Discipleship Essay Essay Example

Discipleship Essay Paper A disciple is a follower or adherent supporter of a leader or teacher. It is the name usually given to the followers of Jesus Christ. The most eminent disciples are the Twelve Disciples who were specifically chosen by Jesus to preach the Gospel and called Apostles. Simon and his brother Andrew were the first men called by Jesus. At the time they were catching fish with a net in Lake Galilee. Jesus walked along the shore and said to them, Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people (Mk 1: 16 18). At once they left their nets and followed him. James and John, the sons of Zebedee were called secondly after Jesus saw them in a boat getting their nets ready. He called them and they too left behind their belongings and went with him. Time went by and Jesus called another man named Levi. Levi was the son of Alphaeus and a tax collector. He was sitting in his office when Jesus approached him. Follow me, (Mk 2: 13 14) Jesus said and Levi immediately followed. Marks Gospel does not record when or where the other disciples were called. We know that Jesus chose the Twelve Apostles upon a hill. He called to himself the men he wanted and they came to him. He said to them: I have chosen you to be with me. I will also send you out to preach, and you will have authority to drive out demons. (Mk 3: 14 15) He chose twelve men who became ardent supporters of his teachings. Jesus chose people who were part of the main industry of the area (the fishermen); patriots (the zealot) or who were civil servants (the tax collector). We will write a custom essay sample on Discipleship Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Discipleship Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Discipleship Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Mark, in his Gospel, showed that being a disciple of Jesus would put great pressure on their faith. Jesus had never promised that life, as a disciple would be easy. After he had spoken about his suffering and death, he said: If anyone wants to follow me, he must forget self, carry his cross, and follow me. (Mk 8: 34) Any follower of Jesus would probably suffer just like Jesus. For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mk 8: 35) When Peter saw the suffering of Jesus, his faith in Jesus failed him, and he disproved of any association with him. Judas Iscariot was another apostle of Jesus Christ. Rather than denying Jesus, he betrayed him and handed him over to the authorities. Peter, after offending realised what he had done wrong. From then on he did not shun Jesus and was persecuted in later life. The story of Peters denial has all the evidence of personal confession of failure to live up to chivalrous words of loyalty. Judas however could not admit to being wrong and ended his life. Jesus showed people that they would have to learn to value things differently if they were going to follow him. For example, the attitude he showed towards prostitutes or tax collectors. They learned from Jesus to respect the outcasts of their society and think of them as people who needed help. One event gives an example of the price of following Jesus. He was once asked: Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life? (Mk 10: 17) He replied: You need only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven, then come and follow me. (Mk 10: 21) Once the man heard this, a look of gloom came over his face and he went away sad because he was rich. Jesus used this conversation as a lesson for his disciples. He taught them of the perplexity that possessions could be to a person who may set them up as a rival to God. They do not give their undivided love to God but balance their attention between God and their assets. After the rich man had left, Peter asked Jesus about the reward that a disciple receives: Look we have left everything and followed you. (Mk 10: 28) Jesus replied: He will receive a hundred times more houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields and persecution as well; and in the age to come he will receive eternal life. (Mk 10: 30) Jesus ordered the Twelve Apostles to follow certain instructions. These instructions were called the Mission of the Twelve. The disciples were sent out in pairs and were not to take any food with them. They were not to take any money and had to stay in a place if they were made welcome until they left the district. The disciples were to shake the dust off their feet as they left a place if they did not receive hospitality. This was to show that the disciples had no time for them because they had rejected God. (Mk 6: 7 13) These instructions have a special meaning. They prove that discipleship can involve suffering, rejection and death. To those who do react, there will be a reward. Just as Jesus will rise from the dead after his suffering and death, so those who accept challenge to become disciples will find life. When people decided to follow Jesus, they became members of a new family. Those who followed Gods way were classed as Jesus family: Whoever does what God wants him to do is my brother, my sister, my mother. (Mk 3: 33) To be a disciple, one must acquire many values, for example being able to listen, self sacrifice, being obedient and having faith. There are many qualities needed to achieve discipleship and those are mentioned in Marks gospel. Once Jesus was approached by James and John and asked: Teacher, when you sit on your throne in your glorious Kingdom, we want you to let us sit with you, one at your left and one at your right. (Mk 10: 35 37) Jesus asked James and John: You dont know what you are asking for. Can you drink the cup of suffering that I must drink? Can you be baptised in the way I must be baptised? (Mk 10: 38) At once James and John said that they would be able to and Jesus replied: You will indeed drink the cup I must drink and be baptised in the way I must be baptised. Afterwards when all of the disciples were gathered together, Jesus told them that: If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, he must be the slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve and to give his life to redeem many people. (Mk 10: 43 45) This story showed how James and John had the qualities of being disciples, they were willing t o serve God a disciple must have the attitude of a servant. Levi the tax collector also showed the values of a disciple. When Jesus said to him Follow me, (Mk 2: 13 14) he immediately left everything and went with him. On this occasion, Levi showed the signs of obedience. Jesus taught his disciples about being childlike also. They once scolded people who bought their children for Jesus to place his hands upon. Jesus told them: Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you that whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it. (Mk 9: 13 15) Baptism is the first of the three sacraments of initiation which makes a person a full member of the Christian Church. These sacraments are Baptism, the Eucharist and Confirmation. There is a special service or rite for the Christian initiation of adults into the Church. Confirmation seals a Christian with the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the same Holy Spirit that came down upon the apostles at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is given to a Christian at Baptism and in the Sacrament of Confirmation the ceremony of initiation into the Christian family is completed. In the ceremony of Confirmation, the faith that was avowed in baptism is renewed. Religious men and women are devoted to God by three vows, poverty, chastity and obedience. A vocation is a divine call to or a sense of ones fitness for a certain career or occupation. Christians who belong to the Roman Catholic Church can choose from three ways in which they can fulfil their vocation which they have received in Baptism and Confirmation. They can carry out their responsibilities as a single or a married lay person. The term lay means non-clerical; not ordained into the clergy. The laity are called to demonstrate the principles, which Christ taught, by missionary work, reading in Church or by teaching others. They also bring holiness to others by the example of their lives. Lay people should also implement Christs teachings to the problems of the modern world, e.g. violence, drugs, crime, healing the sick, feeding the hungry or housing the homeless. Honesty, justice, sincerity, kindness and courage are the values of a Christian. Married people prove their holiness in the success of their marriage, or their family relationships. The example of a good life activates other people to want to share in that kind of life, and brings them to God. Those who are devoted to religion can experience religious life in contemplative orders or apostolic orders. Those that follow contemplative orders lead a concealed life of work and prayer. Rather than going out to help people physically, they pray for the inequalities of the world or partake in the background work for events. Examples of people who live like this are the Carmelites and the Poor Clares (for women) and the Carthusians and Cistercians (for men). People who prefer to help others on a public scale live life according to apostolic orders. These people lead a life of prayer, and community work. They participate in helping the sick, teaching others, helping the poor or helping the elderly. One can take a Christian vocation even further when they are ordained to priesthood. Nevertheless, before a man can be commissioned to the priesthood, he becomes a deacon. Before ordination, the deacon may help in a parish by proclaiming the Gospel at mass, Baptising, assisting at marriages and conducting funeral services. A deacon must also promise celibacy and he must care for the people of God. When people live their lives to coincide with the Gospel, they receive rewards. Although Jesus has promised eternal life to those who live simple lives so that others can simply live, a person can also receive rewards here on earth. Jesus had never said that discipleship would be easy yet many people can obtain satisfaction from their work. For example, a dedicated mother or father is gratified as they watch their children grow and people who work with those with addictions are content when they see that someone who they have helped is able to survive without drugs or alcohol. As Jesus has promised that being a disciple is not unconstrained, we should expect obstacles to make our journey harder. There have been many people throughout history who have endured agony in place of others and many who have died for the sake of their beliefs. One man who did this was Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdames. Oscar Romero was born in San Salvadore in 1917. He was ordained into the Roman Catholic Church in 1942, was elected as bishop in 1970 and seven years later, he was made archbishop of San Salvadore. Despite what people thought of him, Romero had publicised the importance he attached to social justice. The right wing believed that the Catholic Church in San Salvadore, and in particular the Jesuits, were involved in Marxist subversion on behalf of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front guerrilla army. His death affected the Roman Catholic world with Romero standing out as an apostle of human rights. Oscar Romero showed true discipleship, although he umpired violence, he continued to preach within hasty conditions. In the end he made the greatest sacrifice of all, he lost his life. Romero put himself last for the sake of peasants who had no human rights whatsoever, he used his status to help those with none. Even in todays world, there are still inequalities. These inequalities occur more often in developing countries and are usually caused by the arms race, the inability to recover from natural disasters, increasing debt, the population explosion, ignorance and illiteracy. Education is needed desperately in developing countries. Children may only know their local dialect and may not be able to interact with other villages or tribes. Ignorance and illiteracy have serious side effects on health, techniques of farming, industry and trade. The problems of developing countries are so dramatic that aid is only effective if performed on a global scale. However it is from voluntary services and organisations that most aid comes from. One example of an organisation that does this is CAFOD (The Catholic Fund Overseas Development). CAFOD was set up by the bishops of England and Wales in 1962 to asseverate the concerns of the Catholic community for the needs and problems of developing countries. CAFOD supply information about the needs of developing countries. Information packs are provided and contain the history, social conditions, and development of a particular country. Films, slide sets, pamphlets, books and posters are produced. The organisation asks people to remember the teaching of Jesus regarding prayer, fasting, alms giving (charity). The spirit of Jesus words explains the attitude of giving which is encouraged by CAFOD. Prayer, fasting and charity are the three traditional ways in the Church of helping those in need, and go back to the earliest days in the Acts of the Apostles. The CAFOD groups are encouraged to give up something each week as a regular act of self denial, in order to help the poor. The money raised by CAFOD goes towards community development, food production, water supplies and irrigation, preventative medicine, vocational training, adult education. Particular projects may include a village well; a rural dispensary; a mother and child nutrition scheme; or a latrine programme in a slum. CAFOD functions as it believes in the basic equality of all people in the sight of God. Human dignity demands a fair standard of living. Everyone has the same needs of food, clothing, and shelter. CAFOD is a way of being with Christ who is hungry, thirsty and in need. Having reported on the values of discipleship, I shall challenge the hypothesis that states: It is not possible to be a true disciple of Jesus in the modern world. I disagree with this statement entirely. I believe that anyone, who is a good administrator of all that God trusts him or her with, is worthy of earning discipleship. Before Jesus died he said: If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget self, carry his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for me and for the Gospel will save it. (Mk 8: 34 35) There are several examples of people in the modern world who make sacrifices and carry a cross for the sake of the gospel and other people. For instance, Martin Luther King. He was an American clergyman who partly led the American civil rights movement. He was a chief supporter of non- violent resistance to racial oppression. Martin Luther King lived in an era when individuals were not accepted in America. His successful preoccupation with Vietnam and his determination to lead a Poor Peoples March in a racist community triggered his murder on April 3, 1968. No human being is perfect and a disciple does not require precision either. We know this because the twelve apostles turned their back on Jesus at least once. Peter denied Jesus, Judas betrayed him and the other ten ran away when he was arrested. Consequently, if people have made mistakes in the past they can be forgiven and start again. It is human nature for people to make errors and because God is forgiving, it is never too late for a person to acquire the values of discipleship. On the other hand, others may disagree. A common theory is that people cannot practice their religion as there is far too much violence and indignity around the World and people are unable to worship freely. Around the time of Jesus there was much persecution and people were mistreated if they did not share common beliefs. Moreover many people such as Saint Peter continued to practice their faith regardless of the potential risk that it imposed. There are many people who cannot adapt to the Christian faith because Jesus is dead and the number of people who attend mass is declining. They fail to believe because they need visual evidence to reassure them that there really is a God. As few people visit Church nowadays, some fail to recognise how discipleship can survive through a small amount of people. As the basis of the Church relies on secondary evidence written in the Gospel, many are not trustworthy enough to depend on books and because of this, some communities favour other religious practice. Having weighed up the opinion opposite to mine, I strongly disagree with its argument. My reasoning is that we live in a World of diverse culture, where in most places people are accepted for their faith, gender, status and being. As time has passed, women have gained equal rights as men, black people have earned the same respect as white people and homosexuality and individuality is accepted. So why is faith different? There is a minority of people who are still unable to preach openly but the Christian population is increasing and the majority of Christians are able to profess their beliefs without encumbrance. And that is why there are many people today who are willing to help those that are limited in being able to praise God independently. When someone goes to the hospital to be treated for an illness, they see doctors and nurses helping them. One cannot say that these people are poisoned with remorse but only guardianship because they look out and care for the welfare of others. They are examples of discipleship as they assign their time for the comfort of others. There are people who are involved and dedicate their life to aiding those less fortunate than themselves, working with charities like CAFOD to assist those weaker in the fellowship. These are the people who do carry their own cross and make sacrifices for the benefit of others. These are the people who qualify as disciples and prove that good people are still on hand today.

The Congress Of Vienna Essays - Knights Of The Golden Fleece

The Congress Of Vienna Essays - Knights Of The Golden Fleece The Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna was an international peace conference for the countries of Europe. The goals of the Congress of Vienna were to have peace throughout Europe and have no wars or fights. The Congress was formed because there had been many wars in the past. The Congress of Vienna was made mostly of conservatives, but had some liberals as well. Some of the influential leaders were Czar Alexander I of Russia, King Frederick William III of Prussia, Lord Castlereagh who was the British foreign minister, and Prince Klemens von Metternich who was the Austrian foreign minister. The Congress of Vienna attained peace in Europe by doing a number of things. One way they attained this is using legitimacy, which is restoring the royal families to their throne. One example is that the Congress recognized Louis XVIII as the legitimate king of France. Another way they attained peace in Europe is restoring the balance of power between the countries in Europe. To do this, they reduced France to its 1790 frontiers, and they strengthened the countries on the borders of France. Also, to the north of France, the Dutch and Austrian Netherlands were united into a single country called the Netherlands, which was ruled by a Dutch king. To the east, 39 German states were loosely joined into the German Confederation, headed by Austria. The Congress also recognized Switzerland as an independent nation. It also strengthened the kingdom of Sardinia in northern Italy by giving it Piedmont and Genoa. All these variations helped Europe to obtain peace. The Congress of Vienna had kept its peace for nearly one hundred years. It maintained this peace by the Concert of Europe. To protect the peace settlement reached at Vienna, the Quadruple Alliance was formed with Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia; France was later added to the alliance. These countries met to deal with any threat to the peace and stability of Europe. Czar Alexander proposed a Holy Alliance that would bind all rulers to govern according to Christian principles. These two alliances acted together to preserve the peace along with the Concert of Europe which preserved the balance of power and prevented local conflicts from flaring into a major European conflict. Another way the Congress maintained the peace is the Metternich system. This is to defend the status quo, which is the existing state of affairs; and the Carlsbad Decrees, which are laws that imposed press censorship and suppressed freedom of speech. After Europe's one hundred years of peace, it had a downfall which cause the Congress of Vienna to break down into nothing. It broke down because of Europe's brief, localized conflicts, such as the Crimean and Franco-Prussian wars. Many rivalries among nations led to mistrust and even hatred, the countries came on the brink of war. The main reason for breakup was WWI, where Germany had become very powerful which upset the balance of power. The other countries then form alliances and there is a breakout of WWI which demolished the hundred years of peace. The Congress of Vienna was a great importance to Europe because of the great peace it provided to Europe for one hundred years. Factors such as the Concert of Europe, Metternich System, legitimacy, and the balance of power all provided help in forming and maintaining the Congress. The outbreak of WWI was the extreme termination of the great Congress.

Use of Xenon Gas in Humans Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Use of Xenon Gas in Humans - Research Paper Example With this standard of practice known, this research paper focuses on the use of xenon in humans for medical and clinical purposes. This is done with particular emphasis on the pharmacology, toxicology and chemistry of xenon. Xenon will be noted to be a chemical element which is colorless, dense and odorless. With atomic number of 54, xenon is a noble gas, which occur the earth’s atmosphere in scanty amount (Kirkland, 2013). One thing that makes xenon a particularly interesting chemical element worth scientific and pharmacological investment is the seeming unpredictable nature of xenon’s reactivity. The research paper will therefore focus on this aspect of this noble gas. Once xenon gas enters the human system, there are several pharmacological characteristics that it exhibits. First, Arola, et al. (2013) stressed that once xenon gas enters the human body it has the ability of easily passing through the cell membranes without any hindrance. This is generally possible because of the pharmacological feature of xenon, which makes it readily diffusible. As posited by Zahnle (2013), the fact that xenon is readily diffusible, it is neither utilized nor produced by the body. In effect, xenon enters the human body as a neutral agent that is neither used by the body nor naturally reproduced or manufactured by the body. This however does not mean that the xenon gas’ entry into the body is associated with no clinical pharmacological roles. For example it is known that apart from the cell membranes, xenon can also pass freely and causes exchanges between blood and tissues. As this passage activity is performed, the gas concentrates largely on the body fat rather than the blood, water, plasma, or protein solutions (Esencan et al., 2013).

Political Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Systems - Essay Example Political system of Libya In accordance with the article â€Å"Libya is Bigger for EU than for US† published by European Affairs on the official website of the European Institute, â€Å"the revolt in Libya differs radically from the recent regime changes in neighboring Egypt† (Libya). The author considers that Libya has the largest degree of violence and transatlantic challenges. The Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi is described as a ‘mad dog’, but still USA and EU have economic or business affairs with this country. If America tried to fight against Libyan repressive regime, EU has already established certain economic concerns. At first European countries and America neglected oppression of Libyans human rights, but currently the main political issues of cooperation with Libya are solved and the world’s society makes an attempt to pacify a bloodbath. Oppressions of Gaddafi and military forces directed on civilians are severely criticized in the modern world. Therefore it is relevant to establish a new regime in Libya and not to ‘squeeze’ current repressive process. ... Further on the article deals with considerations of potential risks for Europe and America. The main impact on Europe is seen in oil output of Libya and oil supply of the EU. Migration to European countries, especially to Italy is another challenge caused by current turmoil in Libya. Unlike Europe, America tries to pacify terroristic moods in this country and made an attempt to fight against it by military attacks in 1984. Thus the political leader of Libya is scared off by America, but Europe is on the starting point of conflicts with Libya. Consequently, on the background of challenging international relations with Libya, social turmoil is shown. Libyans do not want to be â€Å"rooted in tribalism which Gaddafi carefully preserved and nurtured as part of his technique of divide-and-rule in Libya† (Libya). Thus Libya is in a more unstable position than Egypt, where military force is the basic pillar of the country. Political system of Egypt In the article â€Å"Egypt and the   Middle East:  revolution  or evolution?† the political system of Egypt is also described on the background of current turmoil events. The repressive regime of Egypt made this nation to fight against repressive regime and to protest against ‘fake’ elections. Egyptian nation has been tired of oppression and tyranny. This revolt is a sign of nation’s evolution from scared off social subjects to individuals striving for independence and democracy. Egyptians want â€Å"freedom and justice for every Egyptian† (Egypt). The main emphasis in this article is made on a potential struggle of ME against high-speed development of China and India. The author suggests to make an attempt and to fight for developing of the country. Therefore there are

Tourism the best seven countries to visit Essay

Tourism the best seven countries to visit - Essay Example Travelling to different parts of the world has its own pleasures and uses; it is quite a great recreational activity. One gets to learn plenty from the different cultures, places, and people one visits and comes across. I have short listed seven countries that I find interesting, places that I have visited and places which I would like to go to in the future. Each of them has their own geographical features that distinguishes them from other countries. The countries’ statistics that I shall be mentioning later include the capital cities, the historic places, the geographical map, the currency in use and other notable features. Qatar The country which tops the list is where I am originally from. Qatar is an amazing place, particularly during the months of November to April. This is when the scorching temperature lowers down and the weather becomes pleasant and cool, the level of humidity falls and there is even a little rainfall. It is, I think, better for the families to visit this country due to the country’s strict laws regarding how men and women are supposed to act in public. So it would not quite suit a couple, particularly those who are big on public displays of affection. Once there, the visitor should make sure to change their money to the local currency which is the Qatari Riyal. The country is famous for its shopping malls, which are relatively expensive places such as Al Khor Mall, Lagoona Mall and Safari Hypermarket. Other places to visit are: The Kingdom of Aladdin, The Zoo, Al Rumaila Park, Dahl El-Hamam Public Park, Khor Al Udaid Beach, Al Jassasiya, Oryx Farm, Water Sports and Cruises, Desert Safari. Travelling to these places, one may need to hire cars or get a cab or use a bus. (Orr, 2008) Thailand Another country worth checking out is Thailand, the place I visited last summer, which I was told is the hottest time of the year. Those who would rather not be vacationing in such heat should book the tickets for the months of Novembe r to February when the weather is relatively cooler. You can go to this country with your family or your partner. It has enough attractions for both, some of them being Koh Samuei, Hua Hin, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Pai and also Ko Tarutao, Ayuthaya, Ko Chang, Similan Islands. Shopping zones include Siam Paragon, Central Chidlom, Platinum Fashion Mall Prince Palace, Natural Ville and Sivatel Bangkok. Then, of course, there are the beaches Thailand is famous for. These can be reached through various modes of transport from motorbikes, bicycles, tuk-tuks to bamboo rafts. What is notable is that the prices are relatively affordable in comparison to the European countries; the currency used is Thai Baht. (Boraas & Tracey, 2002) India Another Asian country is India, which I would like to visit between the months of October to March since it would be cooler then. It is purely suited for family outings since the culture is Eastern and there are certain behaviorisms to be followed. But i t does not mean that one cannot enjoy the visit, this country does have a lot to offer like the shopping zones such as Dil Hatt, Chandi Chowk, Connaught Place, Hauz Khas and Atria Millennium Mall. Other places to see are: the Taj Mahal in Agra, the various temples, the India Gate, the forts in Jaipur, even the beaches in Goa in particular and Mysore. The currency is the Indian Rupee and its low value makes spending time in the country very cheap. One can go around the place in railways, rickshaws or taxis and even cars. (Singh, 2009) United States of America Everyone is familiar with this country which is so vast that one can visit this place at any time of the year, but September is the month most preferred. Again, a trip to the USA is suitable for both: family as well as couples. There are many tourist attractions, again, most of which we all are already aware of, some being the historic places, the Statue of Liberty, the Niagara Falls, the casinos in Las Vegas, etc. Some of the s hopping zones

Research Proposal: Corporate Governance and Firm’s Performance

Research Proposal: Corporate Governance and Firm’s Performance Background and rationale of the study Corporate governance is a recent concept that encompasses many issues like internal control, rights and relation with stakeholders, social responsibility of the business, structure and role of the management committee, management transparency (refers to the disclosure of all reliable and relevant information) and accountability (refers to broader corporate objectives to manage the socio-economic resources efficiency) and the like. It also entails planning and strategic development of the company, day-to-day operation, and knowledge of the market and the sound understanding of the business itself. Precisely speaking, corporate governance is all about corporate practices to meet the corporate objectives. According to Byrnes et al. (2003), after the high profile scandals of Enron, WorldCom etc. corporate governance is imputed in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. This paper will try to find out the impact of corporate governance on firm performance. This paper will also try to show that be tter use of corporate governance help the firm to perform in an optimum level and if it is right better governed firm will have better performance than worse governed firm. Jensen and Meckling (1976); Fama and Jensen (1983); Shleifer and Vishny (1997) cited that, incentive has been given to the managers to confiscate the assets of the firm by taking profitable projects but this is much beneficiary to the managers than maximizing shareholders wealth. According to Shleifer and Vishny (1997), effective corporate governance control the awards given by the stakeholders and creditors and increase the profitability of the firm by investing in a positive net present value projects. Brown and Caylor (2004) argued that, regulators and governance advocates argue that in most of the cases stock price goes down because of poor governance and if this is right the market price of the well governed firm should be relatively high than poor governed firms. On the other hand by considering cash flow hypothesis Jensen (1986), says that shareholders expects cash flow via dividend payout but large free cash flow through dividend decrease the liquidity condition of the firm a nd this disables the firm to invest in the profitable projects and lower the profitability. Arnott and Asness (2003) finds that, better governed firm give more cash in dividend payout which also can be considered as firm performance. Moreover Bowen, Rajgopal, Venkatachalam (2008) found that, corporate governance also can be found from the accounting discretion, firm with weaker governance structure generally produce report with poorer future performance. According to Gompers, Ishii, and Metrick (2003), studying the impact of corporate governance on firm performance finds that, strong shareholders rights and returns of the firm outperform on risk-adjusted basis. This result indicates that corporate governance also can be measured or constructed from publicly available data. According to Klein, Shapiro and Young (2005), there are not any clear evidence that can suggest that better corporate governance will enhance the firms performance. One alternative way to measure firm performance is measuring the performance of companies with shareholders rights. Core, Guay and Rusticus (2004) said that, in current decade share returns of companies are strongly related with shareholders right companies with poor shareholders rights do not over perform in their performance. The companies which maintain strong shareholders right may not exhibited superior return on their performance. On the other hand, if the firms risk adjustment not done properly, corporate governance may correlate with unrecognizable risk factor(s). One other thing is that the relation between corporate governance and firm performance might be increase distrust about causality explanation. In most countries the common mechanism for determining collective action problems among shareholders partial ownership and control is given to the hand of large shareholders. In this situation two important forms of corporate governance need to be considered by the firm. First, there may be conflict among the shareholders with management against small investors; and secondly, the liquidity from secondary market will decrease. To boost the liquidity crisis of the stock market corporate law is enforced and which limits the power of the large shareholders of the company and also limit the violence of the minority shareholders. In this system generally the firms depends on the board of directors to maintaining and functioning the actions of the shareholders. Sometimes the actions of the board of directors become ineffective. Where the minority shareholders get better protection the interest of the mangers also become an issue of prudence. Finally, the primary goal of the corporate govern ance is to control the regulation of activity the shareholders and managers and made a check and balance to protect the interest of both shareholders and mangers. This paper will try to find out how corporate governance can help the firm to accelerate their performance. For doing so there lies a need for developing a measure to scale corporate governance practice of the firm and to allocate a governance score for each firm then calculation of the financial and economic performance by using governance score will become possible. This paper will also conduct a cross sectional analysis to relate firms performance with their corporate governance practices. Keywords Corporate Governance, Firm performance, Corporate Governance and Firm Performance. Problem of the study This paper will develop to find out the following problems: How corporate governance impact on firms performance? Why firms performance is influenced by corporate governance? When corporate governance influence firms performance? Aims The aim of this paper is to find the influence of corporate governance over firms performance. Objective of the study This research will be conduct to fulfill the following objectives: To measure the industry wise corporate governance practices. To find the impact of corporate governance with the firm performance. To measure the degree of performance influenced by corporate governance. To find out the major indicators of corporate governance. To find out the best practices of corporate governance. Literature Review The concept corporate governance actually gives an insight regarding the code of conduct of the companys business. Corporate Governance is the process by which companies are governed and held accountable to their owners. Corporate Governance is the whole system of managing and controlling a company. Many view corporate governance in the light of the long-run value creation of shareholders. Corporate Governance is the enhancement of the long-term shareholder value while at the same time protecting the interest of other shareholders. From this view, corporate governance focuses on structure and rules of the board of directors; the independent audit committee and control management. So, corporate governance is a pervasive concept, which basically tells about the corporate practices. This is such a concept encompassing the relations and rights of shareholders with the board and other stakeholders; effective risk management; management transparency and accountability to the stakeholders g roup and overall corporate practices that aims at meeting the corporate goals. OECD set few principles of corporate governance, which have been adopted by the member countries of the OCED. These principles are available in the web site: www.oecd.org. In summary, they include the following elements: The rights of shareholders: These include a set of rights including secure ownership of their shares, the rights to full disclosure of information, voting rights, participation in decisions on sale or modification of corporate assets including mergers and new share issues. The Equitable Treatment of Shareholders: Here the OCED is concerned with protecting minority shareholders rights by setting up systems that keep insiders, including managers and directors, from taking advantage of their roles. The Role of Stakeholders in Corporate Governance: the OCED recognizes that there are other stakeholders in companies in addition to stakeholders. Banks, bondholders and workers for example are important stakeholders in the way in which companies perform and make decisions. Disclosure and Transparency: The OCED also lays out a number of provisions for the disclosure and communication and key facts about the company ranging from financial details to governance structures including the board of directors and their remuneration. The Responsibilities to the Board: The guidelines provide a great deal of detail about the functions of the board in protecting the company, its shareholders, and its stakeholders. These include concerns about corporate strategy, risk, executive compensation and performance, as well as accounting and reporting systems. John, K. et.al. (1998) conducted a study to relate Corporate Governance with managerial risk-taking. The study showed how the investor protection environment affects corporate managers incentives to take value-enhancing risks. It suggested that the manager chooses higher perk consumption when investor protection is low and vice versa. Lower investor protection is associated with conservative investment policy and least firm growth. Finally the authors suggested that the corporate risk-taking and firm growth rates are positively related to the quality of investor protection (whether the investment generated by the firm is used is a safe and secured way). This situation indicates that a risk-taking firms growth rate is higher than the less risk-taking firm so find out the concerns towards the investors it is necessary to calculate that whether the firm is taking much risk for increasing its growth, which may arise adverse situation for the investor by decreasing the protection of the i nvestment. According to John and Senbet (1998), a common belief is that boards of directors are become more independent as the number of outsider director increases. Though, Fosberg (1989), found no relation of firm performance with the outsider directors, he rather emphasis on other variables like SGA expenses, sales, return on equity and number of employees. Hermalin and Wrisbach (1991) also dont find any association between the number of independent directors and firm performance. In 2002 Bhagat and Black became unable to find any relationship between the numbers of outsider directors. But in contrast Baysinger and Butler (1985) and Rosenstein and Wyatt (1990) find rewards for the firm for appointing outsider directors. Anderson, Mansi and Reeb (2004) showed that, the cost of debt is inversely related with the independence of the board of directors. According to Brickley, Coles and Terry (1994), there are a positive linkage between the number of outsider directors and stock market response. Bhagat and Bolton (2007) argued that, better governance can be measured by GIM and BCF indices, stock owned by the board of directors, performance of CEO etc. Lipton and Lorsch (1992); Jensen (1993) argued in their evidence that, it is believed by some people that limiting the board size of the firm will have impact in the performance of the firm because increase number of the board members will increase the monitoring, communication and decision making ability. On the other hand Yermack (1996) found an inverse relationship between board size and profitability, asset utilization and Tobins Q. Board of director plays a vital role in the firm performance. As they divide their duties and responsibilities so increase in the number of directors make the responsibilities and duties more narrowed, so if the number of director increases the firms performance should be increased. On other side if the firm appoint experienced CEO or director in the firm it have a positive impact on the stock price of the firm which reflects the practice of good corporate governance has a positive impact on firms performance. According to Bhagat and Bolton (2008), Corporate governance has the authority to make any modification or change in any important decisions including investment policy, management compensation policy, boards decision etc. so it becomes easier for the firm to monitor and implement their activities efficiently by practicing good corporate governance this will help the firm to increase its overall performance. A negative relationship has been found by Klein (2002), between audit committee independence and earnings management. Whereas Anderson et al. (2004) documented that firm with self-governing audit committee has low debt financing costs. Frankel, Johnson and Johnson (2002) show an inverse relationship with the firm earnings management and the independence of the audit committee. On the other hand, Ashbaugh, Lafond and Mayhew (2003) and Larcker and Richardson (2004) show disagreement about the inverse relationship between firm earnings management and independence of the auditor in th eir evidence. Bhagat and Bolton (2008) provided some evidence to associate the relationship between audits related governance factors and firm performance: Audit committee those are solely independent are positively related with dividend yield but not related with firms operating performance or valuation; Annual meetings held by the firm are not related with the performance; Consulting fees and audit fees paid to the auditors are negatively related with the firms performance measurement; Company policy for rotating auditors are positively related with the return on equity but not related with any other performance factors. As audit committee plays an important role for establishing and implementing firms investment policy, compensation policy and other management decision the role of audit committee influence the firms performance. The performance of audit committee can vary due to various factors such as audit fees, independence of the committee etc. as Bhagat and Bolton (2008) finds several audit related governance factors but this area needs further research to find out the exact situation. Gompers, Ishii, and Metrick (2003) introduced a corporate governance measure which is equal weighted index of 24 corporate governance factors, these factors are gathered by the Investor Responsibility Research Center (IRRC), those are, classified boards, golden parachutes, poison pills, cumulative voting supermajority rules for selecting and approving managers. Whereas, Brown and Caylor (2004) created their corporate governance index through the use of Institutional Shareholder Service (ISS) data. Hermalin and Weisbach (1998, 2003); Bhagat, Carey and Elson (1999); Brickley, Coles and Jarrell (1997) states that, board independence, stock ownership of board members and whether CEO and Chairman are individual person etc. are considered as a importance characteristics of corporate governance. Brown and Caylor (2004) identified 52 factors for considering corporate governance practice of the firms where Gompers, Ishii, and Metrick (2003) considers 24 factors for measuring corporate charter position and board characteristics. According to Bhagat and Bolton (2008) management compensation features, board characteristics, and corporate charter position creates the personality of firms corporate governance while creating the corporate governance index these factors need to be weighted otherwise it will become unable to give optimum result. If the weight are not equally weighted the relationship between the corporate governance and firm performance will give an unrealistic result with incorrect inferences between the relation of corporate governance and firm performance. While selecting the factors for creating the governance score it must be consider that the factors need to be available for all kinds of firms from different industry, otherwise the result may become bias. On the other hand if the researcher did not find weighted average the outcome of the study becomes questionable so for making the evidence more reliable it is necessary to find out the weighted average o f the governance score. Some variables of measuring corporate governance can be motivated by incentive-based economic models of managerial behavior. This model can fall into two categories. First one is agency model, in this model the interest of managers are take into action as a result it becomes costly for the shareholders. In this model shareholders become unable to observe the behavior of the managers directly, but sometimes ownership are given to the managers to reduce this type of action and use the resources for the best interest of the shareholders. This problem is cited by Grossman and Hart in 1983. Another model is adverse situation model; this model is motivated by the hypothesis of differential ability which also cannot be observed by the firms shareholders. In this model the power of managers is control to reduce the use of cash flow for the private benefit or managers personal information cannot be used to control the firms cash flow. This model is provided by Mayerson (1987). From the above situation it is clear that sometimes corporate governance is controlled by the relationship between managers and shareholders and in this case managers behaviors and ability are directly associated with the firms performance. Berle and Means (1932), find the impact of the cost of the shareholders ownership, they found a positive relationship with ownership structure and firm performance. However, Demsetz (1983) argued that, if we scrutinize the success factors of the public companies with diffused share ownership we will see clear offsetting benefits of the shareholders. Other factors that may impact of the firm performance are performance based compensation and insider information which should be determined through ownership. For example, if the performance of the firm increase the value of the stock and the managers owned some ownership, it will increase the value of their ownership this incentive will help the firm to preserve the interest of both shareholders and managers by boosting the performance of the firm. Hypothesis This research will focus on following hypothesis: H1: Company with good Corporate Governance has a better operating performance. H2: Company with poor Corporate Governance has a poor operating performance. Methodology of the study Research method To fulfill the objectives of this paper and find out the relationship of corporate governance with firm performance both qualitative and quantitative method of research will be used. The main objective of this paper is to find out the relationship between corporate governance and firm performance and to find out the degree of influence of corporate governance on the firm performance to find out this evidences researcher need to go through an exploratory research. Some case studies also will be analyzed and discussed to find out the actual position and this will make this research more realistic. This paper will try to develop a governance measure (governance score) to find out the degree of corporate governance practiced and also identify some factors to measure the performance of the firm and score them with a relevant range. Governance score will be composite measure of about 50 factors which will encircling on several corporate governance categories like audit committee, board of directors, executive and directors compensation, compensation policy for the managers, industry, progressive practices, directors education, charter/ bylaws etc. Then researcher will do a cross sectional analysis between governance score and firm performance score. For measuring operating performance Tobins Q, GIM, return on equity, profit margin, sales growth, and other financial measurements will be used. Data collection This paper will create a summary metric of the governance score to measure the strength of the firms governance. Researcher will collect data related with corporate governance and firm performance from the annual report and publicly available information sources mostly researcher will depend on the secondary sources for preparing this report; though researcher will try to collect data from the reliable sources like stock exchange, annual report, magazine etc. This paper will take a large number of individual firms as my sample for this studies thus it will reflect real phenomena. This paper will take data for measuring firm performance for the 2009 fiscal year end. Sampling The population for this report will be listed companies in the London stock exchange. The researcher will take at least fifty companies as sample from five different industries they are automobiles and parts, banks, beverages, food producers, and electronic and electrical equipment. The companies will be chosen randomly. Scope of the study This paper will try to find out how good corporate governance practices impact on the firm performance. This paper will contribute on the literature on the following way: first, the role of the board of the directors plays on the performance of the firm. For example: the numbers of independent directors or dependent director can play a role in the governance and also contribute on the performance of the firm. This may varied from industry to industry so researcher will took a descriptive analysis on the following matter, for collecting the evidence on the following matter GIM, and Tobins Q will play a great role. This paper will also find out the variables that may impact on the performance related with this topic. Secondly, researcher will try to find out the better incentive policy given to the manager stock option or cash dividend which will be more effective to protect the right of the stockholder as well as boosting the performance of the firm. The performance of the firm can be measured in various ways this paper will focus on the financial performance and the right of the stockholder in measuring the performance of the firm. Thirdly, this paper will come with the functioning of the audit committee; audit committee plays a vital role on the both in the corporate governance practices of the firma and the firm performance. Compensation given to the internal and external audit committee also has impact on the firm performance do find out these impacts an explanatory research will be conducted. Finally, researcher will come with the degree of corporate governance practices with the firm performance. This paper will find out extent of the impact of the corporate governance with the firm performance. Concluding remarks Corporate governance plays a vital role to balance between the economic and social goals and between individual and communal goals. The governance framework is very much important to boosting up the performance of the firm and to protect the interest of the stockholders. Because it ensures the efficient use of resources, make the management accountable and ensures the best benefit of all the parties. As a result corporate governance has impact on the overall performance of the firm because it control most of the performance factors and the good practices of corporate governance will allow the firm to protect the interest of the stockholders.

Restorative Justice, Social Capital, and Authentic Leadership Essay

There is a prodigious need for leaders – authentic leaders to facilitate the process of building relationships and resolving conflicts in a more effective manner as affirmative models in the capacities served. Leadership of all kinds has been coming under unprecedented attack. The inability to effectively resolve conflict is an issue impacting the relationships of past and current leaders of all realms. Opposed to using conflicts and/or crises as an opportunity to rise above the issues – becoming solution-oriented beacons for others, leaders either inappropriately fight back; hope that time will heal all wounds (conflicts); ignore the issue(s) at hand; or make unnecessary changes that further damages relationships and credibility. In an ever changing global society, authentic leaders have a great influence to empower and provide individuals with the necessary tools to resolve conflict; building social capital. Social capital is defined by making connections with one another, and keeping them going over time, people are able to work together to achieve things that they either could not achieve by themselves, or could only achieve with great difficulty (Falk & Kilpatrick, 2000). The definition of social capital intertwines with the meaning of empowerment. The state of our society is an image of the quality of our leadership. To build social capital, meaningful relationships must be established that foster accountability, competencies (resources and skills), and safety. A paradigm shift occurs when community infringements are no longer viewed only as having a punitive outcome but rather a continual restorative relationship to repair the detriment. In taking a restorative approach, authentic leadership flourishes from the w... ...Bass. Falk, I. & Kilpatrick, S. (2000). What is social capital? A study of a rural community. Socialogia Ruralis, 1(40), pp. 87-110. Gardner, J. (1990). The Nature and Tasks of Leadership. In J. T. McMahon (Ed.), Leadership Classics (pp. 171-175). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. George, B. (2007). True North: Discover your Authentic Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. George, B. (2010). Authentic Leadership. In J.T. McMahon (Ed.), Leadership Classics (pp. 574-583). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. Grootaert, C., Narayan, D., Jones, V. N., & Woolcock, M. (2004). Measuring Social Capital: An Integrated Questionnaire. Washington: The World Bank. Hutchinson, M. S. (2000). Restorative justice, voluntary action and social capital: a perspective from Northern Ireland. In the Fourth International Conference of The International Society for Third Sector Research.

The Arms Trade Treaty

The Arms Trade Treaty Derek Matthews International Relations Abstract The Arms Trade Treaty is the result of an international consensus that there is a need for global arms regulation. This belief began to develop after the Cold War in response to consequences facing the international community from countries whom purchased arms unimpeded and used them towards aggressive and oppressive ends.The Arms Trade treaty has been applauded as an initial framework to begin practical implementation of effective arms regulations through the context of international consensus in a way that will reduce egregious human rights violations and increase weapons accountability as well as regional stability. There are criticisms as to the future effectiveness of the treaty because the scope of the treaty covers arms sales, not other forms of arms transfer and because major arms exporters have abstained from participating in the treaty.These realities are staunch hurdles towards the future effectiveness o f governing policies that may evolve from the treaty. Because the treaty has not reached the stage of ratification, an actual analysis of the impacts of this treaty have yet to be seen. Background The origins of the international arms regulation and thus, the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) can be traced back to the start of the Cold War. NATO had an interest in slowing the transfer of advanced military technologies to the Soviet Union.They created the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM) to block arms, industrial technologies, and â€Å"atomic† technologies from being exported to the Soviet Union from countries in the Warsaw Pact. This was not a nonproliferation regime and its limited scope proved ill-equipped to handle the emerging problems of the Post-Cold War era. This was evident during the 1991 Persian Gulf War where the Iraqi military was able to build the world’s fourth-largest military with $40 billion in foreign weapons purchases. Lewis, 20 05) After the war, western countries began working on international agreements aimed to stop destabilizing accumulations like the arms transfer component in the Middle East. (Collina, 2012) The idea for these international agreements was proposed by the United Kingdom which wanted a global regime aimed at â€Å"avoiding arms transfers that could destabilize a region, put human rights at risk, or provide inappropriately advanced technology. (Lewis, 2005) The language set forth in this goal would lead to a chain of international agreements and guidelines aimed at reducing illicit arms trade and defining the parameters of what illicit arms trade entailed; the United Nations (UN) Registry for Conventional Arms in 1991, the US begins work on the US Code of Conduct Bill in 1993, the Warsenaar Agreement in 1996, UN Guidelines for International Arms Transfers in 1996,Oscar Arias and a group of Nobel Laureates produce first draft of the International Code of Conduct on Arms Transfers in 199 7, European Code of Conduct in 1998, US passes International Code of Conduct in 1999, UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects in 2001, Organization of American States (OAS) Model Regulations for the Control of the International Movement of Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition in 2003, Great Lakes and Horn of Africa region adopt the Nairobi Protocol for the Prevention, Control and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in 2004, UN begins work on a global arms trade treaty in 2006, the General Assembly of the UN votes overwhelmingly for approval of the global Arms Trade Treaty on April 2, 2013. Shah, 2008)(Charbanneau, 2013) For the two decades following the end of the Cold War, the world has been moving in the direction towards a global consensus on how we should provide accountability and responsibility to the selling of weapons culminating with an almost unanimous agreement laid o ut in the Arms Trade Treaty of 2013 which was passed through the General Assembly of the United Nations with a vote of 155 for, 3 against, and 22 abstained. (Charbanneau, 2013) Reason for the ATT The trade of goods internationally has long been subject to regulation. The import and export of cars and clothes has more restrictions on trade than Ak-47s and rocket launchers. So when the discussion surrounding arms trade regulation began, it was initially just a way for western nations to stem the unfettered growth of aggressive militaries which caused regional instability such as Iraq in the Persian Gulf War.However, once these discussions entered the international arena, it was easy to see the practicality in implementing arms regulation and to contextualize the benefit that regulation would have on preventing numerous other instances of international instability. (UN Conference, 2013) From the Contras in Nicaragua, to the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, to the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, it is easy to see the potential social and human impact of effective restrictions on the sale of weapons. The reason behind arms trade regulations is to stop weapons from falling into the hands of criminals, gangs, warlords, and terrorists who would use them to oppress human rights and destabilize the region.There are economic impacts as well. The unrestricted sale of weapons results in damages through crime, gang violence, and piracy that vastly exceed the initial profits from selling them. UN peacekeeping missions alone cost the world over $7 billion a year and the global burden of armed violence stands at $400 billion. (UN Conference, 2013) ATT Policy Goals To address the lack of international oversight on arms trade, the UN formulated language designed to codify the growing international consensus of what responsible arms trade should look like. Through various concessions to accommodate differing opinions, they formulated a treaty with two rationales in mind.The firs t was to stop sales to state end-users that would use them to undermine global peace and security, violate international human rights laws, impair socio-economic development, or are at risk to re-export those weapons which then might come into the hands of organized criminals or terrorists. The second rationale is to close loopholes in trade regulations and strengthen the effectiveness of legal frameworks to hinder the illicit arms market which provides weapons to end-users whom would normally be barred from acquiring them through legal means. (Kimball, 2011) The idea behind this rationale is to end the prevalence of weapons smugglers like Viktor Bout, whose actions inspired the film â€Å"Lord of War†.These smugglers effectively exploit loopholes in national and international laws to provide illegal arms around the world. (Austin, 2012) The Arms Trade Treaty would also seek to strengthen transparency and reporting on arms trade transfers and the production of munitions which will provide more accountability for State’s actions. (Kimball, 2013) The treaty was created with the original UN Charter Chapter 7 Article 51 in mind which reads, â€Å"Nothing shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs†. The treaty was shaped to allow arms purchases justified through the realm of self-defense and to fight back against regimes that violate human rights.The vague nature of the language still leaves significant room for state differences on what acts will be deemed self-defense or political struggle. The language is also weak on providing a legal framework to deal with non-state actors and terrorism. The policies laid out by the Arms Trade Treaty are primarily aimed towards better control over the export sale of arms; however there is little language to account for the import of arms or for arms transfers which are labeled gifts, or trades. Impacts and Opinions There are 193 Member States of the U N General Assembly. The vast majority of them agree with the ATT, although most have varying reservations to the limitations of the treaty.The treaty is considered a floor of regulation from which to work with and not a ceiling. 155 States voted in favor of the treaty, the most impactful vote came from the US. The development of this treaty was coming to a close in 2008 after the US Senate voted their intention to deny ratification of a ATT treaty. The withdrawal of support from the top arms exporter in the world would have vastly diminished the prospects for any meaningful implementation without the support of the US. The US has come out in support of this treaty since 2009, and the renewed support by the US fundamentally changes the effectiveness that implementation of the treaty will have.The US did influenced language in the treaty to ensure that the regulations will not impede on State’s domestic gun rights and will not lower the bar of States that already practice a hig h level of arms control. Despite this accommodation made specifically for the US, the National Rifle Association (NRA), a powerful interest group within America, is against the ATT and threatens to stop ratification in the Senate on the grounds increased regulation will affect domestic gun ownership. (MacFarquhar, 2013) The UN Association (UNA) which lobbies on behalf of the UN in America, stands in strong support of the ATT and is working to combat poorly informed opinions on the nature and language contained within the ATT. (UNAUSA, 2013) Proponents on both sides of the Syrian conflict voted against or abstained from the ATT.Syria and Iran voted against the proposal while China and Russia abstained because of â€Å"the lack of an explicit prohibition on the supply of weapons to non-state actors that would, for example, restrain the ability of Syria's armed opposition from building up its stockpile. † (Lynch, 2013) Many of the Persian gulf powers which support the Syrian opp osition, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Yemen abstained from the vote as well. The vague language in the ATT allows for political pressuring to frame either the Syrian opposition as terrorist groups or the Syrian regime as human rights oppressors and potentially justify a moratorium on arms exports to those organizations. This is one of the main criticisms of the ATT.India also abstained from voting for the treaty, stating that the language was â€Å"the draft treaty was â€Å"tilted† in favor of the world's leading arms exporters. † Other abstentions came from the Latin American sect of countries that generally vote against all US led initiatives in the UN. These countries include Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua. However, the treaty was met with tremendous support in the rest of Latin America and Africa, countries that have seen a tremendous amount of instability at the hands of organizations who receive their arms through illicit arms trafficking such as the drug ca rtels and the Muslim resistance movements. These countries mainly asserted that in the long run, the treaty would curb the arms sales that have fueled many conflicts. MacFarquhar, 2013) The cumulative sum of opposition and abstention for various reasons creates a reality where some of the top arms exporters have chosen not to adhere to the new treaty. This creates concerns on the ultimate effectiveness of the treaty, because a large part of the export nations the treaty was designed to add transparency and regulation to are not participants. America and the Western nations make up a tremendous percentage of global arms sales the percentage fluctuates annually, but America generally represents around half of all arms sales and the UK, France, and other European countries account for between 10 and 15 percent of global sales. Shanker, 2012) So the impact of this treaty will be felt through close to three quarters of global sales, and the hope is that as international norms strengthen, the outlier nations will feel the pressure to conform to these new international standards as well. Success of the treaty Impact analysis over the next decade will truly define the success of this treaty. In fact, ratification will not even begin until June 3, 2013. Every state will define the standards to which they want the treaty to measure up to and view success through that lens. Pertinent questions might arise over the next decade, about how the ATT shifted geopolitical power, how it will enforce arms transfers for conflicts where the consensus is split such as Syria, and whether it will have the teeth to prevent the widening of the black market which generally occurs when more stringent legal precedents are set.At the bare minimum, this treaty must succeed at stopping the supply of weapons to regions of conflict where there is an overwhelming international consensus about the extent of human rights violations being carried out under a particular regime. There will always be political conflict, but through the ATT the ultimate success will be when it succeeds in ensuring that conflict does not manifest into disproportionate violence and perhaps alter the path of least resistance to a point where it is more expedient to resolve conflict through nonviolent means. References Austin,  K. L. (2012, August 20). What Mauritius Can Teach Us About the Global Arms Trade – NYTimes. com. Retrieved  April  11, 2013, from http://atwar. blogs. nytimes. com/2012/08/20/what-mauritius-can-teach-us-about-the-global-arms-trade/? ref=viktorbout Charbonneau,  L. (2013, April 2). U. N. verwhelmingly approves global arms trade treaty| Reuters. Retrieved  April  11, 2013, from http://www. reuters. com/article/2013/04/02/us-arms-treaty-un-idUSBRE9310MN20130402 Collina,  T. (2012, October). The Wassenaar Arrangement at a Glance | Arms Control Association. Retrieved  April  11, 2013, from http://www. armscontrol. org/factsheets/wassenaar Kimball,  D. G. (2013, March 27). ‘Final' Arms Trade Treaty A Good Step Forward | Arms Control Association. Retrieved  April  11, 2013, from http://www. armscontrol. org/pressroom/Final-Arms-Trade-Treaty-A-Good-Step-Forward Kimball,  D. G. (2011, October). The Arms Trade Treaty At a Glance | Arms Control Association. Retrieved  April  11, 2013, from

Timeline of the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War

Timeline of the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War U.S. troops had been in Vietnam for three years before the Tet Offensive, and most of the fighting they had encountered were small skirmishes involving guerilla tactics. Although the U.S. had more aircraft, better weapons, and hundreds of thousands of trained soldiers, they were stuck in a stalemate against the Communist forces in North Vietnam and the guerrilla forces in South Vietnam (known as the Viet Cong). The United States was discovering that traditional warfare tactics did not necessarily work well in the jungle against the guerrilla warfare tactics they were facing. January 21, 1968 In early 1968, General Vo Nguyen Giap, the man in charge of North Vietnams army, believed it was time for the North Vietnamese to make a major surprise attack on South Vietnam. After coordinating with the Viet Cong and moving troops and supplies into position, the Communists made a diversionary attack against the American base at Khe Sanh on January 21, 1968. January 30, 1968 On January 30, 1968, the real Tet Offensive began. Early in the morning, North Vietnamese troops and Viet Cong forces attacked both towns and cities in South Vietnam, breaking the ceasefire that had been called for the Vietnamese holiday of Tet (the lunar new year). The Communists attacked around 100 major cities and towns in South Vietnam. The size and ferocity of the attack surprised both the Americans and the South Vietnamese, but they fought back. The Communists, who had hoped for an uprising from the populous in support of their actions, met heavy resistance instead. In some towns and cities, the Communists were repelled quickly, within hours. In others, it took weeks of fighting. In Saigon, the Communists succeeded in occupying the U.S. embassy, once thought impregnable, for eight hours before they were overtaken by U.S. soldiers. It took about two weeks for U.S. troops and South Vietnamese forces to regain control of Saigon; it took them nearly a month to retake the city of Hue. Conclusion In military terms, the United States was the victor of the Tet Offensive for the Communists did not succeed in maintaining control over any part of South Vietnam. The Communist forces also suffered very heavy losses (an estimated 45,000 killed). However, the Tet Offensive showed another side of the war to Americans, one which they did not like. The coordination, strength, and surprise instigated by the Communists led the U.S. to realize that their foe was much stronger than they had expected. Faced with an unhappy American public and depressing news from his military leaders, President Lyndon B. Johnson decided to end the escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

How Sunscreen SPF Is Measured

How Sunscreen SPF Is Measured SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is a multiplication factor you can use to determine how long you can stay out in the sun before getting a sunburn. If you normally can stay out 10 minutes before burning, a sunscreen with an SPF of 2 will let you stay out twice as long, or 20 minutes, before feeling the burn. An SPF of 70 will let you stay out 70 times longer than if you had no protection (or 700 minutes in this example, which would be over 11 hours or a full day). How Is SPFDetermined? Think SPF is a  calculated value or an experimental lab value, based on how much ultraviolet light penetrates a coating of sunscreen? Nope! SPF is determined using human experimentation. The test involves fair-skinned volunteers (people who burn most quickly). They apply the product and bake in the sun until they start to fry.   What about water resistant? For a sunscreen to be marketed as water resistant, the time required to burn must be the same before and after two consecutive 20 minute soaks in a Jacuzzi. The SPF factors are calculated by rounding down the time required to burn; however, you may get a false sense of protection from an SPF because the amount of sunscreen used in the tests is a lot more product than the average person uses. The tests use 2 milligrams of formula per square centimeter of skin. Thats like using a quarter of an 8-oz bottle of sunscreen for a single application. Still... a high SPF confers more protection than lower SPF.  How Sunless Tanning Works | How Sunscreen Works

Strategic Management-Case study Nike Research Paper

Strategic Management-Case study Nike - Research Paper Example The other factors entail the customers who are capable enough to compel firms to bring down its prices by triggering competition between the particular firm and its respective competitor. Suppliers can also restrict the profits of the firms by way of demanding higher prices. Fresh participants or competitors with new facilities and zeal to capture the market can escalate the investments for a firm in order to stay in the competition and compete with the fresh force. Lastly, alternate choices also negatively manipulate the profit of the firms as it can facilitate in taking away the customers of a particular firm by luring them with the alternate choices. Therefore, all these factors need to be evaluated while designing an effectual strategy of a firm. The evaluation would provide a complete understanding of the ways by which the profit can get affected in an industry (Porter, 2011). Firms should get a complete understanding of the mentioned forces and structure plans particularly to cut down on the profits that are being taken away by the other market contestants or competitors. Firms require taking heed of those forces and planning accordingly so as to continue its sustained existence. Firms should take steps to counterbalance the power of the suppliers by setting specifications for the procured materials so that it becomes easy for the firm to change vendors without affecting the operations as well as increasing the related costs. In order to reduce the effect of the powers of the customers, firms need to develop and spread out their services as well as products so that it can hold on to the customers from losing to its opponents. It is a common phenomenon for the opponents to alter its prices in order to capture the market. Owing to this reason firms need to manufacture products which should vary notably from the products of its competitors. Therefore, firms need to design strong

GPS Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

GPS - Term Paper Example The technology is owned by the United States that offers users through navigation, positioning as well as timing services. This system is composed of three segments that are control segment, the space segment and the user segment. The United Sates Air Force maintains, develops as well as operates the space and control segments (Bajaj, Ranaweera, & Agrawal, 2002). This paper presents a detailed overview of global positioning system. This paper will outline the history, advantages and disadvantages of the global positioning system. Initially GPS system was designated the navigation system with timing and ranging (or NAVSTAR) global positioning system. Additionally, US Department of defense initiated this project to offer round-the-clock and all-weather navigation abilities intended for sea, military ground as well as air forces. In addition, with the development of global positioning system it has become an integral asset in several civilian applications as well as industries around the world, comprising recreational utilization (for example aircraft, boating, hiking), business vehicle fleet tracking, as well as surveying. However, the general development of global positioning system was initiated by LORAN and the Decca Navigator developed ultimately in 1940s, as well as employed throughout World War II. Additionally, to attain precision requirements, GPS employs rules and regulations of general relativity to make right the satellites atomic clocks. In addition, by seeing these parallel developments in the GPS technology, in 1960s it was recognized that a superior system could be developed by producing the most excellent technologies from 621B, Timation, Transit and SECOR in a multi-service program. Thus, a meeting of approximately 12 military officers held at the Pentagon in 1973. In which they decided to create a DNSS (defense navigation satellite system). Thus, after one year of that meeting the DNSS