European Tourism Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European Tourism Marketing - Essay Example When the fear had somewhat waned, there was an influx of travel demand which has been slowly been dissipating leading tourism experts to dampen their expectations for year 2007. The United Kingdom is experiencing a demographic shift from married life to being single as shown by the rise in number of independent singles. According to the World Tourism Market Report single person households accounted for almost 30% of all households in the UK for the year 2005. Over the past 25 years, the average age of first marriage has increased significantly rising to 28 years for women and 30 years for men in 2005 as compared to the age of 22 for women and 24 for men in the 1980s. Without doubt, singles now represent a major consumer group in the UK. What is important to recognize in singles is that their lifestyle is now characterized by a focus on career and a busy social life. When it comes to holidays, therefore, many singles are looking for a wide variety of leisure services and activities that offer relaxation or help to alleviate stress created by day-to-day living. Furthermore, career-minded singles are more inclined to spend their higher-than-average disposable income on treating themselves, rather than on family life. This presents high return on investment potential for those targeting their travel products and services at this growing consumer group. According to the Euromonitor World Tourism Market Report 2006 report, tourism operators need to bear in mind that in order to appeal to a wide consumer base of single holidaymakers, they need to respond to the financial, social and emotional needs and interests of those who holiday alone. It is recommended that due to the prevailing social stigma associated with being unattached travel operators should focus their offering on safety, socializing and providing a unique experience to those who travel solo. As singles continue to dominate UK society, the phenomenon of holidaying alone is becoming popular. The singles market, therefore, represents one of the most potentially profitable and as yet undeveloped areas of the UK tourism industry. Singles, for example, are more inclined in adventurous holidays and extreme sports so hobbies, such as trekking, surfing, bird watching, horse riding or yoga, as well as spa retreats and exotic city breaks, are all niche markets which would do well to cater to the needs of single travelers. The consumer base of single travelers can be split into two different groups. On the one hand are independent travelers seeking thrills, and new, liberating experiences to contrast with their high-stress workload. On the other hand, however, there are those looking to potentially find a partner, using holiday operators as a form of dating agency. A specialist 'singles' travel operator can easily cater to both target markets. With the success of new concepts like speed dating and online dating agencies, such as www.datingdirect.com, www.match.com and www.streetcupid.com, holiday activities marketed as spin-offs from these dating

Chinese fiction Essay Example for Free

Chinese fiction Essay â€Å"No Longer Human† is a Japanese novel written by Osamu Dazai. It is considered as Dazai’s masterpiece and categorized as the second-best selling novel in Japan, whereas â€Å"To Live† was written by Yu Hua is a Chinese fiction. â€Å"No Longer Human† is describe as a labor of fiction, the novel is recited in the first person and have several elements which laid down an autobiographical source, such as suicide, a recurring theme in the author’s life whereas, the story of â€Å"To Live† started some time in the 1940s. The main character of this sotry is Xu Fugui who is a local rich mans son and habitual gambler, who lose his family property to the tricky Longer, driving his father to his grave in the process. His attitude also causes his long-suffering wife Jiazhen to leave him with their daughter, Fengxia and their unborn son, Youqing, the same thing with Oba Yozo in â€Å"No Longer Human†. The novel â€Å"No Longer Human† covers the portrayal of the life of Oba Yozo, who is a trouble soul not capable of revealing his true self to others and who is instead forced to uphold an impression of worthless jocularity. This story tells the emotional and interesting story of a young man who is caught between the disintegration of the traditions of a northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas. The novel is made up of three chapters which narrate the life of Oba Yozo from early childhood to late adolescence. In the first chapter of the novel, it deals on how the overcome by an extreme feeling of alienation and finding it nearly impossible to socialize with those who besiege him, Oba Yozo can but resort to buffoonery in order to ascertain an interpersonal relationships and fit into place in a vain effort to disregard the furious sexual abuse he was subjected to by a couple of servants during his childhood. In the second chapter, Oba Yozo becomes more and more troubled over the potential penetrability of his cheerful impression, which, together with the pressures of academic life, leads him into a violent cycle of drinking, smoking and harlotry, ending in a one-night stand with a married woman with whom he planned to commit double suicide. Though he survived, the woman passed away, leaving him with nothing but an unbearable feeling of guilt. In the this chapter, several years later, Oba Yozo is dropped out from High School and commits into a relationship with a destructive woman, who immediately betrays him with another man. Oba Yozo is once again driven to the edge of committing suicide, but was not able to do so because he becomes an alcoholic and a morphine addict. The story comes to a close with Oba Yozos confinement in a mental institution where he finally assumes he is no longer human, neither happy nor unhappy, but merely a man of excesses. The story of â€Å"To Live† is somewhat similar to the novel â€Å"No Longer Human† in a sense that both the main characters of the novels were engaged into alcoholism, drug addiction and losss of their families. However, in the novel of â€Å"No Longer Human† the main character’s story ended upon his confinement in a mental insitution, while in the story of â€Å"To Live† the main character after he loses his entire family fortune, eventually reunites with his wife and children, but is forced to start a shadow puppet troupe with partner Chunsheng to support his family. The story of â€Å"To Live† during the Chinese Civil War is in full swing, and both Fugui and Chunsheng are forcibly enlisted into the Kuomintang forces during a performance. After a heavy battle, Fugui and Chunsheng are captured by the communist side, where they quickly become entertainers for the troops. Eventually Fugui is able to return home, and once there, finds out that Fengxia has become mute due to a fever. The story of â€Å"To Live† gives emphasis to the peak of the Great Leap Forward. During this period the local town chief enlists Fugui and Jiazhen to donate all scrap iron in their possession to the national drive to produce steel and make weaponry for liberating Taiwan. As an entertainer, Fugui performs for the entire town, which has been devoted entirely over to producing steel. They enter this work with great passion, and the movie devotes some time to portraying the familys unity and happiness. For example, the young boy Youqing defends his sisters from bullies picking on her for her muteness. Aside from the Great Leap Forward period, the novel also give attention to the period of Cultural Revolution. The village chief advises Fuguis family to burn their shadow puppet drama props, which have been deemed as counter-revolutionary as they are traditional cultural elements. Also, Fuguis daughter is now grown up. Her family arranges for her to meet Wan Erxi, who is a local leader of the Red Guards, a worker with a salary, and also a kind-hearted and caring man, but lame in one leg. They fall in love and marry. During Fengxias childbirth, her parents and husband accompany her to the county hospital, where they find out that nurses are in charge as all doctors have been sent to do hard labor for being reactionary academic authorities. The nurses assure the family that they have nothing to fear, but the family is skeptical, and manages to retrieve a doctor from confinement to oversee the birth, under the pretext of making the doctor see his revolutionary mistakes. As the doctor has not eaten for several days, the family purchases for him seven steamed buns. However, the young woman begins to hemorrhage, and the nurses panic, admitting that they are only students and do not know what to do. The frantic family and nurses seek the advice of the doctor, but it is found out that he has overeaten and is semiconscious. The family is helpless, and Jiazhen can only hold the hand of her daughter as she slowly dies. The story ends several years later, with the family now consisting of Fugui, Jiazhen, their son-in-law Erxi, and grandson Mantou. The family visits the graves of Youqing and Fengxia, where Jiazhen, as per tradition, leaves dumplings for her son. Erxi buys for his son a box full of young chicks, which they decide to keep in the puppet drama prop chest, now empty of its contents. â€Å"To Live† such is not the same as â€Å"No Longer Human† because as you can see the character of the novel â€Å"No Longer Human† is more on of being useless to the family and to the society because Oba Yozo just ended up in confinement because his woman had another man. Another distinction between the two stories was that the character of â€Å"To Live† realized and did something good for himself and for his family, whereas in the novel â€Å"No Longer Human† the main character shows no changes in his life. â€Å"No Longer Human† on the other hand is basically autobiographical, founded on events from Dazais own life. He was a literary rock star, but a deeply unhappy guy, attempting suicide several times before finally succeeding. There is in fact a monument at the spot where he killed himself that is, along with his mistress. The book is uncommon from what we think of as autobiography, in that the reason for writing is not so much to tell a story there is no real employment, beginning, middle, and end in the traditional sense, but rather, the text is a sort of rambling exploration of the self. There is no forced form, instead, an effort to create a straightforward relation between author and reader, to explain a precise point of view. The book itself is very fascinating. It makes the reader want to learn Japanese, for beginners, because no matter how talented the translator, there is no getting throughout the fact that the grammatical structure of Japanese is completely different from that of English in that it is completely possible, and even ordinary, to compose a sentence in Japanese with no subject. Clearly, the entire book is written in this form, which would be particularly appropriate to the work itself. The book is the related story of a very unhappy guy who is essentially chronicling his downward spiral. Nevertheless it is hard to say if it is really a downward spiral, that is, though he does identify a moment at which he came to an end to be human, it is not totally clear that he was ever really human, through his own definition, to begin with. One question is what it means, in his eyes, to be human. . Oba Yozo’s character is raging against rationality, and the way, in which it dehumanizes people, so in a sense, though he calls himself a mouse, etc, he could be seen as claiming that he is really the only human. Dazais character, Oba Yozo in the novel, sees himself as inhuman, primarily, it seems, because he lacks certain fundamental human character. He maintains for instance, that he has in no way felt starving. On the other hand, there is also a certain issue of domination at play like; he is not capable to say no to anyone, to refuse permission for anything. In this sense, one could say that he is entirely determined by the outside world. Notwithstanding the fact that he has an inner life, he maintains it hidden from the outside world. As a matter of fact, his behavior is entirely, he claims, an act, he plays the clown for the pleasure of others, declining to let his own emotions reveal. The main characters of the novel have a clear similarity to notes from deeply unhappy men who are convinced of their own uniqueness, but there are definitely differences the way they choses to end up their stories. References: Dazai, Osamu. No Longer Human. New York: New Directions, 1973. Yu Hua. To Live: A Novel. (1993). Trans. Michael Berry. New York: Anchor-Random House, 2003.

Various Global Health Issues

Various Global Health Issues 1.1. Identify the global health risks (due to either internal or external sources) that threaten the health of the UK population. Global health is focused on people across the whole planet rather than the concerns of particular nations. It recognises that health is determined by problems, issues and concerns that transcend national boundaries (HM Government (HMG), 2008). Health risk is a disease precursor associated with a higher than average morbidity or mortality rate. (Mosbys Medical Dictionary, 2009) Global health risk therefore is the identification of the global and regional mortality and disease burden (Stevens, 2009). According to statistics, the leading global risks for mortality in the world are high blood pressure, tobacco use, high blood glu ­cose, physical inactivity, and overweight and obesity. They usually affect all income groups across the world (World Health Organization (WHO), 2009). On the other hand, the global burden of disease is classified into a first group which includes communicable disease, maternal, perinatal and nutritional disorders; a second group which includes non-communicable disease like cardiovascular disorders; and a third group which includes injury (Lindstrand, et al. 2009 p. 131). Patterns of disease vary across the world. In 2009, in low- and middle countries, as well as in all high-income countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the non-communicable diseases dominate as causes of mortality and DALYs lost (Lindstrand, et al., 2009 p. 131). In the UK, particularly in London, exacerbation of many infectious diseases which are unique to the country has been reported. The population of London is increased daily by millions of commuters and visitors, thus to communicable diseases is also increases. Rates of TB, STIs, blood borne infections, malaria and measles has greatly gone up. It is significant to note that London has much higher rates of communicable diseases compared to other capitals in the UK due to dense population (Maguire, 2005-2009). Donaldson (2007, p.7) states that, In todays globalised world, we can no longer consider the health of the UK in isolation. Chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, mental ill health, and alcohol- and tobacco-related illness once deemed the preserve of industrialised nations are now worldwide problems. The dramatic increase in the incidence of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in some countries, and the emergence of avian influenza in Asia, could pose major threats to the health of the UK population. It may be a clichà ©, but it is true that infectious diseases do not respect borders. 1.2. Assess the roles played by international organisations and agencies (both inter-governmental and non-governmental) in health promotion and disease prevention in developing countries. One of the major reasons why International organizations were formed is to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.It is organised as intergovernmental and non-governmental (Lindstrand, et al., 2009 p.292). Intergovernmental are those based on several governments. It could be international such as those belonging to the UN family. Non-governmental includes private, not-for-profit and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) (Lindstrand, et al., 2009). These international organisations play a great role in health promotion and disease prevention most especially in developing countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is a specialised UN agency that handles health and medical issues for the worlds nations. Its acts as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work. Its objectives are to promote solutions of international, economic, social health and related problems (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.293). According to Lindstand, et al (2009, p. 297) population is one of the major problems of developing countries. The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNPFA) deals with population division. It has four folded mandate: to build knowledge to respond to the needs in population, to promote awareness on population and family planning, to assist developing countries, and to play a leading role in the UN system coordinate projects in population. Development issues in the UN system are being dealt with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Its top priority is poverty eradication. This organisation has a special role to coordinate with the UN effort to monitor progress towards Millenium Developmental Goals (MDG) and assit countries to develop their own goals. (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.297-298). The World Bank (WB) is important in international financing of health services in low and middle income countries. Its role is vital in health promotion and disease prevention. They provide loans and funding to sustain economic development and reduce poverty in low-income countries. The bank has become more active in health policy issues as evidenced by their theme, Investing in Health in their annual publication in 1993 (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.298). Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are playing an increasingly important role in many countries. They are also active in heath activities and they are prominent at global level like the Red Cross and International Planned Parenthood Federation (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.301-302). Therefore, we could say that there are several international organisations and each one has their role to play in order to promote health and prevent diseases. 1.3 Evaluate the impact of global contribution in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and Malaria. HIV infection and malaria are among the top ten causes of healthy life lost and deaths in the world. Thus, international organisations have exerted efforts and contributed in the prevention of these diseases globally. Today, Aids is one of the main diseases of the world. The transmission is largely through commercial sex and intravenous drug use and as well as from blood transfusion.(Linstrand et al., 2009 p.144-145). Due to awareness of the rapid increase in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS across the globe, NGOs have run many community-based projects in order to reduce transmission of HIV/Aids. They have programmes to supply condoms to commercial sex workers. Health and social services provide education, care and social support group to most vulnerable people. These projects have decreased the expected spread of infection mainly in Thailand, Tanzania and The US (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.147). According to Lindstand, et al. (2009 p. 152), antiretroviral (ARV) drugs have been developed to combat or prevent HIV. But due to its high cost, only those who can afford could comply with the treatment. Thus, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) was created in response to the challenge to finance basic health services. It effect will be judge after some years. It may be an effective prevention or have a low effect due to low compliance. The UN-AIDS is also one of the agencies established by WHO to deal with AIDS. UNAIDS has been successful in lowering the price of antiretroviral drugs and on improving the monitoring of the HIV pandemic (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.299). According to WHO, 2001 (cited by Linstrand et al., 2009 p. 165), the malaria parasite is estimated to be the direct cause of about 1.3 million deaths. Because of the outbreaks, global strategies to prevent and treat malaria have been developed and the main challenge here is to find a method cheap enough to be sustainable among low-income countries. The GFATM is one of the agencies of WHO which help finance the projects against malaria across the world. Its projects have been effective in some areas but it appears that this intervention will only be feasible in only a few areas. WHO has also responded with a programme called Roll Back Malaria. The focus is to improve existing drugs and to improve the use of health services by the affected population (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.168). According to the BMJ (2004), Roll Back Malaria is currently a failing global campaign. Support from donors needs to be increased for the Global Fund to provide the best funding method for the fast procurement of malaria tools. Global contributions have a great impact in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and Malaria. It has greatly helped in the control of spread, treatment and prevention of these diseases although some methods have failed; the international and local sectors still continue to improve their mechanisms. 1.4. Recommend international measures that will assist further health improvements in developing countries. There are so many international measures that could further help improve health in developing countries. The general health situation is deterioration in several countries. Health is a good indicator of human life conditions and the health of the population of the country determines its general development. Although global health has deteriorated, improvements never ceased (Linstrand et al., 2009). International organisation such as the UN continuously develops measures that will assist further health improvement especially in developing countries. It is in the interest of all countries and persons that the global health situations improve, thus UN has established Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Almost half of the MDGs relate to health and targets the improvement of the least developed countries (Linstrand et al., 2009). According to the authors of global health (2009), there are two particular difficulties in global development. One is scientific and the other is political. In determining these two, one could understand the culture, social and political structures of a country and actions for a better development will have a greater chance of success. The World Bank, World Health Organizations and most other UN organisations now express similar view about development in health and alleviation of poverty. They regarded the eradication of poverty, freedom from hunger, access to safe water, basic education for all children, equal human rights for women and men, a healthy life and the sustainable use of natural resources as core aspect of development (Linstrand et al., 2009). The World Bank stated in its yearbook (cited by Linstrand et al., 2009), that a better life involves more that simply higher income. It stated that, Development encompasses as ends in themselves better education, higher standards of health and nutrition, less poverty, a cleaner environment, more equality of opportunity, greater individual freedom and a richer cultural life. The Non-governmental organisations, also suggests that the local communities should also be involve in order to sustain and achieve broader objectives of development goals and health improvements (Linstrand et al., 2009. These international measures suggested by international organizations, if properly implemented and complied will greatly assist health improvement not only in developing countries but in the develop countries as well. 2.1. Identify the elements that are the corner stones of healthcare systems A health care system is defined by Anderson and Frenk (1989 1994 respectively, cited by Lassey, et al., 1997), as the combination of health care institutions, supporting human resources, financing mechanisms, information system, organizational structures that link institutions and resources, and management structures that collectively culminate in the delivery of health services to the clients. These are what we call the elements of a health care system which are important in order to be more effective in delivering health care. These elements are formed in order to provide equity, efficiency and quality or safety in health care. According to Lassey, et al. (1997), the elements should collaborate with each other to produce health outcome or health services. In order to understand each of these elements, we must first discuss and consider their function in the system. Institutions are organizations that are responsible for the promotion of health, prevention of diseases and production of health care. It includes local, state and federal public health departments; public and private health care services providers such as hospitals and nursing homes; educational/training centres for health professionals; and environmental departments (Lassey, et al., 1997). Another very important element is the supporting human resources which includes public health professionals and other personnel who work in the field of health care. They are the ones who are directly involved in health promotion, illness prevention or health care (Lassey, et al., 1997). It is impossible to deliver health care without finance. Thus, financing mechanism is one of the most basic elements in a health care system. It includes direct government financing, private/national health insurance plans, managed care financing arrangements and other taxing systems that generate revenue for health care. Private out-of-pocket expenditures and any other sources that pay for the cost of care are also considered as financing mechanism (Lassey, et al., 1997). For an easy measurement of expenditure, outcomes for health care procedure and cost control, information system is needed. It facilitates sharing/exchange f information, collates data and contributes to greater understanding (Lassey, et al., 1997). Linking organizational mechanism is another element wherein association of professionals in school, hospital and other organizations attempt to link together the organizational units related to health care (Lassey, et al., 1997). But in order for these other components to function and produce health outcomes, it should first have to be managed. An organization should have a management structure or mechanism to function effectively and efficiently. These management structures include public health and administrative system that link multi institutional organizations such as hospital chains, financing administrations and other management mechanism (Lassey, et al., 1997). These elements are interrelated and work as a system. Therefore, each of these elements has an important role in operation of a health care system. They are all needed so that health care system could effectively deliver services and produce health outcomes. They are also important for a health care delivery system to be accessible, affordable, attainable and available to all sectors. 2.2. Justify the rationales for diverse forms of health care system There are many major influences that affect the heath of the population. Therefore, diverse forms of health care systems (HCS) are needed in order to meet the needs of the country. According to Lassey, et al. (1997), historical and cultural influences identify the political and economic structure of a country. The economic reality greatly influence the kind of health care system a nation can afford. The HCS of one country either private or public is affected by the combination of their physical, political, cultural, and community environment. Their structure also differs depending on the organizations health policies and health care delivery; accessibility of services; and economic factors affecting the health care delivery system (Lassey, et al., 1997). The European Observatory on Health Care Systems (EOHCS) 2002, conducted a study to provide up-to-date information on the health care systems of different countries and compared it to the UK health care system. This is conducted in order to improve the health care system and highlights that despite significant differences in how health systems are financed, organised and provided, all countries face a number of similar challenges. In the report of EOHCS (2002), diversity in health care system of eight countries has been discussed mainly highlighting the funding and delivering of health care systems. Denmark and Sweden is an example of a decentralised system of health care in terms of funding and delivery. Germany and the Netherlands have a social health insurance systems combined with private health insurance for high-income earners. France has a more centralised social health insurance model, offering universal coverage and with a mixture of public, private non-profit and for-profit providers In Australia, there are three tiers of government and there is an essential division of health care system. The economic and functional responsibilities are divided.The Commonwealth collects most of the taxes while the States delivers most of the public services. Australias HCS is mainly funded by public revenue. Out-of pocket payment, private health insurance and other sources of finance accounts only for about 30% health care expenditure (Healy, 2002). Both Australia and New Zealand have predominantly tax-financed systems of health care with differing degrees of decentralisation and privatisation of provision (EOHCS, 2002). In conclusion, diverse form of health care system is important because each country is different from another. Thus, they have to develop a health care system which responds effectively and appropriately to their needs in order to ensure equal accessibility to health services, to have a sustainable financing system, and to provide quality care to improve health outcome of ones country. 2.3. Evaluate the healthcare system of the UK making suggestions about facilitating a move from negative to positive outcomes. The United Kingdom is one of the first countries in Europe to implement a publicly funded National Health Service (NHS). The NHS act, enacted in 1948 adopted three principles for a publicly funded universal health care system. These are equal access to medical acre, Availability of comprehensive preventive and curative care and provision of serve ices to no cost at the point of service (Lassey, et al., 1997). As mentioned, health care in the UK is mainly funded through national taxation. Hospitals are predominantly owned with independent trust status. Health care services for privately insured patients or those who pay directly from their pocket are provided by private hospitals (EOHCS, 2002). The NHS covers all the legal residents of the UK and other residents of the European Economic Area and other countries who have reciprocal agreements with the UK. It is basically established to provide care services to the extent that it meets all reasonable requirements. Patients accessibility to health services is also being considered. According to the EOHCS (2002), there are several health care delivery systems in the UK. One of those is the ambulatory care which is provided by the general practitioner. There are walk-in clinics with GPs, practice nurses and other health professionals which provide primary care in several areas. Secondary care is provided by the in general acute NHS trusts, community hospitals, and tertiary level hospitals. In order to reduce unnecessary hospital admission and to avoid long-hospital stay, the government increased the number of intermediate care beds. This intermediate care is designed to prepare the patient to return home. Social care is also provided for those people with mental illness, learning difficulties and elderly who need domiciliary and residential care (EOHCS, 2002). There are also challenges that the UK health care system is facing. It has been recognized that the health care in the UK has been under funded as manifested by the long waiting lists for hospital appointments and poor quality hospital buildings. But the government is committed to straighten the situation. The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that over the next 4 years, there will be an increased public spending on the NHS. These will represent sustained rates of increased spending if achieved (EOHCS, 2002). The NHS Plan also aim to increase NHS workforce numbers (consultants, GPs and nurses) as well as to improve services provided like reduced waiting times. In order to drive these changes, a Modernisation Board has been set up. In addition, a Commission for Health Improvement has also been set up to monitor and improve performance and facilitate positive outcomes (EOHCS, 2002). 3.1. Assess the current global health priorities in terms of attainment of health-related MDGs. The centre of Millennium Development Goals is health. This is supported by the work of (Linstrand, et al., 2009). It is stated in their book that almost half of the MDGs are health related. There are eight Millennium Development Goals. These are: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; to achieve universal primary education; to promote gender equality and to empower women; to reduce child mortality; to improve maternal health; to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; to ensure environmental sustainability; and to develop a global partnership for development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), 2010. By knowing and addressing the current global health priorities, health-related MDGs could be also attained. Blue (2007) identified 20 top global health priorities and categorized it into six clusters. First priority is raising public awareness. This includes promotion of healthy lifestyle through effective education. It also involves dissemination of valid information via sustained accurate media coverage to improve economic, social and public health awareness (Blue, 2007). Second health priority is enhancement of economic, legal and environmental policies. It focuses on studying and addressing the impacts government expenditure and taxation (Blue, 2007). The third priority is modifying the risk factors. This includes deploying a universal measure to reduce tobacco use, promoting physical activity and consumption of healthy food. It is also an important that environmental and cultural factors that change behaviour are better understood (Blue, 2007). It is also important to prioritize engagement of business and community. Business should be a key partner in health promotion and disease prevention (Blue, 2007). Mitigating health impacts of poverty and urbanization is also one of the health priorities. This is where poverty related risk factors and the links between the environment, urbanization and chronic non-communicable diseases are being identified and addressed (Blue, 2007). Reorientation of health system is also an important priority. Allocation of resources should be based on burden of diseases. Moving professional training and practices toward prevention while increasing the number and skills of health care professionals especially in developing countries. Building a health system that incorporate screening and prevention and increases accessibility to medications (Blue, 2007). By addressing these current global health priorities, there is a greater chance of attaining health-related MDGs. 3.2. Identify the UK contribution to a global health strategy. Give specific example Tony Blair states that, Improving global health is clearly in Britains interest, and the Commission for Africa and the Gleneagles G8 Summit made several commitments on health and health care. The UK has a major role to play, (Crisp, 2007). 3.3. Justify the need for international health care organisations operating globally to form partnerships to secure better health for populations (especially women ad children) in the developing countries. In order to deal with the threats to health worldwide, International Organizations need to collaborate. Global collaboration was originally formed for the purpose of preventing the spread of communicable diseases across the national boarders (Linstrand, et al., 2009). One of the goals of the MDG is to develop a partnership for development. It basically a global cooperation on aid, trade, debt, access to affordable essential medicines and new technologies and addressing the special needs of the least developed, landlocked and small island states (DESA, 2010). There are several important reasons why there is a need for international organizations to form partnership. Though it originated from varied self-interest reasons like to combat infections for other countries or to quest for profit or influence for another, they may still not be a bad motivation to develop cooperation (Linstrand, et al., 2009). One of the most evident examples of multinational health collaboration is the successful work of the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) in reducing childrens death and suffering through cost-effective interventions and protection of breastfeeding. The UNICEF is a unique organisation that reaches out to all countries through its national committees (Linstrand, et al., 2009). UNICEF has also broadened its approach and includes the three Fs: female education, food supplements and family planning. WHO has given it support to this intervention of UNICEF (Linstrand, et al., 2009). Countries cooperating in dealing with outbreaks like Ebola or SARS and the guidance of the World Bank on countries expenditures on healthcare justify also the need for global partnership.

Physics of Avalanches Essay -- physics avalanche snow

Avalanches kill back country recreationalists every year, including skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, and snowmachiners. All back country users should have knowledge of the basic physics of avalanches to help them evaluate local and regional potential for slides. The foundation of this knowledge comes from understanding how the surrounding environmental conditions in previous weeks, previous days, and the day in question all contribute to snow stability or instability, and how specific factors affect snow on a micro-scale, which determines how snow slopes will behave on a macro-scale. There are two major types of avalanches (excluding debris avalanches from broken cornices and ice formations). These are point releases, or loose snow slides, and slab avalanches. While point releases can be dangerous and should be avoided, slab avalanches are much more catastrophic and account for most of the backcountry avalanche disasters involving humans. Basic physics of point releases are discussed here, followed by a discussion on the basic physics of slab avalanches, and how external factors contribute to the stability or instability of a snow covered slope. BASIC PHYSICS OF POINT RELEASE AVALANCHES Point release avalanches, or loose snow slides, begin at one point on a slope and get progressively wider as they proceed down the slope. A fundamental characteristic that must be present for this type of avalanche to occur is a surface layer of cohesionless, or nearly cohesionless, snow (University of Colorado IBS 1975; Fredston and Fesler 1994). An initially small amount of snow begins to move downward when the force of gravity is greater than the forces of cohesion at a particular angle or when debris from above starts the s... ...ditional weight of one skier crossing at a time. BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR "THE PHYSICS OF AVALANCHES" Daffern, T. 1983. Avalanche safety for skiers and climbers. Alpenbooks, Seattle, WA. Fredston, J.A., and D. Fesler. 1994. Snow sense: a guide to evaluating snow avalanche hazard. Alaska Mountain Safety Center, Anchorage, AK. Graydon, D., and K. Hanson, editors. 1997. Mountaineering: the freedom of the hills, sixth edition. The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA. Perla, R.I., and M. Martinelli. 1976. Avalanche handbook. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook 489. University of Colorado IBS (Institute of Behavioral Science). 1975. Snow avalanche hazard in the United States: a research assessment. Assessment of Research on Natural Hazards, Program on Technology, Environment, and Man, Monograph NSF-RA-E-75-017. Physics of Avalanches Essay -- physics avalanche snow Avalanches kill back country recreationalists every year, including skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, and snowmachiners. All back country users should have knowledge of the basic physics of avalanches to help them evaluate local and regional potential for slides. The foundation of this knowledge comes from understanding how the surrounding environmental conditions in previous weeks, previous days, and the day in question all contribute to snow stability or instability, and how specific factors affect snow on a micro-scale, which determines how snow slopes will behave on a macro-scale. There are two major types of avalanches (excluding debris avalanches from broken cornices and ice formations). These are point releases, or loose snow slides, and slab avalanches. While point releases can be dangerous and should be avoided, slab avalanches are much more catastrophic and account for most of the backcountry avalanche disasters involving humans. Basic physics of point releases are discussed here, followed by a discussion on the basic physics of slab avalanches, and how external factors contribute to the stability or instability of a snow covered slope. BASIC PHYSICS OF POINT RELEASE AVALANCHES Point release avalanches, or loose snow slides, begin at one point on a slope and get progressively wider as they proceed down the slope. A fundamental characteristic that must be present for this type of avalanche to occur is a surface layer of cohesionless, or nearly cohesionless, snow (University of Colorado IBS 1975; Fredston and Fesler 1994). An initially small amount of snow begins to move downward when the force of gravity is greater than the forces of cohesion at a particular angle or when debris from above starts the s... ...ditional weight of one skier crossing at a time. BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR "THE PHYSICS OF AVALANCHES" Daffern, T. 1983. Avalanche safety for skiers and climbers. Alpenbooks, Seattle, WA. Fredston, J.A., and D. Fesler. 1994. Snow sense: a guide to evaluating snow avalanche hazard. Alaska Mountain Safety Center, Anchorage, AK. Graydon, D., and K. Hanson, editors. 1997. Mountaineering: the freedom of the hills, sixth edition. The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA. Perla, R.I., and M. Martinelli. 1976. Avalanche handbook. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook 489. University of Colorado IBS (Institute of Behavioral Science). 1975. Snow avalanche hazard in the United States: a research assessment. Assessment of Research on Natural Hazards, Program on Technology, Environment, and Man, Monograph NSF-RA-E-75-017.

Special Administrative Measures

Special administrative measures (SAMs) refers to the special rules that are applied to certain inmates especially those associated with violence, national security and terrorism. These types of inmates are considered to be very dangerous. These measures include monitoring and limiting an inmate’s telephone calls and any form of correspondence, restricting an inmate’s interview with the press, putting the inmate in isolation, and limiting the inmate’s privilege to receive visitors (Martin, 2004). These measures are put in place to protect people from serious bodily harm or death especially if the victims are associated with terrorism or acts of violence (Martin, 2004). In case the inmate is associated with national security, these measures are put in place to prevent the inmates from disclosing classified information (Martin, 2004). Generally, such inmates have increased limitations and are under greater scrutiny compared to other inmates. The measures are so strict that in most circumstances the communications between the inmates and their attorneys are monitored in case the attorneys are used by the inmates to communicate with other criminals (Martin, 2004). The decision to place an inmate under special administrative measures is arrived at following a written request from the Attorney General to the director of Bureau of Prisons following advice by the intelligence agencies (Martin, 2004). There are several functions of SAMs and these can be classified as overt and covert purposes. The overt purposes relate to protection of the general public from harm by restricting an inmate’s contact with the outside world which is an avenue that the inmate can use to perpetrate violence or terrorism. One of the covert purposes is use of the monitored information for investigative purposes for example if an inmate is directing terrorism from the cell (Martin, 2004). Another covert purpose is to protect the public from anxiety which can result following disclosure of information about national security.

Emotional Intelligence & Its Importance For Leaders Essay

Much has been written about leadership and the qualities that fuel leadership such as intelligence, toughness, determination, credibility, vision, etc. Often left off are the lists softer and more personal qualities, but recent studies have proven that they are equally important. Researchers have proposed a new term called ‘Emotional Intelligence’, and it may well help differentiate the outstanding leaders from the merely adequate ones. Emotional Intelligence must somehow combine two of the three states of mind: cognition and affect, or intelligence and emotion. It has been described by many as the ability to understand and perceive emotions and to be able to generate emotions in order to aid the thought process, and to be able to effectively regulate emotions so as to ensure intellectual and emotional growth (â€Å"EI†). Both nature and nurture feed into emotional intelligence, which is what management literature suggests. Emotional intelligence if deployed wisely and compassionately, spurs leaders, the followers, and the entire organization to superior performance; conversely, if naively or maliciously applied, it might paralyze leaders or allow them to manipulate followers for personal gain, which would lead in employee dissatisfaction and lack of commitment. Mayor and Salovey proposed a four step EI model which can assist leaders in integrating emotion and thinking. Identifying Emotions is the first step which is the ability to recognize how you and those around you are feeling (â€Å"EI†). Using emotions to facilitate thought which is the ability to generate an emotion, and then reason with this emotion, (also called Emotional Facilitation of Thought, or Assimilating Emotions) comes second(â€Å"EI†). The last two are Understanding Emotions and managing them. Understanding Emotions not only includes understanding complex human emotions but also emotional â€Å"chains†, i. e. how emotions transition from one stage to another, whereas, Managing Emotions allows you to manage emotions in yourself and in others(â€Å"EI†). However, according to Daniel Goleman, there are five components to emotional intelligence; †¢ Self-awareness †¢ Self-regulation †¢ Motivation †¢ Empathy †¢ Social skill (Goleman, 1998) Self-awareness is the trait where emotional intelligence actually begins, leaders with higher degree of self-awareness are never hesitant to talk about and discuss their weaknesses and it is this attitude that later brings upon a positive change in them as they are able to improve upon their weaknesses with time. This helps a leader in bringing about change as he is someone who knows his limitations and knows when and where he can actually stand-up and deliver for the rest of the workforce and be a motivator for them, i. e. when can he lead by example. Thus he knows which tasks and changes can actually be brought about in an organization and which ones cannot be. The second trait is self-regulation, and that leaders with this trait can control their emotions and impulses better and channel them for good purposes. This brings about an openness to change in their attitude and behavior, and increases their trustworthiness and integrity, and also helps them remain comfortable in ambiguous situations and scenario. It has a trickle down effect, as no one would want to be known as a hot head in an organization where the boss is known for his cool and calm attitude. Motivation is perhaps the most important trait and the most obvious one that a leader is judged upon. It’s the motivation abilities of a leader that gives the sub-ordinates the notion that the leader has a strong drive to achieve. It portrays the optimism of the leader to the followers, such that they know that their leader would still be optimistic when facing failure, so it has to do more with the mind than anything else. It is the positivity of the mind, it emanates from the mind of the leader and leads its way to the minds of the followers. For a leader empathizing does not mean conforming to other people’s emotions. Rather, it is the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people. Empathy is the trait that enables a leader to be an expert in building and maintaining talent. It enables him to treat people according to their emotional reactions. With the businesses and economies globalizing, leaders have to lead and manage people belonging to different cultures which is the major reason why change management in such a scenario is very difficult, however, if only a leader can empathize with his followers, it makes the job half as difficult as before. Good leaders generally maintain a large circle of acquaintances. They start off with smaller network of acquaintances and build newer acquaintances from the existing circle. Thus they are not only good at building networks but also finding common ground between individuals in difficult situations and scenarios and build rapport with them. This also improves their persuasiveness and the ability to build and lead teams. True emotional intelligence is not about manipulating people. Emotional intelligence means knowing what you and others are feeling and acting ethically, with a social conscience. Leaders with higher EQ seem to have â€Å"it† together; they are a graceful balance of intellect and emotion. Such leaders possess the ability to inspire their followers, and make them feel good about themselves. All of which is achieved while maintaining their own integrity and sense of personal worth. Hence, no one is diminished by being in their presence. Leadership combines courage with emotional intelligence, courage to ask tough questions, challenge people’s assumptions about strategy and operations, eliminate the existence of the bias caused by conforming to other people’s beliefs and hence risk losing their goodwill. All of this demands commitment, commitment to serving others; skills required for diagnostic, strategic, and tactical reasoning, the resilience to get under the surface of tough realities; and the heart to take criticism and grief, and remain optimistic all the way. A leader has to be aware that surviving will be difficult if one gets into the trouble of a dissonance existing between the inside and the outside – something that is referred as a â€Å"disconnect†. If a single theme runs through this issue, it’s the importance of keeping the two aligned. Every leader ought to want a more supple emotional intelligence, and â€Å"Leading by Feel† is a great place to begin (Mayer, 2004). REFERENCES 1. Goleman, Daniel (1998). What makes a Leader? Harvard Business Review 2. EI. Retrieved April 16, 2008, from emotionaliq. org Web site: http://www. emotionaliq. org/EI. htm 3. Mayer, John (2004) Leading by Feel. Harvard Business Review