Resume chapter 15 (trade and policy reform in latin america) Essay

Resume chapter 15 (trade and policy reform in latin america) - Essay Example The ISI saw its end during the crisis of the 80’s and the vision that it can create long term economic inefficiencies. For many years, the region relied much on exports of agricultural commodities to earn foreign revenue but most of the export sectors were often owned and controlled by foreign capitalists. However, during World War 1 and the Great Depression of the thirties, the flow of Latin American exports was disrupted reducing their export earnings. Although World War 2 increased the demand for their minerals and foodstuffs, it nevertheless dropped again after the war ended. Trade analysis or the ratio of average export prices to average import prices or terms of trade (TOT) reported an export pessimism as the prices for the raw materials Latin America exported fell. This was why the head of the UN Economic Commission on Latin America (ECLA), Prebisch, ruled that the region veer away from their dependence on raw material exports and concentrate on industrial development b y replacing imported manufactured goods with domestic ones. This was his idea of â€Å"import substitution industrialization†. ... It was criticized that governments misallocated resources when they got too involved in production decisions of companies. Other criticisms included the overvaluation of exchange rates; policies being biased in favour of urban areas; the inequality of income worsened and the controversy of widespread rent-seeking. ISI did not succeed in furthering the region’s economy, but it had less of an effect in creating the economic crisis of the 80’s than misguided macroeconomic policies of the countries in Latin America. Economic populism or the acquisition of support from labor and domestically oriented business has been blamed for such faulty macroeconomic policies. This was triggered by the deep satisfaction with the status quo due to slow growth or recession; the rejection of policy makers of traditional constraints on macro policy such as the justification of printing money due to the existence of high unemployment and idle factories offering its space without inflation. Po licy makers vowed to raise wages while freezing prices and restructure the economy by expanding the domestic production of imported goods. Still, in reality, wages were lower than before and international interventions led by IMF were implemented to stop high inflation and to end a balance of payment crisis. Being sunk in debt was blamed on the collapse of oil prices in the early eighties as well as the fact that the foreign currency owed was dollars, which had variable interest rates. The faulty macroeconomic policies of Latin America left national expenditure much higher than the national income, hence a return to growth was not very likely. In an attempt to keep government expenditures higher than warranted, many Latin American countries

Hyatt Curacao Management Team and Marketing Strategy Essay Example for Free

Hyatt Curacao Management Team and Marketing Strategy Essay According to Willemstad Curacao (2009), Diego Concha was been named broad manager of Hyatt Regency Curacao Golf Resort, Spa as well as Marina. He oversees the entire process of the 350-room resort, provides proficient control to a team of aggravated employees and adds his noted individual touch to guest dealings. Positioned along 1,500 acres of the Santa Barbara agricultural estate, a multi-faceted luxury resort society, The Hyatt Regency Curacao is seen. With refence to Agent at home Magazine(2010), Diego is the ultimate person to open Hyatt’s latest Caribbean resort, Carlos Cabrera is the higher-ranking vice president of ground operations for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. His experiences and proficiency in the area makes him supremely fit to help fuse Hyatt’s elevated level of values with the island’s rich artistic customs and refined contributions. There are five regional directors of revenue management who maintain the revenue managers and revenue maximization system. The regional directors are associated primarily by produce type, including huge convention, resorts and trade. The panel is dedicated to making Hyatt Regency Curacao the primary choice for leisure and commerce travelers in the Caribbean. And are dedicated to genuinely capturing the atmosphere of the resort. Hyatt uses a status of the art revenue management system to offer federal direction for pricing, division strategy and staff development. Revenue management, though, is supplementary than a computer system. It is an incorporated set of business process that brings together people and expertise, with the goal of accepting the market, anticipating customer behavior and responding fast to make best use of revenue opportunities that arise. Marketing strategy of Hyatt’s is planned to secure and build product value and awareness while gathering the specific business requirements of hotel operations. Creating and differentiating the brand location of Hyatt and our sub-brands is essential to growing Hyatt’s- brand first choice and demand, rate premium and linked business imperatives. Hyatt is paying attention on targeting the distinct consumer segments that each of our brands serves and sustaining the needs of the hotels by systematic analysis and appliance of data and analytics. There is a corresponding and integrated communication approach for the Hyatt master brand and each of the sub-brands from corner to corner in every distribution channel. They intend to retain and exploit the potential revenue of our existing customers and expand the number of new guests through an advertising approach powered by data and analytics. Sophisticated, quantitative strategic analytics and predictive model identify the most profitable customers, enabling Hyatt to leverage preference in all facets of marketing. The model is at present being utilized to enhance the value of our most loyal guests, the Gold Passport members, and inside three years, it will be activated all over the enterprise. Hyatt’s coordinated marketing initiatives gain a sub-set of hotels and resorts, as well as regional programs. Cost allotment is based on the balanced share of actualized room revenue for trailing twelve months of participating hotels in the beleaguered business segment. These include Summer Weekend vacation and Hyatt’s of Florida Group Marketing. It has full-service sumptuousness hotel will feature continuous water views on three sides, white sand beaches, a four-thousand square foot Hyatt Pure spa, separate twenty-four Hyatt Stay Fit fitness center, Camp Hyatt, several outdoor pools . The Corporate Marketing faction assigns a hotel marketing manager to each hotel to help market their personal property. The hotel marketing manager then assesses the property’s business requirements, issues and revenue- objectives and assists in the progress of the brand and promotional marketing programs. Hyatt’s marketing strategy is intended to secure and build brand value and awareness while meeting the precise business needs of hotel operations. Building and differentiating the brand location of Hyatt and our sub-brands is essential to increasing Hyatt’s brand preference and claim, rate premium and associated business imperatives. Hyatt is focused on targeting the diverse customer segments that each of our brands serves and sustaining the needs of the hotels by thorough analysis and use of analystics and data. Their intention is to retain and maximize the possible revenue of existing consumers and expand the number of new guests through a marketing approach powered by data and analytics. Sophisticated, quantitative planned analytics and predictive modeling identify the most profitable customers, enabling Hyatt to leverage partiality in all facets of marketing. The model is currently being utilized to improve the value of our most loyal guests, Gold Passport members, and in three years, it will be activated all over the enterprise. Coordinated Hyatt’s marketing initiatives benefit a sub-set of hotels with resorts, and also regional programs. In conclusion the business has been established in a manner that only good management can make it be what it is today. It consists of highly qualified personnel; this is from the manager to the staff. Hyatt Curaccao has a well market strategy with brand, analytic, field market, proper revenue management and management team. The Cost allocation is based on the balanced share of actualized room revenue for sprawling twelve months of participating hotels in the targeted business section this runs for a period of twelve months in order to stabilize the business. The Corporate Marketing group selects and assigns a hotel marketing manager to every hotel to help market their personal property. The marketing manager of the hotel assesses the business property, issues and revenue objectives and assists in the improvement of the brand and promotional marketing programs. This is all done in a professional manner.

What Is The True Meaning Of Freedom History Essay

What Is The True Meaning Of Freedom History Essay Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed [Lb]. In the United States constitution it is stated We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal., but this is untrue. If that were true Martin Luther King Jr. would not have fought for civil rights and equality for minority groups in America. Dr. King campaigned for mans natural born rights, while others fought to stop them. Martin Luther King at age 26 with over a year of experience as a pastor, was elected head of Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), King led MIA to boycott unfair bus segregation. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.[Book] King wanted to end all the injustice, which blacks and minority groups faced. The top 2% of the United States holds 90% of the nations wealth. Oh America, how often have you taken necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty.[Paul to American Christians] Along with this the U.S governments spend billions in the Vietnam War, while the poor in suffered. King stated that the nation was heading a spiritual death. King promoted a guaranteed income for all families. It would help to spread the wealth in the nation. In the fight for civil rights and equality Dr. King choice of weapon was non-violence. Living through the actual experience of the protest, nonviolence became more than a method to which I gave intellectual assent; it became a commitment to a way of life.[dbook] Dr. King believed in the six principles of nonviolence. King created these principles with the influenced of the famous Indian philosopher Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The first principle nonviolence is not passive, but requires courage. Just because you will not physical fight for that you want, doesnt mean youre weak. You must stand up against oppression. Dr. King in his many marches and speeches promoted this very principle. He didnt let people oppress him; King used his courage to united people for a common cause. The second principle Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding. The purpose of nonviolence seeks to united people, who can understand each other. King wanted to give people the chance a redemption, which helped the minority of and the majority groups to be a peace. That would a crate a loving community. The third principle Nonviolent action is directed at eliminating evil, not destroying an evil-doer. When we love on the agape level we love men not because we like them, not because their attitudes and ways appeal to us, but because God loves them. Here we rise to the position of loving the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed he does.[book] Nonviolence believes in, what is written in the U.S constitution that all men are created equal. We are all equal and must respect and learn from on another. We must aim at destroying the evil within people, and not the people themselves. The fourth principle The willingness to accept suffering for the cause, if necessary, but never to inflict it. In Dr. Kings eulogy for the four little girls that were murder in Birmingham, Al, shows the meaning of this principle. The spilled blood of these innocent girls may cause the whole citizenry of Birmingham to transform the negative extremes of a dark past into the positive extremes of a bright future. Indeed this tragic event may cause the white South to come to terms with its conscience.[book] By taking in all pain and showing grief of your lost, may attack the evil doer conscience. Let the evil doer know that what he done is wrong, show him you will not attack, if you do your no better than him. The fifth principle A rejection of hatred, animosity or violence of the spirit, as well as refusal to commit physical violence. Somehow we must believe that the most misguided among them can learn to respect the dignity and the worth of all human personality[euoly]. Nonviolence rejects all evil intention. You cant dehumanize your brother, because hes your equal, too do that means to dehumanize yourself. The six principle Faith that justice will prevail. Dr. King stated We have seen truth crucified and goodness buried, but we have kept going with the conviction that truth crushed to earth will rise again[bus boycott] .You cant half-heartily believe in your goals. Be able to keep going through the highs and lows. Along with Dr. King there are many others leaders, who had similar views as him and those whos views were different. Reverend Jesse Jackson In 1965 met Martin Luther King, at the Selma March, an effort to get blacks to register to vote. With King he fought for equality and his dream. The American dream is a dream of hope and new possibilities. Then as now learning to live together under one big tent remains the moral imperative and the great opportunity of our times. for this dream, we challenged closed-door policies. We faced dogs, jails, untimely deaths. I had already been to jail twice trying to use a library and other public facilities.  [save the dream]. He led Operation Breadbasket, which goals were to provide more job opportunities for blacks. The person, who influenced Dr. King in his Nonviolence approach, was the philosopher Mohandas K. Gandhi.   Gandhi was the leader of the Indian nationalist movement that opposed British rule. He Gandhi created satyagraha (devotion to truth). Satyagraha was a non violence way to fix wrongs within the country. Gandhi over the years led campaigns to ease poverty, build religious, and expand womens rights. Frederick Douglass, a born slave, later he would  become the leading spokesperson for the abolition of slavery and for racial equality. Douglass was invited to the anti-slavery convention in 184 in Massachusetts, to give a speech about his life as a slave. That speech led him to become one of the leading members of Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. Douglass was constant attack by his opponents, for him being a slave, but he never flinched. Nonviolence is not passive, but requires courage. Douglass aligns with king, because of his courage to continue to use his voice for his cause, even with constant aggression from opponents. Muammar Gaddafi, the Brotherly Leader and Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist Peoples Libyan Arab Jamahiriya(King of Libya). Gaddafi has been in power for over 40 years, protesting has recently grown bloody. The protesters are using Kings ideals to protest to end a dictatorship government, and the government in turns kills them. Gaddafi is using his government troops to kill innocent people, protesting his regime. Government is suppose to be their to protect the people, not harm them Many international powers, trying to force his to retired, saying hes violating international humanitarian laws. One of the most corrupt leaders in history, Adolf Hitler, the Fuhrer of Germany. Hitler eliminated all political  parties and government institutions in Germany, establishing him as a dictator. Hitler moved the masses, to believe that they could rule the world. This believe help start the worlds bloodiest war, World War II. During the war, Hitler caused the Holocaust, the genocide of people of the Jewish faith. He striped them of their god given right, to live. Hitler beliefs and actions, goes against everything Dr. King stood for. Hitler didnt want friends, he wanted slaves. The Butcher of Uganda, Idi Amin, the president of Uganda. Amin seize power after a military coup. During his eight-year presidency over 500,000 were killed and destroy his countrys economy. Admin agreed with Hitler decision to kill the Jews. Amin went as far is say he was the hero of Africa. Amin killed all that stood in his way. He believe his cause was a righteous one, but he goes against all Kings ideas. A man that orders half a million people killed cant be called a hero.

Racist Mind :: essays research papers

The Racist Mind In looking at the idea of being racist we must look at why people are like that. I would hope that most people would not be racist, but that would be in a perfect world and we don’t live there. Conflict theorists would say people are attracted to the message of hate because the way the power elite keeps us at odds. They keep us believing that the other race is trying to take what little there is left. If the power elite can keep us at one another’s throats then we won’t rise up and fight against the power elite. We won’t realize that we really don’t have anything. There are examples of this all over. We take peoples jobs away and give them to minorities or another minority. This produces hatred toward that minority. If we do this then they won’t take to changing their life around them The same is within education and making sure that some people are given a right to enter a college not based on scores, but on color of skin. This gives us hate. We think some group is trying to take our stuff. The Ku Klux Klan believes that blacks are taking all their jobs or because they are there they are running the companies out of town. The power elite enforces this rhetoric and only causes the people to continue the cycle of hate. The leaders and followers of the Ku Klux Klan and neo-nazi groups believe that they are the only superior people and everyone is taking what is rightfully theirs. They are taking their stuff. Their jobs, their homes, their land. â€Å"They believe life is war. The world is made of distinct racial groups and life is about the war between those groups.† They only believe what they want to believe. These people live in their own world and you can never talk them out of it. Mr. Ezekiel stated this â€Å"[There is a] ready pool of whites who will respond to the racist signal†¦.This population is always hungry for activity -or for the talk of activity- that promises dignity and meaning to lives that are working poorly in a highly competitive world.† This is so true. Most of these people that belong to these groups are poor, down and out. They feel now like they have power. If they have power ten they can change the world.

Justified and Ancient by Simon Lewis

Is he on a vacation backpacking across the globe spending his rich father's money or is the only reason for his tourism the drug deal? Is he going back to Delhi or all the way back to England? Since he has both a girlfriend with potential wife-status and a child to take care of at home my guess is the last possibility – he is simply a rug dealer buying incredibly low-prized cannabis in India for re-selling in his home country. His statement at p. 2 1. 70 is obviously pointing in that direction: â€Å"My Job? Re, I don't really have one as such. † Ironically enough, Lee is filled with self-congratulation as he leaves the village.Overwhelmed with compassion he has given the children the gooey biscuits he himself described as revolting and unpalatable. Maybe he does not consider the fact that he refuses to give the children something that would actually help them: rupees. Money, he earlier referred to as â€Å"Joke money'. Instead he uncompromisingly shoes he child away w ith a â€Å"No! Don't touch me, you shouldn't touch! † Lee seems to be an egoistic, ignorant and unpleasant figure from what we are described – and is possibly supposed to symbolize the typical western tourist.Though we are not given a lot of information about the village people, they seem shy and reserved. Lee makes no two- way communication with any other than the president and one of the kids for a brief moment. It might be that Lee considers the village people naive and ignorant, but as the story surprisingly twists in the end, all is turned upside down, and it is obvious that Lee has underestimated the president. He has not fooled the president – it is he himself who have been deceived. An ancient, proud chieftain is not the obvious one to suspect for depraved actions.As he may seem proud and honorable on the outside, the president is the exact opposite on the inside. At the end of the story we are suddenly having another perspective – that of the wo man leading her donkey to the village. She entrusts us with the president's secret: â€Å"Sometimes the president and his slimy friend Punned got drunk and talked more than they should in the presence of the women. The president was a shrewd man, and under him the village ad prospered, but he was a man without honor. † (p. 4-5 1. 158-163) The president has actually prostituted himself and given up all his pride and honor for money.The president cooperates with Ram, the police commissioner, who gives him money in return for information about tourists like Lee. In this way the president can profit from his unfortunate customers buying cannabis and receive money from the police at the same time – and he does not at all seem to care about the people he may harm in the progress. Suddenly the gesture of trust on page 4 1. 123 seems more as a scorn tan anything else. Lee Is nothing more out a Oarlock In ten pralines game, Ana It quickly becomes uncertain who to sympathize wit h.At first it was the president: The proud chieftain of an ancient village thinking he made a good deal with another tourist, but at last it is the poor Lee that is the victim: And he will suffer his deeds. â€Å"She knew that Ram and the bullies he used as deputies would be getting drunk now, and when the foreigner came down they would greet him, smiling, and Ram would laugh taping his tick wooden cane against his leg† (p. 5 1. 165) It is here that the title becomes paradoxical. Lee may have been greedy and disrespectful but does he deserve to get beat up?Lee is a man with a girlfriend and, to a certain extinct, a child at home both depending on his financial success – is it a Justified laugh that bursts from the president's mouth and follows Lee down to the foot of the mountain? I do not think it is. The chieftain has become Just as grasping and greedy as any western president. And from where has those influences emerged? The boy with the Walkway bobbing his head up and down (in what seems as a prayer but very remarkably is not) â€Å"karaoke's† the phrase: â€Å"We are Justified and ancient.And we drive an ice cream VA-an† from Kills single â€Å"Justified and ancient†. This is a very good clue for interpreting the title. Given that the phrase â€Å"Justified and ancient† does not only refer to the president but to all of the people living in the village, a more general view is set on the story. The village may be Justified due to the western influences that have had negative influence on their society and their culture. To combine the word Justified with the more concrete word ancient does not normally seem irrational.After reading this short story it does though – because the ancient village with the old president represents something honorable, sacred and proud: Values that have been destroyed by western society – it is now all about materialism and money. The president does seem proud to have flour ished the old culture, surviving the civilization below them from the mountain summit – but he wants more than Just doctor visits and he has broken the traditional way of behaving in the village. Whether or not the village people are (the president is) Justified or not is a discussable topic – a topic that provokes us to think the term Justification over.

Different Cultures

Different Cultures DIFFERENT CULTURES, SAME REALITIES I realize that no matter what a persons background may be, each an everyone of us is made up of the same thing. We all have problems. We all have emotions and feelings. The conflict comes in when opposite lifestyles, and beliefs come in effect. Sometimes this comes along with racism. All of the stories had real life characters with some kind of complication(s) in their life."My Sweet Sixteenth"  is about a African American girl named Monique. She was faced with a complications that many teenage girls are faced with...teenage pregnancy. She hid her pregnancy from everyone in hopes of having an abortion as soon as she received her birthday money for her coming up birthday. Instead of getting the money and getting an abortion she didn't quite make it past her birthday. The baby was born on her 16th birthday. Yet another complication Monique faced, she was asked not to tell anyone that she had a child because of their family beliefs on this matter.Co mplication (song)The complication in "Eagle Cloud Fawn" , was dealing more with beliefs. Eagle Cloud, a native American waiter, liked an Anglo girl Fawn. His family's beliefs were against this. Eagle Cloud liked her so much he looked at it this way, "What happened yesterday has nothing to do with what you will do today."  "No Win Phuong"  was about a Vietnamese kid called Phuong.He started a new school with a different cultured student body.Phuong felt very much out of place and at unease. He didn't want to play baseball, in the end he had improved greatly and was more comfortable with his surroundings. This must be a tough to deal with a change like that, but he was strong and things turned out rather...

Online Classes Essays

Online Classes Essays Online Classes Essay Online Classes Essay Online Classes Name: Institution: Online Classes Introduction Evolution is a continuous process in the world today. Technologies are improved by the day and industries have to keep up with these advancements. The same applies for institutions as society is in the digital age. Basic computer skills have become the benchmark of learning today as automation is taking over all sectors. Technology can now be incorporated in schools as educators feel the urge to be part of an advancing world. The use of these emerging technologies influences the way they continue to develop. This brings to light, the effect of both educational technology and technology in education. These segments seem similar but are quite different. Technology in education refers to the utilization of technological equipment in classrooms to aid in the learning process. These could be televisions, DVDs, radios and projectors, which are used to support the existing classroom set-ups. This should not be limited to the aspect of hardware, as it may give an inaccurate the idea of the theory. Educational technology refers to how technology is incorporated into the classrooms, and the repercussions or benefits it might have to the existing school curriculum. Here, the concept of online classes and the effect that it has on the current school curriculum is observed. It is implemented in the school district of Philadelphia. Over the years, the incorporation of technology has been minimal in the educational sector. The crucial question raised is whether the incorporation of online classes causes an improvement in the teaching techniques of the educator or increases the achievements of the students. There are several variables that come to play with the introduction of online classes. Some of these variables include educators understanding of the online class concept, computer literacy, curriculum content, the ability to effectively present the course online and ready access of the students to the program. These are just some of the factors that need to be considered during implementation. Literature Review Adoption of this technology is best done in phases. The adjustment to using this technology was implemented in both the students and teachers through a systematic process. There are different perspectives that could be used, but the most influential was the contemporary perspective. The conventional perspective emphasized on the teachers’ instruction technology, which as a result, limited the effective manifestation of the model. The contemporary perspective emphasizes on the students and their benefit from it. This helps in the full attainment of the benefits that come with this model as it reaches the evolution stage. The concepts of the online classes are implemented in a five-step process. The phases are familiarization, utilization, integration, reorientation and evolution. The chronological order of theses phases are extremely crucial in the effective implementation of the organizational concept. It ensures that the benefits are fully optimized. Going contrary to this means that there will be loopholes in the system. Familiarization is done in order to expose both the educator and their students to the new technology for the first time (Hooper and Rieber, n.d). Over time, they are able to learn and become well acquainted with the technology. This phase sets the pace for the others to take place. Utilization is the second stage and involves being practical and putting the technology to practical implementation. Discovering how the online classes should operate attempts to make the students obtain a deeper understanding of the concept. After utilization, the integration stage follows. Here, the educator has a full understanding of the technology and can comfortably set up classes that can be incorporated into the school curriculum. This means that it becomes an integral part of the educator’s lifestyle and its removal renders the personnel ineffective. This is a sign that the educator has fully adopted the new teaching technique and is ready to impart the knowledge on the students using constructivism (Yoder, 2006). In most cases, conventional adoption would have stopped at this point. The contemporary viewpoint incorporates reorientation and evolution. In this stage, emphasis is placed on the reconsiderations of the main objectives of the classroom. It entails reanalyzing the existing system and changing the old-fashioned way of thinking to embrace the new technology. This makes the students increasingly interactive, as the students are able to alert the educators on a few things they may have missed (Passey, Goodison, Great Britain., University of Lancaster. 2004). Evolution is simply the final stage that signifies the existence of an infinite technology cycle. As long as there is continued innovation, technology will slowly be absorbed in the educational system. From the incorporation of the online classes, it is clear that there exists resistance by some educators, as they lack the willpower to adapt to the evolution of the educational system. In other cases, there was commendable adaptation to the online classes, which helped the students greatly understand the concepts as they deepened their thinking skills through the online interactions (Wenglinsky, 2006). This aided students in revision of the concepts that were initially taught. There was increased flexibility as the students did not always have to be present in a physical classroom; all they needed was access to the internet via a functioning computer and learning would continue remotely. This has a massive impact on the organizational culture of the institution. The better it is incorporated, the faster the system of online classes is fully implemented by the institution. Application Incorporating the technology has led to several improvements within the school district. The inclusion of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the school curriculums has led to reduced storage space. The use of ICT means that there is less paperwork, therefore, the large storage rooms are used for different purposes. It also meant that there was renovation of the existing classes in order to allow setting up of the equipments for the improved technology. Communication becomes fast and increasingly efficient within the premises as the use of emails is spontaneous and video conferencing makes it fast. The major disadvantage of this is the cost incurred in the implementation of the new technology. Initial cost of purchasing the equipment is high, and there is a level of job insecurity among the educators. Inclusion of the new technology would mean that if the personnel were not willing to learn, they would be easily replaced. Resistance by some of the educators would mean that their teaching might not be as effective as before. Lack of job security would lead to a divide among the teaching personnel depending on their literacy levels. There is also a reduced level of social interaction as communication can be done remotely. Application of the technology gives increased insight into the organization, as there are elements of the organization that are discovered. Such factors are the organization’s culture, structure, and values. Embracing online classes means that these elements are affected in one way or the other. For instance, the technology can be used to bypass normal protocol methods. As such, a subordinate teacher can surpass their immediate authority and deal directly with the head teacher. This is also seen in the organizational culture, as interactions may not be as frequent as they were because of remote communication by emails. Infusion of the technology had both positive and negative implications. For starters, there is an improved learning experience as the integration of the online classes help revitalize the learning process. It enhances computer literacy levels among the students and teachers as it involves researching and preparing of presentations (Passey, Goodison, Great Britain University of Lancaster, 2004). Another positive impact is flexibility. This is advantageous to both the educator and student as a learning session can be prepared remotely by the teacher and the students will still benefit, irrespective of their location. By utilizing conferencing tools, active student-teacher interaction is still upheld. Conclusion The major problem with online classes is that it poses a risk of no learning to those who do not have self-motivation or are not under supervision. Home-schooled students, if not properly scrutinized, can easily miss the sessions and end up ignoring them altogether. There are also higher chances of distractions as the internet is a powerful tool, which possesses many distractions. These include from pop-up advertisements to online games. If one is not keen to learn, then there is a great deal of intendance during online classes than there is in the actual classroom scenario. Consequently, there could be minimal learning taking place. In retrospect, some of these distractions can be used to the benefit of the learning process. Introducing educative games into the curriculum would enhance learning skills among the students because they are both fun and educative. Another proposition is that of using simulations that will stimulate the mind and give students a visual representation, therefore, increasing participation through online blended learning programs (Edmonds and Li, 2005). It is through continual re-evaluation and revision of the online classes that there would be growth in the quest of fully embracing technology in education. References Edmonds, K., Li, Q. (2005). Teaching At-Risk Students with Technology: Teachers’ Beliefs, Experiences, and Strategies for Success. Hooper, S., Rieber, L. P. (n.d.). Teaching with technology. Retrieved from nowhereroad.com/twt/ Passey, D., Goodison, R., Great Britain., University of Lancaster. (2004). The motivational effect of ICT on pupils. Annesley, Nottingham: DfES Publications. Wenglinsky, H. â€Å"Technology and Achievement: The Bottom Line†, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development – Educational Leadership. Retrieved from hccsc.k12.in.us/technology/tip/Teachers’%20Academy/The%20Bottom%20Line .pdf Yoder, M. B. (2006). Adventures in Electronic Constructivism. Learning Leading with Technology.

Leonardo da Vincis Study of Hands

Leonardo da Vincis Study of Hands This beautiful sketch of three hands is in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle exemplifies Leonardo da Vincis intense attention to, even fascination with, anatomical correctness and the effects of light and shadow. At the bottom, one hand is folded underneath another, more developed one, as if resting in a lap. That lightly-sketched hand seems to be the ghost of the top hand, which holds a sprig of some sort of plant   the outline of the thumb is nearly identical. These two highly developed hands are worked up with dark crosshatchings and white chalk highlights, creating a sense of mass even on a sheet of paper. In each, everything from the muscles of thumb-pads to the wrinkles of skin along the joints of the fingers is depicted with the utmost care. Even when Leonardo lightly sketches the rest of the forearm or the ghost hand, his lines are deft and confident, showing how much he strove to depict the human form correctly. Although the first instance of his studies of anatomy and dissection is not until 1489, in the Windsor manuscript B,  his interest in the subject would no doubt have been bubbling just beneath the surface, and it is certainly evident in this sketch. Leonardo seemed to draw his ideas and notes as they came to him, and in this vein, we also see a lightly sketched head of an old man in the upper left corner; perhaps one of those quick caricatures of a man whose peculiar features struck him as he passed. Many scholars take this sketch as a preliminary study for  The Portrait of a Lady,  who could very possibly be the famous Renaissance beauty Ginevra de Benci, in the National Gallery, Washington, D.C. Although Giorgio  Vasari tells us that Leonardo did indeed create a portrait of Ginevra- an extremely beautiful painting, he tells us- there is no outright evidence that she is, indeed, Ginevra. Additionally, while there is clear evidence that the portrait had been cut down,  there is no further documentation or other drawings that would definitively allow us to say that these hands are hers. Nevertheless, the National Gallery has created a composite image of the sketch and the portrait. Ginevra de Benci is an important Renaissance figure, and John Walker  of the National Galler has argued convincingly that she is the subject of Leonardos portrait. Born into an extremely wealthy and well-connected Florentine family,  Ginevra was a talented poet and friends with Lorenzo de Medici himself. If this is indeed Ginevra, the portrait is further complicated by its patron. While it could have possibly been commissioned in celebration of her marriage to Luigi Niccolini, there is also a possibility that it was commissioned by her possibly platonic lover Bernardo Bembo.  Indeed, no less than three poets, including the aforementioned Lorenzo de Medici himself, wrote of their affair.  There is another sketch dubiously attached to the Ginevra portrait,  Young Woman Seated in a Landscape with a Unicorn, in the Ashmolean Museum; the unicorns presence, like the credo on the verso of the painting (beauty adorns virtue), speak to her innocence and virtue. Sources and Further Reading Giorgio Vasari, The Life of Leonardo da Vinci, Florentine Painter and Sculptor,  The Lives of the Artists, trans. Julia Conaway Bondanella and Peter Bondanella (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), 293.Walker, John. Ginevra de Benci  by Leonardo da Vinci.  Report Studies in the History of Art.  Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1969: 1-22.

Barriers and facilitators in collaboration with consumers and carers Essay

Barriers and facilitators in collaboration with consumers and carers - Essay Example The reason for failure of comprehensive health care being administered was that there is a lacking of well-trained mental health care staff and certain infrastructure not being in place making it difficult to provide quality care (Sundararamann, 2009). The Journal of the American Medical Association, which features a study carried out by the Centre for Disease Control lists tobacco, poor nutrition, excess alcohol consumption and infections as the main predisposing factors that result in death. This implies that focus should be on administering health care primarily in the form of educating the public as opposed to focusing on heart diseases, cancer and stroke, as has been the case. America has the largest budget on health care making it perceivable as the best in health care administration; however, this is not the case as the budget goes to medical care instead where the best medical facilities in form of research centres and medical schools have been set up. It thus becomes imperat ive to create a distinction between medical care and health care where the former is characterized by use of new technologies and the latter is centred on administration of quality care. In America this is evidenced by the fact that it has a higher infant mortality rate compared to England and France and similarly a shorter life span compared to Japan (Schimpff, 2012). In dealing with this problem of non-comprehensive mental health care administration, a mulch disciplinary team has become the solution where medical specialists from various fields are assembled to design a system that will facilitate quality health care administration. This is because a mulch disciplinary approach has been proven to achieve the best results when solving complex social problems such as childhood obesity. It follows a system of design thinking, which is defined as a novel, empirical, human centred, investigative approach to innovation aimed at providing innovative solutions not just to social organizat ions but businesses as well. It involves bringing together psychologists, anthropologists and other specialists to work collaboratively to design a system that solves a social problem in terms of administration of quality care. In most cases, consumers are also included in the designing in order to ensure the solution arrived at is agreeable. Its popularity arises from the fact that various skills, mind-sets and processes that have been gathered due to experience and cannot be taught in schools, are combined (Innovation design thinking, n.d). Mental health care refers to a broad range of services that vary from marital or family counselling to more specialized treatments for illnesses such as bipolar. It also encompasses mental disorders alluded to certain age groups for instance Alzheimer’s in old people and Attention Deficit Disorder in children, along with postpartum depression in middle-aged people. When administering mental health care, the services would include counsel ling, prescribing medications, inpatient care and outpatient care. There has been a shift in attention to medical health care following incidences such as the Virginia Tech shooting, leading the Congress to set out to transform the mental health care system; more so, because there was an outcry by the public regarding its adequacy. In 2008, following the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, health insurers that choose to cover

Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Managment - Essay Example This is where union representation plays its vital role. The right to union representation is called the Weingarten Right. This is the right to request assistance from the representatives from the union during investigatory interviews through a union steward to make sure that the employee is not coerced and forced in any nature or form by the management to make confession of misconduct (www.cueunion.org, Weingarten Rights - the right to union representation). It refers to union representation during the company interrogations through a Union steward. The union steward is tasked to prevent any form of intimidation that the management will do to its employees (www.iatse728.org, Weingarten Rights). In any company, there comes a time that employees will be investigated for any charges of improper acts or behaviour against co-employee or the management. The Weingarten Rights will assure that during this investigation, an employee is free from coercion especially during confession through the presence of union representative or steward to witness the enquiry. The union steward is a very important person in union representation which has bountiful responsibilities to do. A union steward can help the employee investigated explain what really happened when the employee is inarticulate or afraid to answer. He can present justifications and mitigating factors for the employee and can advise the employee to be honest. The steward can also help the employee avoid making fatal admissions. Most importantly, the union steward serves as witness to prevent the management from making inappropriate action such as giving false account of the investigation (www.iatse728.org, Weingarten Rights). Collective Bargaining Collective bargaining is considered to be a legal obligation and... This paper approves that collective bargaining also has a very important impact to managing an effective workforce. Collective bargaining process helps provide element of security and certainty and may establish employee privileges and benefits which would otherwise may not have been provided by an employer dealing individually with employees. Because of this process or negotiation, agreements can be achieved between unions and employers. Through collective bargaining there is a harmonious and productive relationship between employers and employees because there is already agreed rights and responsibilities in the workplace for employment matters such as wages, insurance, working hours and conditions that are legally enforceable. The process of collective bargaining can also help reach an agreement to provide a â€Å"just cause† standard of review that an employer must use when deciding to discipline or discharge any employee in an arbitration process. In addition, collective bargaining is advantageous for both workers and employers. This essay makes a conclusion that labor unions through the process of collective bargaining can negotiate with the employers or management to maintain a healthy, peaceful and effective working relationship. Effective management of workforce can be achieved if there is union representation and collective bargaining which ensure that both the employers and employees are well benefited and given what is â€Å"just† for both of them.

Medical Malpractice Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Medical Malpractice - Case Study Example The decision of the trial court was raised on appeal to the COURT OF APPEAL OF LOUISIANA, FOURTH CIRCUIT. The plaintiff, Sheila Webb, instituted the action in connection with the death of her son, Rodney Comeaux, the alleged victim of the medical malpractice. The main ground of the suit she filed was the negligence of the attending medical doctors and of the hospital appurtenant to the duty of the latter to closely monitor the said patient through its nursing staff. Rodney Comeaux died at the hospital on July 21, 1988. The defendants, on the other hand, were (a) the Tulane Medical Center Hospital where Rodney Comeaux was entered for confinement and diagnosis, and (b) a certain Dr. Abe Andes, a doctor of medicine supposedly specializing in hematology, who attended to the patient, decedent Rodney Comeaux. The civil complaint was filed with the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans which had original jurisdiction over the matter pursuant to the Rules for Louisiana District Courts. (TITLE II RULES FOR CIVIL PROCEEDINGS IN DISTRICT COURTS (EXCEPT FOR FAMILY AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS AND JUVENILE PROCEEDINGS. RULES FOR LOUISIANA DISTRICT COURTS. [internet]). After the decision was handed down by the trial court, the matters at issue were raised on appeal to the COURT OF APPEAL OF LOUISIANA, FOURTH CIRCUIT, which had appellate jurisdiction over the suit in accordance with the applicable procedures.(Rule 1-2. Title and Scope of Rules. UNIFORM RULES LOUISIANA COURTS OF APPEALS. THE STATE OF LOUISIANA COURT OF APPEAL FOURTH CIRCUIT. [internet]) The facts of the case Rodney Comeaux was full of complicated health problems since when he was young. Diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia at an early age of six months, Rodney was never in perfect health. Sickle Cell Anemia (or SCA for short) is a genetic abnormality in blood which is incurable. He had continuously suffered from pneumonia bouts and the anemia predicaments. During the month of June in 1988, Rodney, aged twenty three by then, complained of chest pains and stomach discomforts. He was brought to defendant Tulane Medical Center for admission. Dr. Abe Andes, the medical director of the hospital, attended to him. Released from the medical confinement on July 6, 1988, Rodney was prescribed an oral antibiotic called Keflex. He was advised to come back for an appointment with Dr. Andes on July 12 of that same year, specifically at two thirty in the afternoon of that date. Dr. Andes wrote down his findings as pulmonary infarction versus pneumonia. Before Dr. Andes, Rodney Comeaux was being treated at the SCA clinic by a certain Dr. Frempong, the the director of the said clinic. It was only in 1986 that Dr. Andes took over from Dr. Frempong. Hours before the designated visit on July 12, 1988, Rodney showed up at the SCA clinic where he complained of chest pain and request to meet Dr. Andes. The latter was then preoccupied attending to other patients who had prior

CRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

CRM - Essay Example Threading also reduces visual clutter. Secondly, Gmail offer users with huge storage space, and thus, they can archive mails instead of deleting. Thirdly, Gmail users are advised to use labels instead of folders because an email can only be put in one folder; however, for flexibility, it can be put in many labels. Moreover, labels can be hierarchically organized. Fourthly, switching to Gmail like a pro entails using Gmail while working offline without any internet connection. Gmail can also be accessed through cell phones (Cloud Sherpas 2). Additionally, the fifth step listed by Cloud Sherpas in their article is the possibility of searching for emails with speed and accuracy instead of sorting, enjoying automatic software updates on a weekly basis, therefore, users experience new functionality. The seventh and last step in the article entails priority inbox. Gmail has a new feature known as priority inbox, which identifies a user’s important emails, and thus, separates it from other emails. Important emails are identified by priority inbox through the user’s pattern that is, the emails that are regularly opened and replied (Cloud Sherpas

Health reform legislation in the US Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health reform legislation in the US - Case Study Example The legislation seeks to reduce the annual appropriation funds the local authorities give the hospital to help in its running. The fund helps in the facilitating of the payment of workers in the hospital. The fund also helps the hospital acquire new machines and pay for the maintenance of the already bought machines. Over the years, the hospital has being able to set up new facilities that make it serve extra people. The legislation put forward aims to slash the annual fund provided for the hospital by a certain percentage. This means that the hospital will receive less than what it used to get. To this effect, the hospital’s normal operations would be interrupted, as it has to go out of its way to get the extra finance needed to supplement its budget. The hospital will also have to change its budget for it to be in line with the new funding provision. This measure would include having to charge extra fee to patients. Some workers in the hospital would have to lose their jobs to enable the hospital cut the extra costs. This are some of the drastic changes that the hospital would undertake in order to enable it operate on the reduced funding. My role of being requested to offer advice to the council is because I am the President of the Hospital. I participate in the drafting of the hospital’s budget and thus I am better placed to know the effects of the legislation. In addition to that, I head the finance department and the committee in charge of the hospital workers. My reason for choosing to be the one writing to the mayor is that my position makes me know and understand fully the running of the hospital. I have held the position for the past decade making my experience unparalleled. The reduction of the funding will affect women mostly those who are pregnant. The reason for this is that the larger share of the money goes to the women requirements facilities in the hospital.

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Law - Essay Example critically evaluate the impact of the decision by the House of Lords in White v White1 in relation to division of assets and financial provisions on divorce. In particular, this paper critically reviews the White decision and considers the extent to which the decision has actually culminated in a revolutionary change in the law relating to matrimonial property and financial provision on divorce. Moreover, I shall comparatively analyse the UK legal position with the approach in other jurisdictions where appropriate. From a family law perspective, the issue of rights to the family home have continued to be problematic and decisions in ancillary relief proceedings were addressed by the House of Lords’ decision in White v White2. This decision changed the approach to assessing financial settlements on divorce and introduced the â€Å"yardstick of equality† principle as a means to ensure fairness in the division of assets between divorcing couples. Whilst heralded as a welcome decision in introducing some much needed clarity to the division of assets on divorce3, it has been argued that such an approach is inherently dogmatic in failing to specifically address the division of rights to the family home particularly where children are involved4. Although the reasoning in White v White specified that there was no presumption of equality on divorce, if the court intended to depart drastically from an equal splitting of assets they should have satisfactory justification for doing so. Furthermore, the governing legislative provision in this area of law is the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (MCA) and section 25 of the MCA provides the court with a very wide discretion of factors to take into account on division of assets, with the welfare of a child being paramount5. As such, it is submitted that the overriding statutory requirement to consider the interests of the child inherently limits the application of White v White to cases where children are not involved as the

Massachusetts Puritans English Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Massachusetts Puritans English - Research Paper Example Furthermore, it expounds on the central doctrines of Puritan faith of depravity, or that everyone existed in a state of corruption, wickedness, and evil, and the doctrine of grace, the belief for some Puritans that they were saved by God and would surely be joining Him in heaven when they died. Finally, it illustrates that the Puritans believed just how easy it would be for a person to lose their faith; this could be lost, no matter how strongly they held it close to them, or how strongly they felt that they had attained that state of grace. Goodman Brown begins his journey believing without a doubt that he is in what Puritans referred to as â€Å"a state of grace†; he believes himself to be one of the â€Å"elect†, meaning that he knows that he will go to heaven. He even muses to himself about the journey that he is about to take and the lament he feels about leaving his wife, even for that one night. He believes that she understands, saying â€Å"well, she is as bles sed angel on earth; and after this one night, I’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven.† Intellectually, and as a whole, Puritans subscribed to the fact that the grace of God and eternal salvation could neither be earned nor denied, even though they spent quite literally the whole of their lives, from birth to death and in between, wondering if their deeds would be gracious enough to earn them a place in heaven (Reis 13). Ministers often preached and delivered sermons to â€Å"three different audiences†, even through one service, as there were those who felt that they were assured of heavenly salvation, those that felt that they could receive it if they humbled themselves to God and His will a little more, and those that believed that they were never going to see heaven, no matter what their thoughts and deeds were (Reis 15). Goodman Brown obviously believes himself to be in the first category, most likely through living a life free of sin and wicked dee ds, and having been in constant prayer and humble service to the Lord. When Goodman Brown is first joined by the Devil on his walk, he boasts to him about how his faith is strong, and that he will never lose it. He states, â€Å"We have been a race of honest men and good Christians since the days of the martyrs†¦we are a people of prayer, and good works to boot, and abide no such wickedness.† Yet, as he walks on, it becomes clear that his faith is not as strong as he thought it was. He sees that others in his village have been consorting with the Devil, including Goody Cloyse, who taught him his catechism (religious studies) as a child, and the minister from the town church. The climax comes when Goodman Brown thinks that his wife is also in league with the Devil, causing him to lose his faith in his fellow man and his wife. Much of this is due to the fact that while Puritans held close the doctrine of grace, they held even closer the doctrine of depravity, and believed, without question, that humanity existed in a state of corruption due to â€Å"original sin†, and only those in a state of grace, or those that were considered the â€Å"elect†, would go to heaven with the Lord; the rest, ultimately, were doomed to an eternity of Hell (Fischer 23). Goodman Brown, then, suffers due to two points of the Puritan doctrine, not just one: first, because he now thinks that many in his village that he believed were surely in a state of grac

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Law - Essay Example critically evaluate the impact of the decision by the House of Lords in White v White1 in relation to division of assets and financial provisions on divorce. In particular, this paper critically reviews the White decision and considers the extent to which the decision has actually culminated in a revolutionary change in the law relating to matrimonial property and financial provision on divorce. Moreover, I shall comparatively analyse the UK legal position with the approach in other jurisdictions where appropriate. From a family law perspective, the issue of rights to the family home have continued to be problematic and decisions in ancillary relief proceedings were addressed by the House of Lords’ decision in White v White2. This decision changed the approach to assessing financial settlements on divorce and introduced the â€Å"yardstick of equality† principle as a means to ensure fairness in the division of assets between divorcing couples. Whilst heralded as a welcome decision in introducing some much needed clarity to the division of assets on divorce3, it has been argued that such an approach is inherently dogmatic in failing to specifically address the division of rights to the family home particularly where children are involved4. Although the reasoning in White v White specified that there was no presumption of equality on divorce, if the court intended to depart drastically from an equal splitting of assets they should have satisfactory justification for doing so. Furthermore, the governing legislative provision in this area of law is the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (MCA) and section 25 of the MCA provides the court with a very wide discretion of factors to take into account on division of assets, with the welfare of a child being paramount5. As such, it is submitted that the overriding statutory requirement to consider the interests of the child inherently limits the application of White v White to cases where children are not involved as the

Population & The Environment Essay Example for Free

Population The Environment Essay Discussions regarding the environmental impact of increasing population densities across the globe never lose their currency. From Thomas Malthus to Paul R. Erlich and onwards, there is a persistent concern that a growing international population may not only reach a tipping point in which the planet’s ability to provide for it is stretched to its limit, but begin to experience detrimental effects in the form of environmental problems. This concern is not simply a matter of numbers, but a matter of how industrial civilizations have consistently failed to curtail anthropogenic impacts. As Donella Meadows (199) opines, â€Å"not only are there so many more of us, but each of us is bigger† when one measures the amount of energy and material we use and the amount of pollutants and waste created by the industries we have created to support our energy and material use. In effect, â€Å"The number of people is not what degrades the earth; its the number of people times the flow of energy and material each person commands. † One of the most frequently cited means by which highly dense populations negatively impact the environment is through intense car use. Alex Steffen (2008) notes that intensive car use within a finite geographic territory is not only a massive contributor to greenhouse emissions that are warming the planet, but they also command a large amount of resource use through the inputs necessary to maintain highway infrastructure, build the actual cars and fuel them. Granted, the resource consumption and greenhouse emissions caused directly by private automobile ownership is absolutely no surprise to anyone, but the less obvious implication that Steffen reports is that exhaust emissions are only a fraction of the environmental impact of the automobile. Over the course of the mid-20th century onwards, the increasing prominence of the automobile as part of modern living has necessitated the construction of massive highway infrastructure. The result is that when you factor dense populations with intense private ownership and use of automobiles is that not only is there a massive amount of greenhouse emissions, but the amount of pavement this infrastructure commands can contribute significantly to the heat island effect which has become a concern among urban planners as of late. Heat islands not only increase the amount of energy expended on indoor air conditioning, but they can worsen air quality. (Steffen, 2008) As such, Steffen argues that no matter the great lengths that today’s automobile manufacturers go to in order to make their automobiles into shiny fuel-efficient emissions-reduced green things to sate the eco-minded consumer, it will not be enough to remediate environmental impacts brought about by car use. Take for example the push towards biofuels, which is essentially, a push for auto manufacturers, in collaboration with energy companies, to make automobiles that run on renewable agricultural products that emit a reduced amount of greenhouse gases. While there is much fuss in the mainstream press about the extent to which the biofuel industry is cannibalizing the food supply, a more overlooked concern is the manner in which the expansion of industrial agriculture to such a massive scale negatively impacts the environment. Simply put, the principal concern is not the ability of agriculture to feed populations, but rather how the expansion of the food supply, combined with the accommodations made for biofuels, has a deleterious effect on the environment. Manning (85-89) notes that the homogenous and unsustainable approach of industrialized corn-based agriculture is detrimental to the health of the soil. As such, there is a possibility that the massive conversion of lands towards the production of corn could recreate the conditions of The Great Dust Bowl, a period in the American heartland which saw hundreds of thousands of would-be wheat farmers plow the soil to death to profit from golden grain. Thus, as civilizations increase in population density, so too do their demands in food and automobile use, effectively exerting a greater toll on the planet’s natural environment. In any case, we must be mindful to remember that the problems inherent with a massive human population should not lead us to conclude that humans have no ecologically acceptable place in the planet. Humanity is not a virus on the operating system of the planet. Rather, what human society should begin to acknowledge is that it must begin to take a more comprehensive look at its impacts in order to correct them thoroughly. REFERENCES Meadows, Donella. â€Å"The Deep Six. † Grist. 12 October 1999. Retrieved online on March 14, 2009 from: http://www. grist. org/comments/citizen/1999/10/12/deep/index. html Steffen, Alex. â€Å"My Other Car is a Bright Green City. † Worldchanging. 23 January 2008. Retrieved online on March 14, 2009 from: http://www. worldchanging. com/archives/007800. html Manning, Richard. Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization. New York: North Point Press, 2004.

Car Sharing Scheme To Encourage Sustainable Transportation Tourism Essay

Car Sharing Scheme To Encourage Sustainable Transportation Tourism Essay We have an increase of population size and people will have different needs to have successful healthy and happy lives. For example, a family staying with their aged parents may regard a car as a necessity to ferry his aged parents to their medical appointment. Due to growing need, without a car to provide the mobility they need, many are force to travel in a less desirable manner. Hence, we could see that the majority of mode of transportation used by most of people in Singapore is car. Car however has led to a series of problems including air pollution, congestion and growing greenhouse gas emission because a running cars engine produces large amount of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere every day. According to Katzev (2003), automobiles are also a major source of carbon dioxide, the so-called green-house gas, which many claim is the principle source of global warming. As such, we need to start as a group of community thinking about more sustainable form of transport in Singapore. One potential alternative to removing cars on the road is through car-sharing scheme. This research will focuses on the opportunities to present to Singapore through this car sharing scheme in our transportations. This is the more sustainable option in the long-run. In 2012, there were more than 520,000 private cars registered in Singapore. The motor vehicle population in Singapore which include private and company cars, rental cars, taxis, buses, motorcycles, goods and other vehicles were increased by 1.45% from 951,307 in 2011 to 965,192 in 2012 (Singapore Police Force, 2013). Such a large number of private cars reduce the efficiency of the transport system by taking up road space that is needed by public transport and commercial vehicles. The government had tried a series of measures to reduce car overpopulation and traffic congestion by heavily taxing the purchase and use of cars as well as with recently announced that COE prices increase to reach more than S$95,000. However, this had the unintended effect of pricing out people who are in need of a car as does not table the problem of overpopulation. This is because as the population grows, the numbers of cars on Singapore growth will continue to grow. The need of Singapore transportation become more sustainable In Singapore, despite there are a lot cars on the road, we need to decrease cars on the road to make the transport more sustainable, one potential ways by doing this is through car-sharing scheme. Singapore is a small island city-state country whereby we cannot afford to ignore the effects that transport that has on health and the environment. The environment is our priority and Singapore needs to keep the environment as pristine as possible. Our economy depends on an efficient transport system to delivery smoothly a flow of goods and personnel to where they are needed. Our limited supply of land also means that we have to allocate resources to transport system very carefully. Hence, its important to adopt a greener form of transport. Nevertheless, we understand that no matter how efficient Singapore public transport system are, can never fully meet every mobility need. Despite of an excellent MRT system and efficient taxi system, alternatives are required to allow for Singaporean to make different choices about going around on the island. Car-sharing scheme is such a choice for such opportunities to remove cars on the road while still allowing people to get around as they need to. Car-sharing scheme, a new approach to sustainable transportation in Singapore Car-sharing is a pay-as-you-drive transportation service introduced in many modern cities to build a sustainable urban transportation strategy and environment-friendly urban community. This amazing green business idea works because people save money, and lose the hassles of ownership, yet still able to access to a car when they need one. The car-sharing growth in Singapore is mainly boosted by the rise of COE price. Higher COE prices are driving people to look for cheaper and more flexible options and therefore would able to push people towards using public transport, or opt for car-sharing. Car-sharing allows individual to gain the benefits of using a private car without the costs of responsibility of owning a car. The benefits of car-sharing can include more careful consideration of the necessity, duration, and distance of automobile trips, resulting in decreased vehicle use and ownership, and reduced parking demand and traffic congestion. Besides, car-sharing will be greater consideration given to alternative mode, resulting in increase of MRT passengers. Car-sharing also provide cost saving to individual and employers, energy savings and air quality benefits as well as reduce the emission of carbon dioxide. Despite to its many potential benefits, car-sharing may gain in popularity in Singapore as demonstrated by increasing North American membership. Through car-sharing scheme, we are able to reduce cars on the road which led to less congestion, less pollution, less dependence on oil, and cleaner, fresher air to breath. Car-sharing Operators in Singapore There are about 300 car-sharing vehicles located in over 100 locations in Singapore. Land Transport Authority (LTA) is working closely with HDB and car-sharing operators to provide more locations across the island to make it more convenient for users to access a car-sharing service in the near future. In Singapore, currently have a few car-sharing service providers: Car Club, Whizzcar and Kah Share. Clean Mobility Singapore, an environmental start-up company that provides electric cars for hire launched in Buona Vista-Ayer Rajah area and have designated parking lots in Pixel Building, Biopolis, Fusionpolis, Insead Campus and Block 71 Ayer Rajah Crescent. Clean Mobility is part of the Energy Market Authority and Land Transport Authoritys three-year, electric-vehicle trial costing $20 million (The Straits Times, 2011). The Straits Times (2013) had reported that more than 150 people have plugged into a year-old electric car-sharing sharing scheme operated under the brand name Smove. Mea ntime, Kah Share, Whizz Car and Car Club have reported an increase of between 15 per cent and 35 per cent each in membership numbers (The Straits Times, 2011). Government Intervention Like many other cities, Singapore faces the challenge of managing traffic congestion. With a fixed quantity of road space, each additional vehicle adds to the demand of road space and increases congestions for every other vehicle and pollutes the environment. Singapore is a land of scarcity, the country does not have the luxury to allow everyone to own a car and that car ownership cannot be put under the same category as basic necessity such as housing (Channelnewsasia, 2013). As part of effort to reduce carbon emission from car, the Singapore government implemented the Vehicle Quota System (VQS) which allows the government to control the amount of cars on the road. Vehicle quota system The VQS is controlled by the Certificate of Entitlement. The purpose is to limiting the number of newly purchase vehicles and aims for sustainable growth in vehicle population. The buyer has to bid to purchase a COE which is valid for 10 years before the vehicle can be use on road. The government had decided to reduce the allowable vehicle growth rate from 3 per cent per annum which was the rate since vehicle quota system introduced in 1990, to 1.5 per cent per annum in 2009, and further reduced it to one percent per annum in 2012 and 0.5 per cent per annum in February 2013. The COE premiums for small cars (up to 1,600cc) breached the $90,000 mark, finishing the years first bidding session at $92,100 on January 2013. This is up 12.4 per cent from last months bidding where prices ended at $81,889. Prices for big cars in Cat B (above 1,600 cc) also reached a new high, ending at $96,210. The previous record-breaking price was $94,502 in August 2012 (icarsclub, 2013 ). Figure .1: COE Open Bidding Result (Source: sgcarmart.com, 2013) Taxes and fees on vehicles Every car in Singapore is taxed by an import (Customs) duty, registration fee, an additional registration fee, and road tax which make owning a car in Singapore very expensive. The import duty is 31% of the import value of the car, on top of that, a Registration Fee is charged for private cars and on top of that, an Additional Registration Fee (ARF) is charged. The (ARF) is 100% of the Open Market Value (OMV) of the vehicle. Public parking charges have been raised and also additional surcharges were levied to discourage car use. Others cost such as insurance, Electronic Road Pricing (ERP), petrol and maintenance cost which are extremely costly for an average earning individual and thus it helps to control car population. Hence, implementation of government regulations with soaring premiums for COEs, taxes and fees or charges, it had directly boosted the use of car-sharing for the people who need to travel around the island. For a successful car sharing scheme in Singapore, Singapore government has to play its part in addressing the problems of climate change and looking at ways and measures to reduce our emission. Research Question Our research will focus on the primary and secondary question in view of the solution to road congestion, pollution and other environmental and resource consequences of automobile dependence through car-sharing. 1.2.1 Primary Research Question Our research question is what are the benefits and opportunities for using car-sharing scheme to make Singapore transports system become more sustainable. 1.2.2 Secondary Research Questions The scopes that this research is focusing on: What is car-sharing scheme and how does Car-sharing works; What are the benefits of car-sharing scheme; Who benefits from car-sharing scheme; Which countries have already develop car-sharing scheme The Scope of the Research The study will focuses on the benefits of car sharing scheme in our transportation option for many people in meeting the transportation needs in an economically and environmentally responsible manner in Singapore. Research Method The research method we will be using is both qualitative and quantitative research approach. The quantitative method will be based on the research question analyses based on the current situation and analyses through literature review. The qualitative method shall be gathering information through sets of questionnaire on a focus group of employees, employers and retirees at a few point of location in Singapore. Research Objective The main objective of the research is to understand the problems of increasing car population which led to a serious problem of air pollution, congestion and growing of greenhouse gas emission and to identify the opportunities and benefits of car-sharing scheme as an alternative transportation mode towards sustainable form of transport in Singapore. Limitation This research will be discussing the benefits of car-sharing scheme using normal car and only within Singapore based on the knowledge and understanding gather from collected information sources and data. There will be limitation to forecast whether of the impact and growth car-sharing scheme by using electric car. It may impractical at this moment although electric car have the potential to reduce our carbon emission significantly if adopted on a large scale and government play its part promoting green vehicle by provide a range of incentives or rebates. However, the technology is still in the early stages of development. Beside, in order for electric car to have a positive impact on reducing emission, the energy grid empowering these cars need be from a sustainable source like solar or wind. Due to the cost of buying a hybrid vehicle is much higher than of a normal car, users, limited range of electric vehicle as well as the charging time. The information and data will be obtained f rom published news and journals except the information from questionnaires. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Definition and explanation of car-sharing scheme Car sharing is a revolution in personal transportation urban mobility for the 21st century. Carsharing is designed to replace car ownership for people who do not need to drive to work every day, and to significantly reduce road congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. It is a service that provides 24/7 self-serve access to a network of cars stationed around the city (and increasingly, cities world-wide), which can be reserved by the hour or day via smart phones, Internet and call centres (Carsharing, 2013). Automobile, despite its numerous benefits, is largely responsible for many of the environmental and social problems in the world today (Katzev, 2003), which Singapore is one of such countries. The dependence on automobile has contributed traffic congestion and pollution to the air of Singapore. Therefore, in order to reduce traffic congestion and reduce the environmental impact contributed by automobile in Singapore, numerous efforts have been made by the government to reduce vehicle population growth rate by increasing the Car of Entitlement (COE) prices for cars or reducing the quota for COE. Car-sharing is first introduced in Singapore by NTUC Income in 1997 since the rise of COE prices and over the years, the interest in car-sharing has risen as car-sharing is the ticket for drivers who cannot afford or do not want to own a car (The Strait Times, 2012). Differ from car-pooling, car-sharing is a process whereby people share or rent a car without having to bear the responsibilities of car ownership and costs. Whereas in car-pooling, it is a group of individuals taking the same car together to get to a common destination at the same time. In car-sharing scheme, the car-sharing companies pay all of the costs of vehicle maintenance, service, and repairs. This includes insurance coverage, parking, and the cost of fuel (Katzev, 2003). Also differ from conventional car rentals, car-sharing companies operate by placing cars near to members home or office when the needs to use the cars arise. (Martin Shaheen 2011). The pay-as-you-drive or pay-per-use transportation service which provided by the car sharing companies offer drivers another alternative and freedom of using the car. Drivers get to enjoy the benefits of a car without having to own one for a short period of time based on their travelling needs, such as hourly or daily basis. The d rivers are also allowed to choose the types of cars according to their needs. This scheme is introduced in many modern cities to build a sustainable and environment-friendly urban community (Land Transport Authority, 2013). A research done in the North America shows that one shared vehicle can take 6 to 33 privately owned vehicles off the road. This is made possible by reducing the number of private vehicle required to complete non-work trips (Green Business Times, 2013). Hence, car-sharing reduced congestion on the road as it reduces car ownership and people dependency on privately owned vehicles. Car-sharing also has environmental impact to the environment. According to the article stated in Green Business Times (2013), vehicle miles traveled by members dropped by 67%, yet they were able to maintain mobility and convenience of transportation while getting access to a wider variety of cars. The drop in vehicle miles traveled will have a huge environmental impact that results in a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from 39% to 64%. Since its inception, car-sharing has grown rapidly and it has become more common worldwide, especially in Europe and North America (Shaheen, Sperling Wagner 1999). Car-sharing membership has  increased by 360% worldwide between 2006 and 2010 (Carsharing, 2013) and as of January 2011, North American car-sharing companies served almost 604,000 members with about 10,000 vehicles. (Martin Shaheen 2011). 2.1.1 How car-sharing works in Singapore It usually takes less than 5 minutes from reserving to collecting a car-sharing vehicle and the whole process is automated and it is self-service just like having a own car. To use the car, the user can follow the steps listed below: Join as a member User who wishes to car-share must first join as a member at any of the car-sharing company. After which, members will receive a personal keyfob/ smartcard. The keyfob/ smartcard is use to unlock an electronic box where the car keys are kept. Making reservation for the car When there is a need to use the car, member can make reservation via smart phones, Internet and call centres. The reservation can be made within a few minute notice or few days in advance. The booking will be keyed into a computer and transmitted to the electronic box. Collecting the car The cars are normally parked near to users home or office in designated car park spaces.   The electronic box is located in the members estate and the member can unlock the box when the member slots in their keyfob/ smart card. His booking particular will be copied onto the keyfob/ smart card and he can then collect the key. Driving the car During reservation period, member will just use the car just like his own. Returning the car When member has finished using the car, he needs to return the car back to the same location where he has collected the car. He also needs to place the key back to the electronic box. The trip usage is automatically recorded and the member can view their usage record online. Payment The invoice is then generated and payment will be made through GIRO or credit card monthly to the car-sharing service companies. If a member does not return the car on time, he will have to pay a penalty, which will be used to compensate the next member who had booked the car but was inconvenienced due to late return from the former member (Carsharing, 2013). Benefits of car-sharing Due to recent high COE, it is getting more and more difficult for one to own a car in Singapore nowadays. Some of the major social benefits of car-sharing are such as lower emissions, ease traffic congestion, convenience and cost savings for individuals and businesses, better utilization of land and energy resources and reduce the demand for car park spaces. 2.2.1 Less pollution to the environment Motor vehicle usage is a major source of air and noise pollution in the world today. It has contributed 70% of the carbon monoxide, 45% of the nitrogen oxides, and 33% of hydrocarbon emissions in the world (Katzev, 2003). The combustion process of fuel in motor engines emit Carbon Monoxide (CO) will not only pollute the air quality, it also harm the human body through respiration (Sing Health 2013). Motor vehicles are also a major source of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, which many claim is the principal source of global warming (Katzev, 2003). Besides carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are also released from the combustion process of fuel in motor engines. These gases caused global warming to the Earth which the temperature will increase and trap the radiated heat from escaping out (Nutramed, 2011). In the United State, low emission motor vehicles contribute to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. AutoShare and U Car Share offer additional greenhouse gases reductions through partnerships with carbon-offset companies. Many customers report an increase in environmental awareness after joining a carsharing organization (Shaheen, North American car-sharing, 2008). Noise pollution is also an issue to the environment. With more motor vehicles on the road, the noises created from the engine revolutions can be a nuisance to the environment. Especially during traffic congestion, the noise level can be high and it may disrupt the concentration of ones mind. With fewer vehicles on the road through car sharing, the level to Carbon Monoxide (CO) will eventually be reduced, thus causing lesser carbon monoxide emitted to the environment. 2.2.2 Less traffic congestions http://driving-in-singapore.spf.gov.sg/services/driving_in_singapore/images/information/traffic_statistics/fatality.jpg Figure .1 : Fatal and Injury Accident Rate Per 10,000 Vehicle Population (Source: Singapore Police Force, 2013) Car-sharing helps to tame traffic because it reduces solo driving (Wang, 2011). According to the graph, Singapore has an increasing figure in vehicle population by 1.45% from 951,307 in 2011 to 965,192 in 2012 (Singapore Police Force, 2013). This is a great number for Singapore as our country is limited in land area and the increasing vehicle population creates more traffic congestions. Traffic congestion is an increasingly serious problem in many cities. For example United States, traffic tie-ups, especially during peak hours timing, are estimated to cost the United States 1.2 billion hours of lost time and 2.2 billion gallons of gasoline each year, to say nothing of the estimated $30 billion annual loss in productivity alone (Katzev, 2013). Due to the increasing numbers of motor vehicles on the road, the danger faced by the road users, especially motorcyclists are still an issue. Despite last years drop in the fatal and injury accidents, there are still a significant number of deaths on our roads. The increase in the number of traffic violations remains a concern as every traffic violation can potentially result in a fatal or injury accident and the loss of lives (Singapore Police Force, 2013). As an alternative measure of reducing the amount of vehicle population, car sharing can provide road users with a choice. Some of Singapore car sharing companies such as CarClub provides to their customers a wide variety of motor vehicles to choose from to cater for different kind of occasions (CarClub, 2013). Because the drivers of the car sharing scheme are charged accordingly to the amount of mileage logged, therefore drivers would plan their trip carefully in order to make unnecessary drive trips. The implementation of car sharing can also reduce the amount of motor vehicles on the road if 5 people sharing a car to the common destination rather than driving on personal motor vehicles. 2.2.3 Reducing the cost of traveling to destination Traveling to a destination by private vehicles can be costly. With Singapore implemented ERP (Electronic Road Pricing), It will be expensive to travel to CBD area during peak hours by personal vehicles. In addition, the cost of parking in business towers in CBD area can be costly too. The cost of owning a private car can be a burden in Singapore. As the price of Certificate of Entitlement (COE) is hiking, a measure by the Singapore Government in order to maintain or reduce the amount of motor vehicles on the road, which can be costly. According to report, a price of a Cherry QQ in Singapore with COE can match up for a Porsche Boxster Black Edition in the US (AsiaOne, 2012); this shows how the soaring COE price has turned the ownership of motor vehicle as a huge expenditure. Car sharing is different from rent a car from car rental, car sharing gives individuals access to a car for brief trips, in some cases as short as a half hour, charging only for the time and duration of each trip. In contrast, car rental companies charge the full daily rate, regardless of the duration or distance of travel. In addition, customers that rent a car must pay for the petrol cost required to fill the vehicles tank at the time it is returned, while the car-sharing companies pays all the costs of fuel, as well as insurance, vehicle maintenance, service, and repairs (Katzev, 2003). As car sharing scheme in Singapore, drivers can save amount money on the cost of owning a private motor vehicles including maintenance fees, annual road taxes and motor vehicle insurance payable. Car sharing not only offers to non-car owners the driving experience; it has also offers a much cheaper alternative to travel to their destination that in private motor vehicles. Car sharing has also provided Singapore a much cheaper alternative to travel than by taxi. Traveling by mode of taxi can be expensive. The rates and surcharges can add up to a high cost. Surcharges such as peak hour charges, midnight charges and location charges are included in different timing and location. Some of car sharing companies in Singapore such as CarClub provides to their customers with different price plans. CarClub comes with value plan and standard plan to cater to every customers needs. Value plan is cater for more for regular drivers whereas standard plan is cater more occasional drivers (CarClub, 2013). With different available price plans, drivers can choose the most appropriate plans to suit their driving frequency and save money. University students and low-income households also benefit from the flexibility and mobility that carsharing offers (Shaheen, North American car-sharing, 2008). With the recently tightening measure by the Singapore government, it has become more difficult for low and middle income group to purchase a private motor vehicle as buyers have to foot a down payment of 40 per cent or more for a new vehicle and have a maximum of five years to service their car loans (ChannelNewsAsia, 2013). Therefore, car sharing can be a more afford to the market for low and middle income groups. 2.2.4 Better connection Car sharing has provided users a better connection between different modes of transports, making it easier for the public to connect major transport nodes and therefore reducing the need to drive to their destination. Car sharing can provide better access to place where has limited access. For example, HDB residential area where the distance to the nearest public transport node is far away, it may be difficult for elderly or disabled people to travel. Motor vehicles in the car-sharing fleet are usually located close to the users residence, whereas those belonging to the rental companies are parked in central areas or major transportation hubs. Finally, those who want to rent a vehicle are required to complete time-consuming paperwork before they can drive the vehicle, whereas car sharers need only phone or go online to reserve a vehicle prior to using it (Katzev, 2003) In Singapore, CarClub has offered their customers with over 60 HDB car parks around Singapore to pick up the vehicles and available on 24/7 which provides ease and convenience (CarClub, 2013). Who benefits from car-sharing? The ultimate purpose of car-sharing are reducing the number of cars, increasing the efficiency of transport infrastructure and also changing behavior through alterations in mobility patterns. This has actually benefits to environment, social and government. 2.3.1 Environment 2.3.1.1 Creation a Potential for Better Quality of Life and Urban Form Car-sharing has proved its potential to reduce the negative impacts of social and environment. Monitoring of air quality takes place at stations around Singapore, and plays an important role in keeping the population up to date on haze conditions (National Environment Agency, 2013). Air emissions from the industries and motor vehicles are the two key sources of air pollution domestically (National Environment Agency, 2013). Each car-sharing vehicle can replace 4 privately owned vehicles (CarClub, 2013). Thus, car-sharing reduces the numbers of cars on the road; fewer cars equal fewer emissions of greenhouse gases. This means less pollution; decrease congestion on the road as well as reducing the amount of space used for parking and helps to regain space for environmental and other social uses. 2.3.1.2 Reduction of COà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ Burden of Transport Car-sharing is a pay-as-you-drive transportation service introduced to build a sustainable and environmentally-friendly urban community. This service provides an incentive for people to use car less and instead use public transport, a bike or walk. People have a greater variety of transport options available to them as when deciding the best way to reach their destination. Commuting by public transportation reduces your carbon emissions by 20 lbs per day, 4,800 lbs per year, which is more than if you weatherized your home, converted to fluorescent bulbs and replaced an old refrigerator, combined (PromotingPublic Transport, 2013). 2.3.1.3 Reduction of Energy Consumption An environmentally friendly car-sharing operator provides a wide range of vehicles to choose. They can choose different types of vehicles to fit their needs. Example, a small city car is usually most energy-efficient and less pollution; an estate cars are likely to be necessary for family trips; and a van may require for group travel. Users choose the vehicle type that best meets their needs for a particular trip. This benefits consumers, and may provide external benefits by reducing the use of oversized vehicles when smaller vehicles are adequate (Litman, 1999). 2.3.2 Society Car-sharing helps make communities more alive, attractive, safe, and less dependent on the private automobile, and contribute to a range of transportation, housing, economic development and social justice goals (City Car Share, 2013). 2.3.2.1 Save Money and Go Green Car-sharing is an ideal for people who only need a car occasionally and or when the need arises. By car-sharing scheme, people still can access to a private car without having responsibilities of ownership such as obtain a Certificate of Entitlement (COE), car insurance premium, car maintenance and repair costs, monthly installment, season car parking charges and road tax. In Singapore, 87% of members in NTUCs car-sharing co-op average only 2,000km in distance driven each year, which is much less than average mileage of the average private car owner (Singapore Environmental Vision, 2013). Car sharing saves you money, its greener, more affordable, and less stressful than driving and paying for a car you dont even need anymore (Cereplast, 2013). 2.3.2.2 Provide Mobility Car-sharing provides access to a vehicle for low-income households and others without a car, helping them to fully participate in the regions opportunities (CityCarShare, 2013). Low-income households may not be able to afford the expenses as a car ownership, thus public transport maybe their only option. Car-sharing can provide access for job interviews, serve as an emergency ride home, and meet the demand for occasional shopping and leisure trips (CityCarShare, 2013). With car-sharing scheme, they are now financially possible to join, in turn improving mobility by providing access to a vehicle. 2.3.2.3 Improves Commuting Options Car-sharing offers a commuter option that may work better than other methods of transportation. With a car-sharing option, a public commuter is empowered to decide the best way to reach his or her destination, i.e. by bus, MRT, taxi or to drive a car (CSAS, 2013). Currently, there are about 300 car-sharing vehicles located in over 100 locations in Singapore (Land Transport Authority, 2013). It is very convenient for users to access a car-sharing. Also, car-sharing provides the flexibility and convenience of a car when driving is a better choice compared to the buses, MRT or taxis. 2.3.3 Government Transport issues affect the average Singaporean in a very intimate manner.

Slavery and the Jamaican Maroons Essay -- Jamaica, Africa

The introduction of black slaves in the western world was the beginning of a new culture, more economic wealth and prosperity for whites and for blacks a life of poverty, enslavement and oppression. The life and times of the Jamaican Maroons is a story of an indomitable foe, a people whose survival depends on their wit and tenacity, form a part of this terrible saga in the history of blacks in the New World and where we are today. The struggle of the Maroons of Jamaica against the British colonial authorities, their subsequent collaboration with and betrayal by them. A story that took a circular voyage from West Africa to Jamaica, then to Canada and in the end returned to Africa. The Maroons of Jamaica originally came from West Africa. Some of them were IBO, a tribe from eastern Nigeria. The slave trade between 1590 and 1840 concerned three different cultures from three different continents involved in an elaborate system of barter in enslaved Africans. Europeans comb African countries looking for gold, ivory, spices and cheap labour for their plantations in the Americas; traveling routes first navigated in the 15th century. The Henrietta Marie was typical of the small merchant ships and traders that ply the Atlantic on their way to the Americas and the West Indies at the turn of the 18th century. In 1699, the ship left the port of London on her second slaving voyage, carrying cargo of European manufactured goods for trade in West Africa. She journeyed to the African coast where her cargo is exchanged for enslaved Africans and ivory, from there the ship sailed to Jamaica, where the captives is exchanged for sugar and logwood. Laden with new world goods, the Henrietta Marie! Began her long and ardours voyage home to London,... ... Africans, but a life born of necessity. Indeed, the early Maroons were "thorns and pricks" in the side of the British, they plunder and burn plantations, captured slaves and killed British soldiers who ventured out too far into the woods. The Maroons victories against the British were so numerous that in April, 1656, the British Governor D'Oyley reported "it hath pleased God to give us some success against the Negroes. A plantation of theirs beeinge (sic) found out, wee (sic) fell on them, slew some, and spoiled one of their chief quarters." In another skirmish the British soldiers killed "seven or eight â€Å"negroes" but the Maroons retaliated by ambushing and killing forty soldiers. In a letter to John Thurloe, Major Sedgwick said, "In two daies (sic) more than forty of our soldiers, were cut off by the negroes as they were carelessly going about their quarters."