CO2e). The conversion is based in each gass Global Warming Potential (GWP) over a period of 100 years. The GWP is defined as the relative impact of a GHG compared to Carbon Dioxide (CO2) over a given period of time. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) in its 3rd Assessment Report (2001) provides the values as well as the calculation method. Carbon Footprint for business, companies and organizations. There are two types of Carbon Footprint for a business or an organization. Organizational carbon footprint Product carbon footprint Organizational carbon footprint The Organizational carbon footprint is made up from all direct and indirect GHG emissions caused by the organizations activities (Carbon Trust, 2010).According to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol the direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions are divided into three scopes (categories) (WBCSD WRI, 2004). Scope 1: Direct greenhouse gas emissions These are emissions created by the organizations assets and production processes e.g. on site fuel use for production process, vehicle use for transportation of employees, materials, products and waste, refrigerant loses, oil and fuel leakages, physical or chemical processing etc. Generally, emissions resulting from the organizations activities. Scope 2: Indirect GHG emissions Emissions created by the use of electricity, heat and steam purchased for in premises use of the company or organization. (The energy suppliers emissions). Scope 3: Indirect GHG emissions other than the Scope 2 category Emissions created from activities needed for the company to function but not made buy the company or organization itself. Extraction and transportation of raw material from suppliers, commuting of employees, transportation of fuel for use, recycling, waste transfer and disposal are examples of what is included in this category. Generally any product or service purchased by the company necessary for its production process except from electricity and heat (scope 2). Product carbon footprint The product (goods or services) carbon footprint is made up from the emissions of its life cycle. This includes all the emissions generated from the extraction of raw materials, manufacturing or service provision, use, reuse and finally its recycling and disposal as waste. Those emissions are generated similarly like the organizational carbon footprint by the use of energy, fuel combustion for manufacturing and transportation, and losses and leakages that emit directly to the environment like refrigerants, gases (methane) etc (Carbon Trust, 2011). Caution is necessary when calculations of both the organizational and product carbon footprint are made so as to not undercount or over count its quantity due to the complexity of these calculations. The necessity of carbon footprint calculation and reduction. There are many reasons why a business or organization should develop a management system for the reduction of its carbon footprint. As mentioned above there are two types of carbon footprint organizational and product (goods and/or services) Its noteworthy that the calculation of either or both footprints sets a reference point for the comparison and evaluation of progress made (Carbon Trust, 2010). Organizational carbon footprint reductions The organizational carbon management and reduction will lighten the environmental burden of a businesss activities. Uncontrolled anthropogenic GHG emissions from usage of fossil fuel, deforestation, manufacturing, industrial procedures (steel, iron, cement production) and other activities thicken the greenhouse gas layer. This layer traps more re-radiated solar energy from the earths surface into the lowest atmospheric layer the Troposphere. This results to global warming (Denman K.L et al, 2007). Furthermore the quantification of the carbon footprint helps managers and employees to recognize the areas which have the greatest potential for further reductions and cost savings over time (Carbon Trust, 2010) . Another major reason is to report the reductions to third parties concerned with GHG emissions. According to the Carbon Trust Carbon Footprinting guide (2010), this should be done in order to: Display social conscientiousness or for marketing purposes Answer requests of businesses, customers, investors for carbon emission data Show compliance with mandatory climate change legislation such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) (2010) or European Union (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) (2008) Provide information by the companys participation to initiatives that have a purpose to help organizations, investors, governments, consultants, academics and generally anyone concerned, develop energy and emission policies, reduce their carbon footprint and make research. An example is the Carbon Disclosure Project CDP (2001). To enforce a carbon reduction strategy or purchase or sell carbon offsets. Carbon Offset transactions are made based on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol (1997). Product carbon footprint reductions Many of the benefits from the reduction of the product carbon footprint result from the way these reductions take place. In order to reduce its products carbon footprint, the company should monitor and try to make changes to its whole manufacturing process. Emissions come from the whole life cycle of the product. Thus, reductions should be made in every stage of this cycle, to every input and output. Correct selection of materials and suppliers, product design and manufacturing and decreased energy consumption, are all key contributors to effective carbon management. As a result, aside from environmental benefits and reduced costs, the organization will ultimately drive change to the whole supply chain. Furthermore, develop better relationship with its suppliers and help them identify and reduce their own inefficiencies (Carbon Trust, 2010) There are also advantages for the market and public image of an organization. Public conscience and awareness about environmental friendly practices and sustainability has grown notably the past two decades. The reduction of a products carbon footprint can enhance a brand name and attract more customers and shareholders (Carbon Trust, 2010). This is a result of the differentiation from other products, which have not yet developed carbon management programs or have bigger footprints. Current common practice and approach to calculation, reduction and publication of carbon data is by the use of the GHG Protocol and Publicly available specification (PAS) 2050 for organizations and products respectively. Independent validations and certificates for greenhouse gas emissions denote transparency of the organization, could attract interest and provide reassurance to stakeholders. Continuous progress is necessary for both the organizational and product carbon footprint in anticipation of future (and stricter) legislation and tougher competition. The companys carbon footprint. An indication of the companys carbon footprint in Athens Greece, can be given by the annual energy consumption of its building. In 2010 the energy consumption of natural gas and electricity was 225230kWh and 379125kWh respectively. The Greek Regulation of Building Energy Performance in table B.1 (2010, p.5336) gives values of 0,989kgCO2/kWh for electricity and 0.196kgCO2/kWh for natural gas. This means, that approximately 419 tones of CO2 per year are produced by the companys office premises alone. Renewable energy technologies Renewable energy comes from natural sources abundant in our environment. Solar, wind, rain, waves, heat from earth and newly produced organic material are all used to provide zero carbon energy. The most common applications are passive solar designs, solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, biomass heating, ground source heating and wind power generation. Other Low Carbon technologies such as absorption cooling and combined heat and power (CHP) can also be incorporated with the use of this technology. Considerations should be made relative to different building types and locations as well as costs. Passive solar designs use the buildings design and structure (orientation, design, shading, window glazing and thermal insulation) to store or deduct heat and provide ventilation. The basic concept is to optimize the direct use of the energy available from the buildings environment. Although best suited for new buildings, existing could use some of its concepts. The benefits from such an application include better working environments, less temperature fluctuation, natural air ventilation and less dependence and use of mechanical means for heating and lighting. This results to, increased productivity, low maintenance, higher asset value, lower energy bills and emissions (SEEDA). Photovoltaic systems, convert solar radiation to electricity. The systems consist of a set of PV cell panels, inverters and wiring. PV cells are made from semiconductor material abundant in earth like silicon. The panels can be installed in either the roof and/or sides of a building, or directly on the land. The effectiveness and efficiency of such an application depends a lot from the available area, its orientation as well as from the shading of neighboring buildings and other obstacles. They have low maintenance requirements, long warranties and even longer life expectancy. Still they have high initial capital costs. These systems are mostly recommended when correct conditions like lighting, orientation and available area exist and/or grants from governments. It is anticipated that soon these systems will be highly competitive due to fuel price increments and continuous evolution and optimization of the technology (SEEDA). For a 750Kwh /year system prices average at  £6000 minus any grants and tax returns that may exist. Solar thermal water heating, is a system, installed on roofs, that collects the suns radiation to heat a non corrosive (antifreeze and water mixture) liquid. This liquid runs through a coil in a water cylinder and transfers its heat to the water (Menzies, G.F, 2009) The Carbon Trust (2005) reports that approximately 60 % of hot water demand could be covered by solar water heating. Its considered one of the most effective and cheap solutions for carbon reduction and cost savings. Menzies (2009) reports 1-3% carbon reductions for commercial applications sized to cover 50% of hot water demand. Biomass heating, uses boilers that burn organic material from plant and animal matter to produce heat, fuel or electricity. The system typically consists of a furnace with piping that transfers heat for space or water. It is considered as carbon neutral because the CO2 and CH4 are part of the active carbon cycle (accumulated from plants and animals recently and now put back in nature, unlike the carbon emitted from the burning of fossil fuel which was out of the system for millions of years)( Menzies, G.F 2009). Biomass Boiler fuel comes cheaper than electricity, oil, LPG heating (Menzies, G.F, 2009). More so, flexibility to convert to heat, fuel or electricity is also a plus. Still, high initial costs, space requirements for fuel storage and availability of suppliers should be carefully considered. Its typically best for businesses with organic byproduct material as result of their industrial process and/or for longer hours of operation than usual. Payback periods usually range from 3 to 9 years depending on the replaced system ( Carbon Trust, 2011) Ground Source heat pumps, use the relatively constant underground temperature, for space and water heating purposes. These systems are not considered carbon neutral (but low carbon) because, pumps use electricity or gas to convert the gathered low level heat to useable high-grade. Still carbon reductions could be substantial for non domestic applications especially if used for the whole heating demands. Carbon reductions of 14%-27% and 16%-23% have been reported for new build and retrofit applications respectively though, 100% demand coverage may be impossible for large buildings (Menzies, G.F, 2009). One the downside these systems have high initial capital costs for installation or retrofitting. Generally, they difficult to apply because of the required ground surveying, long piping, large collectors and empty space (Carbon Trust, 2005). Wind power generation, comes from the conversion of wind energy to electricity or kinetic energy (wind mills, water pumps) through wind turbines (Menzies, G.F, 2009). They come in varying sizes to suit energy demands. The viability of this option depends largely on wind speed, direction, as well as sufficient wind data and lack of obstacles. Noise and vibration should also be taken in consideration (SEEDA). For roof applications there could be prohibiting building regulations or planning permissions needed (Carbon Trust, 2005). Their initial cost as well as the high probability of obstacles (e.g. neighboring buildings) and unpredictable wind patterns, of most urban locations makes the investment unsuitable for most buildings. On the contrary, well chosen sites with sufficient meteorological data could be highly energy efficient and lucrative plus enhance the company profile. Application to the companys buildings in Greece. The Greek Ministry of Environment Energy and Climate Change (MEECC) (2009), reports that Buildings in Greece are responsible for 36% of the domestic energy use. This waste of energy happens, due the lack of use of modern technologies, the old age of most buildings and the lack of legislation concerning insulation standards (up until recently). Moreover, electricity in Greece is the most carbon intensive energy, produced mainly by coal and lignite. This means, that by saving electricity or using an alternative energy source (renewable or other fossil fuel such as natural gas), has the greatest potential for CO2 emissions reduction. Furthermore, extensive sunshine periods make the use of solar energy a very efficient sustainable practice. The companys offices in Athens Greece (3600m2, 95 employees) are considered a mix of a naturally ventilated open plan and air-conditioned standard type (Action Energy, 2003). An investment for a 40kWp solar PV system as well as a solar hot water system of 8m2 (500lt) would result to emission reductions of approximately 15% (Appendix). These, combined by passive solar upgrades (insulation, window glazing, sunshades) could achieve an even greater reduction of CO2 emissions. Overall the use of renewable energy sources, will upgrade the energy performance certificate of the companys building, enhance its public image, asset value and reduce costs (after the investment payback period). Conclusions As outlined above, sustainable practices are not only an obligation towards our environment and future generations. The incorporation of carbon management systems and renewable energy sources is actually an investment which will yield profits for all areas of the production and commercial process. Furthermore, this course of action is anticipated to be adopted generally and enforced legally. Thus, it is clear that its in a businesss interest to develop sustainable low carbon development strategies and policies as soon as possible. List of references Action Energy, (2003) Energy Consumption Guide 19 Energy use in offices. Revised Edition. London: Carbon Trust [ available at http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/Publications/pages/publicationdetail.aspx?id=ECG01 9 ][viewed on 20/02/2011]. Carbon Trust, (2005) New and Renewable Energy Fact Sheet (GIL137). London: Carbon Trust [available at: http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/Publications/pages/publicationdetail.aspx?id=GIL137 ] [accessed on 17/02/2011]. Carbon Trust (2010) Carbon footprinting The next step to reducing your emissions (CTV043). London: Carbon Trust [available at: http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/publications/pages/publicationdetail.aspx%3fid%3dCTV043 ] [viewed on 12/02/2011]. Carbon Trust (2011) Carbon footprinting http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/cut-carbon-reduce-costs/calculate/carbon-footprinting/pages/carbon-footprinting.aspx [accessed on 12th February 2011]. Carbon Trust (2011) Renewables http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/cut-carbon-reduce-costs/products-services/technology-advice/renewables/Pages/renewables.aspx [accessed on 28/02/2011]. Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) (1986) Estimation of Plant Capacity, Section A9 of the CIBSE guide. CIBSE, London. Denman, K.L., G. Brasseur, A. Chidthaisong, P. Ciais, P.M. Cox, R.E. Dickinson, D. Hauglustaine, C. Heinze, E. Holland, D. Jacob, U. Lohmann, S Ramachandran, P.L. da Silva Dias, S.C. Wofsy and X. Zhang, 2007: Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M.Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA [available at: http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch7.html] [accessed on 15/01/2011]. Greece. (2009), Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change. ÃŽÂ  Ãƒ Ã‚ Ãƒ Ã…’ÃŽÂ ³Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± Ά¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã…’ÃŽÂ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ·Ãƒ Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ · ÃŽÅ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ ÃŽÅ ¸ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ (Energy Savings Program for Buildings). http://www.ypeka.gr/Default.aspx?tabid=526locale=el-GRlanguage=en-US [accessed on 20/02/2011]. Greece. Government Newspaper of the Hellenic Republic. 2nd issue, paper no 407, 9 April 2010. Regulation of building energy performance, Athens (GR): National Printing Establishment, pp.5333-5356, [available at http://portal.tee.gr/portal/page/portal/TEE_HOME/D6-5825%20KENAK-FEK%20407-B-2010.pdf ] [accessed on 25/02/2011]. Greece. Government Newspaper of the Hellenic Republic. 1st issue, paper no 85, 4 June 2010. Regulation of building energy performance, Athens (GR): National Printing Establishment, pp.1753-1780, [available at http://www.cres.gr/kape/neos%20nomos%20RES_N3851_2010.pdf ] [accessed on 25/02/2011]. Wiedmann, T. and Minx, J. (2007, p.4), A Definition of Carbon Footprint. Durham (UK): ISAUK Research Consulting [available at: http://www.censa.org.uk/docs/ISA-UK_Report_07-01_carbon_footprint.pdf ] [viewed on 11/02/2011]. Menzies, G.F, (2009, pp. 127-147) Sustainable Practices in Facilities Management [D31SF]. Revised Edition. Riccarton Edinburgh: Herriot Watt University: School of the built environment World Resources Institute (WRI) World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), (2004) The Greenhouse Gas Protocol A corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard. Revised Edition. USA: WRI and WBCSD [available at http://www.ghgprotocol.org/files/ghg-protocol-revised.pdf] [accessed on 14/02/2011].

Growth of NYS Business :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Growth of NYS Business For a number of reasons, business enterprise in New York grew by leaps and bounds between 1825 and 1860. New York's growth between the years 1825 and 1860 can be attributed to a number of factors. These include but cannot be limited to the construction of the Erie Canal, the invention of the telegraph, the developed of the railroads, the establishment of Wall Street and banking, the textile, shipping, agriculture and newpaper industries, the development of steam power and the use of iron products. On October 26, 1825 the Erie Canal was opened. The canal immediately became an important commercial route connecting the East with the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys. With tht time of travel cut to one-third and the cost of shipping freight cut to one-tenthof the previous figures, commerce via the canal soon made New York City the chief port of the Atlantic. The growing urban population and the contruction of canals, railroads and factories stimulated the demand for raw materials and food stuffs. In 1836 four-fifths of the tonnage over the Erie Canal came from western New York (North, 105). Much of this cargo was in the form of agriculture goods. The farmer become a shrewed businessaman of sorts as he tended to produce whatever products would leave him the greatest profit margin. The rise of the dairy industry was by far the most significant development in the agricultural history of the state between 1825 and 1860. Farmers discovered that cows were their most relliable money-makers, since both the domestic and foreign market kept demanding more dairy products (Ellis, 273). Price flucuations became increasingly important for the farming population between 1825 and 1860. Prices rose from the low level of the early 1820's until the middle 1830's and the farmer's shared in the general prosperity (271). Although the rapid industrialization and urbanization of New York had a great deal to do with the success of agricultural markets sporadic demand from aboard as a result of the Irish famine, the Crimean War and the repeal of the Corn Laws in England also contributed(North, 141). During this period Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia, in that order were the leading wheat growing states. Between the years 1840 and 1850 New York ranked first in the production of beef. The absence of politic party differences on issues related to

History of education Essay

As a student, I have read â€Å"On the Use of a Liberal Education: As Lite Entertainment for Bored College Students† written by Mark Edmundson many times. Edmundson’s article is now published in textbook (for example: from Inquiry to Academic writing) and taught in English university education. Edmundson argues that nowadays liberal education is as lite entertainment for bored college students; education is product and universities are suppliers that satisfy the expectation of consumer students. In any aspect, I agree with him. The education now is changing in bad way. The students do no longer care about what they need to learn in the school except for their point. But why does this happen? This article just show one side of students. What about teacher? School? Family? Or society? Generally, there are some points I consider make me not believe or agree with this article absolutely. First, he wrote this article after many-year teaching. This is based on his be-teacher experience. He is in the point of view of teacher. But despite teaching many years, how many student he taught? What percentage in the total number of students in USA or the world does it hold? It is unfair and unbelievable when he draws the conclusion about all students with only students he has taught. Maybe he is right but he is also possible to be wrong. Because that number of student may be very high, maybe hold 70%, 80%, even 90% but also just 20%. There are no researches given in the article. No one knows the exact number so can’t give that conclusion. But the only thing we can believe is that many is not total; that many students are as consumers. Secondly, he says education is as lite entertainment for bored students. What is meant by bored students? How bored? A teacher comments that students are bored so what did he/she do to improve them. I know learning is responsibility of own student but school or teacher is instructor leading them to what they need to explore themselves. They now are just in the wrong way, so it doesn’t mean they will be so forever. They now need a person to lead them in the right way. Besides, he just shows their present that they are bored but not shows the reasons. Why doesn’t he/she ask the question about himself, about his lessons. To each student, their ability to take lessons is very different so with a lesson, just some student feel interested. In his essay, Edmundson claim that most student today consume their education than interact with it. He says he wanted his student connect with him, but it doesn’t mean they have to like or dislike him. He says that â€Å" I don’t teach to amuse, to divert, or even, for that matter, to be merely interesting. He also says â€Å" I think many of my student have imbibed their sense of self from consumer culture and in general from the tube in particular†. That not only shows his lack of native passion of a teacher but also that he become accept education’s business. Next, when he assume that teacher do anything to make them satisfied, interested, I wonder just only students feel that. That time, did teachers feel satisfied? The answer is, of course, YES. Both teachers and students feel comfortable and facile. So why don’t make lesson colorful, instead, boring and not effective. Each teacher has different ways of teaching to help students understand lessons. One of them is that make it interesting. That means both create interesting atmosphere and help student easy to understand. Students are young people, no experience; they just learn what they care. If schooling is bored, they can’t both study and find the right way to go in the future. But if the school is an interesting thing that they take everyday, they feel life to open, to explore and persue. The second view is clearly better that the first and why does he consider all such lesson as product standard for consumer students. The last thing I wonder is the reason why education is changing. Nowadays, society is developing with high technology and opening economy. Society requires people that are excellent or really good. How does society realize such people? In general, it is evaluated based on the point of student at school. So, that students are always care about their point because they are worried about their future is grossly. Moreover, education system always evaluate their performance and achievement. Because of that, they always worry that they can lose, they can in the bottom at school and hope they are in the top. Some can make effort to reach it, but not all is the same. To some student, it is motive power to be better themselves but to the rest, it is pressure make them in stress. Besides, not all teachers is good. Some requires presents and they â€Å"sell the mark†. To students, this is a good way to improve their mark not trying to study. That is small gap in education system. In the end, Edmundson’s article is not researched and have a few logical fallacies but warn us the status of education as product. Although there are something I disagree with him, evidence of his argument is not denied; it is difficult for anyone to argue that consumerism has not poured in the university to some degree. [That is my personal point of view. Maybe it is not right absolutely. ]

Human Trafficking In Our Wallets Essay

The exploitation and trafficking of women, men, and children is a humanitarian problem on a global scale in which â€Å"worldwide, there are between 12 million and 27 million trafficking victims†¦ the International Labor Organization estimates that more than 20 million men, women, and children are victimized by forced labor and sex trafficking worldwide, including the United States.† (Zurita) The United Nations Office of Drug and Crime defines human trafficking as: The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or the removal of organs. There are two different types of exploitation: Consensual and nonconsensual. The next section, section 2, will inaugurate a communal vocabulary and define exactly what human trafficking is, consensual exploitation, and nonconsensual exploitation. Section 2: Origin of the Problem For thousands of years, human trafficking and exploitation has been  occurring throughout the world. Since the beginning of time with the ancient Greeks and Romans to the medieval times occurring into today’s society, people have been forced to into sexual and physical slavery. The 1400s manifested the start of European slave trading in Africa with the Portuguese people transporting people from Africa to Portugal as slaves. In 1562, Britain joined in on the slave trade and helped develop the colonies full of plantations. â€Å"Later in the 1600s Spain, North America, Holland, France, Sweden, and Denmark all became involved in human trafficking.† (Kangaspunta). Skipping forward to 1904, â€Å"the International Agreement for the Suppression of â€Å"White Slave Traffic† was signed and put into action. The purpose of this agreement was to protect women from being involved in white slave traffic. White slavery referred to forcing or deceiving a white woman or girl into prostitution.† (Kangaspunta). In 1927, after World War 1 the League of Nations focused on major international issues such as human trafficking. The Suppression of White Slave Traffic was changed to â€Å"traffic in women and children†. This was also the era when studies were conducted to find out the actual number of people trafficked. â€Å"Factors that were measured included the number of women engaged in prostitution, the demand, and the surrounding environment of the women who were trafficked as well as the traffickers† (Kangaspunta). In 1995, there was a immense accomplishment for women, children, and men everywhere. The United Nations recognized that trafficking was in fact an act of violence against women and the concept of trafficking was defined. (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women). During the fourth world conference they addressed issues such as enforcing international conventions on trafficking and human slavery, address the factors that encourage trafficking, set up laws and organizations who would help eliminate trafficking nationally and internationally. Finally in October of 2000, â€Å"the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 made human trafficking a federal crime and intact was to methods to prevent human trafficking overseas, to protect victims and help them rebuild their lives in the United States, and to prosecute traffickers of humans under Federal penalties.† (State). Section 2.1: What is Human Trafficking? Until 2000, no country, state, or city could settle on exactly the meaning  of trafficking. Originally, in 1927 trafficking was defined as white women and girls sold or forced into prostitution. Just like history; however, the definition of trafficking evolved to include types of force, fraud, or coercion beyond sexual exploitation. In 2000, the Fourth World Conference agreed to a definition for trafficking in people that can be found in the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children: The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or the removal of organs. (Europol) Human trafficking has three elements that give the basis of the definition stated above: The Act (What is Done), The Means (How it is done), and The Purpose (Why is it done). Shown below is a chart from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime that explains exactly what each section does and how it contributes to the definition of human trafficking. Along with the definition that was decided to be used internationally, Congress decided to define and classify trafficking into two different categories: sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Sex trafficking is: The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coerci on, or in which the person forced to perform such an act is younger than age 18. A commercial sex act means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person. Types of sex trafficking include prostitution, pornography, stripping, live-sex shows, mail-order brides, military prostitution, and sex tourism. (Clawson). Labor trafficking is defined as: â€Å"the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery† (Resettlement). Just like sex trafficking, labor trafficking has several forms of practices  such as bonded labor, forced labor, and child labor. Bonded labor: Better known as debt bondage and is the least known form of trafficking; however, it has the highest and widest method of enslaving people. Victims become bonded laborers when their labor is demanded as a means of repayment for a loan or service in which its terms and conditions have not been defined or in which the value of the victims’ services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt. (Resettlement) Forced labor is â€Å"a situation in which victims are forced to work against their own will, under the threat of violence or some other form of punishment, their freedom is restricted and a degree of ownership is exerted. Forced labor can include domestic servitude, agricultural labor, sweatshop factory labor, janitorial, food service and other service industry labor, and begging. (Resettlement) Child labor is a form of work that is likely to be hazardous to the health, physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development of children and often interferes with their education. Section 2.2: What is exploitation? Exploitation is defined as â€Å"the action or fact of treats someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work† (editors). Exploitation is broken down into two different forms just like sexual trafficking. The two forms of exploitations are: nonconsensual and consensual. â€Å"Nonconsensual forms of exploitation involve an element of coercion, fraud, or deception, whereas consensual exploitation typically results from a lack of other economic opportunities and leads to the unfair treatment of the exploited.† (Koettl) The other form of exploitation is consensual form which allows victims to exploit their self because they have no other options. This can be the case in lower income families and also causes these cases to often turn into nonconsensual cases. Section 3: Problem Statement The availability of data on human trafficking and how it affects the economy on the Gulf Coast is quite limited. Due to limited amount of data I believe proving that the economy on the Gulf Coast is indeed affected by humans being trafficked along our major roadways and through our waters. However, I do have some data and information that pertain to human trafficking and the economy as it correlates around the United States and around the rest of the world. Victims of human trafficking correlate by their economic social  status and lack of family support or work opportunities. Section 4: Who are the Victims? Most of the victims are in such poverty that they will do whatever it takes to help their family survive. Victims are lured by false promises of a job, stability, education, or a loving stable family. Human trafficking is a never ending cycle with an economic crisis surfacing; the demand for cheap fast labor is quickly on the rise. Due to the economy plummeting people are look for jobs farther away from their homes to support their families. Due to this people are becoming homeless and unemployed with no one looking for them which gives traffickers the perfect victim. The perfect victim is someone who no one is going to miss, illiterate most times, completely poor, and often live under very serious health violations and do not have enough food to feed their self. As these people become poor and poor, human traffickers are going to be able to start connecting more supply of labor to areas where labor is demanded. Most importantly to remember about these victims is that anyone can be a victim. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender have reported that they are more likely and more vulnerable to traffickers who prey on the desperation of those wanting to escape social alienation and maltreatment. Section 4.1: Who are the Traffickers? Human traffickers typically involve an organized crime group who specialize in this area. They generate a huge profit for their criminal organization or for individuals they make a huge profit for their own personal gain. In a recent study conducted by Advocates for Freedom, 52% of those recruiting victims were men, 42% were women, and 6% was a male and a female working together. While 54% of the cases the recruiter was a stranger to the victim and the other 46% the victim knew their recruiter. One of the incentives for trafficking is going to be the vast profit that these traffickers, buyers, and criminal societies that keep the companies going strictly for this reason. In all honesty, human trafficking brings in billions of billions of dollars in profit. In the United States, traffickers are making $67, 200 annually per victim. However, it is the distribution of the money  that continues to spark poverty and unemployment and allows traffickers to always have new â€Å"workersâ⠂¬ . Section 4.2: Economic Impacts Poverty, unemployment, and a lack of opportunity in the workforce makes millions of people look for a better life by leaving places they love and call home. This big business brings the United States $32 billion annually and every year traffickers alone make $4,000 to $50,000 per person trafficked depending on the victim’s place of origin and destination. Every time a person is trafficked that country’s economy takes a significant loss of human and social capital. It also effects the economy due to the hindrance in the educational process and the victims’ psychological health sometimes makes the person exclude themselves from society due to their trauma. When victims exclude their self from society, the economy in that particular area is no longer gaining the revenue that could have been earned from this victim from something as minor as buying a new dress for a company dinner. The cost of trafficking incorporates many elements that effect the economic impact such as â€Å"the resources devoted to its prevention, the treatment and support of victims and the apprehension and prosecution of offenders.† (Nations) Trafficking also results in a significant loss of human resources and tax revenue reductions. Furthermore, trafficking redirects the benefits of migration from the migrant, family, community, and government to strictly the trafficker and their associates. Many countries, the United States included, suffer from the economic effects of human trafficking which include: lack of law enforcement, decrease in human productivity due to health conditions, and circulation of money throughout the criminal organization. Section 5: What does this have to do with Mississippi? Mississippi does in fact have human trafficking that has turned into a heinous system operation here in our backyards. Even though law enforcement and even Mississippi Attorney General’s Office have put together a task force that specializes in trafficking, more than 350,000 people are still sliding by undetected and unreported. Here in Mississippi traffickers are using the Gulf of Mexico, Highway 90, and Interstate 10 as the most popular  outlets out of the state. If we continue to allow trafficking to happen right here on the Gulf Coast, we are going to see a huge change in the labor mark and economic dislocation. The Gulf Coast is slowly going to see people compelled to leave their homes in search of a better living and as a result of this the people of the Gulf Coast are going to become involved in human trafficking. Another side effect of allowing trafficking to continue is due to the Gulf Coast being right against the Gulf of Mexico, we are going to begin seeing a huge flood of humans from less developed regions pull into our docks. Traffickers are increasingly utilizing the Gulf of Mexico as an entry point which allows traffickers to sell their victims to local business owner. In return, local business owners are going to â€Å"hire† these victims and not hire local people to do a job because they can pay less to the victims and save their self-money. If this was to continue to occur, the people of the Gulf Coast are going to have to migrate away for a better life and thus start the train of trafficking all over again. Section 6: Literary Review Reported estimates of human trafficking worldwide, in the United States, and specifically in Mississippi were reviewed to gain statistical information and other pertinent details. The research was conducted by Web sites of Federal agencies, legal cases that involve acts of human trafficking, different databases such as Europol, and three books. The first book: The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today written by Kevin Bales and Ron Soodalter talks about the heinous and disturbing cases of human trafficking through different voices such as slaves, traffickers, counselors, and law enforcement. The second book is The Red Market written by Scott Carney and it describes illegal trading and trafficking especially of humans and their body parts. Lastly, the third book: Illicit: How Smugglers, Traffickers, and Copycats are Hijacking the Global Economy by Moises Naim and it talks about investigations that prove the economy is changing due to traffickers. Section 7: Methodology The data was gathered over a multitude of months by using the internet, books, and interviews with people inside the FBI, police forces locally, WXXV Alyssa Meisner, and Advocates for Freedom Mrs. Harvill. For the past  couple of months I have analyzed each piece of evidence presented to me and came to the conclusion that human trafficking does indeed affect the economy in Mississippi. However, there was some limitations that I found during my research. The primary limitation of this paper is the lack of data for Mississippi, particularly data for trafficking on the Gulf Coast. For example, there were plenty of news articles about human trafficking happening on the Gulf Coast, but there was no statistical information pertaining to the Gulf Coast. Section 8: Conclusion In conclusion, the exploitation and trafficking of men, women, and children is a humanitarian problem that affects the economy in a multitude of ways. Through this paper, the definition of human trafficking has become clearer to the audience as well as the economic affects human trafficking has not only in the United States but also right here on the Gulf Coast. Works Cited Agatucci, Cora. African Slave Trade and European Imperialism. 1 January 2010. 27 October 2014. . Anderson, Rebbecca. Human Trafficking in Schools Kimberly Anderson. 6 February 2015. Recorded. Bank, Inter- American Development. Human trafficking’s dirty profits and huge costs. 2 November 2006. 12 October 2014. . Center, Northeastern University Education Technology. Human Trafficking: Data Collection and Reporting Problems. 2011. 12 October 2014. . Clawson, Heather. Human Trafficking Into and Within the United States. August 2009. 21 November 2014. . Crime, United Nations Office on Drugs and. Human Trafficking. 2014. 14 November 2014. . editors, Merriam Webster. Merriam Webster Dictionary. 1803. 15 October 2014. .