Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist A Few Reflections Essay Essay Example

Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist: A Few Reflections Essay Paper All of us. no affair what our station in life. have dreams. These dreams may be vivacious and alive. throbing in our full being ; or they may be dead. possibly worn down by the weight of the old ages and the personal businesss of day-to-day life. For the people who nourish great. expansive dreams in their bosom. each twenty-four hours is full of significance and way. But for those who have let their dreams fade. life. no affair how enjoyable it may be. is empty of existent fulfilment. Merely those who chase their dreams. no affair what the trouble. will be able do something of themselves. populating a life of their ain pick. We will write a custom essay sample on Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist: A Few Reflections Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist: A Few Reflections Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist: A Few Reflections Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. we have the narrative of Santiago. a immature shepherd who dreams of inhumed hoarded wealth in the Pyramids of Egypt. He chases his dream. go forthing behind all that he knew. He encounters trouble after trouble. and more than one time comes face to face with his at hand decease. Indeed. until the really terminal of the novel. it seems as if Santiago will die in a distant land without holding reached his end. And yet. through fortunes that he could non hold foreseen. he finally obtains his hoarded wealth – both in gold and wisdom. The Religious Journey Called Life There are many analogues between Santiago’s experiences in the book and the religious journey that we all must take up. His journey. set off by a perennial dream. speaks to us of the ends and aims that we hold beloved to our Black Marias. And. like him. we may disregard the relentless voice of our inner ego in order to prosecute short-sighted aims. being cognizant of our possibilities but afraid of go forthing a familiar universe behind. We all have a intent in life that no 1 else can carry through but us. We are put on Earth to transport out peculiar mission. a undertaking that we are well-suited to. in malice of our limited self-concept and our current fortunes. And. oftentimes. the most of import thing we can make is to merely acquire started. Christians have no trouble believing in a intent set by God. and yet excessively many people shrink from what seems to be the Herculean attempts that will be required of them to see it through. When they do this. they show how small religion they have in the wisdom and grace of God. After all. would an omniscient. almighty being set a undertaking for a adult male that he can non bear? In all actuality. it is adult male who doubts his capacity. seeking to do his life more manageable by circumscribing it. instead than doing it the keen and meaningful escapade that it was meant to be. Like Santiago. we all have to be able to give up our daily personal businesss in order to prosecute a higher end. In and by itself. the modus operandi of day-to-day life is non really meaningful. particularly if we are cognizant that there is something greater that must be accomplished. The first clip that we step out to make something about our ends. we will be hit by the fright of uncertainness. which will be aided in big portion by the sentiments of people around us. If. for case. you feel called to go the universe for a few old ages. you will be hit by countless concerns. Where will the money come from? Will I have a occupation when I get back? What will people believe of me? These concerns. comparatively fiddling when lay eyes oning a one’s intent in life. look much more of import to us than they should. in portion because there will ever be people around to convert us that what we propose to make is impractical – even crazy. Even Jesus’ injunction to â€Å"take no idea for the morrow. † though well-known by all who profess the Christian religion. has frequently easy been swept aside by more matter-of-fact considerations. The Alchemist: A Christian Book? Christian similarities notwithstanding. those who wish to see The Alchemist as a strictly Christian book are bound to be disappointed. Indeed. the book makes every bit much out of Islamic rules as it does Christian 1s. Besides. the really title itself is implicative of the supernatural. for established Christianity has historically viewed alchemy as little more than the work of the Devil himself. Puting these narrow considerations aside. nevertheless. anyone should be able to see that the true value of The Alchemist lies in the catholicity of its message. All faith. in it purest signifier. purposes to exceed day-to-day life and come into Communion with the Godhead world. In the terminal. connexion with the Godhead can non be distilled into adept systems of moral behaviour. or in the pattern of rites. One must larn to listen within. to acquire in touch with the Godhead flicker that resides in each individual. Merely by prevailing in this quest – this journey – can we derive the interior strength required to happen our ain single â€Å"treasure. †

The Trial of Steven Truscott

The Trial of Steven Truscott Free Online Research Papers The time and place: 1959; Clinton, Ontario, Canada. The crime: the rape and murder of a 12 year old girl. The Suspect: a 14 year old boy, one of the victim’s classmates. The story of Steven Truscott and the crime he was convicted of committing was shocking when it happened nearly 50 years ago, but even as recent of February 2007, this case has been making headlines in Canadian news. This case could have been a contributing factor to the shaping of the Canadian criminal code, specifically the juvenile system and the death penalty. The details of the case must be explored to better understand the impact it made in Canada, and how it has continued to affect the life of Steven Truscott. On the evening of June 9, 1959, 14-year-old Steven Truscott gave one of his classmates, Lynn Harper, 12, a ride near the Air Base in Clinton, Ontario. According to Truscott, after he dropped her off, he rode away, but â€Å"saw as car stop where Harper was standing. She got in the car and the car drove off (McClish).† Two days later, Harper’s body was found in some bushes by the base. She had been raped, and then strangled. Thought to be the last person to see her alive, Truscott immediately became the prime suspect in her murder investigation. By the 12th of June, the day after her body was found; Truscott was arrested and taken into custody. On the 13th, he was charged with her murder (CBC News). No other suspects were ever seriously considered. As far as suspects go, there were a few others that were overlooked. There were several thousand service men living on the airbase, many were young and single. There was one 18 year old man that was questioned by the police. He â€Å"claimed to have seen the girl the night she disappeared around 6:30 pm in the town of Clinton (CBC News).† This statement was inconsistent with the fact that Harper never left the base, but he was also able to recall the fact that she was wearing blue shorts.† He was cleared from suspicion by his girlfriend who said that he was with her for most of the evening. According to police notes, there is no indication that any further investigation was done. Another possible suspect was Sgt. Alexander Kalichuk. He was a convicted sexual predator. He was a â€Å"heavy drinker with a history of sexual offenses (CBC News).† He worked as a supply technician at the Clinton base, where Lynn Harper’s father was the senior supply officer. He transferred to a base in Aylmer, about a one hour drive away, but still made frequent trips back to Clinton. Three weeks before Harper’s body was found, Kalichuk attempted to lure a 10-year old girl to his car, but stopped when her father approached. He was arrested by the OPP and charged. A judge dismissed the charge due to lack of evidence, but the judge did give Kalichuk a warning that he, and the police, knew what he was â€Å"up to.† On the day of Harper’s murder, he was reportedly involved in an incident of indecent exposure just a few miles away from the Clinton base. It is also believed that the car Truscott claimed to have seen Harper get in to may have be longed to Kalichuk. Sgt. Kalichuk â€Å"drank himself to death in 1975 (CBC News).† The police refuse to say whether or not an investigation was ever conducted to link him to Harper’s murder. There were 2 other witnesses that claim to have seen evidence indicating that a car may have been present at the site where Harper’s body was found. George Edens was the man that found Harper’s body. He claimed that â€Å"going up you could see skid marks. Just up to the pavement, it was only maybe three or four feet long (CBC News).† Another man, Bob Lawson, had property near that site. He was suspicious because he had never seen a car parked there in the past. He reported it to the authorities after Harper’s body had been found, but the police already had Truscott in custody. In his statement to The Fifth Estate, Lawson said â€Å"They didn’t take it very serious. He said I think they’ve, I think they’ve already picked somebody up. They didn’t want to hear anything else.† From this statement, it seems to me like the police didn’t care to even consider anyone other than Truscott as the person who committed this crime. Other than Truscott’s statement that he gave Harper a ride that night, there was another piece of evidence that placed Truscott at the scene. There were bicycle tracks similar to that of Steven’s bicycle. According to Bob Lawson, they were experiencing dry weather at the time, so there really was no way the tracks could have been made that month. This did not stop police from drawing the conclusion that Truscott had to be the one that raped and murdered young Harper. During the investigation, many young children had been questing regarding Truscott’s alibi. Police wanted to know how many of them had seen Truscott and Harper together. Among these interviews were: Phillip Burns, a 10 year old boy that was concluded to be at the scene too early, and couldn’t have seen them there; Jocelyn Gaudet, who was supposed to meet Truscott (in the same bush where Harper was found) for a secret date; and Gord Logan, Truscott’s friend who was said to have made up his testimony to protect Truscott’s alibi. These testimonies may have been crucial evidence in convicting Truscott. After all the evidence was gathered, Truscott was taken to trial. Other than the old bicycle track, there was one critical piece of evidence that possibly pointed to Truscott as the killer. From what I would assume, there were probably not as many scientific tools available in 1959 as there is today, but the medical examiner was said to have been able to pinpoint the murder with remarkable precision. Relying mainly on the analysis of Lynn’s stomach contents he placed the time of death precisely in the half-hour window between 7:15 pm and 7:45 pm an astonishing precision even with the forensic tools available today (CBC News). This was a crucial piece of evidence due to the fact that Truscott admitted in a statement that he and Harper were riding on his bicycle at that same time. â€Å"I got on the seat and she mounted the crossbar and we took off. The time? Probably between 7:30 and 7:45. I took her to the highway, turned around and rode slowly back toward the school (McClish).† According to the jury, this must have been enough evidence. On December 8, 1959, a jury found Truscott guilty of the murder, and was sentenced to death. The trial only lasted 15 days. Truscott was the youngest Canadian ever to be sentenced to death. Due to the building controversy of his harsh sentencing, the conservative Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker, commuted Truscott’s sentence to life in prison. After Truscott’s sentencing, there were a lot of citizens that spoke out about the incident. An extremely powerful poem was written by Pierre Berton. It questions the decision for capital punishment of a minor child and why there is a need for it in general. It is on the following page. ? In Goderich town The Sun abates December is coming And everyone waits: In a small, dark room On a small, hard bed Lies a small, pale boy Who is not quite dead. The cell is lonely The cell is cold October is young But the boy is old; Too old to cringe And too old to cry Though young But never too young to die. Its true enough That we cannot brag Of a national anthem Or a national flag And though our Vision Is still in doubt At last weve something to boast about: Weve a national law In the name of the Queen To hang a child Who is just fourteen. The law is clear: It says we must And in this country The law is just Sing heigh! Sing ho! For justice blind Makes no distinction Of any kind; Makes no allowances for sex or years, A judges feelings, a mothers tears; Makes no allowances for age or youth Just eye for eye and tooth for tooth Tooth for tooth and eye for eye: A child does murder A child must die. Dont fret dont worry No need to cry Well only pretend hes going to die; Were going to reprieve him Bye and bye. Were going to reprieve him (We always do), But it wouldnt be fair If we told him, too So well keep the secret As long as we can And hope that hell take it Like a man. And when weve told him Its just pretend And he wont be strung At a nooses end, Well send him away And, like as not Put him in prison And let him rot. The jury said mercy And we agree O, merciful jury: You and me. Oh death can come And death can go Some deaths are sudden And some are slow; In a small cold cell In October mild Death comes each day To a frightened child. So muffle the drums and beat them slow, Mute the strings and play them low, Sing a lament and sing it well, But not for the boy in the cold, dark cell, Not for the parents, trembling-lipped, Not for the judge who followed the script; Save your prayers for the righteous ghouls In that Higher Court who write the rules For judge and jury and hangman too: The Court composed of me and you. In Goderich town The trees turn red The limbs go bare As their leave are bled And the days tick by As the sky turns lead For the small, scared boy On the small, stark bed A fourteen-year-old Who is not quite dead. Could this have been something that caused the Canadian government to review the need for capital punishment? Probably not, but I am sure his voice was heard and that he still made an impact. I believe, in order to better understand the conviction and sentencing of Truscott, one must first have some understanding of the history of the Canadian juvenile justice system, as well as information on the use of capital punishment in Canada. The following information came from the Canada Department of Justice website. Throughout the 1800s, there really was no separate justice system in Canada for juvenile offenders. They were sentenced to prisons and served the same sentences as adults. Small changes were starting to take place at the end of the 19th Century. In some of the provinces, industrial, or remedial, schools were being developed. One of the first major proposals for a separate juvenile system was in 1890 by the Prisoner’s Aid Association of Canada. The following ideas were included in the proposal: The organization supported a program that included special courts for young offenders, limited use of detention for those under 14, qualified staff for reformatories and industrial schools and the use of indefinite sentences. Another attempt for reform came from Ontario in 1891. Although it only applied specifically to Ontario, it did have national impact and heightened awareness for the juvenile reform campaign. The Ontario Commission recommended the following: every city and large town should have one or more industrial school children under 14 should not be publicly arrested and detained children under 14, when it is necessary to hold them, should not be detained in a common jail but in a place entirely away from the police station all children under 14 should be tried in special courts convicted children under 14 should never be incarcerated in a common jail, and should be sent to a reformatory or refuge only as a last resort more use should be made of suspended sentences a probation system should be introduced earned remission for good conduct should be offered a parole system should be adopted, as well as apprenticeship programs and boarding out an association should be formed in every region of the province for the after-care of released juveniles changes in the law should give more power to provincial officials over such things as pardon, parole and the general supervision of delinquent children These kinds of policies would allow for earlier intervention and a chance to keep children away from adult offenders, where they could possibly be exposed to more criminal behavior. Although many acts were passed to keep children in separate prisons from adults, the Juvenile Delinquents Act of 1908 still allowed for children over the age of 14 that were accused of murder or treason to be transferred to ordinary courts. This act set the tone in the Canadian Justice system about the next 75 years. While I don’t believe that Truscott’s trial was the only reason the Department of Justice decided to re-evaluate this Act, I do believe that it had a major impact on their decision. Truscott’s conviction and sentence was decided in 1959. It was just one year later, in 1960, that the Department of Justice assembled a committee to study the details of the Act. The final report, issued in 1965, focused on the need for additional action, including equal application of the Act throughout all of Canada, and better training for judges and court officials in handling juvenile offenders. Quebec was the first province to take action after this report was issued. It took steps to be sure all juvenile offenders had access to lawyers. Many of the standards in the juvenile system were not put in to place until after Truscott was released from prison in 1969, but his case, combined with many other young offenders, paved the road, and caused the Canadian Justice department to examine the way these young people were being punished. The policies began to standardize in the 1980s by enforcing the right to counsel throughout the country, and also allowing the right to appeal a conviction. The minimum age for prosecution was raised to 12 years old. Other changes were made to standardize convictions and sentencing. Detention could not exceed two years, except when the crime would normally be punishable by a life sentence, in which case, the maximum was three years. In the late 1980s, there was an amendment made to increase the penalty for murder. The penalty for first-degree murder was raised to a maximum of 10 years, and second-degree to 7 years. Except for a few other suggestions for special treatment of offenders under the age of 12, these Canada-wide standards have continued to stay in place. Along with the many changes in the juvenile system, Canada has also seen changes in the Criminal Justice system regarding capital punishment. I believe that Truscott’s case may have also had a small influence on the abolition of the death penalty. There were no major changes with capital punishment from 1869 until 1961, just one year after Truscott’s death sentence was commuted. Legislation was passed in 1961 that reclassified murder into capital and non-capital offenses. This allowed for only capital murder to be punishable by death. In 1967 a bill was passed that placed a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, except in cases involving the murder of a police officer, and in 1976, capital punishment was abolished completely by Canadian Parliament. One of the main reasons was due to the possibility of wrongful convictions, including possibly Truscott’s. There was also an uncertainty as to the effectiveness of the death penalty. The death penalty was replaced with life imprisonment. With no eligibility for parole for 25 years in the case of first-degree murder, and 10-25 years for second degree murder. Even though it was almost 20 years after Truscott’s case, I feel that it still may have been one of the considering factors in lifting capital punishment in Canada. Steven Truscott was in prison for 7 years when a journalist, Isabel LeBourdais, published a book that questioned his conviction. Her book, â€Å"The Story of Steven Truscott,† prompted the Canadian supreme court to examine the case a second time. After â€Å"deliberating and reviewing the case, the justices voted 8-1 against giving the young man a new trial (City News).† The one justice that voted for a new trial pointed out many of the original holes that the case had in the first place, stating they should be re-examined, one of which was the time of death. In 1966, years after the trial, the coroner that initially placed time of death between 7:15 and 7:45, corrected himself and said that â€Å"All findings are compatible with death within 2 hours of Lynn’s last meal (CBC News).† This opened up the possibility that someone else could have been with Harper in the same timeframe as Truscott. Despite being denied a new trial, and his life sentence, T ruscott was still released from prison in 1969. He assumed a new identity, married, and had three children. Truscott insisted, as he does still to this day, that he did not commit the crime, and he remained haunted by the fact he was convicted of the crime even as he was given a chance for a new life. Truscott remained in hiding for nearly 20 years. I believe one of the main reasons he came out of hiding was because he was consumed with the need to prove himself innocent. In September 1997, Truscott agreed to DNA testing that would possibly exonerate him, but because of the time space, some of the crucial evidence had been destroyed. A few years later, March of 2000, Truscott breaks his silence once again. He decided to go on the CBC News and proclaim his innocence, vowing to do whatever it would take to clear his name. This is what began his crusade, which would last to the present day. Truscott was paired with the Association in Defence of the Wrongfully Convicted (AIDWYC), and in November 2001, they filed an application for a retrial to the Minister of Justice-the person that decides if a new trial should be ordered. The following January, the minister of Justice ruled that an outside agent also needed to review the request. Justice Fred Kaufman was the man appointed fo r that review. He had been appointed in the past to review wrongful murder conviction cases. It took a little over two years, but in April 2004, Kaufman presented a 700 page report that confirmed â€Å"sufficient new evidence had been found† and â€Å"that the Minister of Justice order the Ontario Court of Appeal to hear the case as if it were an appeal of the original conviction (CBC News).† One of his reasons falls back again to the evidence that probably convicted Truscott in the first place†¦Harper’s time of death. Kaufman stated â€Å"modern science has removed the time of death as a piece of circumstantial evidence favouring Truscott’s guilt (CBC News).† In October, the new Minister of Justice, Irwin Cotler, referred the case to the Ontario Court of Appeal for review. Cotler believed that a new trial was necessary. I have determined that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that a miscarriage of justice occurred in this case†¦we have a legal – and I believe moral – obligation to see if the new evidence would have affected the verdict. A few more years go went by before any more major progress was made in the case. In the meantime, Truscott had his 60th birthday, and was still trying to prove his innocence. In April 2006, two years after Kaufman ordered the appeal, Lynn Harper’s body was exhumed to attempt DNA testing. Because so much time had go by, there was no evidence in her remains salvageable for testing. Finally, in June of 2006, Truscott’s case is heard by the Ontario Court of Appeals. As of January 2007 (yes, that’s this year) the case was still being heard, with three possible outcomes dismiss appeal order a new trial acquittal The appeal ended on Wednesday February 14th, but the decision lies with the five member panel of judges that heard the case. There were arguments of missing and distorted evidence, the fact that most of the eyewitness testimonies were from young children, whose stories changed from their initial statements to the days of the initial trial (City News). One of Truscott’s lawyers, Hersch Wolch, reminded the panel â€Å"behind me sits a 60-year old man who for 80 percent of his life has been branded as a murderer, He can be viewed also as an innocent 14-year old boy sentenced to hang. This court is the only venue for justice now and forever (City News).† This may have been a desperate pull of the heartstrings, but I think he was doing it to stress the fact that this wrong conviction (possibly) has consumed the majority of Truscott’s life, but that it has also affected the lives of Lynn Harper’s family, and the Ontarian public as a whole. As of April, I ha ve not found any word as to the final outcome of Truscott’s crusade to prove his innocence. The end of the article by The City News states â€Å"It could take anywhere from several weeks to several months for the judges to render their decision. I believe this case truly has been an impact in Canadian society. People have been focused on the story of Steven Truscott and Lynn Harper since that day in June of 1959. I believe his case helped spawn the review for a development of a criminal system for Canadian youth. It also may have been one of the factors that lead to the deletion of capital punishment in the Canadian Code. I am going to make a bold statement and say based on the evidence that was originally presented, even with the original time of death proven to be so close to when Truscott said to have left Harper, I would not have been able to make the decision to convict a child of that crime, or sentence him to death. I believe him to be not guilty of the crime he was convicted of, and has spent his entire life trying to prove so. He is still young (as in he probably is not going to die soon), but I still hope that Steven Truscott gets his results back while he still able to enjoy some of his life as an innocent m an. References CBC News: The Fifth Estate. â€Å"The Steven Truscott Story: Moment of Truth.† cbc.ca/fifth/truscott/index.html. City News. â€Å"Steven Truscott Appeal Wraps Up With Lawyers Pleading Convicted Man’s Innocence.† citynews.ca/news/news_7848.aspx. February 14, 2007. Department of Justice Canada. â€Å"The Evolution of the Juvenile Justice System in Canada.† justice.gc.ca/en/ps/inter/juv_jus_min/sec01a.html. McClish, Mark. â€Å"Statement Analysis: Steven Truscott.† statementanalysis.com/truscott. Research Papers on The Trial of Steven TruscottCapital PunishmentThe Fifth HorsemanUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresQuebec and CanadaPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsEffects of Television Violence on Children

Difference Between Wie and Als

Difference Between 'Wie' and 'Als' In German,  wie  means as.   The word  als  also means as. Its no wonder that people learning German get confused between the two. Luckily, if you can memorize two simple rules then you can master the difference and continue on your way toward German fluency.   The Mistake Wie (adverb/conjunction) is often used instead of als (only a conjunction) and vice versa. For example, incorrect use might read: Er ist grÃ" §ÃŽ ²er wie sein Vater. (Intended to say: He is taller than his father.)Dieses Auto ist teurer wie mein letztes.  (Intended to say: This car is more expensive than my last one.) The correct way to phrase these sentences would be: Er ist grÃ" §ÃŽ ²er als sein Vater.Dieses Auto ist teurer als mein letztes. Whats the Difference? Though both wie and als  are used when comparing two items or people, remember that: Wie is used solely when both things compared are equalAls is used only when the items compared are unequal. Can You Say Als Wie? There is also the tendency, even among Germans, to use both als wie together in a phrase when comparing two items. For example, one popular slogan for the clothing store KiK states Besser als wie ​man denkt. (Better than you think.)Grammatically correct, this should read: Besser als man denkt. The  wie is unnecessary and incorrect.   Try This Memorization Trick So how can you remember what  wie and als stand for when comparing two things? Try this memorization trick: anders als:  different than If you remember als with the other A-word and that it means different, then you know you cannot insert als for wie, which is used when comparing two equal (not different) things.

Bizzell (1986) argues that in order to succeed in university it is Essay

Bizzell (1986) argues that in order to succeed in university it is necessary to become 'bicultural'. Critically discuss this idea drawing on relevant SSK12 mate - Essay Example argument, Bizzell presents the three main approaches taken in attempting to understand these issues and the problems inherent in focusing on just one approach at a time, proving that a bicultural approach is the only equitable and serviceable approach possible. This idea of a bicultural approach is supported throughout Bizzell’s arguments by Brigid Ballard and John Clanchy in their article â€Å"Literacy in the University: An Anthropological Approach† as well as through my own college experience. The first approach to educating basic writers â€Å"says that basic writers entering college precipitate a clash among dialects† (Bizzell, 1986, p. 294) because their home dialect differs significantly from the diction and grammar of Standardized English widely used throughout the world of higher education. Arguments against the use of standard English indicate that students with differing dialects lose a great deal of their ability to communicate, suffer a reduction in the depth of their education because of the necessity of learning and adopting the academic system and represents a lack of recognition of the validity and unique expressive nature of the home dialects. Presenting a strong argument to the contrary, advocates of the Standard English approach merely need to point out the necessity of preparing students for success in an increasingly globalized world that depends on Standard English for a good deal of its communication needs. However, even identifying the appropr iate language to use in a given academic paper can be difficult. â€Å"Gradually, the students learn that, when asked to write an essay on, say, language acquisition, the method of analysis they employ, the evidence they bring to bear, the language they use will be very different depending on whether they are enrolled in linguistics, prehistory, sociology, education or psychology† (Ballard & Clanchy, 1988, p. 172). This has led some educators to advocate a bicultural approach to education that

Project Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project Management - Research Paper Example Some negative features of its structure as well as execution counteract the positive results that are being attained under the Act. The lack of a â€Å"trigger for greenhouse gas emissions† (Russell & Cohn, 2012) is a major gap in the dogmatic structure of issues of national importance. Addition of a greenhouse trigger within the Act is suggested to harmonize other greenhouse schemes of the Australian Government. Latest policy alterations in listing endangered ecological communities may ease a number of these setbacks; however, a process for â€Å"merits review of listing decisions† (Russell & Cohn, 2012) would improve the public responsibility and precision of the function of the Act. No individual should take any step that likely to have a major impact on the heritage standards of a confirmed property without the authorization of Environment Minister. Each heritage property, including South Western Historical Society Building, has its personal heritage standards. It i s the standards, and not merely the place itself, which are safeguarded. Any activity is likely to have a major effect if there is even the slightest likelihood or chance that it will cause one or more of the heritage standards to be lost, dishonoured, harmed or changed considerably. Activities outside the heritage property that have an effect on the heritage standards also require authorization (Hansen & Hoffman, 2010). It is a counselling body whose associates are hired by the Heritage Minister, together with delegates from the community, â€Å"Director General of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure†, a person with aptitude and expertise in historical heritage, and the â€Å"National Trust of Australia† (Lane et al, 2010). The functions of the EPBC are (1) giving suggestions and performing analysis, research and inquiries with respect to the items of environmental heritage; (2) maintaining a record, known as the State Heritage Inventory, recording places of State and local heritage importance. Thirdly, carrying out community learning about the nation’s environmental heritage, and (4) and giving views or reports on environmental heritage when needed. Any person or a company, who wants to renovate or refurbish a place, building or land listed as a historical heritage, should initially get authorization from the EPBC. Any activity that might harm some or all foliage on land or within limits of a heritage item needs authorization as well. These authorizations are not compulsory for State significant improvements that have been given development approval. Not each action that entails a matter â€Å"protected by the EPBC Act will have a significant impact† (Piddock, 2007), so it is essential that the person gives every available piece of information regarding the planned activity for renovation, in addition to the measures he will be taking to decrease undesirable effects on the building. The Australian Government has mutual c ontracts with every state as well as territory administration to authorize environment evaluation procedures that meet the already established values. If a person wants EPBC Act endorsement, besides state or territory administration authorization, it may be feasible to carry out a single evaluation, avoiding repetition. To make the most of this chance it is vital that the person takes an appointment with the minister at the beginning of drafting a

Examples of Good Globalization

Examples of Good Globalization When attempting to come up with a good example of globalisation, the first things that come to mind are McDonalds and children from third world countries wearing USA t-shirts. Anthony Giddens mentions in his book Runaway World how a friend of his was doing field studies in a village in central Africa. She was invited to a local home to enjoy an evening she thought would be culturally informing; however, the families entertainment turned out to be a viewing of the American movie Basic Instinct, and the movie hadnt even been released in London yet (Giddens 2002). This is merely one of many examples that go to show how the world we live in is undergoing a drastic transformation that is impossible for anyone to ignore. Whether it is noticeable or not, globalisation is affecting every person on earth, in every aspect of our lives and in everything we do. Most skeptics and radicals look at the economic side of globalisation and toss the other aspects of globalisation to the side. Globalisation is technological, political, and cultural, just as much as it is economic. It is modifying and influencing, but not destroying, cultural identities across the globe. No matter what country comes to mind, almost all have a word in their own native language for globalisation. This global trend is impossible to miss, from curry and chips-recently voted the favourite dish in Britain-to Thai saunas, Zen Catholicism or Judaism, Nigerian Kung Fu, or Bollywood films, made in Bombay-Mumbai and mixing Indian traditions of song and dance with the conventions of Hollywood (Burke 2009). This is not to say that we are undergoing global hybridisation or falling to transnationalisation, but rather, that the cultural blending happening all around the globe is helping us gain knowledge of the world through the many means of communication out there. Also, globalisation is not diminishing cultural identities, but rather, it is heightening an individual cultures sense of self. Many believe a World Order is indeed falling upon us, some being for it and some against, but if we were to undergo the transition to a single World/Government Order, we would lose all sense of culture identities and individualism. If we had a global state, what would prevent the leaders of this new order from dictating a world of secularization? Who would want to be forced to be in a World Order where everything is dictated and all are forced to more or less become a puppet to one world government? Whether it is seen as a World Order, a global society, or a world system, its presence is unnecessary in todays world. Emile Durkheim, a sociologist not opposed to World Order and solidarity, states that, any society is motivated by its need to normatize the event of its togetherness by constructing and adhering to common symbols, beliefs, and practices. Those common symbols, beliefs, and practices do not exist, therefore, simply for the sake of their intrinsic value, truth, or logic. In other words, they have no intrinsic essence (Bamyeh 2000). In saying that the societies and cultures in todays world lack intrinsic essence in their beliefs, traditions, and practices, Durkheim is underlying that these societies have no innate feelings for their own cultural identities, and that these identities have been formed out of the necessity to bring people together to form a society. If Durkheim were to simply take into account all the religious and cultural turmoil going on, she would see that a cultures beliefs, symbols, and practices do hold intrinsic essence to the people within. A largely discussed topic pertaining to globalisation revolves around Benjamin Barbers thesis, distinguishing the differences between the forces of McWorld and Jihad. These are two general attitudes in regards to globalisation. McWorld represents global mass culture and the unification by consumerism and transnationalism. Jihad, on the other hand, represents the deterioration of local traditions and histories due to globalisation (Cowen 2002). My idea of how globalisation is shaping the world and cultural identities is a mix of the two. Yes, mass cultural communication is unifying the world is every aspect of our lives, but it is not deteriorating local traditions and histories, nor are the worlds cultures subject to transnationalisation. Globalisation is, if anything, allowing individual cultures to expand their knowledge of other cultures and allowing them to use and share products, ideas, and customs of other cultures in unison with their own cultures. The blending of nations and cultures is going on as we speak. It is at our fingertips every day with global communications and the Internet. These forms of communication due to globalisation are how we can be enriched by other cultures and share what we have to offer, but the main difference is our choice to choose what we want to study, admire and aspire to be more like or what cultures we want to melt into our own. Without falling to the grips of a single World Order or system, and without cultures falling to transnationalism, it is possible for globalisation to continue throughout the world, as we know it. As Bamyeh (2000) proposes, the process of globalisation is beginning to create a common knowledge system, which is being communicated across the entire globe. This common knowledge system is being communicated by means of: international media, through films and music; mass travel, through students studying abroad and backpackers trekking across nations; and the Internet, through Facebook, blogs and chats, and international News websites. All of these forms of communication have aided in the widespread knowledge of the worlds cultures, making way for the adoption of international influences on a freedom-of-choice level (McQuail 2002). Communication is what enhances feelings of togetherness in societies and cultures. It is what essentially started the formation of societies and individual cultural profiles. With the improvement of technological communication over the past few decades, communities that have been isolated from each other have been able to exchange cultural elements of interest between one another (for example, the Basic Instinct movie in the central African village mentioned in the introduction) (Bamyeh 2000). When looking at the overall effects the mass media has had on globalisation, the Western nations control most of the symbolic and cultural aspects of cross-cultural communications through their media products. Though foreign troops may not be deployed, and a foreign government established, the presence of the empire is felt in the everyday presence of Western media products (Macgregor Wise 2008). In this sense, Macgregor Wise is almost saying that the globalisation of Americas media is giving all other countries defensive feelings towards America, and that it poses as a major cultural threat. However, when looking at world music, literature, and visual arts, it is clearly apparent that cultures have benefited from these communal aspects of globalisation, and that America is clearly not a global threat to cultures. These means of mass media have provided a diverse menu of choice for cultures in developing their own cultural identities (Cowen 2002). In developing or maintaining cultura l identities during the processes of globalisation, countries have developed their own unique ways in staying true to their individual identities. This goes to show that the beliefs and practices a culture maintains do indeed have intrinsic essence, as stated earlier, and that a culture can maintain its identity while also absorbing what it freely chooses from other cultures. The worlds wide variety of media products and how countries incorporate them into their own culture is a perfect example of cultures absorbing other cultures while maintaining their own. Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, name the country, and they probably import Western media. Many believe that all the importation from the Wests media markets is leading to Americanisation, but when taking a closer look, it is apparent that these importing cultures put just as much if not more emphasis on their own markets than they do the Western markets. Canada, for instance, subsidizes their own domestic cinema and mandates domestic musical content for a percentage of radio time. Likewise, the French spend billions of dollars a year on cultural matters, aiding in the nourishing and successes of their French culture (Cowen 2002). The fear of Hollywood devouring the markets of other countries is being countered innately by the individual countries themselves. Granted, many of the movies played in international cinemas, in France and Italy for instance, are Hollywood films. The main cultural aspect behind this is that the movies are translated into the countries own native language. This is proof that countries can uphold their own cultural aspects while absorbing those of others. When discussing movies with an Italian and a French friend, we found ourselves talking about the movie titles. The movie Home Alone (1990) to Italians is called Mamma Ho Perso Laereo (which translates to Mom I Missed My Flight). The movie A Man For All Seasons (1967) in France is called Un Homme Pour Là ©ternità ©, which translates to a man for eternity. These small changes to Western media products are only a few examples as to how countries can still maintain a cultural identity. Just because the Western culture is widely disperse d throughout the world does not mean countries are falling to Americanisation, let alone Globalisation. There are always steps being taken by countries and cultures in maintaining their own identity. Many critics of the globalisation ideology refute with the fact that many cultures in the world today have already fallen to the processes of globalisation, namely homogenisation. American Indian communities, for example, have been overshadowed by the entirety of the United States, and these contemporary critics believe these communities are on the verge of homogenization (Lewellen 2002). However, as Cowen stated it best, once these individuals [e.g. the American Indian communities] have been brought into a common pool with well-developed means of communication, however, they sort themselves into more finely grained and more diverse groups (Cowen 2002). With an outlook like this, one can see that, even with the effects of globalisation, communities still find ways to diversify themselves from other closely sectored communities. If a culture is amongst the grips of globalisation, the effects are counter-acted by popular press, interest groups, and social movements who devout great dea ls of attention to these cultural dilemmas. It is the threat of the loss of traditional identities that trigger cultures to look inwards at their own identities. This healthy narcissism that results from the fear of globalisation is what keeps cultural identities alive in the world we live in today (Burke 2009). When cultures begin to look inwards is when they begin to value greatly the differences between their own cultural identities and those of others. A culture thought to be on the brink of distinction isnt on the brink at all. The attention drawn to a troubled culture allows that culture to prevail, and in the process the knowledge and traditions of that troubled culture become known to the public. The world would know very little about, for example, American Indians, or dying languages such as Welsh, Basque, and Yiddish, if it wasnt for the troubles these heritages faced (Cowen 2000). Globalisation isnt simply Black and White, McWorld and Jihad, homogenization or heterogenisation. There is and always will be an in-between area, which is where the world is at now and where I feel it best belongs. With the process of globalisation, there will always be the countering effect. By resting in the middle, through mass communication, people have been able to gain knowledge of other cultures they would have never dreamed of knowing about. The diverse cuisine menus, musical genres, film categories, and traveling opportunities have all made way for the world to gain knowledge of different cultural traditions. The world, as we know it, thrives off of the cultures that cherish and preserve their cultural identities. A world culture which is simply a uniform culture would be no culture at all. We should have a humanity de-humanised. It would be a nightmare (Murali 2010). Why would the world fall completely to globalisation or a World Order when what it thrives on would simply b e destroyed in the process? The absorption of cultural knowledge and traditions through the wide variety of mass communication available to us today truly heightens a cultures sense of self, innately countering globalisation and allowing cultures to continually prevail.

Whirlpool: Maintaining a Sustainable Competition in the Industry

The U.S. appliance market was completely saturated in 1986. Increased pressure from other companies like GE who implemented a $1 billion restructuring project on its appliance division, and Electrolux, a company that just inherited WCI and hence became a huge presence within the U.S., gave the Whirlpool top management concern on how to stay competitive. Whirlpool knew that the three main markets for home appliance were in the U.S., Europe and Japan. The U.S. market, as previously stated was saturated. Most U.S. appliance purchases were replacement purchases, which did not allow for much add-ons. This made the U.S. a battleground for intense marketing and increased pressures to cut costs dramatically. The unsaturated European market had more potential in 1986. Europe had a large market share in 1986 that analysts suspected would last well into 1993. Europe also had more potential for innovation and add-ons as opposed to simply replacement appliances like those of the United States. One concern over Europe, however, was that it was extremely fragmented and hence not easy to achieve economies of scale. Japan, the last player was also a site for potential growth. It was a smaller market than Europe, however, and there was already a strong presence of Japanese appliance manufacturers there. Whirlpool considered pursuing a joint venture with Phillips, an internationally established company. Phillips has an established appliance department, but Phillips wanted to concentrate its efforts on other projects like welding, energy cable and furniture. Phillips was willing to spin-off its appliance division and to give Whirlpool a certain percentage of the new company. Based on the fact that Whirlpool wants to remain a competitive player in the appliance industry, it should pursue international expansion and clench the first mover advantage over GE while increasing pressure on Electrolux. Whirlpool should go along with the Phillips joint venture due to Phillip†s strong international presence and its strong appliance division. Whirlpool should consider concentrating on expansion in Europe. The countries may be fragmented, but there is evidence that there is increased future collaboration amongst the countries and their purchasing decisions. Furthermore, Whirlpool can cut costs by vertically integrating its components and changing only the exterior of the appliances if need be.