Utilitarian conservation or presevation movement Essay

Utilitarian conservation or presevation movement - Essay Example nment of the United States through the US army corps as well as the US Forest Service have played a pivotal role in ensuring that the conservation was achieved. In their mandate, there was need to prevent unprecedented human influence on nature. Through the conservational efforts, the government and other conservatisms managed to protect the nature (McPhee 3-45). Since the movement was initiated, the utilitarian conservation that has been dominant in the modern day spheres. Both the US army of Engineers as well as the US forest service has stood firm on the support of utilitarian conservation. Since the conservation methods that were used in the utilitarian movements protected and preserved the nature, contemporary conservation movements have also drawn from these ideas. US forest service and the US army advocate for allowing the nature to take its course in various areas because of this movement. The movement has only permitted human interventions when there are very critical situations demanding the human involvement. Human interactions with the environments help in defining the needs for the nature. There are many people whose interaction with the environment has led to the degradation of the environments. The human behaviours have threatened the environment including the animal species in the natural habitats (Abbey 55-87). Studies have shown that the enlighten stage gave the utilitarian conservation movement the relevancy that it has today. With the ideas that were used in the utilitarian movement, the contemporary conservation techniques can now find a leeway. After a period, the enlightenment and knowledge on how to conduct preservation is achieved. The US army as well as the US forest service helps in ensuring that the goals of the utilitarian movements are achieved. Conservation of the environment is a mandatory subject that every stakeholder in the government should be concerned about. Conserving the environment helps the future generations and races in

Engaging Others Unlike Me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Engaging Others Unlike Me - Essay Example In relation to this, it is apparent that I have never intentionally avoided helping any person because he or she does not belong to my in-group. I do believe that people are not the same in terms of character and ability. As a result of this, I regard every person to be good in some specific areas that I may be poor. It is because of this assumption that I find it very easy to associate with people who are unlike me. In other words, I easily socialize with people who are unlike me believing that I will learn something new in the course of socializing. In connection to what takes on the ground, I can claim that my social network is very diverse; it has insignificant boundaries. As a leader, it is very crucial to embrace diversity in a group (Bowser, 2011). Some of the things that will enhance the inclusion diverse members in a group are by empowering people. It is through the empowerment that different people develop the urge of being members of a specific group. In-groups include members in an organization with common interest or goal (Hancock & Szalma, 2008). In connection with this definition, in-groups in my working organization include members of an employees’ club, members in a specific corporation, members of the sale and marketing field, customer care providers in an organization, and peer groups within the organization. Out- groups on the other hand constitute of members with different interests and goals. Out- groups often constitute of person who is in conflict or disagreement with the in-groups (Latham, 2007). Examples of out-groups in my working organization include different peer groups within the company, different sales and marketing groups within the same company, workers who are not members of any group within the company are regarded as out-group, workers involved in selling the company’s goods and

Islamic Law In Saudi Arabia Sociology Essay

Islamic Law In Saudi Arabia Sociology Essay Islamic law, or Sharia (termed Syariah in Malaysia), refers to the sacred holy laws of the Islamic religion. Sharia mingles with multiple fields addressed by secular law, which may include economics, crime, and politics, as well as personal matters such as  hygiene and sexuality. Sharia mainly derives from two sources, of which the 1st one would be the heavenly revelations in the Quran, and the 2nd being examples and sayings laid down by Prophet Muhammad within the Sunnah. In addition to the above mentioned sources, secondary sources are also adopted. One example of these secondary sources is the ijma of various prominent ulamas in the Islamic world. In regards of the topic at hand, I shall explain how Islamic law is practiced in Saudi Arabia. Before I go into explaning how Sharia is practiced in Saudi Arabia, I would like to point out that this essay will only touch on the developments and the ways in which Sharia is implemented in the Third State of Arabia, also known as the current Saudi Arabia. Sharia was officially enforced in Saudi Arabia by the Basic Law in 1992. The Basic Law of Saudi Arabia is a charter written in Arabic which bears marking resemblance to a constitution. It is divided into nine chapters, and consists of 83 articles. It is based on the Salafi school of understanding of Sharia and it does not bypass the fiqh. In Chapter 1: Article 1 of the said charter, it is expressly written that, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a sovereign Arab Islamic state with Islam as its religion; Allahs Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet, Allahs prayers and peace be upon him, are its constitution, Arabic is its language and Riyadh is its capital. In Saudi Arabia, criminal cases are tried under Sharia courts. These courts exercise authority over the entire population. In other words, people who are not of Islamic faith are still subjected to the criminal laws of Saudi Arabia. Cases which involve small penalties are adjudicated in Sharia Summary Courts, whilst more serious crimes are tried in Sharia Courts of Common Pleas. In events where either party finds the decision made was unsatisfactory, the said party can also appeal through the Court of Appeal. For civil cases, it could also be tried in Sharia Courts, but with one exception: Muslim of the Shia denomination may try such cases in their own courts. Other civil proceedings, such as those involving claims against the Saudi Arabia government, and claims on the enforcement of foreign judgements, are held before a special panel in certain specialized administrative tribunals, such as the Board of Grieviences, and Commission for The Settlement of Labor Disputes. In strict adherance to the Saudis sources of law, the system prescribes  corporal penalty or capital penalty, which in the Sharia sense may include  amputations  of limbs for certain crimes such as  homicide,  rape, robbery, drugs trafficking, adultery, and  homosexual/bisexual activities. It is to note that petty theft is also punishable by the means of amputation of the hand, although, it is rare for first-time offenders. For less serious crimes, such as drunkenness, the courts may impose less severe punishments, such as  floggings. Under Saudi law, when someone commits murder, accidental death, and/or bodily harm, the said person is open or subject to punishment from the victims family. Retribution may also be, and are usually, sought through the method of  blood money. It is to note that the blood money being payable for causing a womans accidental death, or, that of a Christian male,  is only half as much as that for a Muslim male. All the others (men or women of different faiths and believes other than Islam) are valued at 1/16th. The main reasoning for this, according to the Sharia, men are expected by right to be providers for their families and thus are expected and assumed to earn more fiscally in their lifetimes. The blood money by a man would be expected to be enough to sustain his family, for at least a short period of time. Honor killings are also not punished as severely as murder. This generally stems from the fact that honor killings are within a family, and done to compensate for some dishonorable act committed.   Saudi Arabia is also the one and only country in the world where women are prohibited to drive on public roads. Women can only drive in off-road conditions and in private housing compounds, some of which extend to many square miles. The ban may be lifted soon, although with certain conditions. The Saudi government regard its construction of Islamic law as its sole source of guidance on human rights, and Sharia has failed to evolve and develop to ensure the rights of women are protected. In addition to prohibition on driving on public roads, women are not allowed to travel around without the permission, written or verbal, of their closest male kin. This resulted in women being restricted from travel by their sons and/or younger brothers. Divorcees are required by law to return to the home of their father, and any form of travel must then be approved the father. In other words, under Saudis law, women of 30 or more years old cannot make independent decisions without the approval of male relatives. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.MORE TO COME. QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PRACTICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN SAUDI ARABIA Human rights  in  Saudi Arabia  are based on  sharia  laws  under the rule of the  Saudi royal family.  The Saudi Arabian government has also been known and criticized for its lack of regard for the religious political minorities,  homosexuality, and  women. The Human rights of Saudi Arabia are specified in article 26 of the  Basic Law of Saudi Arabia, the constitution of Saudi Arabia, as mentioned earlier. Then, in October 1997, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ratified the  International Convention against Torture according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The first independent human rights organization in Saudi Arabia, the  National Society for Human Rights, was established in 2004.  In 2008, the  Shura Council  ratified the  Arab Charter on Human Rights. It is to note that Saudi Arabia, is one of around thirty countries in the world with that still practices  judicial corporal punishment. For Saudia Arabias judicial corporal punishments may include  amputations  of either limbs  for robbery, and  flogging  for smaller crimes such as drunkenness. The exact number of lashes is vaguely prescribed by the law; it is varied in accordance to the judges discretion, and may range from dozens of lashes to several hundred, which is usually applied over a period of weeks or months. In 2004, the  United Nations  Committee against  Torture  criticized and deplored the Saudi Arabian law over the  amputations  and  floggings  it carries out under  Sharia. The Saudi delegates, responded, unfazed, in the defence of legal  traditions that has been held since the birth of Islam 1,400 years ago, and rejected interference of any kind in its legal framework. For serious law-offenders, Saudi Arabia also engage themselves in  capital punishment, which in Sharia include the likes of public executions by  beheading.  Beheading is the punishment for rapists, armed robberers, drug traffickers and of course, murderers, according to strict interpretation of  Islamic law. In 2005 there were 191 executions, in 2006 there were 38, in 2007 there were 153, and in 2008 there were 102. To illustrate how serious is human rights infringement in Saudi Arabia, I would like to draw a simple reference to a spokesman for Saudi Arabias National Society for Human Rights. He reasoned that numbers of executions are rising because crime rates are rising, that prisoners are treated humanely, and that the  beheadings  deter crime, saying, Allah, our creator, knows best whats good for his peopleShould we just think of and preserve the rights of the murderer and not think of the rights of others? WOMEN RIGHTS/GENDER ISSUES Religion affects all aspects of life in Saudi Arabia, and Saudi women face  discrimination  in many aspects of their lives. The Sunni Muslims in Saudi Arabia, which is about 90% of the population, are governed by strict conservative interpretations of Islam. Saudi Arabia is a patriarchal society in which women are treated and seen as 2nd class citizens only. And because of that, they continue to become victims of discrimination, everyday. They have lesser say than men in family matters; their freedom of movement is very limited; and their economic opportunities and rights are restricted. In addition, womens actions and choices depends on the permission or wishes of their mahram. Saudi Arabia also applies rules of strict gender segregation and unrelated men and women are separated in all public places. Women also, do not enjoy the freedom of dress, but are required to cover themselves completely from head-to-toe. The usual dress-code includes a jet black cloak-like garment (abaya) and a matching face veil (niqba). Women who deliberately choose to not cover or as they say, protect, themselves fully, which r ates is increasing in certain parts of the country, run the risk of being provoked and harassed. Although they make up 70% of those enrolled in universities, for social reasons, women make up just 5% of the workforce in Saudi Arabia, the lowest proportion in the world. These treatments of women has been referred by social scientists as Sex segregation  and gender apartheid. Even implementation of a government resolution supporting the expansion of employment opportunities for women, met strong resistance from within the labour ministry, from the religious police, and from the male citizenry. In most parts of Saudi Arabia, it is thought that a womans place in this world is in the home, tending for her spouse and family. Rooting from tradition, there is also segregation inside their own houses as some rooms have separate entrances for men and women. Before 2008, women were not allowed to enter hotels and furnished apartments without a chaperon or  mahram. With a 2008 Royal Decree, the one and only requirement needed nowadays to enable women to enter hotels are their national ID cards, but the hotel must let the nearest police station know of their length of stay and room reservation. The driving ban for women was unofficial until 1990 when it was introduced as official legislation after 47 Saudi women drove cars through the streets of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Even though illegal, women in rural areas and other areas outside cities do drive cars. It may sound made-up, but according to credible studies, many Saudis believe that allowing women to drive could lead to Western-style openness and an erosion of traditional values. Womens rights calls for reform in Saudi Arabia calls that are testing the Kingdoms political status quo. International, as well as local womens groups are also forcing the government to react, taking advantage of the fact that some rulers are eager to project a more progressive image to the West. WOMEN/FAMILY LAW While the Saudi Arabian law is silent on the legal age of marriage, the practice of forced marriages was prohibited by the countrys religious authority in 2005. Nevertheless, to be fair to the case, the level to which said bride is involved in decision-making in regards of her own marriage varies between families. According to Saudis family law, the marriage contract is between the mahram of the bride and the husband-to-be. An estimated 16 percent of girls between 15 and 19 years of age are currently married, divorced or widowed in Saudi Arabia. Polygamy is allowed under Sharia and a Muslim male could take as many as 4 wives, given that he can give equal support and treatment. The practice is reportedly on the decline, but both for demographic and economic reasons. Women are discriminated against with regards to parental authority as, legally, children belong to their father. If divorced or widowed, a woman is normally granted custody of daughters until they reach the age of nine and sons until they reach the age of seven. Older children are often awarded to the divorced husband or the paternal grandparents. Women cannot confer citizenship to their children (if born to a non-Saudi Arabian father). Female genital mutilation is not a general practice, but reports suggest that there is some occurrence of the practice among Shia Muslims in the Eastern Province, and possibly among some Bedouin groups. Violence against women is common and there are no specific laws addressing the issue, nor any adequate protection for the victims. Incidents of domestic violence are rarely reported or even talked about publicly. For instance, the so-called honour crimes, whereby a woman is put to death or punished by male family members for having put disgrace to the family honour, are also prevalent. The suspicion alone of a womans wrong-doing is often enough for her to be subject to violence in the name of honour. Women, as well as men, may be subject to harassment by the countrys religious police, the mutawwain; torture (although outlawed); and physical punishments, often without having their case presented in court. Islamic law provides for detailed and complex calculations of inheritance shares. A woman may inherit from her father, her mother, her husband, her children, and under certain conditions, from other members of her family, but her share is generally smaller than a mans entitlement. A daughter, for example, inherits half as much as a son. This is commonly justified by the fact that a woman has no financial responsibility towards her husband and children. Women, particularly in rural areas, are often deprived even of their entitled share as they are considered to be supported by their fathers or husbands.

Alexander The Great Essay -- World History Biography Alexander Great

Few historical figures stand out in the same degree as that of Alexander the Great. He was a warrior by 16, a commander at age 18, and was crowned King of Macedon by the time he was 20 years old. He did things in his lifetime that others could only dream about. Alexander single-handedly changed the nature of the ancient world in just over a decade. There were many attributes that made Alexander â€Å"Great.† He was a brilliant strategist and an inspired leader; he led by example and was a conqueror at heart. In looking at his early childhood, accession to the throne, conquests, marriage, and death one can see why Alexander the Great is revered in historical contexts as one of the greatest figures of all time. Alexander was born in Pella, the capital of Macedon, on July 20, 356 B.C. He was the son of King Philip II and his fourth wife Olympias, an Epirote princess. Alexander was bred to be a warrior; his father was a great commander and king, and his mom’s second cousin, Pyrrhus of Epirus, was a celebrated general. So there were noteworthy examples of military genius on both sides of his family. As a child, Alexander’s mother would tell him stories of how he was a descendant to Achilles and Hercules. Achilles was his favorite hero growing up, as he read of his adventures in Homer’s Iliad. From an early age Alexander was practically raised by everyone but his parents. He was originally educated by a strict teacher named Leonidas. Alexander’s father wanted Alexander to become a great man, so he acquired the famous philosopher Aristotle to become his tutor. Aristotle trained him in rhetoric and literature, and stimulated his interest in medicine, science , and philosophy. Aristotle is credited for Alexander’s fasci... ... to develop a system of administration for his vast realm of power. Alexander the Great [database online], 22 October 2004. Accessed 21 May 2008. Available from http://www.hometheaterinfo.com/alexander_the_great.htm; Internet. Burke, Edmund, M. â€Å"Philip II and Alexander the Great,† Journal of Military Affairs (April 1983): 67-69. Heckel, Waldemar. The Wars of Alexander the Great. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2002. Heckel, Waldemar; Yardley, J.C. Alexander the Great. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2004. History of Western Civilization [database online], Edited by E.L. Skip Knox. Boise State University, 6 December 2002. Accessed 2 June 2008. Available from http://history.boisestate.edu/WESTCIV/alexander/15.html; Internet. Robinson, C.A. â€Å"The Extraordinary Ideas of Alexander the Great.† The American Historical Review 2 (January 1957): p. 53-72.

Renminbi Our Currency, Is It Your Problem

China’s Renminbi: â€Å"Our currency, Your Problem†? China in the last century has gone through many dramatic changes. 35 years ago there would not even be talk about China’s currency because under Mao ZeDeng all trading with China had to be through the British colony of Hong Kong. Now China has opened up its economy and allowed many companies to privatize. The problem facing China and U. S. relations revolve mostly around two main elements; trade deficit, and currecy.The most important cultural aspect which must always be in the back of one’s mind is that China is still under a communist rule, meaning that the government has more control of businesses and industries then many of the countries which the US handles trades. At the moment, the American government has made it clear that it has concerns about the Chinese government interfering with its currency, specifically undervaluation the . Under a new law that was passed in 2011, if a countrie’s c urrency is determined to be a â€Å"currency manipulator† then the Obama administration can take legal action against China. Chinese officials†¦ threatened a trade war†[1] when they learned that the United States Congress was trying to pass this bill. This is a small example of the tensions between the US and China because of currency. If there were to be a revaluation of the Yuan, which would lead to an appreciation of the currency there will be major effects in China’s business. China is a country where 33% of its GDP (2012) is manufacturing, the highest in the world. [2] Most of their manufacturing comes from foreign companies who move their plants to China to produce goods at a lower cost.This lower cost comes from the exchange rate between these Western countries and China, which favor the developed countries. With China’s currency stronger, these developed countries get less money for their currency, thus making goods more expensive. Consequentl y on the other side, goods produced outside China, like in Germany or the United States would be less expansive then before the revaluation. With the cost of manufacturing increasing, China may lose business with all these foreign companies whose reason for moving manufacturing in China was lower costs.Another problem that China will face with an appreciated Yuan is the effect it will have on the Chinese US treasury bonds. Along with the huge trade deficit, China holds a lot of US treasury bonds, because when China’s market was first opened up, many of the Chinese believed America to always be stable. With the low interest rate and the appreciation of the Yuan, China will not be making as much, if any, off of the bonds. Once more and more Chinese begin to figure that out, less will buy US treasury Bonds.Since China owns a majority of US debt, if China stops buying debt from the US then the US will lose a huge intake of cash flow. [3] With a revaluation of the Yuan, many goods that are made in China will increase in price. This will cause some companies that produce low-cost products, to move their manufacturing to countries that are cheaper to do business with. Meanwhile, with a growing middle class in China, more will be able to afford goods that for example, are made in America, thus, exporting to China will be cheaper.This change in trading may help with the US and China trade deficit; even though there will still be a deficit because of the bonds China holds, it will be more balanced then before. With regards to imports and exports in China, a revaluation should cause the goods from Western countries to be cheaper in China; however, China has a double taxation on luxury items. For brands like Nike, they will not be more expensive, but for brands like Ralph Lauren, Cartier, Channel, their products will be even more expensive because the Chinese government will tax them again more heavily, in order to try to promote their own luxury brands.Since most of these Western countries produce high luxury goods, this is not good news. With a raising upper and middle class, there are more Chinese who can afford these goods, but because of the governments’ double taxation, they are still making these products unaffordable. [4] Japan’s relationships with the western countries will increase if there is a revaluation of the Yuan, but it will hinder the relationship between China and Japan. Japan also manufactures some of its products in China so that it can also produce products at a lower cost.Also, many companies have manufacturing in Japan because it is easier to ship products from China and finish the final product in Japan because it is geographically closer, and therefore cheaper. Japan has also been running a deficit with China since 1995, and China became the number one trading partner in Japan. An appreciation of the Yuan will make goods in Japan more expensive. [5] However, without regards to the appreciating Yuan the new President in China, Xi Jinping, Japan and China relations are to forecasted to become stronger. For some countries, an appreciation of the Yuan is beneficial.For NIE’s and developing countries, they are now beginning to look favorable to western companies that wish to produce goods at a cheaper cost. Countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Bangladesh will look favorable because manufacturing in these countries will be cheap and their currencies are more favorable to western countries. For workers in China an appreciation in Yuan will be good for the migrant workers who flock to the coastal cities to work at these lower paying jobs. Their money is now worth more and will allow them to buy more products that are not made in China.With an appreciation, more manufacturing will be leaving china, and therefore taking jobs away from China, so an appreciation is a double edged sword for the workers of China. Generally speaking, exports for manufacturing goods will be lower, and Ch ina may start importing from other countries for low cost goods. Imports for goods made in Western countries will increase. Since China has been working on their IT industry, China does have a saving grace. Lenovo is now the number one computer manufacturer in the world. Many businesses in Asia are buying more and more of Chinas software and information technology.The exports for It will increase. All of these assumptions are only taking into consideration for the appreciation of the Yuan. There are other factors that go into cheap manufacturing like purchasing power parity, cost of labor and supply chain. Many other supporting industry companies have gone to China to make it easier to produce goods. If manufacturing were to move to other countries, these other industries and companies would also have to move. There is one other element that is important to consider, that the Yuan is not as undervalued as the US government claims.After joining the WTO, China had to agree to complete ly give up control of the banks by the end of December 11th 2011. With this bank reform, China has less control over manipulating their currency. According to Eswar Prasad at Cornell University, the IMF will have a difficult time creating a strong case the Yuan is undervalued. â€Å"All of the relevant indicators, the currency account and trade surpluses, the pace of reserve accumulation and the exchange rate itself have moved in the direction of suggestion the Yuan is no longer much undervalued,†. 6] There is no doubt that the Yuan is going to continue to appreciate, however it is becoming more and more apparent that the currency is not being as manipulated as it was before. ———————– [1] Favole, Jared A. , and Ian Talley. â€Å"Obama Urges Caution on RMB Bill. † Wall Street Journal [New York] 7-8 Oct. 2011, World Business sec. : 6. Print. [2] â€Å"Investing and Economics Blog. † Manufacturing Output as a Percent of GDP by Country at Curious Cat. Curious Cat, n. d. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. [3] Busch, Anton. â€Å"Why Does China Buy U. S. Debt? † EHow.Demand Media, 26 Nov. 2008. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. Daily, Jing. â€Å"Price Still â€Å"Biggest Obstacle† for Luxery Items in Beijing. † Jing Daily. Jing Daily, 14 Sept. 2010. Web. [4] Xing, YuQing. â€Å"Japan's Unique Economic Relaions with China. † East Asia Policy. Page 56, n. d. http://www. eai. nus. edu. sg/Vol1No1_XingYuqing. pdf [5] Talley, Ian â€Å"IMF to Review Whether Yuan Is Undervalued† Wall Stree-$T—? E ¦Ã‚ §?  ©? IU? u8uy Z x z o ? E 6 F ? †¹ ? ? ? A ? `e{|MZ[_o[pic]-.  «OU0 ±uou? ueuaaaUaUaaUaaUOuOOIEIaIEA a? a?  µ?  µ? t Journal [New York] 30, Jan. 2012, World News: Asia. : 3. Print

Example of a Synopsis

We decided that the best way to impact our community was to change the way people think thus changing their reality. The Powerpuff girls project was situated at the Amani Na Wema Children Home. Our chosen topic was to give the same leadership seminar we received from Mrs Ogalla in a manner in which they could understand. We taught kids between the ages of 10 and 15 years of age. This was so as to equip them with the tools they required to brighten their future. In our first session we taught them about goal setting, planning and teamwork. In our second session we taught them about Comfort zones, Excuses and doing a vision board In our third session we taught them about Accepting feedback and Doing their best. In our last session we asked them to give us back what we taught them in a creative way. We then threw a party as a farewell gift to them. We experienced several challenges one of them being that we were unable to teach them during the holidays. Furthermore it was difficult to find a convenient time for all of us to meet and discuss our content for each session. Despite all the challenges we managed to pull through as a team and get the work done. Through these challenges we have learnt invaluable lessons by putting into practice our leadership skills. In conclusion the project has opened our eyes to the need to change and develop our society by developing their ‘Software’ that is changing how they think.