Society, Ethics and Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Society, Ethics and Technology - Essay Example Reference will also be made from other sources to expound on the concept. Why does Cowan believe it is important to examine technologies in the context of technological systems? What advantage does this broader perspective give to planners? Give a specific current technological example (not it the reading) in support of your answer. Technological concepts cannot be understood clearly without a determined focus on technological systems. The knowledge includes an understanding of the input, output, transformation, control and interdependency to other systems (Winston and Edelbach, 2012). Technological systems have led to increased levels of productivity at all sectors of the economy leading to changes in lifestyles. The improvement in technological systems has led to globalization, with people becoming more reliant and interdependent on one another than ever before. Technological systems are the perfect indicators of advancement in technology for any nation. For instance, although the American industrialization began in the early 1780’s, the instability of its technological system was hampered by the civil war. This delayed the attainment of the status of an industrialized nation until the end of the civil war. ... The improvement in living and working conditions is caused by the presence of advanced technology. Some of the current technological systems include the electric, telephone and petroleum systems. Examining technology in the context of technological systems enables the planners to identify those areas of human life that require technological advancement, and thus design the most effective and efficient system for improvement. The aspects of human culture that conflict with technological advancement can also be aligned for a beneficial coexistence. An example of the impact of recent technological systems on technology is the improvement in the medical technology that has witnessed the use of advanced technologies such as kidney dialysis machines that have enhanced the efficiency of intravenous therapy. Landes argues that there were cultural differences between the East and Middle East and the West that affected the development and application of some technologies such as the clock. Did these differences also affect the way these cultures approached information technologies such as the printing press? Can you make a comparison with the different approaches taken by Eastern and Middle Eastern and Western cultures today and current information technologies? The cultural diversity that characterized the East, Middle East and the West led to the modification of the individual technologies to suit societal demand. The Chinese cultural language is written in ideographs and does not submit itself to the current changes in the language patterns. This explains the increased popularity of full page block printing among the Chinese, contrary to movable type that is more preferred by the West (Winston and Edelbach, 2012, pp.

Leadership Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership - Case Study Example Question 1 Dominant Leadership Styles That Ben and Phil Demonstrated Among the two leadership styles revealed by Ben Samuels and Phil Jones, the style adopted by the Phil reflects more dominant nature during his tenure as plant manager in Consolidated Products. Contrarily, the leadership style adopted by Ben can be identified to be soft. Indeed, it can be identified that both the leaders depicted radically different leadership approaches. It can be ascertained from the case that Ben had decided to pick a soft approach towards the employees. He believed that â€Å"if you treat people right, they will do a good job for you without supervision or pushing†. Ben used to treat the employees in the organization as partners. He can be identified to be very much cautious about his employees’ health and problems. Owing to his deep concern for the employees in the organization, he had set-up fitness centers. In addition, Ben also undertook social activities sponsored by the plants such as company picnics and holiday parties for his employees several times a year. Ben believed that treating employees properly and correctly would increase their loyalty towards organization. He used to spend a lot of time with his employees discussing about their health, families and problems faced by the employees along with trying to resolve their problems. Even in the slack times encountered by the organization, he avoided employee lay-offs. Ben believed that it is often very difficult to find and replace skilled and talented workers. However, it is worth mentioning that his benevolent behavior does not make him a good leader. His leadership style strongly revealed empathic, compassionate, respectful and humble characteristics. Thus, it can be identified that Ben has adopted supportive leadership style. Although he revealed his care and respect for the employees in the organization and has been greatly liked by the employees but the productivity of the organization during hi s tenure was badly suffering. Moreover, he did not set any objectives or standards for his supervisors which can be attributed to the dismal performance of organization. Consequently, the company’s turnover was found to be the lowest among it’s five other plants. It can be stated that in the present day organizational purview, benevolent leadership approach hardly enables to derive long-term sustainability of the organization as it is apparent that without proper set goals and objectives employees find it quite difficult to drive home the advantage (Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters, 2013). Subsequently, it is observed that Phil started trimming the number of activities starting from removal of fitness centre from the plant, stopping funding for picnic and parties and human relation training programs for the supervisors. Phil Believed that â€Å"if employees don’t want to do the work, get rid of them and find somebody else who does†. He also establis hed demanding goals and objectives and strict employee performance appraisal was also conducted in order to measure the productivity of each employees. He also went for employee layoff in order to ensure stable production within the plant. He demonstrated committed, passionate, accountable, and enthusiastic along with optimistic characteristics. Correspondingly, leadership style revealed by Phil can be firmly correlated with directive leadership st

An Analysis of Marketing Procedures Being Used By Leading Fast Food Literature review

An Analysis of Marketing Procedures Being Used By Leading Fast Food Franchises - Literature review Example sations are highly focused on executing exceptional marketing strategies concerning their diverse range of fast-food products to a large number of global consumers (Christian & Gereffi, 2010). Based in a similar context, Hooley Graham (2008) further observed that the emerging competition among the leading fast-food chain retailers has been a consequence of the extensive marketing activities performed by the global organisations. Moreover, the fast-food retail organisations have also exhibited a trend to incorporate different exceptional marketing strategies by promoting authentic as well as contemporary culinary innovation, cultural tastes, desires as well as demands of the local communities where they operate in the international context (Hooley Graham, 2008). In the similar context, Lichtenberg (2012) has also stated that the global fast-food industry has been playing a crucial role in channelising the effective of internationalisation in various economies, especially, the developi ng economies by accomplishing a rapid expansion in the various international markets. The organisations have also been implementing extensive expansion initiatives allowing franchises in different nations. The franchise units of the leading fast-food brands have been considerably focused on identifying the tastes and preferences of the local consumers executing effective strategies of delivering products to the customer as per their expectations (Lichtenberg, 2012). On the contrary, brands which are observed to be struggling in the global fast-food chain tend to focus extensively on the authentic culinary culture of the local community. These growing brands are also observed to be significantly influenced by the local or regional as well as state-level laws along with the socio-cultural... This essay approves that according to the present day context, the leading fast-food organisations tend to follow the emerging trend of global fast-food markets through executing various complex marketing strategies. The rapid expansion of the business units into different business locations is also a widely used marketing strategy for the global fast-food marketers. With this concern, the globally reputed fast-food chains have been focusing on increasing their business units through franchisees, in particular into different markets which has certainly enabled these brands to achieve larger market share as well as gain competitive advantages in the growing fast-food industry This report makes a conclusion that the demand for fast-food companies has substantially increased in the market segments worldwide where not only children but young people also are observed to decipher their incessantly increasing preferences for fast-food products. It is in this context that the increased demand for fast-food products has intensified the market competition among fast-food companies. In this perspective, fast-food companies are required to adopt enhanced marketing strategies with the objective of improving their performances substantially as well as to acquire a better competitive market position and thus obtain the benefits of sustainable growth. These marketing strategies shall also enable the struggling fast-food franchises in building better brand image within the targeted market segments and therefore obtain competitive benefits over its other existing rivals

NYSEGs Corporate Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NYSEGs Corporate Responsibility - Essay Example This altruistic program conforms to Milton Friedman and R. Edward Freeman’s concept of attempting to satisfy the profits needs of the company as well as the social responsibility needs of the employees and other stakeholders. This shows that the company is not only concerned with maximizing profits from its operations but it also has a duty to be socially responsible to the people in the environment in which it is operating from. Friedman states that the executives of the company ought to operate profitably while at the same time fulfilling the needs of the stakeholders impacted by its operations. In this case, it can be observed that Project Share is designed to appeal to the customs laws or public policies which require the companies to give back part of their profits to the members of the society in which they operate. This program does not interfere with the operations of the organization since there are responsible people who handle issues related to donations of funds to different people while the managers in the company are expected to focus on their core business of generating profits for the firm. But I believe that NYSEG uses this program as a marketing gimmick where it seeks to maximize profits in the guise of corporate social responsibility citizenry. The customers and stakeholders are very important for the survival of the company according to the stakeholder theory advanced by Edward Freeman. All stakeholders including employees, managers, customers among others must be treated as valuable asserts.

Traffic Accident Essay Example for Free

Traffic Accident Essay Traffic accidents are considered modern problems which are causing enormous human and material losses to many people and resulting of them many temporary and permanent injuries and they cause enormous damages to the public and private properties. It is not an exaggeration to say that victims of the road accidents are more than the victims of wars and terrorist operations in the world. Some statistics indicated that the number of deaths resulting from car accidents were over (300) thousand people annually, and the estimated number of the injured people between the (10-15) million. Moreover, statistics indicated that the numbers of injuries in the United States alone were more than three and a half million yearly (Butler et al. , 1999). It is sad that (10%) of those injured people are children and the percentage of children who are exposed to injuries caused by traffic accidents in some countries might be increasing to reach more than (20%) as indicated in the Bulletin of Jordanian Traffic Institute. Some reports indicated that more than (300,000) children are exposed to injuries caused by road accidents in the United States alone (Hauschildt, 2002). What should be mentioned in this regard is that the victims of traffic accidents in the developing world countries are much more comparing with those in the developed countries as referred to in bulletin of the World Health Organization (Gender Health, (2002). All governments make efforts to reduce accidents and thus reduce their negative effects. It is unfortunate that the negative effects of car accidents are linked to the minds of many as material loss, pain and suffering physical disabilities only, but the psychological effects perhaps because of its disappearance of the human eye wasnt paid attention to and was ignored by many other people even by those who linked to researchers in the third world. It is logical that physical injuries and some psychological symptoms resulting directly from the accident receive priority in care and attention, but scientific researches confirm that some of the road accidents or those who witnessed them could show that they subsequently cause psychological disorders which may develop into severe symptoms (Butler et al. , 1999). Although the injured in traffic accidents may receive some kind of social support of their natural resources like relatives and friends in attempting to ease the negative effects resulting from traffic accidents, there are things we must draw attention to, which are: I.  All the people who were exposed to such incidents do not receive the appropriate degree of support. II. Ordinary people had been unaware of the type of the appropriate or desired social support for the victim (of an accident). III. Professional specialists have the necessary knowledge to monitor the indicators or symptoms which may be hidden from ordinary people, or difficult for them to interpret, especially in the light of the available knowledge. Although many of the symptoms resulting from traffic accidents do not appear immediately after the accident. It should be noted here that psychological wounds which inflicted on those who are exposed to traffic accidents may stay with them for a long time even after physical injuries heal. Perhaps the reason behind some athletes not recovering to their previous levels of performance before their exposure to an injury is psychological wounds are not less damaging than physical injuries; they even might be more serious in their effects. It is striking that the insurance companies in the developed countries pay profitable compensations for the effects of psychological wounds resulting from car accidents (Butler et al. , 1999). In this context, traffic accidents partially result of violations committed by an individual who hurt another individual or group of members of the society. Perhaps the gravity of the dangers of traffic accidents increases the awareness and stimulates efforts to alleviate the psychological effects. Accidents cause numerous physical and moral losses reflected on the drive r and society alike, represented in human losses up to death of the driver himself or a member of his family or his\her entire family. The losses may fully exceed in one accident to several persons or a family, and the driver remains alive. There were losses that reached cutting one of the organs or an injury that caused the driver a permanent disability. All of this would deeply generate painful psychological disorders and wounds, such as psychological trauma, depression and excess irritable emotions and loss and lack of concentration at work, thus we can sum up the problem of the study that there are psychological disorders and problems resulting from traffic accidents of the 3rd category private license drivers who are responsible for traffic accidents. The importance of this study could be formulated in the following: First: The theoretical aspect: The issues of traffic accidents and what these accidents backward of damages considered from the humanitarian issues affecting society feelings and leaving deep wounds in the human soul. The results of traffic accidents are not only confined to the participants in the incident only, but to the whole society, whether the psychological, social, human and economic level.This research is considered a serious attempt to shed light on the psychological disorders suffered by the driver, who cause accidents.  Second: the practical aspect: Access to results that help to reduce traffic accidents results on the human psyche. This research paves the way for the subsequent researches in different and divers environments, cultures and variables. The following nihilism hypotheses have been formulated to answer in this study: I. There are no statistical differences between traffic accidents and psychological trauma for the drivers who are involved in the traffic accidents from the holders of 3rd category-private driving license. II.  There are no statistical differences between traffic accidents and a state of depression among the drivers who are involved in the traffic accidents from the holders of 3rd category-private driving license. III. There are no statistical differences between traffic accidents and cases of nervousness for the drivers who are involved in the traffic accidents from the holders of 3rd category-private driving license. IV. There are no statistical differences between traffic accidents and the lack of concentration at work for the drivers who are involved in the traffic accidents from the holders of 3rd category-private driving license.

Strength and Weakness Essay Example for Free

Strength and Weakness Essay Focus Focus is a scary word to most people. What can it do for us? How can it help us? Can we program ourselves to focus? Focus, confidence and selfdiscipline all work hand in hand with each other. Learning to focus can help us in many ways. It can help us realise what we really want in life, it can help us make good and informed decisions. It can also help us to accept ourselves just the way we are, without feeling the need to condemn ourselves or put  ourselves down in any way, shape or form. Focus can help us gain confidence, power and happiness. Focus can also help us remain grounded and stay on track. Focus can change confusion into absolute knowledge and self-criticism into love for oneself. Always be aware that you ARE able to focus on what you want, and to focus your thoughts on anything at all. Try it now by thinking about the dishes, now change your focus and think about your car. Switch focus again and think about a dog. It really is that easy to focus on whatever you want to focus on. We all need to learn to set aside time to be used on the one thing we want or need to focus on. It’s not a matter of â€Å"taking the time† to focus, but more a matter of â€Å"making the time†. If we are willing to make the time, we will focus a lot better on whatever it is you want or need to do. You ask me how I can possibly make time to focus with four demanding children, 3 dogs and a new house? Easy, I can stay up for an extra hour when all the kids are in bed and the house is quiet, and MAKE the time to focus on what I’m doing with absolutely no distractions at all. Oh, that’s right; you work too, so you’re too tired to stay up late. How about getting up half an hour early, before the madness at home begins? Before you go to bed, get everything ready for your early morning â€Å"focus time† so that you don’t have to run around looking for it when you’re half awake. Of course, this means you have to have a plan of action ready beforehand. Decide when you are going to make time, and stick to it like glue. Don’t let ANYTHING take you away from that time. Make sure you have everything you need all in one place, a room, or ev en a corner of a room where you can sit in peace. Unplug the phone, turn off the television, and don’t even listen to quiet background music. Whatever happens around you will distract you unless you learn how to focus. Sometimes it seems easier to just go along with these distractions than to focus on the end goal. Remember, if you let yourself go along with the distractions, you are losing sight of your goals. Sharpen your vision of what you want or you WILL be at the mercy of your environment. When you want something you have to decide EXACTLY what it is you want. If you don’t know what you want, there’s no way on earth you’re  going to be able to focus on it. So you want to pass that driving test that you’ve taken and failed umpteen times, or you want to pass that really important exam in school. You might want to write a book, or build a website, run your own business, be a teacher or any number of different things. The main thing is you have to KNOW that’s what you want, and you have to set your aims high and demand yourself to focus on getting it. Read more:  Examples of Personal Strengths and Weaknesses Once you decide what you want, you have to decide WHY you want it. Visualize yourself in that brand new Mercedes or BMW, or in front of that school desk teaching the kids geography. The vision makes you feel good, right? So that’s why you want it, it feels good to do what you want to do, be who you want to be and own what you want to own. Visualization is a major part in being able to focus. If you can actually see yourself in the position you want to be in, then it’s so much easier to focus on the task of getting there. The next thing you have to do is to decide how you’re going to actually get what you want. What are you willing to sacrifice in the quest to get those great exam grades? What can you do without in order to start up your own business? How can you make your family life happier and more peaceful? Sit back and close your eyes, imagining what it will be like to have what you want in life, and think long and hard about what you can give up so that you can get there. Say you want a new sofa, but the only way you can get one is if you quit smoking. Envision the sofa, with you and your partner cuddling up on it. What colour is it? Is it big and fluffed up, or is it a small ultra-modern sofa? Focus on the sofa and want it badly enough, you WILL stop smoking so you can get it. These are all small things and perfectly attainable with a little bit of focus, but what if you want bigger and better things than that  for yourself. First overcome the exams, once that goal is reached go get that driving licence. Next you get a brand spanking new BMW. Keep setting goals; as soon as you reach the first one, move on to the next, staying focused all the time on what it is you want. Reaching that first goal will give you an  incredible boost of confidence, which in turn will make it so much easier to get started on the next goal. The more goals you reach, the more confidence you will have in yourself and that will fuel the success of the next goal, and the next one after that, until there are endless possibilities for you. Start off by wri ting down each and every goal you WANT to reach in your lifetime. Then write a daily plan for the goal you want to reach first. Write the plan before you go to bed at night, it gives your brain time to take it all in and work with it. It’s amazing what the brain will do when we are sleeping. Also, writing the plan the night before helps free up that time during the next day so that you can purely sit and focus on the task at hand. Make the plan a numbered list and cross each item off as you finish it. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you get through it this way. Once you’ve reached the outcome you want, move on to your next goal following the same pattern as before. If you find your thoughts wandering in your â€Å"focus time† take a break, write down your thoughts and put them away somewhere for future reference. If you find there are multiple things you can do to attain your goals, figure out which of them is the one most likely to help you get there quickest. Put the others on hold, they may come in useful when you’re aiming for that next goal. If you lock your focus, and stick with it for as long as you have to, you WILL succeed. If you stick to one thing, one goal and focus on that, its virtually impossible to not reap the rewards of your actions. Confidence Before we start, please keep one thing in mind; Confidence and arrogance are two totally different things. If you confuse the two, you will most certainly become a very unhappy person with very few real friends. Arrogance is NOT a â€Å"quality† and it won’t help you reach your goals any faster. Confidence in oneself, or the lack thereof is what stops people from getting tightly focused on what they want to achieve. That little voice telling them they cant do something is their biggest UN-motivator. What can YOU do to  gain confidence? 25 Tips Toward Boosting Your Confidence and Self Esteem. 1. Love Yourself: This can take a bit of practice and looks really funny, but try it, it works. When you wake up, give yourself a great big hug. Do the same when it’s time for sleep. You’ve heard this said a million times before: â€Å"How can you expect others to love you if you dont love yourself?† It’s true. Practice the morning and evening hugs for 2 weeks, maybe 3 weeks if youre the stubborn type and you’ll see how well it works. 2. Look in the mirror: Every time you pass a mirror, look into it and flash your biggest and best smile at yourself. It might feel strange at first, but eventually it’ll make you feel brilliant about yourself. Tell yourself â€Å"Looking good!† or â€Å"Wow, I love me!† or similar phrases often enough to actually start believing it. 3. Do things that make you feel good: This can be anything from listening to music, trekking in the Andes, doing some volunteer work or even just taking a shower. Anything that gives you a positive feeling about yourself works for this one. 4. Listen to YOU: Face it. Nobody knows you better than you know yourself, no matter how many people try to tell you differently. So if your body, mind or gut is telling you something, then take notice of it, and dont worry about what other people may possibly have to say about it. 5. Talk to YOU: In times of stress, take a time-out break. Wander into your own mind and have a conversation with yourself about anything at all. Tell yourself how lucky  you are to be you, and praise yourself for every good and positive thing you can attribute to yourself. 6. Remove negatives: If anything feels like it’s dragging you down, get rid of it. If it’s clutter, tidy up, if it’s a friend full of negativity explain nicely that you don’t really feel up to talking right now. If it’s your kids acting up, leave the room for a while and so on. 7. Surround with positives: Surround yourself with things that bring out good feelings in you. Examples could be things such as happy, upbeat friends, a nice new picture, a new car, an old comfy blanket, candles, pictures of your family, your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse etc. 8. Rumours Die: Did you hear something about somebody who said something about somebody else? Drop it! Rumours are nasty, horrible things that will only bring you down. Best way to kill a rumour? Ignore it! 9. Total Honesty: Be totally honest with yourself at all times. If there’s something you dont like, admit it. If there’s something you don’t want to do â€Å"right now† and it isn’t necessary for health and safety reasons then just don’t do it until you feel like it. Same goes for the positive aspects. If there’s something you want to do, and it’s not hurting anybody, then go ahead and do it. If you start feeling great about yourself for no apparent reason admit it and enjoy the feeling. 10. Responsibility Take full responsibility for your own actions. Dont shove the blame for anything over onto someone or something else. We all make choices in our lives, and once we take responsibility for those choices we tend to choose better for ourselves. Once we start to choose better, we feel better and things start falling into place. On the other hand, dont take over someone else’s responsibilities just because you feel â€Å"you have to†. 11. Pretend: If you feel unsafe, unsure or nervous then go inside yourself and pretend you’re a hot-shot lawyer, actor, actress, singer or whatever you need to be. Make believe you’re presenting yourself as that person would until you feel better. Trust me, you WILL feel better, and eventually have no need to be anything but yourself. 12. Keep Trying: If you’re trying to do something but dont get it right first time round, then try again, and again, and again, constantly learning from your mistakes until you get it right. When you finally DO get it right, you’ll feel wonderful about it. 13. Credit where credit is due: If you’ve done something really good, and people compliment you on it, accept the compliments with thanks! Understand that they’re complimenting because they really ARE impressed with what you’ve done. Believe in you and give yourself a pat on the back. (Although physically it would probably be easier to just give yourself a round of applause). 14. Stand Tall: Standing up straight will ALWAYS make you feel better about yourself than slouching does. Stand with your feet slightly apart, suck in your tummy and   behind, broaden your shoulders and straighten your neck. It’s an amazingly  quick confidence boost. 15. Say Hello: Make it a rule to say hi to at least one person you dont know EVERY day. Give them the smile you flash at yourself in the mirror, the biggest and best one you can find. They’ll smile back automatically, and they’ll walk away with a little extra confidence boost thanks to you. People look their best when they smile, and they also feel better by smiling too! This ultimately means you get a confidence boost too, for making someone else feel good about themselves. 16. Never Say Never.Ever: If you think something can’t be done, then youll end up proving yourself right eventually. So never say never, just keep plugging along until it works for you. If other people are telling you it can’t be done, youre going to feel such immense satisfaction at actually doing it that your confidence will soar. 17. Get Active: Dont sit around the house just doing nothing. Get up, go out, cycling, walking, exercising, anything that might invigorate your brain. A lively brain full of thoughts will help you gain confidence. 18. â€Å"Happy Foods†: Happy foods, such as chocolate, strawberries, lemons, ice-cream etc will increase the serotonin levels in your brain, leading to an increased feeling of happiness. Feeling happy is a natural confidence boost. So go on, enjoy your food! (in moderation, of course). 19. Face Your Fear: Is there something you are afraid of? Face it full on. Doing something scary and overcoming the fear is a fantastic way to boost your confidence. So go on, jump out of that plane (with a parachute of course), drive that car, speak in  front of a large crowd, ask for a promotion, or whatever it is that scares you. Youll feel absolutely brilliant once it’s done. 20. Willpower: Create a goal that you really want to reach. Possibly something like weight loss before a certain time, giving up smoking or having a certain amount of money in the bank within so many months etc. Take baby steps, and use your willpower until you succeed at reaching your goal. It will be really hard, as will power can be very elusive at times, but keep going and dont give up. Once you have reached that first goal by using your willpower you will have the confidence to create new goals AND reach them. 21. Ask questions: Any time you find yourself worrying about something you haven’t done, or something you think you should have done, ask yourself positive questions. Instead of thinking â€Å"I’m terrible for missing my friend’s birthday† think â€Å"What can I do to make my friend feel special?† Or, instead of â€Å"Why can’t I ever seem to do things on time?† change it to â€Å"What can I change to better manage my time† Creating positive questions will release the negative energies which have a tendency to pull down your self confidence. 22. Learn: Accept that not everything works out the way we plan it. Decide to accept any mistakes and rejections as part of a learning curve that we all need to go through. Without mistakes, you can’t learn from your own experiences. Remember, experience builds confidence, so always learn as much as you can. 23. List: Write a list of every single thing youre good at, anything from clipping the dog’s toenails to putting up a shelf. Take the time to sit and actually think about what you ARE good at and add them all to the list. Youll besurprised at  how many things you end up jotting down, no   matter how minor or trivial they may seem at the time. Whenever you have a spare 5 minutes, or if youre feeling a little low, take the list out of your pocket and read it. This is a great little way to give yourself a nice confidence boost. 24: Help out: There are lots of ways to help others, and feeling useful and helpful are great ways of building your confidence. Just make sure you do things because you WANT to do them. You could call a good friend who may be down at the moment-even take them out for coffee, you will brighten both your days, or you could possibly help out at an old folks home or similar. Knowing that people appreciate your help will boost your confidence for sure. 25: Show the way: Think of the one thing you do best of all. Think long and hard about this one. Thought of something? Now, find a discussion group or similar related to that topic and spread your wisdom by answering questions, offering advice or help to anybody needing it. If you can’t find a group, you could even start one yourself. People will look up to you and that will give you all the more reason to feel confident about yourself. Self-Discipline To really be able to focus demands a lot of self-discipline. Remember that your outcome depends on YOU, not on the world around you. If you want something badly enough you WILL do everything in your power to get it. Self-discipline in this context is basically only letting yourself do what you WANT to do at that precise moment in time to be able to reach your goals more quickly. Remember that YOU are the boss of your actions. YOU are the one who is in control. So ultimately YOU decide what and when to do things  you need to do to achieve your ultimate success Your ability to manage your actions is directly related to the level of success and happiness you will experience throughout your life. Managing your actions is commonly known as exercising self-discipline. Its absolutely not about restricting your lifestyle, or punishing yourself. Its about being able to work with your thoughts, behaviour and actions in order to reach the goals that you wish to reach. Not having self-discipline is one of the main reasons why we fail at what we want to do, both professionally and personally. Excuse-making often creates lack of self-discipline, so drop all your excuses and start keeping habits that in themselves will create the self-discipline you need. Make routines that you know you are capable of sticking to, and keep them. How do you attain self-discipline? A few options could be regular exercise, better, healthier eating, even learning to spend less money. It could be something like deciding to learn something new every single day or just getting up an hour earlier than you normally would. Having self-discipline will help you to complete the most boring and mundane of the tasks you are focusing on. Should you find yourself sitting and thinking thoughts like â€Å"Oh, I’ll just do this instead† or â€Å"I can do that some other time† when you are working on your goals then STOP, take a deep breath and remember your self-discipline. In Ending The end of the story? You can do anything you want to do, be anything you want to be and go where you want to go. All you need is confidence in yourself and the ability to focus. I’ve now given you ideas on how to do that, so go on;

The Role Of Civil Society In Maintaining Democracy

The Role Of Civil Society In Maintaining Democracy The role of civil society and the media in modern day democratic governance is of utmost importance since they ensure the proper functioning of government while respecting the main pillars of democracy. This contribution is demonstrated best when one compares democratic governance in European countries with the situation in authoritarian regimes. It is very often the case that although there is a struggle towards the implementation and respect of democratic principles, they are still very far away from their proper application. Introduction First, I will define what civil society is since this will help us understand better its role in democratic governance. Then, I will outline how the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and political participation aid and strengthen democratic governance. In examining these areas, I will demonstrate how the media and civil society play a crucial role in doing so. All of this will be established through the comparison between democratic countries, and less democratic or authoritarian regimes. Before one delves into outlining the role of civil society and the media in democratic governance, one must define civil society. According to Els van Enckevort  [1]  , Civil society is made up by very different organisations, networks and associations. From football clubs to debate groups, from womens networks to labour unions, from book clubs to political parties) and from environmental lobby groups to religious groups. Although some organisations will have a much clearer influence on political processes and democratisation than others, all are included in the civil society and all do have some influence on democratisation. Furthermore, according to Jo Leinen, a German Member of the European Parliament, stated in Civil Society and Conflict Resolution  [2]  , a contribution by the speakers of the conference held on 20th September 2007, that If you want to secure democracy, rule of law, human rights and peace you cannot rely only on governmental institutions or political part ies. You need a citizens movement. You need a strong debate between state institutions and civil society. One must also point out that the Treaty of Lisbon, which came into force in December 2009, mentions that The institutions (of the EU) shall maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with representative associations and civil society. Thus, one can argue that democratic governance rests on several pillars. In this essay I will focus on the respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms; the embracing of a pluralistic system; the integration of minorities in all levels of government and society and the promotion of a wide scope of political participation. As will be demonstrated, the achievement of these pillars can be facilitated by the working of an active civil society and effective media. Respect and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms Human rights can be referred to as those basic rights and freedoms to which every human being is entitled to. Very often it is left in the hands of the organs of the state to ensure the protection of such rights. However, civil society and the media too play a role in demonstrating the importance of the protection of these rights. The latter are sometimes considered to be watch-dogs and struggle to ensure the adherence to these rights. The constant violation of human rights can be blamed on the facts that such actions remain undisclosed. This is where the media comes in. Its role is to expose such violations and make the public aware of such violations. It is only after the public is shown what is the outcome of such violations that awareness can be created. Furthermore, civil society must emphasise that education about human rights is increased as much as possible. In Malta, for instance, the People for Change Foundation, an NGO, works towards the achievement of a just, fair and inc lusive society all members of which may reach their full potential unhindered by factors such as age, race, sex, religion etc. Furthermore, it promotes social cohesion, and respect for Human Rights. One of the main reasons why civil society is of utmost importance is because it upholds certain values which strengthens the same civil society, and hence the democratic governance. It should thus work towards the upholding of human rights standards, and such value will permeate all levels of society. Since civil society organisation tend to focus on particular minor groups, voice their interests and work towards the clearing up of misconceptions and misunderstandings, and overcoming mistrust and fear. Such organisations are to aid governments to promote, as much as possible, dialogue between people hailing from various backgrounds and ethnicities. According to the CIVICUS Civil Society Index (CSI)  [3]  project, a comprehensive study on civil society in Turkey, it can be argued that civil society is a crucial agent towards positive social change. Turkish civil society groups are not only providing services to disadvantaged and minority groups, but they also take active positions on several matters. The most remarkable efforts are in the alia of human rights where civil society organisations are making a lot of effort on expanding civic liberties. It is believed that when a particular government closes a geographical region to journalists there is the violation of human rights in that region. Chechnya, North Korea and Eritrea, amongst others, have all been closed in the past. In 2007, Human Rights Watch, an INGO, issued a report stating that the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua were closed to outside human rights observers, and that there was the commission of violations of human rights. The Human Rights Watch stated that there was little understanding of what was taking places in these regions since there wasnt much independent reporting on the area. The INGO went on to call the Indonesian government to open this region to independent observers so as to increase the amount and quality of information about the conditions there, and to allow independent and transparent reporting. Furthermore, the Russian NGO, Memorial, winner of the 2009 Sakharov Prize  [4]  also strives to promote the truth about violations of human rights in Russia, and former USSR states in order to ensure their democratic future. Freedom of Speech and Expression One of the most important functions of democratic governance is that decision-making at all levels is preceded by discussion and consideration of a range of views. A decision made after adequate consultation is likely to be a better decision than that which is taken after little or no consultation since the former mirrors the opinions, interests and needs of those concerned. This expression of opinions can be represented in the form of freedom of speech, and it is important in all levels of society. Without free speech, no political action is possible and no resistance to injustice or oppression is possible, and elections would have no meaning at all. Policies of political contestants become known to the public and become responsive to public opinion only if transmitted by the media by virtue of free speech. Furthermore, by virtue of Article 119 of the Constitution of Malta, the Broadcasting Authority is to ensure that broadcasting and television services preserve due impartiality in respect of matters of political or industrial controversy or relating to public policy, and that persons belonging to the different political parties are allocated a fair proportion of broadcasting time. Thus freedom of speech can be deemed to be the sine qua non of a democratic society. I believe that freedom of expression is designed to develop personal self-fulfilment; it is an essential process for the advancement of knowledge and discovery of truth; and it can be deemed to be a method of achieving necessary social change without resorting to violence. The importance of freedom of expression is outlined in Article 41 of the Constitution of Malta which states that: Except with his own consent or by way of parental discipline, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive ideas and information without interference, freedom to communicate ideas and information without interference (whether the communication be to the public generally or to any person or class of persons) and freedom from interference with his correspondence. Similarly, the Constitution of Jordan guarantees freedom of opinion and speech, in addition to freedom of the press and media, but all within the limits of the law. However, in practice there are significant restrictions in place restricting the free operation of the media. Any criticism of the king or the royal family is prohibited, as well as anything which is deemed to harm the states reputation and dignity. The government has used tactics such as fines, prosecution, and detention to intimidate journalist. Furthermore, while press freedom has progressed quite a lot in Jordan in recent years, the very complex legislation of the state, and the lack of awareness of the law very often means that journalist fall foul of the system. Nidal Mansor, president of the Centre for Defending the Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ), stated that The media is the cornerstone of reform and democracy, and so in 2002, with the help of the EU, the CDFJ set up a media legal aid unit which not only offers fre e legal representation for journalists, but also carries out advocacy work in Jordan and neighbouring countries to try to improve the existing laws concerning the press. While increased media freedom has been praised in Egyptian political life over the past decade, in last Novembers elections several negative factors surfaced. Pre-election time was characterised by the restriction of the liberty to discuss politics and this, as a result, slowed down the spreading of political information. They did not allow the opposition from using the media and made sure that critics are silenced. Freedom of Association and Assembly Article 42 of the Constitution of Malta states that no person is to be hindered in his enjoyment of freedom of peaceful assembly and association, thus they are to be able to hold demonstrations and meetings. The right to form associations with others comprises the right to join band clubs, political parties and trade unions amongst others. Thus, this can be seen as the basis of the formation of civil society. One must point out that the Maltese Constitution lays down that it shall be unlawful, to establish, maintain or belong to any association of persons who are organised and trained or equipped for the purpose of enabling them to be used for the display of physical force for a political object. It is recognized as one of the foundations of a functioning democracy, and its protection is crucial for creating a tolerant society in which groups holding different beliefs, practices, or policies can coexist peacefully. The Human Rights House Foundation, an INGO, deplored the fact that in Belarus people are deprived of expressing their dissent peacefully, and further condemned the use of force and violence against the peaceful demonstrators carried out on February 14th and 16th in 2009 in Minsk. Although the organisers applied for permission to hold these demonstrations, their application was turned down. In the latter peaceful rally held in solidarity with political prisoners, was also brutally disbanded. Ten minutes after people had gathered, dozens of riot policemen attacked the participants of the rally. Freedom of Press In more than half the worlds countries, banning, confiscation and censorship of publications are everyday occurrences. Even today, millions of men and women live under governments which restrict their right to know and express their opinions. The number of journalists, who go to jail for criticizing governments, or for simply expressing concern of any kind, is still high. As democracy is founded on an informed and active citizenry, citizens have the right and responsibility to participate in public affairs. Effective participation requires knowledge and wisdom. Citizens get their knowledge through media, and through discussions with others. The media provide forums through which individuals and groups express their opinions. As governmental watchdogs, the press and civil society organisations keep citizens informed of governmental events and actions. It is also important that people are not subjected to just one perspective of thing, but they are to be enabled to make comparisons, re ach conclusions and form opinions. The job of a free press is to keep an eye on the government, to make sure it stays honest and responsive to the people of the country. A free press also has an important role in government since it has an increasingly influential impact on public policy, governmental decisions and popular attitudes. Section 2 of the Spanish constitution provides, amongst other, for freedom of speech and of the press. Together, the Spanish independent press, the judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system ensure freedom of speech and of the press. Individuals are allowed to criticize the government publicly or privately, without fear of punishment, and the government does not hinder such criticism. The independent media in this country is very active and generally expresses a myriad of views without restriction. On the other hand, there is no current independent media in Eritrea, and all forms of media are Government sources. Eritrea has among the highest number of jailed journalists in the world. In 2001, in an effort to suppress increasing opposition about the future of the Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice, the government closed down eight independent newspapers and arrested a number of journalists. Eritreas press freedom is deemed to be the lowest in the world. Similarly, Jordanian radio and television are considered to be more restricted in their freedoms than the press. In general, people are allowed to access the internet freely, and such access in unrestricted; however, there were reports that the government investigated some website which were highly critical. Political participation and Elections David Friedrick  [5]  states that the participation of an organised civil society in governance arrangements at European and international level is enhancing democratic qualities, and goes further into saying that having a regulated model of participation would strengthen the democratic quality of civil society participation. It can be said that anything which restricts the scope of public participation not only weakens a countrys democratic foundations but also has the immediate effect of limiting debate over its development priorities. Furthermore, political participation is essential for realizing the basic values and objectives that minorities have. Elections constitute an essential feature of democratic governance. Through elections, people choose their representatives. Furthermore, political parties occupy a central place in the political process in modern democracies since these parties are deemed to be intermediaries between society and state. In order to guarantee the involvement of minorities in political parties, it is important to ascertain that the basic human right of freedom of association is fully respected. Recently, a Bosnian Jew and an ethnic Roma have challenged discriminatory provisions within Bosnias Constitution and electoral laws. In a case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on 22 December 2009, the Court found certain provisions of the Bosnian Constitution and electoral laws to discriminate against minorities in failing to allow its citizens who are not Constituent Peoples to stand for election to the Presidency. The UN-INSTRAW/CAWTAR  [6]  project Womens Political Participation in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, demonstrates how the media can play a crucial role in the promotion of women ´s political participation in this region. In these countries, womens political participation has been increased during the last years, mainly due to increased access to education and the integration of women in the labour market. However, women are still highly underrepresented in the political field, as well as in the legal and institutional areas. Even during the elections in Algeria and Morocco in recent years, female candidates were only given limited coverage. This is to be distinguished from the situation in Spain, where in 2004, there were 125 women in the 350 seat Congress of Deputies, and 61 women in the 259 seat Senate; and the 64 women in the 169-seat parliament, and seven women among the nineteen in the Supreme Court in Norway. In these two countries, one can see how womens political partici pation is much higher when compared to Arab countries. Conclusion Thus one can conclude that the basic roles of civil society and the media in democratic systems of governance are of utmost importance, and one can say that their main scope is to limit and control the power of the state, to raise public concern, to promote political participation, to develop values of democratic life, and to express diverse interests. It is only when the media and civil society, work hand in hand with the government that democratic governance is strengthened.