Algernon and Jack Essay Example

Algernon and Jack Essay The Importance of Being Earnest By Oscar Wild was first performed on the 14th of February 1895, St Valentines Day. It is a play about love and romance in the upper classes, it is set in the present (1890s). It is drawing room comedy, otherwise known as comedy of manors. Oscar Wild is one of the worlds literary greats, he wrote this play shortly before he was imprisoned for gorse indecencies. This play is divided into 3 acts; I will be discussing and contrasting scenes one and two from the first act. It is a play about two idle young men, Algernon and Earnest (otherwise known as Jack), who in attempt to marry two very attractive young ladies pretend that there names are Earnest. In the first act the key relationships between Algernon and Jack are as friends who have not seen each other for a period off about a week. It is in the first scene that Algernon discovers that his friends name isnt earnest, its Jack. In the second scene Earnest proposes to Gwendolyn but gets refused by her mother and Algernon decides to go visit Jack in the country. We will write a custom essay sample on Algernon and Jack specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Algernon and Jack specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Algernon and Jack specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I believe that too correctly portray the relationships between the two characters I need to show differences between; mood, tone, dress and personality. The first act, scene 1, opens with Algernon talking to his manservant in a very incoherent manor; I would portray Algernon as a man who is not very interested in anything but himself. Algernon is constantly talking in the first person always with emphasis on the word I this referring to himself, this gives the audience helpful insight into what really matters in life, him! Jack enters dressed in a smart but not ostentations attire, Algernon in contrast is dressed in an ostentatious suit with large cuffs and is eating. The men talk idly; Algernon is a dandy, he see only the pleasures in life and has no worries, I as Algernon would constantly smile, raise my eyebrows and lounge around on the couch or chair, crossing my legs and eating in a most informal manor. Jack is much more serious and formal, his clothes are a darker colour, he has come up too town to propose to her [Gwendolyn] this is making him nervous, but he is a complete gentlemen. He is easily manipulated by Algernon, the tone of his voice is slightly deeper then Algernons and I would portray his personality at this point as one who is board but as the same time is nervous. Jack confesses that his name isnt Earnest at all, its Jack, to Algernons amazement. At this time I, as Algernon, stand up horrified with looks of shock and stunned indignation upon my face and my tone would go up a note to signify surprise, I place my hand on my hips and stair at Jack up in arms that he did not tells this to me sooner. Lady Bracknell enters with Gwendolyn (Jacks bride to be) and I watch with pleasure as Jack squirms and blushes in front of Ms Fairfax (Gwendolyn) I leave the room to allow Jack to propose. Algernon is constantly trying to get one over on his naive friend but in contrast Jack (formally known as Earnest) has shown that in some ways such as; mood, tone and personality he is quite similar to Algernon and is not so naive and easily manipulated as one might think. Scene two, in mid proposal, on bended knee Lady Bracknell enters and is shocked at what she sees, I as Jack am even more shocked and suddenly start with absolute fright as the colour drains out of my face. Lady Bracknell begins to interview me as to my suitability to be married to her only daughter, I am extremely nervous, fiddling with my hand, running fingers through my hair and playing with my cuffs to show the audience just what an unpleasant situation it is. My voice is shaking. As the interview digresses I (Jack) starts to fell more comfortable with some of the questions, I starts to relax and gain more control over my emotions. Aunt Augusta then asks about my parentage (Jack is adopted) and I hurriedly confess that I have none, to her abhorrence lady Bracknell leaves and Jack is left looking stunned and shocked. Shakespeare wedding march can be heard coming from Algernons piano and he walks in very gay and debonair strutting and swinging his arms, he suddenly sees that his friend is very upset and his temperament changes to one of compassion, Gwendolyns always refusing people as if to tell Jack that he is not the only one. Jack confesses that it was Aunt Augusta that refused him, in contrast to the first scene Jack becomes less of a Gentleman and displays his anger by distributing Aunt Augusta, I as Jack have a very upset tone and am pacing, which is one of Algernons mannerisms. Gwendolyn enters and confesses her love to Jack, Jack is pleased and blushes, and he is once more his chivalrous self. Algernon confesses that his Aunt would not like this meeting taking place and is hurriedly told by Gwendolen to turn his back and give them privacy. I (Algernon) am not used to being told what to do especially in my own house, I pace over to the fireplace and start eavesdropping on there convocation in full view of the audience, I am trying to find Jacks address in the country and am behaving slightly sly about it. The scene ends with Jack rushing out on Algernon telling him that there meeting has not been a grate success, Jack is flushed, red in the face and peeved that is friend is acting so languidly about the whole situation. Jack leaves via stage right leaving Algernon and his manservant Lane occupying the stage. I look pleased and tell Lane to bring me some sherry, I am smiling, quite in contrast to Jacks last portrayal of his emotions, I stand up and confess in contrast to Jacks statement that the whole situation has been a great success and tell Lane, smiling and arrogantly, to fetch my suits as I am going to go visit Jack in the country and propose to his beautiful young ward whom I am in love with. I believe that as an actor the relationship between Jack and Algernon is not a complicated one. I as Algernon want to be married to Jacks excessively pretty young ward. Jack wants to be wed to my excessively pretty cousin, in this case are wants are similar. We both want to live happy, aimless lives with the woman we love. In my opium the only differences between Algernon and Earnest are there moods, personality, dress and tone; they both want the same things. As an actor I would portray this relationship kindly, in the first scene we are good friends and in slight contrast the second scene we are friends who have had a dispute but both know that we cannot stay exasperated at each other for ever and indeed in the final act, not to give the conclusion away, our relationship concludes, happily.

buy custom Wallace Group essay

buy custom Wallace Group essay Organizations have different reasons for diversification. One of them is to gain synergy among business units. The Wallace Group diversified vertically by acquiring suppliers, but the business did not perform as expected. This essay will evaluate the most critical problems that the Wallace Group is facing, as well as discuss appropriate strategies to solve the issues and provide an opinion on Wallaces diversification plan. Poor leadership is the first important problem that occurs at Wallace. Leadership is the means through which a person influences others to attain an objective (Hoyes 60). The effectiveness of leaders depends on the followers perception of them and the extent to which they agree with the leaders philosophies and values. The unsatisfactory leadership at the Wallace Group emerges because of the Presidents inability to influence the rest of the workers. First, he does not appreciate the contribution of other employees. Consequently, they become frustrated. Everyone in the company invests to its health and awareness regardless of the position they hold in the organizational structure. Therefore, the failure by the President to harness the potential of the employees has affected the performance of the enterprise negatively. As a result of the inadequate management, the Electronics, Chemicals and Plastics functional groups work as independent units instead of being cohesive parts of the Wallace Group. The lack of coordination has prevented all three divisions of the company from achieving the synergy and complementarity. Leaders must take a systemic thinking approach, which allows them to see how the different parts of the organization fit into the corporations strategy. Since each of the units functions independently, Wallace cannot determine what the problem is, and that is why there was a need to hire a consultant to advice on how to run the organization. Before deciding to diversify, Wallace did not create a strategy that would outline the tasks and the people accountable for them. Consequently, the staff of the organization is determining each persons responsibilities while promoting the technical people at managerial positions despitetheir inexperience. The corporate employees are not efficient enough to provide guidance and coordination to the functional units of the company because they are at their learning stage. The second essential problem at Wallace is the inadequate management of the personnel. The first admission that Wallace made to the consultant was that managing people was problematic. The company has no human resource policy on job descriptions and the modes of deciding the qualification of workers. Thus, the administration hires unqualified people for the engineering and advanced systems. Both the directors of engineering and advanced systems reject them, creating a shortage of skilled employees. The current workers are overwhelmed with their duties, which contributes to their low morale. Moreover, the company has no benefits and reward systems apart from the stock ownership program. The stock option may not motivate the workers enough because it is dependent on the companys performance, which is currently minimal. The absence of a training and development program also highlights the personnel management deficiencies. Those holding the management positions without prior experience cannot improve the situation, and thus, will continue underperforming. The process of training and developing workers relates positively to organizational effectiveness (Niazi 43). The first recommendation for Wallace to solve the above-mentioned issues is to create a collaborative work environment where people from all the units can contribute to the decisions of the company. Such an environment is the first step towards creating policies and strategies that are effective. To achieve this objective, Wallace needs to involve all the vice presidents and program directors in making decisions. Their opinions will provide the administration with a holistic view of the organization and give suggestions on how to eliminate the current problems. Secondly, Wallace should promote the creation of a unified strategy that will outline the role of each functional unit and their contribution to the organizations performance. Leadership is critical in both the creation and implementation of the strategies (Azhar et al. 33). Sincee the realization of the strategy depends on all employees, involving the leaders at various levels, it is critical to encourage the frontline employees to accomplish it. In order to solve the non-cooperation among the functional units, the leaders at Wallace should create cross-functional teams to work on various projects jointly. The teamwork will enhance understanding of each groups contribution and challenges, which in its turn can eliminate conflicts and misunderstandings. The industrial relations should formulate a human resource policy to address the personnel problems. The policy formulation should engage the heads of each of the three units because they understand the skill set they want. As such, only qualified people will be hired, which will reduce the workload of the employees. The corporation should introduce a training program, especially for technical employees who may wish to advance to management levels. The program can enhance understanding between the corporate and the functional groups. Finally, the Wallace Group should create an employee benefit and reward system, which is likely to raise the morale and productivity of the workers. To my mind, the diversification plan was a good idea, but the manner of its implementation was wrong. The company tends to gain from diversification through the synergy benefits that accrue from complementarity. The three units would have completed each other if there was a strategy to coordinate their activities. Although such harmonization would have resulted in spending additional costs (Zhou and Robert 625), it would have been cheaper than the loss the company is experiencing due to the chaos among the units. However, since there was no particular plan for the diversification, the operations director now finds it more expensive to purchase from any of the Wallaces groups than from outside suppliers. Consequently, the diversification venture is more a burden rather than a benefit to the company. In conclusion, the two main problems affecting the Wallace Group include leadership and employee management deficiencies. The recommendations contain the creation of a collaborative workplace, a clear strategy, cross-functional teams and a human resource policy. Buy custom Wallace Group essay

Self-Analysis of Leadership Abilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self-Analysis of Leadership Abilities - Essay Example Since my leadership approach promotes active employee involvement, employees are more likely to take up the responsibility of their projects and complete them successfully within the stipulated time. As Kehle (2008, p. 26) purports, high level employee satisfaction is the main strength of the participative leadership style. In addition, this approach can effectively promote a sense of belonging and teamwork, which in turn can have positive effect on the overall organisational productivity. At the same time, new hirers or inexperienced employees are not allowed to make decisions so as to maintain high level market competitiveness. Although this leadership style fosters greater employee involvement, it exercises better control over employees and changes strategies and practices once the operational flaws are identified. The major area required improvement is that I spend hardly enough time to develop leadership skills in my employees and this issue may adversely affect the performance sustainability of the organisation. As Mattone (2013, p. 2) points out, a leader should focus particularly on succession planning. In addition, I do not pay much attention to employees who are making same mistakes repetitively. Here, I need to give specific focus to those employees so as to improve the overall productivity of the firm. From the leadership style survey, I understand that my leadership approach is participative whereas the Bolman and Deal’s four framework approach to leadership indicates that I follow team leadership style. Both these assessment techniques give almost similar outcomes and indicate that I have strong team development skills. The major common finding is that my leadership strategy gives particular importance to employee involvement and employee creativity. In addition to providing guidance, instructions, and direction to employees, my leadership approach fosters employees to come up with their own ideas

Mutual principles of cooperation between the UNISON and the Vertex Essay

Mutual principles of cooperation between the UNISON and the Vertex Company - Essay Example The paper tells that it is necessary to understand a strong background of trade unions, the role they play within different organization, the way they have been reconsidered in the process of the modern companies development et cetera. These numerous issues would be considered further on with respect to the Vertex Company, where the role of trade unions has dynamically changed during the last decade. The employees of any company should be treated with a great respect, tolerance and understanding. To take into account the interests of the company means to improve the process of the company’s successful development. The workers have a right to protect their freedom of views, support their mutual relations and development and work in the name of a common good of the organization and for their own benefits. The establishment of the UNISON organization and its function as a supporter of the employees’ rights is a good chance to solve social and economic problems develops a w orking favorable environment. It is possible to correlate the role of an employee, who actively participates at the workplace, as a sound citizen’s role to play an active role in the social life of the country. It is a framework, which is applied to the abovementioned issues’ solutions. Pluralists consider the role of trade unions in the following way: â€Å"Unions expect improved productivity and profits to be shared with the participating workers as a democratic legitimated right in line with rights to influence decisions and business development†. ... There is a clear differentiation between IR and HRM approaches in the field of collective concerns. From the IR perspective the workers should be able to take control over the employment relations. In terms of HRM perspective the employment relations are mainly developed under the guidance of HR managers (Collective Bargaining, 2006). Basically, Employment Relations should be developed in accordance with the internal and external concerns of the company. The challenges and opportunities of trade unions and the role they play in the modern business world, partner relations among the employees and employers, numerous challenges and opportunities it provides have been issues of a complex nature. In the company Vertex 8000 were employed. These employees have been located across the UK and there was a need to introduce reliable regulation principles in its structure. In the modern perspective: â€Å"For all European unions, the emerging challenges include recruiting women, white-collar, and service-sector workers, and remaining relevant even as unemployment deprives them of their leverage. .. the European Labour Unions  must reinvent themselves, but their pessimism is pervasive, as they conclude that it is "virtually inconceivable that European Unions  ... will be able to generate the resources from a globalizing, neo-liberal capitalist order that they found the Golden Age† (Bronstein 2001, p. 876). Therefore, Vertex discarded trade unions, but it reconsidered the opportunity of dialogue development between the company and its employees. UNISON became a mediator of this process. This organization enabled the employees of the company to reveal

Complaint Management in Social Media - A Comparative Linguistic Essay

Complaint Management in Social Media - A Comparative Linguistic analysis between Company Websites and Facebook - Essay Example Research findings indicate that complaints are rarely responded to and usually only where the language used is complimentary to and/or helpful to the firm. Therefore, contrary to Hirschman’s theory of exit-voice, companies are not taking advantage of defensive marketing tools calculated to retain customers. Social media is defined as any online forum or site on which users may exchange information, opinions or knowledge. In other words the term social media refers to websites in which users are able to freely post to those websites. Brunty and Helenek define social media as a â€Å"social medium† which facilitates communications between users and communications between users and those who created or manage the website or page. Social media also includes a forum in which users can exchange content. Social media websites provide a variety of ways for users to communicate and include email, message boards, instant messaging, video or audio chatting. The idea is to provide a â€Å"sense of community among users†. ... In this regard, businesses are looking at various ways in which they can benefit from social media via social networking tools such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.3 Businesses are now entering unchartered territories in that they can now engage consumer-to-consumer discussions through various online social networking strategies. These communications are uncensored for the most part and permit the consumers to speak to one another freely about businesses and their products. Social media also provides a platform for consumers to speak directly to business management.4 From the perspective of business, the â€Å"quality of user-general content† can range from â€Å"excellent to abuse and spam.†5 Previously, consumers merely went online to explore content and information relative to a business and its products and/or services. Increasingly, consumers are adding their own content to a company’s profile, blogs or websites.6 Thus social media has the capacity to impac t a business’s reputation, sales and might even impact its success.7 This is all the more important because social media tools are increasing alongside internet users who are gathering at social network sites. For example a Pew Report demonstrates that young adults in the US between the ages of 18 and 29 have increased the use of social networks online via cellular telephones. Between 2006 and 2008 online social networking via cellular telephones, among young adults in the US increased by 10% (from 55% to 65%).8 Overall, access points to social networking via the internet have increased exponentially over the years. Globally, users engaged in social networking increased from 54% to 77% by

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Policy Analysis

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Policy Analysis Policy Analysis on Female Genital Mutilation FGM The policy on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), adopted by the Human Rights Commission of Ontario, Canada, in 1996 (and further revised it in 2000) acknowledges the practice as an internationally recognized violation against women and girls human rights and looks at the domestic implications of Canadas obligations as a signatory to international conventions and treaties which recognize FGM as a human rights violation. The policys focus is on the practice of FGM in Canada by immigrant groups who have brought the practice to the country from their countries of origin in Africa and parts of the Middle East and Asia. The policy looks at human rights issues as well as health, social and criminal law concerns. The Ontario Commission acknowledges the complex social and cultural roots of FGM and the need for dialogue and education initiatives within the at-risk communities in Ontario and across Canada. However, it underlines that arguments based on a defence of cultural or religious values sh ould not be accepted as justification for the practice, nor for discriminating against women who have been subjected to, or perceived to have been subjected to, genital mutilation. Significantly, immigrant groups and advocacy organizations in Canada have acknowledged the need to deal with FGM as an internationally recognized health and human rights concern. This essay will first of all define FGM and look at the reasons the practice has survived in some regions despite international condemnation. It will also give a summary of the key elements of the Ontario Commissions policy, the arguments it uses to justify its actions and also show that in this case, the need to protect and promote the rights of women and girls is more important than concerns of cultural imperialism. The policy adopted by the Human Rights Commission of Ontario on FGM is based on the over-arching argument that the importance of good health to a womans well-being and that of her family and society cannot be overstated. Without reproductive health and freedom, women cannot fully exercise their fundamental human rights, such as those relating to education and employment. Womens disproportionate poverty, low social status, and reproductive role expose them to high health risks, resulting in needless and largely preventable suffering and deaths. The benefits of eliminating the harmful and painful practice of FGM are easily demonstrated, yet the practice persists for cultural and traditional reasons. FGM is a gender-specific violation of the rights of girls and women to physical integrity. Over the years, FGM has become recognized not only as a health hazard and a form of violence against women and girls, but also as a human rights issue under international law. Efforts at the international level, particularly by United Nations agencies, have placed FGM on womens health and human rights agendas. FGM is practised by many ethnic groups, from the east to the west coast of Africa, in southern parts of the Arabian peninsula, along the Persian Gulf and among some migrants from these areas in Europe, Australia and North America. It has also been reported in some minority groups in India, Malaysia and Indonesia. In these societies, FGM is considered a rite of passage preparing young girls for womanhood and marriage. However, often performed without anaesthetic under septic conditions, FGM or female circumcision as it is sometimes called, can cause death or permanent health problems as well as severe pain. Despite these grave risks, its practitioners look on it as an integral part of their cultural and ethnic identity, and some perceive it as a religious obligation. The most severe form of FGM, infibulation, which involves removal of the clitoris, results in trauma that is repeated after each childbirth. In many communities FGM is believed to reduce a womans libido, and thereby is further believed to help her resist illicit sexual acts. Cultural ideals of femininity and modesty, which include the notion that girls are clean and beautiful is also another reason for which FGM is carried out (WHO). The practice has been condemned in many international fora and by womens groups as a manifestation of gender inequality and an attempt by society to exert total control over women. In countries where FGM is widely practised, however, it is often supported by both men and women, usually without question, and anyone departing from the norm may face condemnation, harassment. It is often practised even when it is known to inflict harm upon girls because the perceived social benefits of the practice are deemed higher than its disadvantages (UNICEF, 2005a). Though no religious scriptures prescribe the practice, practitioners often believe it has religious support. Religious leaders take varying positions with regard to FGM: some promote it, some consider it irrelevant to religion, and others contribute to its elimination. In most societies, the procedure is considered a cultural tradition, which is often used as an argument for its continuation (WHO). Local structures of power and authority, such as community leaders, religious leaders, circumcisers, and even some medical personnel can contribute to upholding the practice. The age at which the procedure is performed varies depending on the ethnic group and location. It is sometimes performed on babies, more commonly on girls between ages 4 and 8, but also in adolescence, or as late as the time of marriage or during the first pregnancy. Adult women are under pressure to submit to it in order to ensure the status which marriage and childbearing confer and to demonstrate solidarity with fa mily and community. Younger women and girls have no choice at all (UNFPA). The Human Rights Commission of Ontario has successfully and forcefully used several arguments to make its case against the practice of FGM among minority communities living on Canadian territory. International Law: FGM has been condemned by numerous international and regional bodies including the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the Organization of African Unity and the World Medical Association. In 1995, the Platform for Action of the World Conference on Women in Beijing included a section on the girl child and urged governments, international organizations and Non-governmental groups to develop policies and programmes to eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child including FGM. The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines violence against women as encompassing, inter alia, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women. The Commission underlines that in various African countries where the procedure is performed, comprehensive action plans have been developed by womens groups to attempt to eliminate the practice- although overall progress has been slow. FGM has been outlawed in Sudan since 1946, but it continues to be widely practised. In Burkina-Faso and Egypt, resolutions were signed by the respective Ministers of Health in 1959, recommending that only partial clitoridectomy be allowed, and decreeing that it be performed only by doctors. In 1978, as a direct result of the efforts of the Somali womens movement, Somalia established a Commission to abolish infibulation. In 1984, participants from twenty African countries, as well as representatives of international organizations attending a seminar in Dakar, Senegal, on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children and recommended that the practice be abolished. African states acknowledged that there was a need to establish strong, on-going education programmes for meaningful progress towards elimination of the practice. Rights of the Child: The policy points to the link between FGM and the rights of the child, saying that the Convention on the Rights of the Child asserts that children should have the possibility to develop physically in a healthy and normal way, with adequate medical attention and be protected from all forms of cruelty. The Convention establishes the rights of children to gender equality, to freedom from all forms of mental and physical violence and maltreatment and to the highest attainable standard of health. An article of the Convention explicitly requires States to take all effective and appropriate measures to abolish traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children. FGM and health rights: The physical and psychological health complications resulting from genital mutilation of women have been extensively documented. The partial or complete loss of sexual function constitutes a violation of a womans right to physical integrity and mental health. Domestic implications of international human rights law: the Commission argues that since Canada plays a prominent role in the international arena as a supporter and promoter of womens human rights and is a signatory to over twenty major international conventions and treaties, the province of Ontario would be in compliance with its obligations by taking steps to eradicate this practice. Domestic or national courts are required to interpret implementing legislation in conformity with international convention insofar as the domestic legislation permits. This is also the case in Europe where legislation prohibiting the practice of FGM exists in Sweden, France and Great Britain where the procedure carries a penalty of imprisonment. Criminal Law: The Criminal Code can be used to control the transportation of female children outside the country for the purpose of obtaining FGM. A memorandum was issued to all Chiefs of Police and the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, stating that FGM is a criminal offence. In 1997, FGM was included in the Criminal Code and put under aggravated assault- any person who commits an aggravated assault is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years. If a parent is present and is in agreement with the act of FGM being performed on their child as well as if the parent performs the operation themselves can be convicted. Duty to report: In Ontario, a duty to report FGM exists under the policy of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). Under the CPSO policy, the performance of female circumcision, excision, infibulation and/or reinfibulation by a physician licensed in Ontario, unless medically indicated, would be regarded as professional misconduct. Under Ontarios Child and Family Services Act,42 there is a duty to report information with respect to a child who is in need of protection. This duty exists despite the provisions of any other Act. If a person has reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is or may be in need of protection, the person is obliged to report the suspicion to appropriate authorities. The Ontario Human Rights Code: The Ontario Human Rights Code, recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of every person in Ontario. The creation of a society in which all persons can live and work in an environment that is free from discrimination is central to the policy objectives of the Ontario Human Rights Commission in virtue of the Code. There are new immigrants to Canada who may not be aware that some of their traditional or culturally rooted attitudes and values may result in practices that are clearly in conflict with Canadian law, including the Ontario Human Rights Code. FGM is practised within certain immigrant groups- where the families might not consider the operation as a form of physical or sexual abuse. The Commission does recognise the need to treat such issues in a sensitive manner and to educate the public on human rights issues. The need to work with communities: The Commission acknowledges the complex social and cultural roots of FGM and the need for dialogue and education initiatives within the at-risk communities in Ontario and across Canada. However, it is the Commissions view that arguments based on a defence of cultural or religious values should not be accepted as justification for the practice, nor for discriminating against women who have been subjected to, or perceived to have been subjected to, genital mutilation. The Commission is committed to working with members and organizations of the at-risk communities, as well as with other agencies in the public sector in developing public education initiatives around FGM. The efforts of the Commission, together with those of the affected communities and concerned organizations, can help to create an environment in which people are encouraged to eradicate the practice, without imposing a threat to the dignity and cultural identity of the affected communities. The Commissions focus is very correctly on eradicating FGM among immigrants in Toronto which are from the regions where FGM is practised. It is estimated that there are 70,000 immigrants and refugees from Somalia and 10,000 from Nigeria. Reliable statistics on the incidence of FGM are not available. However, based on discussions with members of the communities that are at risk, there is some evidence to indicate that FGM is practised in Ontario and across Canada and that in some cases, families from those communities send their daughters out of Canada to have the operation performed. The Commission is working with local non-governmental groups to spread the message. The National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of Canada has prepared a workshop manual for health care workers and facilitators working with communities that have traditionally practised FGM. The aim is to educate participants about the health and legal consequences of FGM, to correct misperceptions and fallacies about the tradition and to support efforts to eradicate the practice. As there were no co-ordinated efforts between various professionals and institutions, and no consistent policy in Canada regarding FGM, members of affected communities requested that the Minister Responsible for Womens Issues establish an Ontario FGM Prevention Task Force. The Task Force, an inter-ministerial/agency/community initiative, was mandated to develop and recommend strategies and policies designed to provide support for girls and women who have been subjected to FGM, to prevent the practice, and to support community work by, and for women affected by genital mutilation. The focus is not on imposing a foreign value system (the concept of cultural imperialism) on societies in Africa etc. but asking immigrants and religious groups which have come to live in Canada to act in accordance with the countrys concerns about the health of women and their reproductive rights. The policy is therefore based around the idea of the empowerment of women and of ensuring an end to discrimination. The Commissions policy has had a direct impact on immigrant communities living in Ontario but also helped to publicise the problem in other parts of Canada and the world. In 1994, in a landmark ruling, Canada also became the first Western country to recognise FGM as grounds for granting asylum. The Human Rights Commission of Ontario has therefore taken a courageous and ground-breaking policy stance to tackle a serious violation of the rights of women.

Concealed Weapons :: essays research papers

Concealed Weapons, Concealed Risk Do you feel safer sitting next to someone carrying a gun? / Many people say no to that question,/ for many valid reasons. Carrying Concealed weapons have nothing to do with your dad or uncle owning many firearms. / This issue relates solely on allowing individuals to carry these weapons/ almost anywhere in the community:/ including football games,/ restaurants,/ stores,/school buildings/ and other many other places where firearms should strictly be prohibited./ There are 7 states in the nation including Missouri/ that does not let any private citizens carry these weapons. Most people who have permits to carry concealed weapons in their proper states are people who are not law enforcement officials/and have limited training and undergo less testing than even the most basic police recruit./ Even law-abiding citizens/ with the best intentions/ do not know how hard it is to use a gun in successful self-defense. Even highly trained police officers often lose control of their weapons; /acc ording to the National Institute of Justice/ an average of 16% of police officers killed in the line of fire/ are killed by a fellow officers bullet. Yet, they are lead to believe/ that if given a dangerous situation/ they will use the weapon with the proper safety and care that law enforcers will. You cannot ignore the fact that out of the thirty-four thousand and forty firearm deaths in 1998,/ only 212 were justifiable homicides out of self defense /by private citizens with firearms. The gun lobby claims that only law-abiding citizens get permits/. According to statistics this is false./ A recent study done by the Violence Policy Center/ demonstrated that in the first six months on 1997, /the weapon related offense rate among Texas concealed weapon license holders/ were more than twice as high as that general population of Texas. / We know that concealed weapon holders are committing crimes/ as a matter of fact/ 946 crimes were committed by Texan Concealed Weapon holders/ in the f irst 6 months of 1997. The full story on this has not yet been told because the Gun Lobby prohibits public accessibility to the lists of concealed weapon permit holders. (www.handguncontrol.com/facts) The carrying of concealed weapons were prohibited/ or severely limited in most states/ prior to the mid-1990s./ Then here comes the National Rifle Association,/ pleading that ordinary people carrying hidden handguns will reduce the nation’s crime rate./ Their first year of this new campaign they were fairly successful,/ and many states changed their laws to allow the widespread carrying of concealed weapons.