Topic is to be a catastrophic event of some kind Research Paper

Topic is to be a catastrophic event of some kind - Research Paper Example It is known to be the most devastating hurricane to strike in the history of the United States. It completely destroyed vast regions including New Orleans and Mississippi. It has been estimated that more than 1,700 people were killed and some thousands were found to be misplaced. Going by the records, Hurricane Katrina is regarded as the costliest storm because the damages caused by it were worth billions of dollars. The devastation brought about by Hurricane Katrina had maximum effect on the poor population. The storm exposed the abject poverty, political inefficiency and longstanding corruption in the southern states of USA. (Laforet, 2010) Factors that influenced Hurricane Katrina Scientists have proved that formation of tropical hurricanes like Hurricane Katrina is facilitated by the warming of waters of the oceans. Anthropogenic activities are responsible for global warming by way of massive emissions of dioxide of carbon, methane and other gases into the atmosphere. The scienti sts have estimated that huge loss of wetlands in the southeast of USA which is important for maintaining ecological balance is one factor that influenced the devastation caused the Hurricane Katrina. This loss of wetlands in New Orleans city was partly caused by man’s actions. When one of the dikes surrounding the city broke the city was left to remain submerged in the waters. No step was taken to clear the water. Three years prior to the Hurricane Katrina, the government designed a plan for reducing the destructive effect that can be caused by future floods and storms. The plan was to strengthen the levees surrounding the New Orleans city and execution of the plan needed an amount of $14 billion. Although storms of massive strength were already predicted, the Bush administration approved a much lower budget of $2 billion for the plan. Their excuse was that funds were needed for the security of their country and for the war in Iraq. Now that the government has demonstrated it s indifference towards the woes of the people and its inability to make proper Risk Management Plans, Bush has tried to justify himself by explaining that it was not possible to anticipate the rupture of the levees which guarded the New Orleans city. (Valenzuela, 2005) Preventive Measures that could be taken Voices have been raised to declare that nothing could have been done to prevent the massive destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. Such declarations cannot be considered as true and rather they are completely wrong. Although all damages could not have been averted, concrete and planned measures could be taken to minimise the effect of the storm. The areas that were destroyed by the hurricane lie along a path that has already suffered by destructive hurricanes many times in the past. In spite of that nothing was done to prevent the devastating event like Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is one of the most vulnerable areas. It is surrounded by water on three sides and it lies belo w sea level. For many years there has been warning from engineers and scientists that if a major hurricane occurs, it would have devastating effect on New Orleans city which is guarded only by a network of levees and pumps. After the destruction caused by Hurricane Betsy in 1965, the levee system structure was altered to survive the force of category three hurricane, but Hurricane Katrina was of category four which is much stronger in force. It was predicted by the scientists that a hurricane

The Advantages of Studying Abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Advantages of Studying Abroad - Essay Example For those who are faced with alternative courses of action as to the selection of the educational institution they prefer – whether in their own country or abroad – diverse factors need to be considered before making the appropriate decision. In this regard, this essay aims to proffer the intricacies of studying abroad. It would initially delve into determining the factors that need to be considered when analyzing the option to study in a foreign land. Further, it would closely examine the advantages, as well as disadvantages, of being given the privilege to study in a foreign country. First and foremost, a critical consideration before one can simply enumerate the factors that need to be taken account when deciding to study abroad is the level of one’s preponderance to the decision. According to the study conducted by Naffziger, Bott & Mueller (2008, 44), there are two dependent variables that influence clearly stated factors which influence student decisions to study abroad: â€Å"INTEREST in studying abroad and OPENNESS to studying abroad.† These two variables greatly affect the students’ decision subject to the following factors: (1) curricular or career issues with study abroad programs; (2) fear of travel and of the unknown; (3) financial considerations; (4) incompatibilities; (5) previous travel experience and exposure to study abroad programs; and (6) social obligations and concerns. (Naffziger, et.al. 2008, 44) The variables are significant because they affect behavioral traits which ultimately lead them either to decide or not to undergo a study abroad program. Those who are genuinely interested and open for opportunities to study abroad are least likely to consider barriers: fear of the unknown, language and communication, ethnic and cultural diversity.  Ã‚  

Women's role in the African American Church Research Paper

Women's role in the African American Church - Research Paper Example However the Africans continued expressing their own religions and their own gods until slave and plantation life began to shut them off from their African origins. One can imagine there were religious gatherings of Africans at this time. There is evidence that when slaves were given Sundays off in New Orleans they would go to a place called Congo Square and with drums and dance, continue the religious celebrations they had in Africa. Black women held a status that was at the bottom of the wheel throughout American history. They were never given official recognition by the Church as preachers. Their lives were brutal were they continuously fell victim to rape and sexual exploitation from white males. Yet the early history of the African American church demonstrates how some black women received the ‘call’ to preach and how they showed an inner strength that persevered and accounted for the survival of many women and children. There were always free African Americans. Some of them had bought their freedom. These slaves learned to read and write. The free slaves were surrounded by different expressions of the white American culture. The whites were primarily Christians and they practiced their Christianity through various religions such as the Puritans, the Quakers, the Methodist, the Catholics, Episcopalians, and the Mennonites, among others. All these religions were based on one source, the bible. Slaves and free blacks begin to realize that by reading and learning the Bible, they could become Christians too and participate as Christians in the American economy. This is what some of them did. Some of the slaves read the Bible and argued that they had become converted to Christianity by getting baptized. White leaders begin to realize that if black people read the Bible, they would probably question white people's conduct of slavery on moral grounds and begin to threaten the entire institution of slavery. The white people soon past laws that not only disallowed black slaves to become Christian converts, but to make sure that black people could not escape their status as slaves. But white slaveowners also used the Bible to preach to slaves that it was right that they show obedience to their masters. During the 1770s, the Great Awakening occurred among white Christians. This was an evangelist movement where the white preachers, some of them like George Whitefield becoming famous, preached to large groups of people, exciting them with flashy oratory and songs and moving great numbers of people to convert and become Christians. Among those black people who could read, they interpreted several important themes from the Bible. Freedom became a real concept to them and these blacks began comparing themselves to the Israelites whose God eventually led them from Egyptian captivity. The Bible also served as a reading instrument for some of the slaves who were determined to learn to read. African Americans were well aware of Christianity as a religion and as slaves many of them begin to fuse some of their own religious symbols in Christianity. Blacks begin to have their own spiritual meetings in secret on the plantations and these were actually seedlings of the first black churches. Christian religion allowed them to see contradictions between the way they were treated and the way Christians professed to be. Early Churches A few plantation owners built churches for the slaves and had white preachers preach to them about obeying and being meek before the master. Masters who trusted their slaves allowed them to read and study the bible. Georgle Liele's master allowed him to be baptized

Operations Management - An Integrated Approach Case Study - 4

Operations Management - An Integrated Approach - Case Study Example The bank is concentrating on a customer-based change, in a bid to exacerbate its competitive advantage. Staffing, layout, and facilities are the critical targeted aspects in the customer service pursuit (Dan Reid & Sanders, 2005). The operations management should further account for an all-around treatment of operations components. These are quality, speed, dependability, flexibility, and cost (Dan Reid & Sanders, 2005). Since the bank is concerned with the customer aspect, the cost factor does not count in the required changes. However, it is important for the management to ensure that the bank operates within budget. The bank’s strategy to enhance its competitive advantage should target quality of its financial services, the speed of service at all levels, institutional dependability and flexibility of financial services to suit the different customers served. Facility upgrades will also complement these undertakings. A strategy tailored towards cutting costs rather than promoting customer service would require operational adjustments and re-adjustments where possible. Cutting on costs means that no additional costs can be incurred, and the already observed budget should be on the verge of declining. The improvements aforementioned in question two may need to be re-evaluated. The primary concern would be to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of the already functioning system in the bank. Facility upgrades may not be employed, but the quality, speed, dependability and flexibility aspects can be redesigned to become more efficient at the current or even lesser  budget.

Women's role in the African American Church Research Paper

Women's role in the African American Church - Research Paper Example However the Africans continued expressing their own religions and their own gods until slave and plantation life began to shut them off from their African origins. One can imagine there were religious gatherings of Africans at this time. There is evidence that when slaves were given Sundays off in New Orleans they would go to a place called Congo Square and with drums and dance, continue the religious celebrations they had in Africa. Black women held a status that was at the bottom of the wheel throughout American history. They were never given official recognition by the Church as preachers. Their lives were brutal were they continuously fell victim to rape and sexual exploitation from white males. Yet the early history of the African American church demonstrates how some black women received the ‘call’ to preach and how they showed an inner strength that persevered and accounted for the survival of many women and children. There were always free African Americans. Some of them had bought their freedom. These slaves learned to read and write. The free slaves were surrounded by different expressions of the white American culture. The whites were primarily Christians and they practiced their Christianity through various religions such as the Puritans, the Quakers, the Methodist, the Catholics, Episcopalians, and the Mennonites, among others. All these religions were based on one source, the bible. Slaves and free blacks begin to realize that by reading and learning the Bible, they could become Christians too and participate as Christians in the American economy. This is what some of them did. Some of the slaves read the Bible and argued that they had become converted to Christianity by getting baptized. White leaders begin to realize that if black people read the Bible, they would probably question white people's conduct of slavery on moral grounds and begin to threaten the entire institution of slavery. The white people soon past laws that not only disallowed black slaves to become Christian converts, but to make sure that black people could not escape their status as slaves. But white slaveowners also used the Bible to preach to slaves that it was right that they show obedience to their masters. During the 1770s, the Great Awakening occurred among white Christians. This was an evangelist movement where the white preachers, some of them like George Whitefield becoming famous, preached to large groups of people, exciting them with flashy oratory and songs and moving great numbers of people to convert and become Christians. Among those black people who could read, they interpreted several important themes from the Bible. Freedom became a real concept to them and these blacks began comparing themselves to the Israelites whose God eventually led them from Egyptian captivity. The Bible also served as a reading instrument for some of the slaves who were determined to learn to read. African Americans were well aware of Christianity as a religion and as slaves many of them begin to fuse some of their own religious symbols in Christianity. Blacks begin to have their own spiritual meetings in secret on the plantations and these were actually seedlings of the first black churches. Christian religion allowed them to see contradictions between the way they were treated and the way Christians professed to be. Early Churches A few plantation owners built churches for the slaves and had white preachers preach to them about obeying and being meek before the master. Masters who trusted their slaves allowed them to read and study the bible. Georgle Liele's master allowed him to be baptized

Cultural Awareness Essay Example for Free

Cultural Awareness Essay The popular book Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice is a novel that is responsible for the revitalization of the vampire genre in popular fiction. The book itself tells an interesting story about three vampires: Lestat, Louis, and Claudia. The tale is told from the perspective of Louis, a Creole American plantation owner in pre-Civil War America who catches the eye of Lestat, a vampire who is roaming the world alone, in need of a companion. Louis is depressed because of losing his family and therefore is suceptible to Lestat’s eagerness to make him into a vampire, which he does. The plot of the book revolves around these two characters as they live together. Louis hates what he has become and loathes taking life but makes Claudia, a little five year old girl, into a vampire as well. The relationship between Lestat and Louis, and their shared love of Claudia, is depicted throughout the novel as Louis struggles with his immortality, Lestat faces the betrayal of Louis and Claudia, and Claudia matures mentally without every growing physically. Their struggles with each other and against each other becomes the driving force behind the novel. The setting of Interview with the Vampire is primarily Paris and New Orleans before and after the Civil War. The vampires live together in a flat, where much of the action takes place between all of the characters. The reader is led through the torment of the plague in Paris, the customs of the slaves in New Orleans, and the underbelly of these two cities where Lestat, Louis, and Claudia find the people that they feed off of each night for their sustenance and strength. The characters found within this book are Lestat, Louis, Claudia, and Armand. These main characters show themselves throughout the novel to be interesting and complex. The character of Claudia emerges as a young girl whose mother has died of the plague and who Louis feels extremely sickened about when he feeds off of her. Lestat then helps him create a vampire out of her. Armand is the leader of the coven in Paris and becomes a close companion of Louis after Lestat and he go their separate ways. Each character brings a new dimension to the story.

The Policing Of Drugs Criminology Essay

The Policing Of Drugs Criminology Essay Canada has a problem with drug suppliers and the individuals that use these drugs. Canada has a unique way of dealing with the problem that has been working effectively. This is supply reduction, demand reduction, prevention, treatment, harm reduction and public education and The police and the communities all working together toward the goal of reducing drugs all over Canada. It is important to target the communities and make sure that they understand what the ongoing problem is so that they can contribute to eliminating the source. (University, 2011) The whole community must be involved in the needs of society when members are dealing drugs in their community. Individuals must not ignore this serious situation. It may not seem that dire if your neighbour is selling drugs but it really is that dire. There will be increased amount of traffic from individuals looking to purchase drugs at all hours of the day and night. It provides an unsafe environment for all the families that live near or around these types of unwanted behaviours. Drugs bring a whole list of concerns to the table such as many types of unwanted individuals will be trolling the neighbour from drug addicts to gangs. There is concern that there could be break-in on houses and cars because of drug addicts needing items to sell or trade for drugs. Gang members are usually the ones mostly selling the drugs. This is because this is where they frequently get their primary source of income. This is so that they will be able to fund other illegal activities that will benefit them even more. The many types of illegal activities they could be involved in are organized prostitution, weapons related offences, smuggling of individuals, travel document counterfeiting or credit card skimming. Gangs use violence to increase their situation and use their unpleasant character to advance their illegal endeavors. Drug trafficking is commonly connected to other more serious crimes. It is often used to sponsor the more violent and detrimental behavior of the illegal terrorist organizations. This is because of the major cash remuneration resulting from moderately negligible time and venture. The types of drugs they tend to sell are crack cocaine, ecstasy, crystal methamphetamine and marijuana. Gangs tend to sell drugs on the streets or from inside a home in communities. This can lead to turf wars or fights over drugs and who gets to sell in which territory. Drugs can be quite profitable if the gang has enough clients so situations of gang violence in communities can be worrisome to all involved living in and around these types of individuals. The problem with drugs is far reaching and has many consequences than just the end user because along the way many other illegal activities are occurring. A major concern is individuals making or growing drugs in houses. Houses in which have been used for growing marijuana need to be condemned, as they are not fit for living in due to number of health concerns. One such problem is the amount of mold due to all the moisture in the house. It is important to make sure that individuals are safe but there is a far larger concern than the growing of marijuana. One such problem would be the methamphetamine labs exploding are a huge concern a s they affect the houses around them with a potential fire or even result in fatalities. Individuals in the community must not fear speaking out against the drug dealers. It is important to notify the police and work with your communities to control the problem. Catching a problem before it explodes into a more severe problem assists to remove the situation from the communities. When individuals are on drugs this poses a danger to innocents such as children and pets when individuals are on drugs. Drugs cause individuals to fight and be disorderly in their conduct. Educating the public is important so that they understand what to look for and what they need to be reporting to make their community a safe place. Crime Stoppers are a great way for the general public to be able to make a complaint and help in eliminating drugs in their communities. The Calgary Police Service has been effective in recruiting police officers that operates as the liaison between the police services and Crime Stoppers. The Calgary Police services Gang Strategy Unit and the Drug Unit working with Crime Stoppers, can do a lot to prevent and reduce the harmful effects of drugs. This could be in the form of recommending the users attend drug rehab or forcing them through arrests as part of a rehabilitation program. Making sure that the dealers and gang members are arrested and procedures are put in place so that they cannot easily have access to selling drugs. This could be through bail requirements or the sentencing of having a curfew, no cell phone usage, no associating with other known offenders. Many types of other offenses are involved with the problem of drugs. It is important that all the units work together to share vital information to allow for the most effective means of preventing the drugs on the streets and in homes. (The Calgary Police, 2011) The Calgary Police Service and the Calgarys Gang Strategy unit is dedicated to bringing to a halt the violent behavior and eliminating the illegal actions of the gangs that surround drug dealers. The Organized Crime Operations Centre or the OCOC has been developed to organize the prevalent resources essential to deal with the present gang predicament directly. The organization is able to exchange vital information, methods and demonstrated approach with other North American metropolitan cities that have effectively dealt with the illegal gang behavior. The Calgary Police Service has established an inclusive initiative to curb the gangs unsuitable behavior. The Calgary Police Service has a four-point gang strategy, which is through education, prevention, investigation and disruption. (The Calgary Police, 2011) The Drug Unit coordinates investigations of illegal drug distribution within Calgary. It is responsible for investigating street-level drug dealers, targeting crack houses and other locations where drug use may be common. Certain officers are qualified to give expert testimony in court. Members of the Unit also deliver educational and awareness programs for various groups including schools, community associations and healthcare agencies. (The Calgary Police, 2011) It is important that the police and community are able to provide each other with valuable information. This is so that it keeps all organizations are current on the latest status of the safety of the communities. When communities work, together much can be achieved in terms of removing the unwanted behaviours from a particular community. Awareness is the key to initiating any type of investigation into drug issues. Undercover police are used to infiltrate the gangs that sell drugs to street level dealers. The problems associated with drug abuse endure and continue to expand in most areas of the globe. The international abuse of prohibited drugs and the drug trafficking state of affairs is becoming further multifaceted. Many factors contribute to this including the recreational drug abuser with a higher disposable income; a increase in demand and ease of accessibility for most varieties of prohibited drugs; the cultural, economic and political transformations caused by the instant interactions and globalization that have been the forerunner to progressively more wide open borders between many different countries. The drug trade involves all aspects of problems that contribute to the increase of drugs all over the world in most countries. This would be through the producers, growers, users, suppliers, couriers and dealers. (University, 2011) The illegal drugs are a substantial encumber on the Canadian economy and the individuals that abuse these substances. It has been estimated it may cost Canadians around $9 billion annually for the expanse of dealing with the drug issue. This would be including the court system, police services, imprisonment, productivity deficit, medical expenditures and work non-attendance. Those that are addicted to these illicit drugs can also be a threat to themselves, their families, and their communities. (University, 2011) The approach that the Canadian government has taken towards the drug is much different from other countries such as the United States, which has had a war on drugs. Canadas National Anti-Drug Strategy aims to prevent illegal drug use through these following methods: supply reduction, demand reduction, prevention, treatment, harm reduction. The strategy aims to enhance the necessary treatment programs, drug users health and everyone understanding of illegal drugs through education. (University, 2011) Community based programs are used to deal with deterrence, health endorsements, drug treatment, and harm reduction issues. Public education campaigns on substance use and drug abuse, with a specific focus on the youth, to provide Canadians with information to facilitate knowledgeable health and lifestyle decisions. (University, 2011) Supply Reduction is used to control the availability of drugs through stopping the production of crops, smuggling and trafficking. It is important to provide an alternative crop for farmers to grow if the illegal crop is to be prevented. If the drugs are not available for production or sale then supply reduction is working toward the intended goal. (University, 2011) Demand Reduction is meant to diminish the users or potential users from the drugs. This is through education and prevention programs that allows these individuals to learn more about the harm and damage of drugs in the hopes they will not use or they will discontinue using the drugs. The less people interested in purchasing the drugs the less demand a particular will have and the supply will be diminished from that point on. The drug treatment courts are a huge part of the demand reduction since they sentence drug users that have been charged with an offense due to their drug use. (University, 2011) Prevention is by way of the Prevention Action Plan that teaches the youth about illegal drugs and the problems associated with illegal drug use in the hopes of achieving prevention before they even begin. It is important to provide all kinds of information and real people to tell their stories of the hardships they had to bear because of an addition. The Treatment Action Plan, which works toward being able to sustain groundbreaking and efficient advances in the areas of drug treatment. This is to be able to effectively deal with and provide proper aid in their recovery to the addiction of the illicit drugs. (University, 2011) Harm Reduction is used particularly for policies or programs that aim to reduce the harm without necessarily requiring abstinence. if they can be shown to reduce drug-related harm rather than just reduce use and if they are not coercive or punitive in their approach. Some harm reduction strategies designed to achieve safer drug use may, range from simple practices such as needle and syringe exchanges to reduce the rates of needle-sharing among injecting drug users, which can spread HIV, to the more complex such as methadone maintenance treatment, supervised consumption facilities, street testing of drugs, and heroin prescription. (University, 2011) Enforcement actions are vital for preserving a definite amount of power over the flow of drugs in addition to imparting a substantial appearance of the social contempt of drugs. Illegal drug use is so complex and pervasive; it involves law enforcement at almost every turn. The justice-related costs associated with illicit drug use, including expenses for police, courts, and correctional services, have been estimated by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse at about $2 billion annually (University, 2011) (Rehm et al., 2006). I agree with the way that the police force and the Canadian government have decided to deal with the drug problem. Educating and providing safe options is better than putting every drug user through court who has not committed a crime that deems an arrest. It is far too costly to deal with every drug user that exists within Canada. It is better to reduce the supply and availability of the unwanted drugs in the community. Educating the public is a far better option so that the community can understand all the factors of drugs and drugs users and the problem associated with this. There will always be drugs as there will be people wanting to use them. The Canadian government understands these problems. They have therefore has taken a more proactive approach to reduce the amount of people interested in abusing drugs. They are effective in providing treatment and new habits that will aid the individuals in not being as debilitated. This is through education programs, health care and needle exchange programs. No one can win the war on drugs since there will always be individuals that want an illegal escape from reality. As long as the government deems it illegal, the allure will persist. It would not be a good idea to allow harsh drugs such as cocaine or crystal methamphetamine to be legal but marijuana should be legalized, if only to be one less problem for the police to deal with. This is because it takes such a toll on the justice system and the police force. Illegal drugs cause suffering and long-term abuse for the individual and it is important that these in dividuals are given a second chance at creating a new life.