Bringing a Global Perspective on Business Studies to IGCSE Essay

Bringing a Global Perspective on Business Studies to IGCSE Underprivileged Youths - Essay Example ‘Organizational structure’ refers to the people conducting and carrying out the processes within the Organization. It also describes the different functional areas within a corporation and how well they work together to complete their task in the most effective and efficient manner. It is well understood that organizational structure directly impacts the alignment between business units. This emphasizes the need for a fluent structure in order to streamline the business operations in a more complete manner that will allow for more efficient and effective operations. Having a good and complete organizational structure will lead to better a decision-making process in order to achieve long-term goals. The following parts will explain the hierarchical order of the organizational chart for this project, as well as a detailed elaboration of each of the main organizational roles.Simply defined, an organization chart is a graphical representation of the people in a project team and the relationships and linkages between them. The organizational chart here shows the duties and responsibilities of each individual involved in this project from a hierarchical perspective. This chart also gives an idea of what the flow of operations are and how it was throughout the term of the project. These positions in the organizational chart were the main ones held by the people implementing the whole project, and it would be important to note that there was a heavy interaction between these positions.

Soft Drinks Essay Example for Free

Soft Drinks Essay Soft drink consumption has increased substantially over the last 50 years and it has been established that using large amounts of soft drinks regularly can be detrimental to your health. If used in moderation soft drinks can have some beneficial effects on your body. Caffeine Benefits Caffeine is a stimulant that is found in soft drinks. It large amounts can have detrimental effects on your health but it also has numerous benefits. Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, helps breakdown fatty acids in your liver, boost your mood and alleviate headaches. People who regularly ingest caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinsons disease, colon cancer, gallstones, and cirrhosis of the liver. Sponsored Links 5 Foods you must not eat: Cut down a bit of stomach fat every day by never eating these 5 foods. Trimdownclub. com Carbonated Water Carbonated water is a primary ingredient of soft drinks. Carbonated water was created by Joseph Priestly in the year 1767 and has since proven to have many benefits for the gastrointestinal tract. Carbonated water eases stomachaches, quells nausea and has been proven to alleviate constipation. Sodium Benefits Sodium is another product found in soft drinks. Sodium is an important mineral found in almost all natural foods. Sodium helps your body retain water, helps avoid and treat muscle cramps, keeps electrolyte balance, prevents the effects of aging of your skin and prevents your the drop of your blood pressure. Sponsored Links Read more: http://www. livestrong. com/article/260283-what-are-the-benefits-of-soft-drinks.

African Socialism: Analysis of Ujamaa

African Socialism: Analysis of Ujamaa MAJOR THEMES IN AFRICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT LECTURER: FRED OTIENO STUDENT: CHRIS MUGO NDIRANGU QUESTION What is African Socialism (Ujamaa)? Citing concrete examples from around Africa, examine why this ideology has faced immense opposition. INTRODUCTION African Socialism is an ideology that can be traced to the 1950s and 1960s when most African countries were attaining their independence. The ideology was propounded by African leaders in independent Africa who sought to ground their states in this ideology they believed would achieve the goals and aspirations of independence. The proponents of the ideology sought to differentiate it from other forms of socialism that existed across the world at the time, particularly Marxist-Leninist strands of socialism. African socialism can therefore be defined as a belief in sharing of economic resources in a traditional African way. It is however prudent to accept that the interpretations and definitions of African socialism differ as it is not the brainchild of a single thinker. According to Freidland (1964) : African Socialism differs in that no single leader has been distinctively and uniquely associated with the ideology. Rather the ideology of African Socialism has been the product of diverse leaders operating within the variety of exigencies in their own countries, which helps to account for the lack of development of a unified theory. (p. 2) African socialism can be said to be an indigenous attempt by various African leaders to develop a distinctive â€Å"African† path of economic and political development. It advocates for a return to traditional African values practiced before colonization. As mentioned above African socialism is a product of different leaders. Therefore to understand African socialism we must study the leaders and their works which collectively contributed to this ideology. These leaders implemented this ideology in their respective countries. Some were successful while others were not. The ideology as will be explained in this paper faced immense opposition hindering its full adoption. CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICAN SOCIALISM Though the African Socialist leaders had their own distinct views on African socialism various characteristics of African socialism can be drawn. According to Martin (19) the socialist leaders’ conception of African socialism had the following common characteristics: Ideology and practice are inextricably linked Politics has supremacy over the economy Socialism is not a sacred dogma but a guide to action African socialism is a socialism building on and adapted to African indigenous values, culture, traditions and society The people are the main agents and ultimate beneficiaries of socialist development African socialism aims at creating ‘a new man’ The single party operates according to the Marxist-Leninist principle of Democratic Centralism, which institutionalizes communication between the leadership and the rank-and-file of the party, with ultimate decision-making power resting with the highest executive organ of the party. Collective decision making is based on collective deliberation and consensus State has control over the economy Furthermore (Batsa, 1965) has summarised some six basic characteristics of African Socialism: It ignores the power of monopoly capital. It accepts the mixed economy as a permanent feature of socialism. It denies the existence of classes in Africa and advances the idea of the neutral state. It advocates a multi-party system where possible, or a single party open to all, irrespective of beliefs, with a specific denial of any vanguard role The African element of the theory consists of a romantic interpretation of our traditional morals and culture Positive non-alignment is treated as neutrality Several African countries on attaining independence sought to establish declarations or policy documents that sought to clearly stipulate the ideology they adopted. In the context of African socialism, very few countries had clear and concrete policy documents on African socialism. Notable among these countries is Kenya and Tanzania that formulated policies or declarations with regards to African Socialism. Tanzania in 1967 formulated the Arusha Declaration a document written by socialist leader Julius Nyerere for the ruling party the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU). In this declaration it is clearly stated that ‘The policy of TANU is to build a socialist state’. It further goes on to lay down certain socialist principles it seeks to implement in Tanganyika. In Part two of the document lay The Policy of Socialism. The fist element in this policy is absence of exploitation. The declaration states that in a socialist state all people are workers and in which neither capitalism nor feudalism exists. It believes in a classless society where there is no one exploits another. Every worker receives a just return for their labour. However the declaration points out the fact that Tanzania still has elements of feudalism and capitalism that are remnants of colonialism. The second element is that the major means of production and exchange are under the control of the peasants and workers. The declaration stipulates that this should be done through the machinery of their Government and their co-operatives. The third element is the existence of democracy. This element requires that the government should be chosen and led by the peasants and workers themselves. Finally is that socialism is a belief. The declaration states that socialism is a way of life. A socialist society can only come into existence if i t is built by those who believe in and practice the principles of socialism. The declaration believes that the successful implementation of socialist objectives depends very much up to the leaders. On the other hand Kenya in 1965 produced a sessional paper which outlines in detail both the theory of democratic African Socialism and its practical application in Kenya. The president in introducing this paper states that, ‘we rejected both Western Capitalism and Eastern Communism and chose for ourselves a policy of positive non-alignment.’’ Thus the Kenyan government fully adopted the African socialism philosophy. The sessional paper goes on to outline the operating characteristics of African socialism. They are: Political democracy Mutual social economic responsibility Various forms of ownership A range of controls to ensure that property is used in the mutual interests of society and its members Diffusion of ownership to avoid concentration of economic power Progressive taxes to ensure an equitable distribution of wealth and income The above characteristics are evident in the various works of the African Socialist leaders. The understanding of their concept of African socialism is enhanced by looking critically at the individual African socialist leaders and their ideas and perception of African socialism. AFRICAN SOCIALIST LEADERS JULIUS NYERERE Julius Nyerere was the founding father of Tanganyika and later on Tanzania. He comes up with his own form of socialism known as Ujamaa a Swahili term for family hood and brotherhood. Ujamaa become the official policy of Tanzania in 1967 following the Arusha Declaration. According to Nyerere socialism is an attitude of mind and not strict compliance to a standard or set political pattern (Nyerere, 1977) . Nyerere emphasised on brotherhood or family hood where people view each other as brothers and sisters or as members of one family. Nyerere argues that social institutions and organisations cannot by themselves achieve the purpose of socialism. These institutions can only do so if they are infused with the spirit of brotherhood and care for one another. Nyerere believed that Ujamaa differed from other strands of socialism in that the foundation of the philosophy was to be found in African culture and traditions. Furthermore Ujamaa was opposed to capitalism and scientific socialism or Marxism which legitimizes class conflicts. Nyerere went further to elaborate on the practices of Ujamaa. The first is love where an African doesn’t regard his brethren as another enemy. An African regards all men as his brethren as members of his extended family. People in African Societies cared for one another. Secondly, Nyerere argues that their existed a classless society in Africa. Classes were only brought as a result of the agrarian and industrial revolution. These events produced conditions that brought about a class system. Since these revolutions did not occur in Africa, therefore no classes existed in Africa. Thirdly Nyerere believed that in traditional Africa everyone was a worker. Everyone contributed his or her fair share of efforts towards the production of societal wealth. There was no place for laxity or laziness. Finally Nyerere maintained that wealth was shared in traditional Africa. No one could hide wealth or amass it for personal selfish reasons. The riches or the poverty of an individual or famil y were the wealth or poverty of the whole community at large. KWAME NKRUMAH Kwame Nkrumah’s ideas on African socialism were different from those of Julius Nyerere. Indeed the two showed criticised each other on their perceptions of African socialism. Nkrumah in his own admission subscribed to scientific socialism and described it as the only true socialism. According to (Martin, 2012) Nkrumah viewed African socialism as a means of not only liberating the people from the shackles of imperialism but also empowering the people politically, economically, socially and culturally after independence. Nkrumah believed that the following were the tenents of African socialism; Common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange Planned methods of production by the state, based on modern industry and agriculture Political power in the hands of the people in keeping with the humanist and egalitarian spirit which characterized African traditional society Application of scientific methods in all spheres of thought and production AHMED SEKOU TOURE Toure’s concept and ideas on African socialism was similar to that of Nkrumah. The two had a strong friendship that was evident when he granted Nkrumah asylum when he was overthrown by a military coup in 1966. Toure led an authoritarian regime in Guinea that was strongly oppressive. He arrested over a thousand people who simply opposed his regime. Prominent intellectuals and cadres were jailed, tortured and executed. Sekou Toure’s was more grounded in the Marxist-Leninist education as compared to Nkrumah. He had a great interest in the writings of Mao Tse-tung as well as other Marxist philosophers. Initially during the first decade of his rule, he refused to launch the country into clear path to socialism. He downplayed the role of ideology in the construction of a new society. He adamantly refused to choose between capitalism and socialism. He argued that certain strange theories had little to do with the crucial tasks facing the country. However during the Eighth National Congress of the PDG (the ruling party of Guinea) in 1967, Sekou Toure officially launched Guinea on to a path to socialism. Sekou Toure prescribed to scientific socialism from which he derives the meaning of socialism from. That is socialism is expressed by the effective exercise of political, economic and cultural power by the working people. Toure however was for a socialist ideology adapted to African realities. He preferred the term â€Å"communaucratic’’ instead of African socialism. He believed that African life is communal characterized by collective life and social solidarity. An Afric an cannot organize his life outside that of his social group-family, village or clan. Finally Toure believes in the supremacy of politics over the economy. In this regard he was heavily influenced by the Marxist-Leninist ideology on the roles of the state and the party in the creation of institutions designed to translate socialist ideas into practice (Martin, 2012). Toure believed that the ruling party was the definer of the general interest, the custodian of the popular will and the incarnation of the collective thought of the whole Guinean people. The basic aim of Toure’s socialism is alter the relationship between human beings. This is done by decolonizing their viewpoints and attitudes and by creating a new man freed from a system of capitalistic exploitation and participating with all his strength in the development of his nation. MODIBO KEITA He was the first president of Mali. He led the Nation on a path to socialism, both politically and economically. In 1960 the countries single party, the Union Soudanaise RDA (US-RDA) decided to set the country on a socialist path to development. Keita’s priority was to build a new society aimed at the political, economic, social and cultural empowerment of Mali’s popular masses. Keita firmly believed that a type of socialism adapted to the conditions of Mali would be the best tool to achieve this goal. Mali’s socialism was characterized by the following features; A socialism based on agricultural workers and peasants rather than on a nonexistent proletariat A vibrant private sector encouraged to contribute to national development Respect of the Malian spiritual and religious values Modibo Keita argued that socialism cannot be adopted wholesale; it must be adapted to the specific socio-cultural context of Mali. Keita elaborated that Africa has its own values, its own history. Africa thus can solve its own problems within the African context using African methods. Malian socialism was also grounded in universal human values. Keita argued that socialism cannot be reduced to purely economic or social concerns. Its goal is man itself in its material, moral, spiritual and cultural dimensions. The African man must be open to all kinds of experiments. Keita considered socialist planning necessary to achieve the primary goal of improving the living conditions of the majority of the people, which in Mali were the peasants. He focused on the development of agriculture through an elaborate network of rural cooperatives, down to the village level. Keita also embarked on the complete overhaul of Mali’s educational system to be consistent with Mali’s rich cultural heritage. The above leaders contributed significantly to African socialism. They sought to implement their socialist ideas and concepts in their countries. Some were successful to some extent while others failed. Case in point is Kwame Nkrumah who was overthrown in a military coup. OPPOSITION TO AFRICAN SOCIALISM African socialism as an ideology faced immense opposition as an ideology. This is because of the various cons associated with the ideology. These disadvantages or flaws in the ideology brew dislike for the ideology preventing its adoption or implementation. African socialism faced opposition due to the following. First it is an unreal theory which cannot be implemented as it is. Most of the socialist principles were borrowed from the Marxist-Leninist school of thought. The socialist ideology is not adopted in the same way it was advocated by Marx and other socialist thinkers. Secondly and closely related to the first is improper implementation. African socialism faced rejection due to improper implementation. Few people were in charge of wealth distribution and formulation of policies such as taxation. Thus the notion that the masses or the people have control over the nation’s wealth is a fallacy. Thirdly is that African socialism is economically inefficient. The lack of a self regulating labour market, private ownership of capital and a free financial market affects the economy negatively. Entrepreneurs and foreign investors are discouraged from investing in the economy. This leaves a country economically underdeveloped. This is the case with most socialist countries. Another pitfall of African socialism is no real increase in standard of living. African socialism does not raise the standards of living but lowers it instead. This is because the income of the rich is reduced making them fall closer to the level of the poor. It only reduces the gap between the rich and the poor but does not improve the standards of living in the society. Lastly is that socialism promotes laziness and incompetence among members of society. This is because of the social security system in socialist states that takes care of those with no income. Such provisions by the government deter people from working hard to earn their livelihood. This equally affects the hard working members who feel dissatisfied as they are not rewarded for their toil. Their toil goes to taking care of those who don’t work. Such a system impacts productivity and hence economic growth negatively. REFERENCES Batsa, K. (1965). African Socialism. The Labour Monthly , 514-517. Martin, G. (2012). African Political Thought. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Nyerere, J. K. (1977). Ujamaa-Essays on Socialism. USA: Oxford University Press. William H. Friedland, C. G. (1964). African Socialism. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. Page | 1

PEST(EL) Analysis of Finland and Chine

PEST(EL) Analysis of Finland and Chine Finland is a parliamentary republic government with a multiparty political system based country lead by the head of state which is the president. Finland president hold a period of 6 years term with maximum two consecutive term elected by the Finnish. Both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister dominated by the president after the parliamentary elections. They are the head of government and having the executive power to the government including the EU issues. Women in Finland are treated fairly great. They represented 38% of the seats in the 200 members of parliament in the year of 2003. Besides, part of them holding important positions like foreign minister, speaker of parliament and so on. The most significant position of Finnish ladies ever hold is president in the year 2000 by Tarja Halonen and primes minister by Anneli Jaatteenmaki in March 2003. Economic Factors Finland is a highly industrialized country with GDP of $181.4billion in year 2009, over 40% from the GDP are from the contribution of exporting goods and services. The primary economy sector in Finland is service sector which contribute about 65.7% and followed by manufacturing sector in producing metals, chemicals, and so on. Taxation system in Finland is very difference with the other countries. Finnish hold their own tax card to prevent the card holder from getting highly taxed by their government. Those people without tax card are taxed 60% from all the income they obtained. The most significant industry in Finland is Nokia, which is one of the world largest and notable mobile phone producers. Due to the highly success of the development of Nokia in Finland, this enable Finnish have the opportunity to own mobile phone and also connect to the internet much earlier before this becomes common in the United Stated and other countries in the world. Social Factors Finland hold the population over 5.32 million inhabitants, a part from the whole populations, there is 2.7million of them are workforce and 2.5 million from them are employed. Public sector is the most popular sector the Finnish to contribute in. Major ethnics group in Finland include Finns, Swedes, Lapps, Sami, Roma, and Tatars, and majority of them roughly about 91% speak in Finnish. Besides, large numbers of them are believed in Lutheran. In the education system of Finland, children who reach the age of 9 years old are compulsory for them to start school. The attendance and literacy rate in Finland are almost hundred percent. This is among the higher in the ranking of education index in the word. Free meals will be provided for students who study in primary and secondary schools. Besides, the government absorbs the tuition fees, which mean there are 0 tuition fees for their full time students. Technological Factors Staying ahead Finland has long been recognized for the success of the work it has done to promote innovation and the results speak for themselves in many areas. Finland cannot afford to rest on its laurels. This identified a number of shortcomings, most particularly in the area of business support and making it easier for small businesses and start-ups to access the support and incentives that already exist. Finland has international links that need to be strengthened in research, the university world, and business. Being able to tap into the dynamism of the globalization process going on around us more effectively is a challenge facing many other countries as well as Finland. Staying ahead of the competition is a must. Greater sustainability One of the fundamental trends under way and one highlighted by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation is the growing emphasis on the need for greater sustainability and reducing unnecessary wastage of the worlds dwindling natural resources. Addressing this challenge will call for a range of new innovations based on a much lower level of resource usage than we accept today, innovations that have a smaller footprint across the entire life cycle of products and services. The need for these types of innovations is perhaps most obvious in areas such as renewable energy, but ultimately it is also likely to be felt across all the products and services that people interact with in one way or another. Clean technology Finland has already made great strides in developing energy-efficient systems and technologies, and is committed to doing more in this area. The country is expected to be one of the fastest-growing renewable energy markets in Europe over the next five years, and wants to be one of the EUs leading users of renewable energy per capita by 2020. A number of initiatives are under way to promote the development of environmental technologies and services in Finland, including the Cleantech programme and the new Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation that has been created to focus on advanced RD in the energy and environment sector, alongside the other five centres already in place. Known as CLEEN, its research agenda will address issues such as carbon-neutral energy generation, distributed energy systems, sustainable fuels, smart grids, efficient energy use, resource-efficient production technologies and services, recycling, and waste management. Legal Factors Welfare State and Rule of Law form the Basis Finland is a welfare state. The state and the municipality of residence have to guarantee everyone a worthwhile existence and offer equal opportunities for a balanced and active life. People also have to have sufficient knowledge of their rights and responsibilities. A system of legal safeguards guarantees that these rights are upheld. Societal stability, the quality of the judicial system, good governance and effective legal safeguards are important competitive factors in ever more global and integrated markets. Strategic Action towards 2012 within Legal Policy Increase the flexibility of legal proceedings. Improve the equality of the citizens in legal safety cases. Improve the efficiency of crime prevention and broad-based criminal policy. Better support and compensation systems for crime victims. Rapid enforcement of criminal responsibility. Increase the prevention of disruptions of payment. Improve the fairness and efficiency of the collection of claims. Assess the up-to-datedness of family and inheritance legislation. Strategic Action towards 2012 on Governmental Level Strengthen structures supporting good law drafting. More effective evaluation of the alternatives to and effects of legislation. Support cooperation in order to create functional democracy. Create opportunities and forms for civil participation. Promote the enforcement of rights within the EU. Stress the development of practical forms of cooperation for the prevention of international crime. Emphasise clarity, transparency, good governance and the protection of fundamental rights in the activities of the EU. Why do you think Finland tops the chart for overall ranking of the Best Countries in The World? Finland education is ranked number 1 in the world. Finland has set education as a national priority and believes that future generations do not have prospects for a healthy lifestyle if the population is not well educated. Finland quality of life is ranked number 4 in the world. The standard of living in Finland is better. The Finland citizen has lots of holidays so families can actually spend time together. Finland economy dynamism is ranked number 8 in the world. Finland or the Republic of Finland has a mixed economy which is highly industrialized. The country located in the northern Europe has rich natural resources like gold, silver copper, timber and limestone. The country also has deposits of iron, lead, zinc, chromium and copper across the country. Service, which is the largest economic sector of the country, forms more than 67 percent of the total and the next sector, manufacturing accounts, for more than 30 percent of the economy of Finland. PESTEL Analysis for China Political Factors The primary system in China is socialist system. The Constitution is the fundamental law of the state and entitled with the highest legislative power. All other laws and regulations shall be consistent with it. It has been amended four times since its adoption and will be continuously optimized to better suit the changing environment. The National Peoples Congress (NPC) is the Chinas fundamental political system. It is composed of representatives from provinces, autonomous regions, direct municipalities and the military. Chinese Communist Party (CPC) is the ruling party with other eight political parties. The eight parties are parties participating in the discussion and management of state affairs in cooperation with the CPC instead of parties in opposition. This leads to relative stable politic in China. A unique form of political risk occurs in China, and this is the constant battle between the countrys central government and the provincial and local governments over applicable law, and observance or non-observance of it. This makes companies operating in China hard to know exactly what the rules are. Economic Factors Since 1949, the Chinese government has adopted planned economy system for 30 years. Though this system contributed to the stable, planned developments of the Chinas economy, it also limited the economy development and sapped its vitality. The Chinas economic reforms began first in the rural areas in 1978 and shifted to the cities in 1984. The implementation of reform transforms Chinas economy into a socialist market economy. China is the fastest growing major economy in the world, with an average growth rate of 10% for the past 30 years. Chinas embrace of the World Trade Organization and foreign direct investment is unprecedented and contributes significantly to its growth success. China overtook Germany as the worlds biggest exporter of goods in 2009. Its booming investment and consumption are helping to rebalance the world economy although Beijing has refused to let the yuan rise against the dollar since the global financial crisis began in mid-2008. However, there is numerous weaknesses challenge the economic growth of China. One of the most serious weaknesses is the conflict of interests between central government and local government. Local officials primary priority has been to promote themselves and their careers by pushing for high investment rates and output levels whereas central officials are more concerned with excessive investment, unsold inventories, and local policies risking nationwide price inflation. Besides, corruption is mainly a government phenomenon in China. Corruption especially affects government handling of a wide range of local problems such as economic reforms and the need to compensate losers in the process of modernization. Social Factors There are around 1.3 billion inhabitants in China. The Chinese government tries to control its population growth by strict family planning policy, with the goal of one child per family. However, the policy is conducted with exceptions in rural areas and for ethnic minorities. For religion, Buddhism is most widely practiced, with an estimated 100 million adherents. Traditional Taoism also is practiced. China is still an industrializing agrarian society and has a long way to go to attain an industrial society, so most of the people do not have access to the best of Chinas recent improvements. Most modern Chinese young adults do not go to college, to which entrance is obtained by passing the Gaokao, a standardized test at the end of the year. In the year 2000, less than 50 percent of the population finished junior high, and less than 15 percent finished senior high or vocational school. In 2000, only 3.6 percent of the population went to college. Amongst high school and vocational schoo l graduates, less than one tenth had the chance to go to college. There is one private car per 120 people. In China, people with associates degrees and above comprise less than 5% of the population. Technological Factors Cement industry of China has many technological advances compare to other countries. China cement industry focuses on energy-saving, consumption reduction, environmental protection, quality and productivity improvement, and clean and intensive production for sustainable development. China has developed 60 types of special cements with independent intellectual property rights such as high strength cement, silicate cement, and oil well cement. New suspension preheater (NSP) sintering system is the main processing equipment of a NSP cement production line. China has been developed advanced NSP technologies of 1000-5000 t/d sintering systems. The design of 10000t/d NSP sintering system has also been completed and three production lines are under construction. Electricity consumption of cement production largely depends on grinding process in normal circumstances. In China, the combined power consumption of NSP plants has decreased from 125kwh/t in the 1980s to 95kwh/t today in some moder n plants, mainly due to the adoption of advanced technologies and equipments, such as advanced roller mill and high efficiency separator. Environmental Factors There are some current environmental issues in China. Poor land management and excessive industrialization on fragile grasslands is driving to desertification in China. Besides, the climate change is exacerbating the problems. Unrestrained development and industrialization throughout the country makes China particularly vulnerable to growing changes in the climate due to rapidly increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the worlds atmosphere. Desertification is engulfing ecosystems with sand and reducing already scarce arable land and creates eco-refugees. Chinas economy based mainly on heavy industry and coal for cheap energy emits high levels of greenhouse gases, ultimately accelerating global warming and climate change. To alleviate the short-term effects of climate change, China has started to use artificial precipitation and other experimental means. The Chinese government also has begun to adopt stricter energy conservation legislation and increase and international coop eration to combat threats that climate change may bring to China. Legal Factors The judiciary in China means law-enforcement activities conducted by the countrys judicial organs and organizations in handling prosecuted or non-prosecuted cases. Sources of law are as follow: 1982 Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China The Constitution of the PRC guarantees the basic rights and interests of citizens. Chinas Constitution has been amended for four times since its adoption in 1982, most recently this year on March 14, 2004 when the National Peoples Congress voted to include formal guarantees of human rights. NPC Statutory Law and Other Legislative Enactments China has intensified legislative action on enacting and revising laws and regulations in accordance with its having become in late 2001 a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Up to the end of 2003, around 440 laws and law-related decisions enacted by the NPC and its Standing Committee, more than 1,000 administrative regulations enacted by the State Council and 10,000 local ordinances had been formulated. International Treaties Though the 1982 Constitution does not specify the treatment of international law in relation to the laws of the PRC, in practice the legislative approach has been to automatically incorporate international law as part of PRC law. If, however, the PRC has made a reservation to a provision of a treaty, this aspect or provision of the treaty is not implemented in the law. Case Law In theory, each case stands as its own decision and will not bind another court. However, in practice lower peoples courts judges often attempt to follow the interpretations of the laws decided by the Supreme Peoples Courts.

Da Vincis The Mona Lisa Essay -- Visual Arts Paintings Art Da Vinci J

Da Vinci's The Mona Lisa When I first look at the ‘Mona Lisa’, I notice the intriguing look that is on her face. The expression is one that reminds me of a lady that is neither happy nor sad, smiling nor frowning. Her skin is very smooth and she has no blemishes, but also she has no eyebrows, which makes her look quite strange. At different times the expression on Mona Lisa changes. Sometimes she is giving a cheeky smile and others she looks puzzled. This is very strange and almost magical. Also, when looking at the Mona Lisa, I notice that her face is bathed in light. This light is almost heavenly and gives the impression that she is angelic. But on the contrary, another thing I notice is the dark clothing and gloomy mysterious background setting. The dark clothing and the veil covering her hair give the impression that she has been to a funeral or is in mourning. The background setting is very mysterious. The winding roads, ravenous mountains and the gloomy fog all add to the mystery. It is as if the background is right out of a fantasy story. Another weird thing that the background does is makes the beholder unsure on which time of day it is in the picture. The painting is Oil on a poplar wood panel. This was Da Vinci’s main style. It may have helped to create the Sfumato technique. The size of the painting is 77cm x 53cm, this is quite a small size for such a great painting. Da Vinci may have done this to make it look more lifelike so the beh...

Location of Selves and Reorganization of Reality :: Identity Reality Self Essays

Location of Selves and Reorganization of Reality We perceive limits in our culture of information—our postmodern world. Limits in defining a simple, modernist self are the same limits that govern the ownership of land and of ideas (hence, the copyright). Defining a person in strict terms of a single identity allows self the capacity for ownership. People feel that they have a handle over things if they know themselves in terms of a concise identity. Even more, people can be assured that they are normal or, further, powerful and significant, if they have certain â€Å"desirable† traits that make up their true selves. This sense of self causes the identity crisis, insecurities, and self-hate just as much if not more so than it gives people an assurance of knowing who â€Å"they† are. The cyborg enacts the anticipated demolition of such reducing mirages. Cyborgs defy traditional classification, thus controllability. This threatens those in power, and it threatens those that enjoy the limits once in place. While this idea must seem to crush the strength of groups that have been defined by a unifying trait such as â€Å"male†, it really allows for far more possible groups to unify—groups that may have experienced turmoil and were unable to be classified by one word, like â€Å"woman†. Simple classifications that have discounted other portions of one’s unique experience will no longer limit or detract from one’s multiple selfhood. Then, cyborgs/selves can explore the self of choice to maximize their experience in accordance with their environment. Finally, the quests for self as authentic will no longer persist. The authenticity of human interaction could just be a falsity. Behaviors are, after all, only as genuine or definitive as you imagine them to be. One can shape their experiences, or at least their perceptions of them, uniquely. [See Chapter 5, Speaking into the Air] Thus, the need for human contact could be viewed as another myth. People can fall in love over the Internet. The orgasm that one has in a simulated situation, like phone sex or cyber sex, is just as â€Å"real† as the one he/she would have had if the big fat hairy woman on the other end of the wire (and the orgasm) really was the skinny sexy blond thought to be communicating.

In-Game Ethical Explorations Essay -- Gaming

Ethics help us every day to determine what is â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† because they are the values of conduct imposed upon an individual by a larger group, usually society. Ethics has also been referred to as moral philosophy. Ethics and morality have a tendency to be confused and used interchangeably, but there is an important difference that must be noted. Morals define personal character, and therefore are usually unchanged in an individual, while various groups might dictate different ethics. With the emergence of technology in the 21st century, the study of ethics, specifically applied ethics, has increased in the number of relevant subjects. A common example is the case of downloading music illegally. Evidently, it is a crime, but because of a lack of persecution for those who participate in this form of theft, the perception of it is vastly different compared to someone who will physically shoplift an item. Ethics becomes even more complicated when laws are not applicable to the given situation. This gives an opportunity for ethical and moral exploration in an increasingly popular field of technology: video games. Now fully integrated into Western culture, video games are no longer targeted for children only. Young adults have become a growing demographic in the video game world and therefore the demand for more sophisticated games has increased. These gamers are not only looking to have fun, but also for a distraction from reality and an investigation in multiple ethical dilemmas. Historically speaking, with a moderately short life, video games traditionally have not been known to include ethics as a major component to a game, until recently. More games now than ever have content that explores ethics, such as the will to ... ...– as toxic† and the lack of consequences for the simulated crimes can be toxic as well (Ludlow and Wallace 92). Gaming companies like EA, by not enforcing more strict rules and not punishing those that break them, are basically saying: â€Å"The law doesn’t apply unless we feel like enforcing it. If we don’t, there is no law, and anything goes.† The anarchy-like attitude that this message is sending can be dangerous to both the morals of the players committing the crimes and to the business of the game itself, although the popularity of the games have not decreased just yet. Works Cited Ludlow, Peter, and Mark Wallace. The Second Life Herald: The virtual tabloid that witnessed the dawn of the Metaverse. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2007. 89-107. Print. Cogburn, Jon, and Mark Silcox. Philosophy Through Video Games. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2009. 73-91. Print