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u.s geloogical essays

u.s geloogical essays The US Geological Survey is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, it was established in 1879. It is responsible for interpreting and mapping the geology, hydrology, and topography of the United States and its territories and for investigating and appraising mineral, energy, and water resources. The agency investigates a wide range natural hazards. It performs scientific research and publishes the results of its studies. The value of the USGS to the Nation is in its ability to carry out studies on a national scale and to do long-term monitoring and assessment of natural resources. The diversity of scientific knowledge enables the USGS to carry out large-scale, multi-level investigations that give us detailed information about the Earth. The USGS has 10,000 scientists, technicians and support staff located in nearly 400 offices in every State and in several foreign countries. It has a budget of more than $1 billion dollars a year. Field investigations, direct observations of natural science processes and phenomena, and monitoring and data collection at the local scale are Natural hazards are a big national concern. The USGS main purpose is to provide the science needed to reduce the loss of life and property they can cause. The USGS deals with natural hazards like earthquakes , volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, droughts, coastal storms, wildfires, And fish and wildlife diseases . USGS science assesses where natural hazards may occur and what the risks are to the people who live there. Long-term monitoring of natural hazards gives scientiststhe ability to detect and report hazards in real The USGS works closley with Federal, State, and local agencies to assist in emergency response efforts when disaster strikes. USGS science provides information needed by the public to understand the hazards that may exist in their community and to help decrease l ...

How might government debt reduction plans affect Bury Sports Ltd Essay

How might government debt reduction plans affect Bury Sports Ltd - Essay Example The UK public sector budget deficits, which are recorded since 2002-03, have already reached at the level of  £6.0 billion in February 2010, more than double in comparison with its previous year level. Net capital borrowing has increased almost one and half times more to  £12.4 billion than its previous year level. As a percentage of GDP the net public sector debt of the UK government has touched to 60.3 per cent in February, 2010, a 10 scale higher than the level of February, 2009. At the end of February, 2010 the net debt also has increased to  £857.5 billion from a level of  £712.4 billion in February 2009. Net public sector borrowing has also jumped to  £49.4 billion from the level of  £ 32.4 billion, at the end of the third quarter of 2009-10. Excluding the financial interventions, the public sector net debt has risen to  £741.6 billion by the end of February, 2010 from the level of  £596.9 billion which was seen in February, 2009, exactly before one year. (Month ly:  £6.0bn budget deficit, March 29, 2010; Tanweer, Thompson, n.d.). Keeping these issues in mind the government has taken a deficit reduction strategy. This set the path to Mr. Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer to take an aggressive decision towards the reduction of debt. The government has planned for high cuts in its public spending over the coming two years. Mr. Darling intends to reduce the general government spending excluding capital investment, interest on debt and social welfare costs by almost 1.5 per cent and 2 percent in 2011 and 2012 respectively. (Fiscal Responsibility Bill, 2009-10, pp. 1-3). With the outlook of bringing the budget back into balance within 2017 financial year, the government would like that its budget deficit as a percentage of GDP may fall to almost the half level of the present year standard. With the

Report for after presentation 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report for after presentation 2 - Essay Example Preston is of the opinion that even though the content might seem as if it was inadequate, this is contrary to the actual situation because the presentation utilized its space well to answer the questions effectively and logically. In addition, as a member of the audience, I appreciated the fact that the presentation was short since very long presentations dissuade the members of the audience from actively participating in it (Preston, 2007). According to Dare, the issue of ethics and integrity are clearly discussed, courtesy of the effective use of visual aids in this presentation. The use of bright colors (yellow) and high quality images that coincide with the message trying to be relayed, was very effective. In addition, the application of the high quality pictures and other graphics made the presentation, more appealing to the audience. However, despite the many strengths of the presentation, I felt that the use of incorrect tenses in some sections, such as in the summary, was a major flaw. Even though the presentation is not very formal, the use of correct tenses is essential in conveying the message effectively. If the group can correct this weakness then the presentation would be more effective (Dare, 2010). The presentation on how to purchase ethical chocolate is very informative. The presentation outlines comprehensively how chocolate sold in retail chains across the globe is a by- product of child slavery in Ghana. The agony experienced by the children is discussed in depth so that the audience can be educated on how to prevent this phenomena from occurring. One of the strengths of the presentation is its effective application of visual aids aimed at capturing the attention of the audience and also placing emphasis on the issue of child slavery. For instance, the picture of a child struggling to carry a sack of cocoa is very moving. The agony and hardship expressed on the child’s face is very effective. It is especially

Midshires College of Midwifery and Nursing Essay

Midshires College of Midwifery and Nursing - Essay Example The Steering Group had a total of 24 members derived from ten local Health Authorities, the NHS Hospital Trust and the Regional Health Authority. The members had various capacities such as General Managers, Chief Nursing Officers and some were representatives. The inclusion of General Managers from the ten Health Authorities was important since the five colleges provided services to hospitals in the ten Health Authorities. Their views, therefore, were needed to ensure that the creation of Midshires College of Midwifery and nursing becomes a success. The Steering Group had one main objective, which was amalgamating the five different colleges of midwifery and nursing. Although the Steering Group had a clear objective and the members needed to achieve its objective, it faced various problems in the process of creating Midshires College. The first problem encountered during the process of amalgamating the five colleges was the uncertain future regarding the demand for nurse education. T he number of nurses needed, and their functions in the health sector in the coming future were not clear. In this case, it was certain that nurses’ jobs faced a threat. If formed, Midshires College would face the problem of not admitting enough students to purse the midwifery and nursing course. The future of nursing jobs was measured in terms of population growth and establishment of new hospitals. It was only natural that when creating a new college, it had to accommodate more students than the other five colleges accommodated in total. However, there was a low demand for more nurses in the future market (Hughes et al, 2009). The second problem experienced when creating Midshires College was a conflict of interest between members in the Steering Group and the new college to be formed. In the five colleges, the General Managers were charged with the task of providing nursing education. It was apparent that, the new college, Midshires, if created could not rely on direct nurs e education services from the General Managers. The General Managers had the option of putting up a tender, which could see to it that they secure the contract of training nurses in the college. The objective and goal, which Midhires College was based on, contradicted both the intentions and interests of General Managers who formed the Steering Group. The creation of Midshires College faced a challenged, which came from the same people who were supposed to oversee its creation. A definite competition was on the rise, as it was seen when an organization to compete with the new college in terms of availing post-experience nurse education was formed by two Health Authorities. The Steering Group had the intention of frustrating efforts that the new college was making in order to provide post-experience courses. It is worth noting that the Steering Group was all along protecting its interests, through lamenting that if the new college provided post-experience courses then 30% of the five colleges’ staff would lose their jobs. Creating the new college became a challenge since members in the Steering Group were opposing change, which would affect jobs and provision of nursing education (Hughes et al, 2009). The third problem came as a result of the expectation that a higher educational institution would validate qualifications achieved from Midshires College, which was on the verge of formation. It was also expected that, in the end, Midshires College

Human Rights Records of Multinationals in Nigeria

Human Rights Records of Multinationals in Nigeria Chapter 1 Introduction From time immemorial man has depended on his environment for all his material needs. Adam and eve for instance survived with the most basic of sustenance and the story is that they lived exclusively on fruits gathered from the Garden of Eden including the forbidden one. This is a classical case of mans insatiability with just what is immediately available or sustainable. It is not necessarily greed or avarice but mans advancement, increasing needs, and quest for the unknown. The instruction to increase and multiply created new pressures for him. The few fruits he gathered from the garden could not sustain his ever-increasing family. Eden also became too small as a result of his obeying the instruction to increase and multiply, and the need to move to unknown destinations became imperative, where he ran into hostile situations such as excessive cold, heat, other various forms of inclement weather; in addition to unfriendly plant and animal life. Movement from point A to B by foot whic h was the only option available at the time must have been very painful and slow. Therefore man had to fashion out ways of transportation. This started with rafters made from such materials as papyrus, to dug- out wooden canoes for water transportation; the forerunners of our mass transport system, and a large component of mans current environmental problems. Mans development continued unabated until the industrial revolution that completely changed forever the relationship of man with his environment. The creation of the internal combustion engine could be regarded as a major landmark in mans existence on earth which has facilitated the enormous movement of man, and the reduction of the universe into the proverbial global village. It is in this quest for man to satisfy his needs and wants through modern transportation, accommodation, leisure and several other aspects of human endeavor that has led to unprecedented demand for energy. Energy in the form of wind, water, sun, fossil etc has become a preoccupation of modern life. However, one which appears to have an obviously devastating consequence on mans environment today is fossil energy the prime mover of mans various activities. The exploration, extraction and exploitation of fossil fuel have so irreversibly impacted the earth that they are considered as the major causative factors of global warming. In Nigeria the early exploration of solid minerals which started in 1903 was immediately followed by such exploration for fossil oil. The major international company that was involved in this early exploration was Shell DArcy. There is every indication that the native communities where these explorations were going on were completely unprepared for the shock of oil activities. First and foremost, there were no specific existing laws in the Nigerian system guiding such human activities and therefore any attempt at either avoiding disaster or remedying any that occurred was almost completely at the discretion of the operating company. According to the Nigerian Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, mineral exploitation in the country was largely carried out without regards to the adverse effects on the environment or the host communities. It was not until 1946 that the minerals ordinance was enacted with provisions for reclamation of mined out lands. In consequence therefore a unit; m ines land reclamation unit was established to reclaim the hundreds of abandoned mines land all over the country which were relics of the colonial mining activities. The same or far worse could be said to be the case for oil mineral exploitation. One must bear in mind that Shell DArcy was neither CARITAS nor RED CROSS. In the process of their exploration and indeed exploitation, several incidents of damage to the ecosystem had occurred and there are several unwritten stories of this great damage to the ecosystem. The first mineral act for Nigeria was actually written in 1946 *123) and from all indications it was quite defective and concentrated mainly on Solid Minerals, and what the Nigerian government saw as the revenue that would accrue to the nation. The areas dealing with environmental impact abatement occupied very limited space and importance. It is instructive to mention here that the entire minerals and mining sector which included solid minerals and crude oil mining was unde r one ministry ab initio. It was only when crude oil took precedence over solid minerals that the two were separated in the 1970s before a full- fledged Ministry of Solid Minerals development was established in 1995 which is the structure as at today. There have been several reported cases of monumental damage to the ecosystem generally and specifically to farm lands, fishing areas and other water courses in the Niger delta of Nigeria as a result of accidents or carelessness on the part of oil companies in several Niger delta areas such as Ogoni land, the current Bayelsa, Warri axis (Bob, 2005). Such devastation has consistently occurred, with the oil companies either paying lip service to such disaster abatement or actually offering very painfully limited amounts of redress to host communities. One reality is clear; because government either by omission or commission (more of commission) had not been in a position to protect the host communities; and their crying interests, we have had cases of unrest in the Niger delta area. Prominent among these unrests are the Ogoni uprising, and of recent, MEND (movement for the emancipation of the Niger delta) with their negative attendant consequences on the Nigerian nation and her economy. These cases of unrest have been extensively documented and had attracted international attention and sympathy. Much as one would say that the extant laws guiding the exploration and exploitation of crude oil in the country have undergone serious reforms, several factors outside the laws have come to further exacerbate an already difficult situation. Opinion is that while the existing laws are not extremely favorable to host community existence and indeed the entire ecosystem, other human failings in the Nigerian system have lent their weight to inflicting extensive pain on host communities of oil producing areas. The most hurting has been positively identified as â€Å"corruption†. The oil companies are 100% profit making organizations. Therefore in this system where a gift of a gold watch and a cup of coffee, could easily make a minister whose job includes enforcement of extant laws to look the other way while operating bodies break all the existing laws, these oil companies naturally found it easier to side track national laws in order to operate at maximum profit while inflicting un told pain and hardship on host communities. Objectives: The primary objective of this paper is to broadly examine the interaction between multinationals and the host countries in which they do business from a human rights perspective. For the purpose of this discourse, I will limit my case studies to three prominent multinationals in Nigeria, which are Shell, Chevron, and Exxon Mobil. As earlier stated, some of these industries present a huge number of dangers and in many cases extremely hazardous consequences for employees, inhabitants of certain communities and indeed the environment particularly their effect on flora and fauna. While some of these dangers presented may not be committed intentionally, some individuals are nevertheless made to suffer less than desirable conditions, in the hands of company security agents all of which border on human rights violations. Therefore in this paper, positive and the negative roles played by the multinationals will be examined in order to help assess their human rights records properly. As an in tegral part of this research also, extant laws, covenants and treaties if any that these multinationals have signed regarding their operations within the country will be examined, as well as the company`s operational guidelines. Organization Of Dissertation Chapter 1 is basically concerned with the introduction. For the purpose of this work however, the next chapter will give a brief overview of the country and the history of oil exploration in Nigeria as well as a discussion of the major concept which is human rights from the perspective of several scholars. Chapter 3will focus mainly on the human rights performance of these multinationals (negative and positive), beginning with their corporate social responsibility and how well they have behaved in host communities and abided by their business principles. The forth chapter then will solely be focused on the spillover effects of the activities of the multinationals and as such the reaction of the host communities and the Nigerian government in general. The fifth chapter will be the conclusions and recommendations. Research Question 1. What are the human rights records of multinationals in the oil industry in Nigeria specifically shell, chevron, and Exxon Mobil? 2. How well have these companies kept to their public statements and operating principles? Chapter 2 This chapter will give an overview of the country and a brief history of its oil exploration and exploitation in the country, vis a vis, the definition of human rights as defined by several scholars. Overview Of Nigeria Nigeria is undoubtedly the most populous nation in Africa with an estimated 140 million people. The nation comprises 36 states and one federal capital territory. Nigeria is also blessed with vast agriculture and mineral resources which include, but not limited to cocoa, cassava, coal, bauxite, tin, tantalite, iron ore, limestone, gold, many precious metals/stones, and most importantly crude oil. Despite being one of the major producers and exporters of oil in the world and also a member of the OPEC, the country has continued to experience endemic poverty and strife notwithstanding the abundance of the above mentioned. All of this can directly be linked to corruption and mismanagement of funds by the ruling elites, with billions of dollars being made each day by major multinationals in diverse joint venture agreements with the government owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Bob (2005, p.59) argues that â€Å"Nigeria`s highly centralized, notoriously corrupt and ethni cally riven political system have made it possible for the country`s leaders both military and civilian to siphon most of the revenue from oil†. This institutionalized corruption has almost always been implicated in serious cases of human rights violations. *MITCHELL. According to several authorities including the, US state department, among others, oil exploration and exploitation have often precipitated gross human rights violations, citing several cases of extrajudicial killings, torture (US*), and most of all environmental devastation which has led to the destruction of total ecosystems. Oil Exploration In Nigeria The history oil exploration in Nigeria could be dated as far back as the drilling of oil wells in Nigeria by the Nigerian bitumen company in 1903 when mining exploration activities started in Nigeria. However the first major discovery and exploration of oil was in 1956 in oloibiri village in eastern delta of Nigeria (Olorode et al, 1998, p.14). This operation was carried out by Shell DArcy now known as shell petroleum development company (SPDC, 2009). Subsequently, oil companies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron Texaco, ENI/Agip, and TotalFinaElf joined in oil exploration activities mostly in the Delta region under a joint venture agreement with state owned NNPC. The oil industry has definitely made a huge impact on the socio-economic life of Nigeria especially as one of its major sources of revenue. However oil exploration as an extractive industry has negatively impacted on the indigenous populations where oil drilling and exploration occur. Despite huge profits amassed by the oil indust ry, gross environmental devastation and degradation have routinely cropped up with little or no solution being proffered to the situation by the oil industry operatives. According to reports by the committee for the defense of human rights (CDHR), the industry has inflicted unprecedented agony on indigenous communities by completely disrupting water ways, destroying soil, water, air, animal, plant life, and generally causing massive destruction in the eco system especially on the flora and fauna (Olorode, 1998, p.15). Communities affected by oil exploration are those of the Niger delta. The Delta region is made up of a number of indigenous communities and states which include Rivers state, Delta, Bayelsa, cross river and Akwa Ibom and they account for about 80 percent of the oil and gas produced in Nigeria. The remaining 20 percent are scattered in different parts of the country such as, Imo, and Ondo *(CDHR). Apart from oil and gas, the Niger Delta is also blessed with agricultural land, creeks, forests, rivers, creeks, and coastal waters with fish and sundry marine life (Okonta and Douglas, 2000, p.33). Ironically even in the midst of these abundant natural resources, the region remains one of the poorest and most under developed in the country, with the people suffering from unimaginable diseases and a complete absence of basic facilities which include electricity, clean water, education, hospitals, housing, and good roads*. Decades of wanton mismanagement of funds and corruption have been cited as the reason for paltry GNP per capita of 280 us dollars, but the reality in the Niger delta is even far worse. A recent survey by the world bank stated that 7 in every 10 Nigerian`s live below $1 a day (*). Furthermore the area has one of the highest population densities in the world, with an estimated 3 percent growth per year, and this burgeoning population in the face of under development has been referred by Okonta and Douglas as the â€Å"human ecologists ultimate nightmare; a growing population in an attempt to survive (is) destroying the very ecosystem that should guarantee its survival† (Okonta and Douglas, 2000, p.34). Most of the suffering of the peoples of the Niger Delta could be attributed to oil companies invading their territories and paying little attention to the plight of the people, and also the ever corrupt government officials and political elites willing to accept bribes and cuts from these multinationals to remain silent. These acts of commission and omission by state functionaries have sometimes been exploited by the multinationals resulting in the brutal repression of dissenting host communities using instruments of state violence (*). Following is a reference to various definitions and concepts of human rights as elucidated by the aforementioned authorities. Human Rights â€Å"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights†. —Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) According to the United Nations declaration of human rights (UDHR), rights fall into two major categories namely civil and political rights, as well as socio-economic and cultural Rights†. (Malone, 2003, p.20). Civil and political rights which are also considered as first generation rights are argued to be those unalienable rights to which an individual is entitled. According to the UNDHR they include the right to life, right not to be tortured, right to fair hearing and judicial process. Forsythe, for instance, explained human rights to be â€Å"those fundamental moral rights of the person that are necessary for a life with human dignity.† (Forsythe, 2006, p.3) Landman (2006), defined human rights as â€Å"a set of individual and collective rights that have been formally promoted and protected through international and domestic law since the universal declaration of human rights in 1948† (p.8). Alston (2005), cited Karel Vazali`s categorization which argues that there are three generations of human rights namely, the first generation – civil and political rights, i.e. right to life and political participation. The second generation according to Alston includes economic, social and cultural rights or collectively, right to subsistence. The third generation rights which is the solidarity rights encapsulates the right to peace and most importantly for the purpose of this discourse is the right to a clean environment. There are two schools of thought with regards to environmental human rights which are enshrined in article 21 of the African charter on human and people`s rights, which argues that the right to a healthy or adequate environment, constitutes a fundamental component of human rights (African Charter on Peoples and Human Rights: Ratification and Enforcement, Act 1990). The second school of thought posits that environmental human rights are derivable from other human rights including, but not limited to the right to life, the right to health, as well as the right to property (Ibid). The whole concept of environmental rights is informed by the concept of a right to a habitable environment for the present and generations yet unborn. According to Olorode (1998, p.8), â€Å"the extractive industries constitute one of the human activities which have immediate and significant consequences on the environment†. Odu (1977) as quoted in Olorode (1998, p.8) also argued that â€Å"extractive industries may alter the ecology so completely that it cannot support agriculture or fishing† Since this treatise is primarily concerned with the human rights records of select multinational oil companies in Nigeria, relevant clauses of the Nigerian constitution on fundamental human rights are worthy of reference. Chapter four of the Nigerian constitution deals solely with fundamental human rights as enumerated in sections 33 to 46, the keynotes of which are reproduced hereunder: â€Å"33. Right to life 34. Right to dignity of the human person 35. Right to personal liberty. 36. Right to fair hearing. 37. Right to private and family life. 38. Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion 39. Right to freedom of expression and the press. 40. Right to peaceful assembly and association. 41. Right to freedom of movement. 42. Right to freedom from discrimination 43. Right to acquire and own immovable property. 44. Compulsory acquisition of property. 45. Restriction on and derogation from fundamental human rights. 46. Special jurisdiction of High Court and Legal aid† (Sections 33-46, Constitution federal republic of Nigeria (FRN) 1999) Furthermore section 20 of the same constitution provides that â€Å"the state shall protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air and land, forest and wildlife of Nigeria. It can therefore be argued that adequate provisions are already in place at least on paper, for the protection and enforcement of the fundamental human rights of Nigerians with particular reference to environmental rights. However, section 44(3) vests the entire property and control of all minerals, including oil and gas occurring in any land, upon or under any waters within the Nigerian territory and its exclusive economic zone on the government of the federation which shall manage these resources in the manner prescribed by the national assembly (Constitution, FRN, 1999). This constitutional provision is more often than not relied upon by the government and its institutions, sometimes allegedly at the behest of the multinational oil giants, to suppress and repress legitimate agitations by aggrieved host communities. The aggrieved host communities are usually either seeking for their fair share of the oil wealth, outright resource control, or demanding for concrete remedial measures against the sundry negative environmental impacts of oil exploration and exploitation such as gas flaring. According to reports by Osouka and Roderick (2005, p.4) Nigeria flares more gas than any country in the world, averaging a staggering 2.5 billion cubic feet of gas associated with crude oil. This they argue to be equal to 40% of all Africa`s natural gas consumption which have contributed more greenhouse gases than the entire sub Saharan Africa as a whole. They posit that â€Å"the flaring of associated gas in the niger delta is a human rights, environmental and social monstrosity† (Osouka and Roderick 2005), because the health and livelihood of the inhabitants of these communities are adversely affected by these unmitigated flares which contain a plethora of pollutants resulting in â€Å"an increased risk of premature deaths, child respiratory illnesses, asthma and cancer† Osouka and Roderick (2005, p.29). Osuoka and Roderick further reported that the commission had contended that the Nigerian government had in principle admitted complicity for this hazardous practice by stating that â€Å"there is no denying the fact that a lot of atrocities were and are still being committed by the oil companies in Ogoni land and indeed the entire niger delta area of Nigeria† (Osuoka and Roderick, 2005, p.29) Prior to the 1999 constitutional provision, the federal military government had in 1969 promulgated the petroleum decree which effectively abrogated the 1954 revenue allocation formula that provided for the equal sharing of mining revenue between the regions and the federal government (Oronto and Okonta, 2000, p.40). Furthermore decree 6 of 1975 increased the federal governments share of the oil proceeds from 50% to 80% leaving the states with only 20% (Oronto and Okonta, 2000, p.41). Oronto and Okonta further contended that a senior permanent secretary in the administration of former military head of state general Gowon had â€Å"cynically remarked in a public lecture that the people of the niger delta were most unlikely to pose any real threat to the regimes continued exploitation of their oil wealth as they were relatively few in population and thus could be easily subdued†, (Oronto and Okonta, 2000, p.41). They therefore concluded â€Å"that this is exactly what the Nigerian military junta has done beginning from the mid eighties when the people of the Niger delta began to raise their voices in protest (Oronto and Okonta, 2000, p.41). Following in the next chapter therefore is a detailed report on the activities of the select multinationals with particular reference to their corporate social responsibility (CSR), on the one hand, and their alleged collusion with the authorities to perpetrate gross human rights violations against the host communities, on the other. However business and operating principles will first of all be examined before delving into the detailed report. Chapter 3 Operating Principles â€Å"The voluntary principles on security and human rights are a unique tripartite, multi stakeholder initiative established in 2000 that introduced a set of principles to guide extractive companies in maintaining the safety and security of their operations within an operating framework that ensures respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The voluntary principles address three main areas: risk management, interactions between companies and public security and interaction between companies and private security† Voluntary principles on security and human rights, 2000 Prior to this time, shell which was the first multinational to start exploration in Nigeria had to abide by the 1948 universal declaration of human rights which called on all, including companies to respect the rights of individuals. However there were no concrete laws in the nation at the time as regards exploration and exploitation, therefore SPDC formed its own set of principles to which it conducted its operations in 1979 (SPDC, 2003). Subsequently other multinationals in this review (Exxon Mobil, and Chevron) began their operations within the nation in 1955 and 1913 respectively with their own business principles that would guide their operations and several other treaties that they signed on to. One critical factor about their operating principles is that they appear to be similar in most of the various areas of human rights and CSR with virtually the same rules. SPDC for instance has in its portfolio a set of guiding principles apparently aimed at bringing development to the h ost communities in particular and the entire environment of its operations generally, some of which are: Sustainable development: Responsibility to the society Health, safety , and security Local communities Communication and engagement Shell argues that the above mentioned principles govern all of its operations and bodies within the country. For instance its business principles to society is â€Å"to conduct business as responsible corporate members of society, to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to support fundamental human rights in line with legitimate role of business, and to give proper regard to health, safety, and the environment†(SPDC, 2009*). Principle 5 therefore guarantees health, while one which is regarded as primary in relation to this discourse is principle 6 which states that â€Å"Shell companies aim to be good neighbours by continuously improving the ways in which we contribute directly or indirectly to the general wellbeing of the communities within which we work. We manage the social impacts of our business activities carefully and work with others to enhance the benefits to local communities, and to mitigate any negative impacts from our activities. In addition, Shell companies take a constructive interest in societal matters, directly or indirectly related to our business†. (SPDC, 2009) Similarly, ExxonMobil argues that its â€Å"standards of business conducts provide a framework for their operations responsibly, and that they abide by the United Nations Declaration of Human rights as it applies to companies, the fundamental Principles and rights at work of 1998 ILO Declaration, and are active participants of the earlier stated voluntary principles on Security and Human rights and most recently the UN global compact (*). They also argue that they â€Å"comply with all environmental laws and regulations and apply responsible standards where laws or regulations do not exist† (ExxonMobil, 2009) interesting! Chevron also like the other companies in this review abides by the UNDHR, and has adopted certain treaties and covenants such as the ILO principles and rights at work, the UN global compact, as well as its own company`s business operating principles which are all geared towards ensuring that it operates and maintains high standards in its activities in host countries/communities (*). According to the company`s principles regarding respect for human rights, it maintains that it supports universal human rights and as such condemns human rights abuses (sec 1.27,p.29). Furthermore with regards to the environment, â€Å"Corporate Policy 530 commits Chevron to comply with the letter and spirit of all environmental, health and safety laws and regulations â€Å"(sec 1.4) P.14. With this said, a full detailed report of the human rights records of the multinationals under study will be reviewed. Spdc (Shell Petroleum Development Company) Unarguably one of the biggest and profitable companies in the world, Shell first began its global operations in 1907 as an offshoot of the British owned shell transport and trading company (STTC) and the royal Dutch petroleum company of the Netherlands (Okonta and Oronto,2000. P.62). Since then, the multinational has spread its wings to virtually all countries of the world, and this giant produces oil and gas in approximately 45 countries of the world with interests in other natural resources such as zinc, uranium coal mining and a host of others in about a hundred countries (ibid P.62). â€Å"As measured by its business peers and even many of its adversaries, it is seen as an outstanding company† (Doyle, 2002. see preface). SPDC was granted its exploration license in 1938 to prospect for oil throughout Nigeria† (Okonta, Douglas, 2001, pp.37-39), and it teamed up with British Petroleum to open up the Nigerian oil Fields the first oil well being explored and drilled in Oloibiri in 1956 (ibid). On the 17th of February 1958, shell`s first official oil shipment from Oloibiri was made, producing an estimated 367,000 barrels a day. (*REVIEW SENTENCE)SPDC in its own ways has impacted positively and added value to the lives of the citizens, for example through the annual shell scholarship which is open to virtually all students in the Nigerian higher education system. Furthermore, shell was recognized as the first multinational to begin a HIV/AIDS in Nigeria intervention programme and thus this programme has reached most states in the federation*. SPDC has also sponsored several programmes such as IT and various digital learning programmes for schools in Nigeria. However for the most part, shell has built a few schools within the delta region one of which happened recently in Bayelsa state(*). In the area of compensation for environmental devastation and involvement with human rights abuse, SPDC, argues that it offers adequate clean up of the polluted environment and has compensated the best way it can (*REF). Most recently, the families of late ken Saro Wiwa and his colleagues were settled by the multinational, however it was assumed by the general public as settlement for shell`s involvement with the c ase, shell on the contrary denied, and claimed that it was a humanitarian gesture aimed at establishing a trust fund for Ogoni people (SPDC, 2009). Most recently, SPDC launched series of business radio programs towards the economic development of the Niger Delta which would also use initiatives such as LIVEWIRE, telecommunications self employment programmes among others (Yusuf, 2009, p.A4) SPDC also claims to support and finance community development initiatives in the Niger Delta outside of its tax obligations. These initiatives are reportedly in the area of small business development (SPDC, 2009, p.1). In 2008, SPDC contributed $56.8 million to the over $158.2 million statutory disbursements to the NDDC by Shell-run operations, in addition to another $25.2 million SPDC contribution to an additional $84 million investment by operations run by SPDC in various development projects (ibid,p.1). SPDC also reportedly invested $2.25 Million in partnership with USAID Nigeria and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in an $11.3 million project to develop cassava farming over a five year period. More than 3,200 farmers were said to have received training under this programme (ibid, p.2). However, it is generally believed that the exploitation and devastation of land of the people of the Niger delta began with the first discovery of crude in Oloibiri village in the Delta region of the then Eastern Nigeria in 1956. For the records, there was a 50-50 profit sharing agreement put in place by the Nigerian government and multinational oil companies at the time shortly before Nigeria gained its independence from the British in 1960. Amidst all of this Nigeria had a series of changed governments including several military coups which gave room for corruption. Presently, shell accounts for about 50 percent of oil production in the country the bulk of it in the Niger Delta with the attendant gas flaring, oil spillage, illegal building of canals and waste dumping that has brought the human ecosystem of the Delta area to a near-total collapse, destroying farmland, economic crops and fishing creeks*. While this degree of devastation, poverty, disease, loss of lives and property occurs in this area, unfortunately shell despite many covenants and treaties it has ratified on corporate re

Software Piracy in Lebanon :: Software Piracy Expository Essays

Software Piracy in Lebanon Abstract What is it about copying software that is desirable? Simply because it is free. In the United States, one might think twice before copying a Microsoft product. Copyright issues are all over the media --remember Napster? For a period of a year, we read countless stories of students all over the US and the world that were arrested for copying and trading MP3s. However, travel across the Atlantic to the chaotic world of Lebanon and one would not even think twice about copying a version of Microsoft Office 2000. What is the likelihood of getting caught? Pretty much a 0% chance. With political chaos surrounding Lebanon since its independence in 1943, the lack of law enforcement allows a variety of of crimes to occur -- one of the biggest ones being software piracy. About 89% of the software in Lebanon is illegally obtained. Section I gives a brief overview of how the origins of Lebanon. Section II describes the politics of Lebanon. The objective of Section I and Section II is to demonstrate to the reader how the lack of a stable government and any true law enforcement allows for so much piracy. Section III discusses in greater detail software piracy and Intellectual Property protection in Lebanon. Section IV gives the author’s point of view. Sources and endnotes can be found in Section V and Section VI respectively. Section I: Introduction Establishing Lebanon2 The history of the Middle East is rich with an eclectic mix of ethnicities and culture. Before World War I, the region that we now call the Middle East was ruled by the Ottoman Empire. After the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire diminished. Turkey emerged through the works of the Allies. Mesopotamia, an area filled with tradition and profitable goods, was split between Britain and France. With the support of the French, the Maronites, a sect of the Roman Catholic Church, established a strong political status in what is now modern day Beirut, Tripoli, and most of the Lebanon coast. Starting in the early 1900s, the Maronites had pressed for the expansion of this small Lebanese territory to what they argued was its natural and historical boundaries. Their argument was that the area had always had a unique social and historical character, different from its surroundings, which made it mandatory for the French to grant it as an independent state.

Facebook Stalkers

Gabriel Montelongo Mr. Segura English 1301. 001 18, February 2013 The Book of All Evil There is no denying that social networking is at its finest. With over 1 billion users, Facebook has pushed itself into part of everyday lives. However, Facebook isn’t all flowers and butterflies. A website that stalkers use to rub one off to whoever they stalk, should not be perceived as a good thing. Neither should it be considered a good thing when a college student tries to write his essay, and keeps getting distracted by notifications.Facebook is a tool used for stalking, addiction, but worst of all, procrastination. One of the scariest thing about Facebook is the stalkers. Facebook has made stalking easier with the use of one of its features called â€Å"Lists†. Basically what this feature does is it allows the user to single out anyone in the friends list, and stalk anyone that has been added. The stalker can even single out what kind of updates a person has; such as photos, po sts, and recent locations visited.People that use Facebook should think twice about what they share with the world. On the bright-side, Facebook does allow the ability to block stalkers, but it is rendered useless if the stalker decides to fake a new account. If anyone out there has an interest in stalking, Facebook would be the first place they would look. When awkward, socially-undeveloped, cave-dwellers want to make friends, they use Facebook. They proceed to add pretty, young women, in hopes that they get a chance to be with them.However, that almost never happens, so these people then become angry and delusional. This is how stalkers tend to form over Facebook. These stalkers then proceed to stalk their rejecters, and then later end up in creepy stalker stories. This happens almost every day on Facebook, seriously. Social networking has become so common, that not many think about how they are being manipulated. Facebook has this control over people, using something called †Å"notifications†.People post updates on their page, and if people think it’s cool, then it’ll get â€Å"likes†. Notifications are then sent to the person telling them that someone liked their update. That right there encourages the user to post more updates. The more likes that people receive, the more it makes them want to update their status. This is how it keeps its users; through making them think that people actually care about what they are saying. Facebook manages to keep its users through a clever, but mischievous design.Though widely recognized as a place for friends, Facebook is more like a spreading of disease. Through mischievous design and manipulation, Facebook can actually cause addiction. A reward system of notifications and likes can make a person feel like something was accomplished through something as simple as a status update. This accomplishing feeling make the self-conscious Facebook users feel accepted through having their statuses â€Å"liked†, and will try to reanimate themselves in search of that same feeling.Facebook addiction is now being recognized as a legitimate addiction, and will soon find itself in future psychology books. Not only is Facebook perfectly designed for stalkers, but also to distract students from finishing homework. Facebook has a billion plus users, a majority of which are teenagers and young adults. Distracting a kid couldn’t be easier with Facebook. Give a pre-teen a website full of friends, and that pre-teen could be on it for hours.The same effect happens with young college students; only the college student knows that he has an essay due Wednesday. Said student will then proceed to write the essay, only to get distracted by friends on Facebook. It is a horrible feeling when students know that not much time is left, and begin to hate themselves for procrastinating. An evil that every teenager in this day and age has to deal with, every day of their lives. Facebook is a curse; one that destroys us from the inside out.Never mind the fact that almost one in every five divorces have been Facebook related, it creates stalkers that could eventually evolve into serial killers. Facebook breeds addiction and manipulates our already screwed up society. It has students thinking that they will only be on for five minutes, which then becomes an hour. Facebook is itself a problem that causes even more problems. A problem that’s here to stay until a new socializing website comes and takes over, and causes even more problems.

The Anatomy of a Winning Resume

The Anatomy of a Winning Resume A few weeks ago one of my writers sent me a link to an infographic by www.TopCounselingSchools.org entitled The Anatomy of a Great Resume. The similarities between dating and job search are often highlighted by job seekers, and this infographic is rather explicit in milking the similarities, beginning with the question, â€Å"Does your resume get hit on all the time?† Source: Top Counseling Schools It may be true that the competition for great talent is at least as fierce as the competition for a great romantic partner, and the above infographic provides some interesting statistics and advice. Some of it is rather surprising, and I thought I would pass it along. I’ve picked just a few salient points; take a look at the infographic for the full report! 1. 77% of HR Managers say they are looking for relevant experience. 48% say specific accomplishments. 41% say whether or not the resume was customized to the open position. Really? I wonder how the HR Managers define â€Å"relevant experience† – It seems like a no-brainer that if a hiring manager receives two resumes for a position, both of which contain the relevant background but only one of which contains quantifiable achievements, the person who listed quantifiable achievements will be the more attractive candidate. I’m not surprised to see the preference for customized resumes–customization shows that you are willing to go the extra mile. If you do it in the resume, you will do it in the workplace. I believe a winning resume will do all three things: state relevant experience, highlight specific accomplishments, AND be customized to the position. Do it all and you will have the best chance of getting an interview. 2. Keywords: 56% say problem solving is a keyword they look for and 40% say oral/written communication. Really?! These are overused buzzwords; so probably an equal number of HR Managers will say NOT to use these words! To be safe, if you choose to use these buzzwords, tie them to specific problems solved and specific communication skills and you will be ahead of the game. Other top keywords: Leadership (44%), Team building (33%) and Performance and productivity improvement (31%). Again, ALWAYS include specific achievements to support the keywords. 3. Write a Summary! Yes HR Managers like seeing a summary that conveys your unique value. Emphasis on unique. If you sound like everyone else, the summary will not help. The infographic recommends that you tell employees â€Å"who you are† and that you talk about your â€Å"skills and qualifications.† Watch out for dangerous pitfalls! In saying who you are, you must include specifics about your background that other candidates don’t have. List names of companies or sizes of budgets. Or write about your unique passion or style. In enumerating your skills and qualifications, don’t make them generic. Tie all your skills to an accomplishment or capacity. That way you can truly grab attention in the summary and get the HR Manager to read more. 4. Don’t use an Objective. Objective statements are focused on what you want rather than what the company wants. I’ve been surprised to hear some support for Objective statements in resumes lately. I don’t buy it. I think the people advocating for Objective statements are behind the times and in the minority. Use your Summary to state what you have to contribute to an organization. Use a title at the top of the resume (generally under your name and contact information) to state what position you are seeking. 5. Proofread! Spelling and grammatical errors are a deal-killer. These could be deal-killers in the dating scene too! Although the cardinal rule of resume writing is â€Å"There are no rules,† it’s always useful to hear what hiring managers are saying. Still, surveys are inherently faulty since people often misjudge their own actions and opinions. The Anatomy of a Great Resume infographic provides food for thought, so take it as such. And remember, no two people will have the same opinion about your resume, so get the best advice you can get and Be Yourself, i.e. write a resume that expresses who you areand that you are proud to send to your connections and prospective employers.

Mercantilism in the New England Colonies essays

Mercantilism in the New England Colonies essays For the fledgling British colonies in the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries, mercantilism was a way of securing a new, uncertain economy. The colonies were able to run their trade uninterrupted and had the most powerful navy in the world around for protection. However, as devised, mercantilism more greatly benefited England as it severely limited colonial manufacturing, resulted in high prices for the colonists, and caused a resentment of the British government. Mercantilism was an economic system in which the government controlled both the industry and trade of its country. Its purpose was to build a wealthy and powerful state by limiting imports and encouraging exports. England kept a tight control on the economic affairs of its colonies through the use of tariffs and regulatory laws. These laws created a trade system whereby Americans provided raw goods to Britain, and Britain used the raw goods to produce manufactured goods that were sold in European markets and back in the colonies. As the suppliers of raw goods only, the colonies could not compete with Britain in manufacturing. (Mercantilism 2) In 1651, the English Parliament passed the first of the Navigation Acts. These acts prohibited foreign ships from engaging in coastal trade in England and required that all goods imported from the continent of Europe be carried on either an English ship or a ship registered in the country of origin of the goods. Also, all trade between England and her colonies had to be carried in either English or colonial vessels. The Staple Act of 1663 extended the Navigation Act by requiring that all colonial exports to Europe be landed through an English port before being re-exported to Europe. A big part of British mercantilism came in the form of the triangular trade. The triangular trade routes linked the American Colonies, West Indies, Africa, and England. Each port provided shippers with a payoff and a new cargo. New England r ...

Real Time Kinematic GPS (RTK GPS) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Real Time Kinematic GPS (RTK GPS) - Essay Example Both of the receivers have their coordinates; the coordinates of the first reference receiver can be determined in a geocentric frame while the second’s in relation to the first receiver. The combined data of the two receivers is used by the mobile control device algorithms to work out the uncertainty of integers in order to calculate accurate positioning information. Wubbena, et al. (1996) informs that the precision and consistency of RTK solution reduces with adding distance from the reference station. Virtual Reference Station or VRS is a concept that is interrelated to RTK. The figure about the conceptualization of VRS indicates the reference stations of GPS, which work at a distance of seventy kilometres. There is a communication network established between the reference stations through which, data is transferred from one station to other. According to Higgins (2001), the data that is received on the central computer from reference stations results in the modelling of spatial errors due to which, the working of GPS is restricted. As far as users are concerned, they think that it is because of the roving receivers that transfer a mobile call to the central computer due to which, the position of GPS is approximated and corrections are demanded. After this processing, the central computer is able to make corrections on the basis of the coordinates of roving receiver and reference receiver. In order to get more precise results and to make the value of dimensions much authentic and for the lessening of the problems due to which, restrictions are there in terms of survey of RTK, much improved impression of VRS survey is created. According to Cislowski and Higgins (2006), the VRS RTK technique is able to augment the productivity to nearly thirty to fifty percent. In addition, the time needed for procedures and people required for the jobs according to a human resource

Employee Empowerment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employee Empowerment - Essay Example Autonomous environments, decentralized working conditions are actually some of the variants of employee empowerment. However, it's actually a strategy in which an employee is allowed to take the decisions without consulting the upper management and he/she actually owns his/her job. Since employees are allowed to make decisions, therefore they feel motivated and this strategy actually boosts up their performance. Through this strategy employees can serve the customer in an effective an efficient manner. Brainstorming, decision making capability, increased level of responsibility actually results due to empowerment. Through empowerment organization can attain competitive edge and total quality management i.e. quality in every aspect and operation can be achieved through empowering the employees. Different approaches and models are followed by different organizations in order to adapt the culture of empowering employees and adapting such a culture would benefit the overall strategy of the organization. Empowering the employees is all about the autonomy and the control they have on their respective jobs. Empowering with the transformational model actually means that leading and empowering the employees are working together and these two aspects are carried together to achieve the ultimate goal of the organization. Transformational model actually improves employee motivation and its satisfaction to work. The conventional working techniques are transformed and since they have a sense of ownership in their tasks therefore production quality of the employees improves. Employees lead from the front and they actually take calculated risks in order to earn more return. All the leadership traits are indulged in an employee when he/she is following the transformational model and besides leadership empowerment plays a positive role and enhances the working of the employees and develops a scenario in which an ordinary employee considers himself/herself as an entrepreneur. In the transformational model both leader and the subordinates motivates each other and help each other out and develop a situation in which motivation and morality becomes the cure of different problems. In an organization when a project is launched then it might be possible that the responsibilities of leaders and subordinates are different. But Transactional model actually results in coordination and although both the subordinates and the superiors started the project as separate entities but in order to achieve higher goals and superior targets they actually help each other in every aspect and ultimately raise the bar of their performance. Empowerment without the Transformational Model Leadership and empowerment, both are actually addressed in the transformational model. Empowering the employees in the workplace without the transformational model is a difficult task because a sense of autonomy might be developed but when an employee doesn't know how to lead and he/she doesn't practice leadership then it would be very difficult to achieve desirable results. Therefore the ultimate goa