Adventures of Chris McCandless in Jon Krakauer’s Book,...

Chris McCandless went on a journey across America, getting away from the real world and enjoying his time on earth by doing what he wants to do. Most people think he is dumb for what he did and a lot think that he is a hero. He passed away August 18, 1992 in Alaska, where he wanted to travel. But after the the stuff he went through, was it worth it? Chris McCandless wanted to go on a journey to see if he could survive in the Alaska’s wild, but was it worth it? In the book Into the Wild, while he was talking to Ron Frantz he said, â€Å"Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. the joy of life come from our encounters with new experiences, and hence here is no greater joy than to have endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of l ife, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter skelter style of life that will at first appear to you crazy. But once you becomeShow MoreRelatedAdventures of Chris McCandless in Jon Krakauer’s Book, Into the Wild629 Words   |  2 PagesSince the release of Jon Krakauer’s book Into The Wild there has been controversy on whether or not what Chris McCandless, better known as Alex Supertramp, did was idiotic or heroic based on his journey. People’s opinions vary, like many things, based on their personal experiences. Seeing him either as some jerk kid who ditched a life that many people would kill for, to embark on this own endeavors in his life. Or, someone who truly knew what he wanted out of his life and went after it; which isRead MoreKrakauer’s Belief in McCandless979 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Exclusive Report: Lost in the Wild.† The cover speaks of a twenty four year old boy who â€Å"walked off into Americaà ¢â‚¬â„¢s Last Frontier hoping to make sense of his life.† The monotony of the ordinary day has now vanished from thought as Jon Krakauer’s captivating article runs through the mind like gasoline to an engine. The article is not soon forgotten, and the book Into the Wild is happened upon three years later. The book relates the full story of Christopher Johnson McCandless and how he left his familyRead MoreThe Wild By Jon Krakauer1096 Words   |  5 PagesJuly 2012 Into the Wild Mr. Fertmann Throughout the non-fictional novel Into the Wild, the author Jon Krakauer catches the reader’s interest early on in the book. Krakauer takes us on a journey, telling the story of young Chris McCandless’ adventures after abandoning everything he owned. Krakauer fully emerged himself into the study of McCandless’ life’s adventures and soon developed a deep understanding of who he was and how he impacted to world. Krakauer connected with McCandless in an unexplainableRead MoreRalph Waldo Emersons Nature Analysis708 Words   |  3 Pagesthe sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink the wild air† -Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emersons quote enlightens the idea of transcendentalism. Declaring to enjoy nature for what it is , to value the idea of having the freedom of it and to realize there is more to life than what you are living. In the essay, â€Å"Nature†, by Ralph Waldo Emerson he finds himself challenged by the honesty of nature, which compares to Chris McCan dless adventure in the book, Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer. First, one must enjoy thingsRead MoreJon Krakauer’s Use of Rhetorical Devices in Into the Wild1122 Words   |  5 PagesJon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, describes the adventure of Christopher McCandless, a young man that ventured into the wilderness of Alaska hoping to find himself and the meaning of life. He undergoes his dangerous journey because he was persuade by of writers like Henry D. Thoreau, who believe it is was best to get farther away from the mainstreams of life. McCandless’ wild adventure was supposed to lead him towards personal growth but instead resulted in his death caused by his unpreparedness towardsRead MoreAnalysis Of Jon Krakauer s Into The Wild1555 Words   |  7 Pages2014 Life on the Road? In Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, A young man named Chris McCandless decides to escape the annoyance of his current life and live on the road, he pursues an incredible journey of adventure, danger and companionship. McCandless is a narcissist and believes that he can overcome any challenges that he faces because he is independent and is smarter than the average person. Krakauer emphasizes that arrogance will lead to failure in life; Just like McCandless believed everything wasRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer1128 Words   |  5 PagesInto the Wild Jon Krakauer’s compelling novel, â€Å"Into the Wild† is a true story about Christopher McCandless’ search for identity. McCandless was enamored in the idea of escaping a life that revolves around material possessions. The non-fiction treatment of this young life illustrates through the rebuilding of events in McCandless’ life the idea that McCandless seemed obsessed with how people appeared blind to the fact that they were living unhappy lives yet were terrified of giving up that lifeRead MoreChris Mccandless s Into The Wild3734 Words   |  15 PagesNovember 23, 2014 Into The Wild Themes Jon Krakauer’s Into The Wild chronicles the journeys and events leading up to the death of a young man named Chris McCandless. Chris was a vagabond who traded friends and family in exchange for adventure, but ultimately wound up dead in the Alaskan wilderness. Within this recollection readers can discover various themes. Primarily, the subjects of materialism, ultimate freedom, and even man vs. nature all recur in this text. Materialism refers to the desireRead MoreWas Chris McCandless Prepared When He Went Into The Wild? Essay1357 Words   |  6 Pages The book about Chris McCandless’s journey into the Alaskan bush, Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer, received a lot of criticism about Chris being foolish for being unprepared. From the articles that I have read, most of the sources do believe that he was poorly prepared for his journey. But there are a few people who believe he was prepared mentally, and an even smaller amount believe he was fully prepared. I believe tha t Chris only knew what he was doing mentally. He did not have the correct toolsRead MoreThe Crucible Opinion Paper812 Words   |  4 PagesReckless? Young? Naà ¯ve? Gullible? Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, is a book written about an extraordinary but childlike man who set out on a quest, looking for an adventure of being surrounded by nature. Chris McCandless, who the book is based off of, was a man of wonder. No one was ever certain about what he thought, how he felt, or why he went on this suicide journey. Was it because of his childlike recklessness? Or was it something deeper? Chris McCandless was reckless and along with that came passion

Post Reformation During The Reformation Era - 1180 Words

Post-Reformation era is remarkable better in the Good Governance compared to the centralistic Pre-Reformation era, since the authoritarian tremendous power in the pre-reformation era can be easily used to suppressed the opponents and defy the good governance principles. Unfortunately, there are some weakness with this infancy stage of decentralization in the post-reformation era due to power abuse by the district government or the local forest communities to forest resources. The euphoria of â€Å"Reformation† revolution endorse over exploitation and over reclaim on state forests, which generate further forest conversion and illegal logging. Furthermore, the overlapping jurisdiction also become common problem within this era, since each tier of government claim to have the righteous authority. All aforementioned issues, may eventually impair the implementation of the good governance and should be effectively addressed. C.3. Learning from the Neighbour Figure C.3. Forest to Land percentage in Southeast Asia countries Source: The World Bank (2015a) As seen from the graph above (figure C.3, in Southeast Asia there are only two countries which experience afforestation, namely: Philippines and Vietnam. These two country have different control over the forest resources, state control with early local empowerment in Vietnam, and full local empowerment in Philippines. Vietnam will be chosen as the reference due to the similarity of control over forest resources and theShow MoreRelatedHistory Of Western Civ II : A Period Of Religious Freedom953 Words   |  4 PagesMercedez Valentin Professor Acevedo History of Western Civ II 1 March 2016 â€Å"Was the Sixteenth Century CE (Reformation Era) A Period of Religious Freedom In Europe† Reformation is an act of improvement in the existing form or condition of institutions or practices etc.; intended to make a striking change for the better in social or political or religious affairs. The Reformation of the sixteenth century in Europe began as an attempt to reform the practices of the Catholic Church and was sparkedRead MoreThe Reformation And The Reformation1421 Words   |  6 PagesChurch many people were dissatisfied about their faith during the Renaissance. This led to a period called the Reformation, which began in 1517. The Reformation was led by radical critics Martin Luther and John Calvin, who questioned the teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, due to their selling of indulgences and stray from the Bible. The Reformation started in central Europe and spread to encompass most of the continent, during which time people left the Roman Catholic Church andRead MoreCauses Of The Protestant Reformation1635 Words   |  7 PagesThe Protestant Refo rmation was the 16th-century religious movement that took place in the Western church. Having far-reaching political, economic, and social effect, the Reformation became the basis for the founding of Protestantism, one of the three major branches of Christianity. Without the changes caused by the Renaissance during the fifteenth century, the Reformation would not have been possible (Haigh). Reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Henry VIII challenged the Catholic churchRead MoreThe Effect Of The Reformation On The Roman Catholic Church1506 Words   |  7 PagesThe Effect of the Reformation on the Roman Catholic Church The Roman Catholic Church grew from an outlawed and persecuted religion to a well-organized and powerful ruling body in the western world. After the death of Jesus of Nazareth his disciples begin to spread his teachings of love and salvation through a single God. However, early Christians quickly became seen as a threat to the most powerful Empire at the time; Rome. Being monotheistic they refused to offer sacrifice to state ran cults andRead MoreThe War Of The Holy Roman Empire1170 Words   |  5 Pagespartially self-governed political divisions under the weak suzerainty of the Austrian Hapsburgs. Over the former two centuries, a stability of power had developed among the primary states, but throughout the sixteenth century, the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation had separated Germany into unpleasant Protestant and Catholic camps, each planned to seek foreign sponsorship to secure its veracity if needed to. The 30 Years War can be separated into five main stages. The first st age is the BohemianRead MoreStages of Economic Reform in China1174 Words   |  5 PagesChina had gone through a major reformation that is called â€Å"Socialism with Chinese characteristics† that started in late 1978, sparked by a very influential politician and leader, Deng Xiaoping. The reformation is carried out in different stages. It is very important to understand these stages, as each stage is the prerequisite for China to move to another stage. Large-scale of government planning is heavily involved throughout the reformation. Despite having to go through financial crisis coupleRead MoreThe Struggle Of The Church969 Words   |  4 Pagesfaith of some of the earlier religious reformers. And because of the strong beliefs that he had, both the religious, and political character of Europe changed forever. Martin Luther was born in Germany in 1483. Here, he attended school, and in this era, it was a fascinating time to learn. People were being taught about the fascinating discoveries of Christopher Columbus, and inventions like the printing press, which led to the mass production of book, allowing massive amounts of information and ideasRead MoreThe Sixteenth Century : An Era Of Extreme Turmoil And Change Within The Catholic Church1587 Words   |  7 PagesThe sixteenth century proved to be an era of extreme turmoil and change within the Catholic Church. During this time period a once solid and united religion centered around the Papacy in Rome became splintered and thrust into the middle of a literal crisis of faith. Martin Luther, John Calvin, King Henry VIII and the Anabaptist groups all directly challenged the supreme authority of the Roman Catholic Church leading to wars of both the spiritual and earthly variety. Martin Luther, a monk born inRead MoreJean Jacques Rousseau And Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi1497 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophies and understandings of the human mind during different periods. Eventually this led to the constant regurgitation of facts generating a minimal amount of cognitive growth, inevitably causing a loss of critical thinking. Beginning we must start with the influences and reforms of public education via psychology and philosophy. As most changes in these thought processes were conceived from the era of intellectual enlightenment. This era broke apart from the absolute monarchy of the popesRead MoreThe Protestant Break : Leo X 1513-211605 Words   |  7 Pageschapter, however, in that it is during Leo X’s reign that Martin Luther nails his 95 theses to the church door and indirectly launches the Reformation. Tuchman’s main argument in the chapter is that the worldly and extravagant nature of Leo X’s papacy failed to prevent, and rather was complicit in, the sparking and proliferation of the Protestant Reformation. It is important to note that Tuchman accurately states it was not Leo’s time as pope alone which caused the reformation, it simply exacerbated existing

Maternal Mortality Rate Sierra Leone Health And Social Care Essay Free Essays

string(216) " societal and civilization patterns like venereal mutilation, authenticating the earlier study by the WHO, that venereal mutilation was holding important effect for the wellness of the female parent in childbearing\." Sierra Leone is an African state that is portion of the developing states of the universe. It is made up of 20 cultural groups. Among them are the Creole ( Krio ) group of which 10 % are posterities of freed Jamaican slaves, ( Quindex mundi Profile, 2010 ) . We will write a custom essay sample on Maternal Mortality Rate Sierra Leone Health And Social Care Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now In their July 2009 estimates a population of more than five million, with a decease rate as 22.22 deceases /1,000. In footings of gender specific maternal mortality rate it is estimated to be 1 in 9 births, ( UNICEF ) , motivating Amnesty International to nickname it â€Å" a human rights exigency. † This means that for every nine female parents who give birth in Sierra Leone, one is expected to decease, specifying its Maternal mortality rate as reeling compared to the remainder of the universe and even some other developing states, ( UNICEF ) . The ICD 2007 of the World Health Organisation ( WHO ) defines maternal decease is any decease of a female parent during gestation and up to 42 yearss after birth. This province of personal businesss in Sierra Leone is of peculiar importance when examined against the Millennium Development Goals of bettering maternal wellness by 2015. Like every state of the universe, Sierra Leone has been concern with achieving the stipulated ends of the Millennium by 2015, but seems non to be able to accomplish it. This has chiefly to make with the fact that they are a underdeveloped state and as such are plagued with the same sort of challenges that the remainder of the developing states faces. The 5th MDG calls for the decrease of maternal mortality by 75 % 2015. It is thought, that critical to achieving this end is optimal direction of pregnant adult females during labor, ( Ronsmans, Elahi Chowdhury, Koblinskyc A ; Ahmedb, 2010 ) . They further advised that this can merely be achieved by using skilled medical suppliers, particularly during the labour procedure and for the first 24 hours thenceforth. WHO estimates, that in surplus of 528,000 adult females die annually due to complications environing kid bearing and gestation. A figure of obstetric conditions have been named as the common causes. They include ; sepsis, obstructed labor, bleeding, eclampsia, complications of abortion and ruptured wombs. They go on to describe that cumulatively, bleeding is the cause of more than half the maternal deceases in sub-Saharan Africa accounting for more than one-third obstetric deceases worldwide. In Sierra Leone, bleeding was so a major cause, the primary predisposing factor being the culturally ineluctable pattern of venereal mutilation, where it was reported that 90 % of the adult females in Sierral Leone have some signifier of Female Genital Mutilation ( FGM ) , ( Bitong 2005 ) . The ensuing cicatrix, particularly from the more invasive signifier of FGM, infibulation, significantly compromises the birth canal, frequently bring forthing cryings in the walls of the vagina and besides in creasing the usage of episiotomy, surgical scratch into the walls of the vagina, in order to ease birth. Both processes predisposes to post-partum bleeding and decease, particularly in the absence of trained medical forces, as is most frequently the instance in Sierra Leone. In 1980s, a chief end of primary attention in Sierra Leone was to accomplish the decrease of maternal mortality to 30 % of the present statistic, ( Konteh World Health Forum, 1998 ) . They hoped to hold accomplished this by the stopping point of the century. Konteh notes that the mark was non reached and gives a figure of grounds for its failure. One of the grounds, he postulates was that intercession techniques employed, were non specific for the population. The â€Å" Human Services Practitioner † Systemic codification ( 2008 ) , stipulates that any intercession aimed at a population must be done with thorough cognition of the population to be served and technics specially to run into the demand of that population. The absence of that cultural specificity has been identified as the ground why many of the pregnant adult females refrained from utilizing the services that were made available. Even so, when some of the adult females attempted to utilize the clinics, they were me t with really aggressive and unfriendly nurses and other wellness attention forces, ( Konteh, 1998 ) . He besides noted that there was a really hapless prenatal history since most of the adult females refused to go to the prenatal clinics allow entirely the postpartum 1s. For this ground a female parent ‘s child birth history was mostly unknown and as such wellness attention professionals were unable to make put on the line stratification programs to efficaciously cover with any at hand complications. Notwithstanding, many bringings happened in places. In 1996, â€Å" about 69.5 % of bringings in the anterior 24 months occurred at place, 21.5 % were performed at a wellness Centre, and about 9 % occurred in the infirmary, † ( Konteh, 1997 ) . He cites that this was due chiefly to the fact that distant countries were normally non reached by maternal wellness Plutos. Those countries were preponderantly served by, traditional accoucheuses called â€Å" traditional parturit ion helpers † . Further to that, Konteh notes, these birth helpers were non good perceived among the wellness suppliers because their supplies, instruments and tools were unsterile and often the cause of infection frequently with fatal results. The Southern Cross of the affair is that Sierra Leone sees less than 50 % of its birth done by medical forces that are trained in labor, and even a smaller proportion of pregnant adult females of all time attend prenatal clinics, ( Wachuku, 1994 ) . The inevitable rise in mortality rate has led to international administrations like the Marie Stopes International ( MSI ) to get down work in Sierra Leone in an effort to extenuate the impact of the lifting maternal mortality rate in that state. Through its local non-governmental spouse, the â€Å" Marie Stopes Society, Sierra Leone † ( MSSSL ) , this administration in 1986 was involved in constructing five clinic across Sierra Leone. During their discourse what they found as another major cause of the blue maternal mortality rate had to make with beliefs that were steeped in societal and civilization patterns like venereal mutilation, authenticating the earlier study by the WHO, that venereal mutilation was holding important effe ct for the wellness of the female parent in childbearing. You read "Maternal Mortality Rate Sierra Leone Health And Social Care Essay" in category "Essay examples" Those societal and cultural issues were considered to be a major obstruction to the effectual direction of labour exigencies. One illustration is the belief that labour enduring for more than 48 hours are non considered a complication of gestation, ( Wachuku, 1994 ) . In western medical specialty this is termed drawn-out labor and has built-in complications like obstructed labor, uterine rupture and bleeding, ( Collins, Arulkumaran, Hayes, Jackson A ; Impey, 2008 ) . This is confounded by the belief that when complication occurs, it is frequently defined as a natural cause and non considered to be of an obstetric/medical beginning. The MSSSL further found that transit and deficiency of resources in the Centres impedes the bringing of exigency services when the demand arises. Konteh, ( 1997 ) composing in the community development diary, cites a figure of socioeconomic identifiers together with some wellness variables impacting maternal mortality rates in 12 chiefdoms in Sierra Leone. He foremost indicates that early matrimony was straight related to the high para, and went on to describe that more than 40 per centum ( 40 % ) of the married adult females did so by the clip they were 15 old ages old. He besides recorded that in the age group of 45- 90, approximately 85 % of them had six or more kids. He found the highest para of more than nine kids among 55.1 % of the adult females population, with even higher birthrate in some localized countries. Then effect of increased para include placenta previa, arrangement of the placenta excessively near to the neck, placenta abroptio, shed blooding between the placenta and the womb and hasty labor, highly fast labor, all of which increases the hazard of post-partum bleeding, ( Oxford Handbook of Obstetric and Gyn aecology 2009 ) . This is go oning against the back bead that the bulk of adult females have ne’er received primary instruction, a critical determiner of wellness, ( WHO, 2010 ) . Equally far as business is concerned 80 % -90 % of the population in the countries studied by ( Kendeh 1997 ) , were subsistence husbandmans who are hapless, another of import determiner of wellness as defined by the WHO. This is non so state that the authorities did non recognize and was non concerned with the rate at which maternal deceases were go oning. ( Kendeh, 1997 ) noted that the authorities recognised the demand to set in topographic point plans to extenuate the increasing mortality rate among pregnant and post-partum adult females. He found that the Government embarked upon developing community incentives to be competent in community instruction and formation of small town action groups, which was to ease emergent conveyance of adult females in labor who develop complications. In 1993 -1994 some betterment was seen but the Numberss rapidly dropped due to terrible break in service caused by civil discord, ( Kendeh et al. 1997 ) . From 1991, there has been old ages of political instability in Sierra Leone from the â€Å" Revolutionary United Front † ( RUT ) who overthrew the Government and was merely able to return to democratic regulation boulder clay 1998, ( Global security, 2005 ) . This did non give the authorities adequate clip to see the program that began bettering the maternal decease state of affairs come to fruition. Absorbing the foregoing information still begs some inquiries. What so is ground for the high maternal mortality rate in Sierra Leone, particularly since the chief cause of maternal mortality rate is non alone to Sierra Leone? What sets them apart from the other developing states that pattern FGM and have high incidence of post-partum bleeding? The reply lies in the apprehension that foremost, non merely does Sierra Leone pattern FGM, but they pattern the most extremist signifier of it, infibulation. Infibulation, classified as type III, involves the entire deletion of the external genital organ and the partial sewing of the vagina, go forthing merely a little mercantile establishment for menses ( Bitong, 2005 ) . It is the most utmost signifier of FGM and ninety four per centum 94 % of adult females in Sierra Leone are subjected to this signifier of FGM. This is go oning against the background that this pattern, while with a prevalence rate of 90 % , prevalence is highest in the rur al countries that have really small trained wellness attention forces or health care installations, and where most of the births are still done by the traditional birth helpers. As a consequence, though bleeding is the common cause of maternal mortality, in Sierra Leone, it more likely than non, to ensue in decease for the female parent. It is instead unfortunate that the blue maternal mortality rate in Sierra Leone will non demo important betterment, 0.1 % as stipulated by the WHO. One implicit in ground for the deficiency of betterment is the trouble that authorities faces to supply entree to wellness service and equip installations in distant countries. This is compounded by the job of FGM, which is so culturally deep-rooted, that attempts to turn to it hold been met with violent opposition. This means that to efficaciously pull off this unstable place, a paradigm displacement will hold to happen as it relates to gender mutilation, para, apprehension of what constitutes an obstetric exigency, handiness of trained wellness assistance with civilization sensitive attitudes and general betterments in entree to wellness attention. Obviously this will demand a many-sided attack by many stakeholders to stem the tide, every bit good as an injection of foreign assistance to assist run into the costs. This is the repeating quandary in so many developing states, so much to make with so small resources, a state of affairs that is confounded by political instability. Public wellness professionals will hold to go on to make what they have ever done – research, enlighten, give way and merely wait to see if the guidelines are heeded. Meanwhile, the hapless and vulnerable die day-to-day. How to cite Maternal Mortality Rate Sierra Leone Health And Social Care Essay, Essay examples

Economy of Washington in Earlier History free essay sample

The economy in Washington experienced a drastic change between World War I and World War II. This significant change was caused by the Great Depression which started in 1929 and lasted for ten years. The Depression was caused by the crash of the stock market which caused people to become nervous and behave erratically. Suddenly everyone rushed to get their savings out of the banks, but the banks didn’t have enough money to pay back the people. The loans that the bank had given were not all fully paid off so the banks didn’t have the money to return to their customers. This caused huge problem in the economy and for the people. Also companies lost great amounts of money in the stock market and couldn’t employ the people they once could. This is when the President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, proposed the New Deal. The New Deal helped give jobs to citizens through public works and provided a pay scale that would give the people enough money to live. We will write a custom essay sample on Economy of Washington in Earlier History or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One of the major public works projects was the creation of the Grand Coulee Dam located in central Washington.

Methamphetamines Essays - Neurochemistry, Methamphetamine

Methamphetamines Methamphetamines are powerfully addictive stimulants that dramatically affect the central nervous system. The drugs are made easily in clandestine, or illegal laboratories with cheap over the counter ingredients. These factors combine to make methamphetamines drugs extremely dangerous, and vulnerable to widespread use. Methamphetamines are also commonly known as speed, meth, or chalk. In its' smoked form they are often referred to as ice, crystal, crank, or glass. They are a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol. Methamphetamine's chemical structure is similar to that of amphetamine, but it has more pronounced effects on the central nervous system. Like amphetamines, they causes increased activity, decreased appetite, and a general sense of well being, which can last 6 to 8 hours. After the initial rush, there is typically a state of high agitation that in some individuals can lead to violent behavior. Contrary to the stereotype of rural areas as idyllic, protected environments in which to raise families, substance abuse is as great a problem as it is in the cities. One must realize that rural communities vary in characteristics considerably, which complicates our understanding of rural substance use problems and increases the need for prevention, intervention, and treatment programs. For too long, the problems of alcohol and drug abuse in rural areas have received little attention from the federal level. As national studies show, those who live in rural areas are just as likely to have alcohol and other drug problems as those who live in large and small cities. The choice of addictive substances may differ, but the prevalence of abuse is virtually the same for country and city dweller alike. Less attention has been focused on drug use in rural than urban areas despite evidence that metro and nonmetro differences in rates of substance abuse have been declining. Between 1975 and 1991, the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) collected drug, alcohol, and tobacco use data from individuals age 12 and older living in U.S. households. These data are used to report trends in illegal drug use for large and small metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of the United States. Lifetime-use patterns of marijuana, hallucinogens, inhalants, and cocaine by age group for the three population density areas are compared. In general, nonmetropolitan prevalence rates for the four drugs were slightly lower than those for the two metropolitan population density areas, however, the rates appear to be converging. Lifetime substance use was highest for those age 18 to 34. (Moxley,1992 p.119) A clandestine laboratory is a laboratory used for the primary purpose of illegally manufacturing controlled substances, such as cocaine and methamphetamine. Clandestine labs are typically small, utilizing common household appliances, glassware, and readily available chemicals. (KBI, 1997, p.1-2) Clandestine laboratories come in all sizes and are found in a variety of locations. The most common and the fastest growing type of lab is the methamphetamine lab, or crank lab. Methamphetamine laboratories have been seized in homes in residential areas, vehicles, apartments, hotels, kitchens, bathrooms, garages and various other outbuildings. (University of Kansas, 1995, p. 6) There are many different methods for producing Methamphetamines. Each method has its own inherent dangers. Many of the chemicals used are corrosive or destructive, and some of the processes create noxious and harmful fumes. Additionally, many of the chemicals can be found in common household items such as Coleman fuel, some cleaners, and diet pills. The most productive laboratories are commonly located in rural areas, such as farms, rural residences and forestry land. Rural areas are often targeted for laboratory manufacturing to avoid detection by law enforcement. Often these labs are larger and produce strong chemical odors, which could be easily detected by neighbors. (Weisheit, Wells, 1996, p.384) Clandestine laboratories are commonly operated on an irregular basis. Operators often produce a batch, or conduct one step in the process, then disassemble and store the lab, or move the lab to another location to complete the process. This is often done in order to avoid detection by law enforcement. (KBI, 1997, p.2) Methamphetamine labs are increasingly becoming a public safety hazard. Even months after a lab has been closed, chemical residue that has seeped into carpet or wood can be dangerous. (Gallon, 1998, p.48) Police and Firefighters must take special safety courses to handle meth situations because of the likelihood of explosions, invisible poison gases and other dangers. People who come into contact with the highly toxic chemicals that are used to make the drug can become sick and prolonged exposure can lead to cancer. The majority of methamphetamine labs are of the smaller

The Downfall of MacBeth Essays

The Downfall of MacBeth Essays The Downfall of MacBeth Essay The Downfall of MacBeth Essay The Downfall of MacBeth BY Kill_em123 MacBeth, Lady MacBeth, and the three witches are all to blame for the tragedy of MacBeth. Lady Macbeth is to blame through her convincing of Macbeth, MacBeth for following his ambition instead of his conscience, and the witches for putting the idea of being king into Macbeths head. Let not light see my black deep desires. (l, i, 51) Lady MacBeth is to blame for the tragedy because she convinces manipulates MacBeth into killing Duncan. She does this by insulting his manhood, to which MacBeth takes great offense to. She does this to feed her hunger for power, all the while she knows that she has the ability to control MacBeth through her words. Also, she knows hed let her have some control and be queen. This illustrates Lay MacBeths motives to lead MacBeth to his eventual downfall. miet do I fear thy nature; it is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. (l, v, 16-18) MacBeth is also to blame in how the play turned out. This is because if he wasnt so ambitions and narrow minded, things might have ended differently. MacBeth howed concern for the killing of Duncan, and at one point states that he would Proceed no further in this business (l, vii, 31). However, his ambition gets the better part of him, and makes him directly responsible for what happens after he murders Duncan. Without him seeing the ghost of Banquo, there would have been minimal suspicion in his involvement in the murder. Without the three witches intervention, the idea to murder King Duncan wouldnt have crossed MacBeths mind. The witches tell MacBeth that he will be king, and that is how he ultimately comes up with the idea to murder Duncan. This thought, however, ultimately leads to MacBeths demise. The three witches accounted three prophecies of MacBeth: That he would be Thane of Cawdor (the last one was executed), the Thane of Glamis (Which he already was), and finally to be king of Scotland. Fair is foul, and foul is fair. (l, i, 2). In conclusion, without Lady MacBeth convincing him, the three witches putting the idea in his head, and MacBeth actually acting out, and murdering or hiring people to murder others, the tragedy wouldnt have happened. With this happening, the play wouldVe changed dramatically and ended differently.

Research Studies in Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Research Studies in Managment - Essay Example The effects of chronological age - defined in social terms in relation to an individual’s chosen or forced behaviour on the grounds of age – has been an issue of political, economic and social relevance since the implementation of the First Action Programme on Ageing, and culminates provisionally with the European Employment Directive. Legislation outlawing age discrimination in employment and vocational training has thus come into force by this year 2006. UK government policy aims to encourage older people to remain active within the workforce. This is in part recognition of the rise in longevity and the importance of living a healthy active contributory later life, but it is also to compensate for the potentially large take-up of pension benefits in the future. Saving throughout the life course and working later in life is also seen as a means of ensuring a satisfactory level of income in old age. Direct discrimination (less favourable treatment): Such type of discrimination is allowed at some places like, a Roman Catholic school may be able to restrict applications for a scripture teacher to baptized Catholics. Harassment (in accordance with national law/practice), victimisation, dismissal or adverse treatment as a reaction to complaints/legal proceedings, and instructions to discriminate. But if someone is bullied or victimised in the mistaken belief that he is a member of another religion, then he may also be protected under race discrimination laws. Outside the European Union, legislation against age discrimination is in place for example in the United States (Age Discrimination in Employment Act 1967), Canada (legislation in the 1960s), New Zealand (1993 Human Rights Act includes age discrimination), Australia (introduced in 1991-96), and South Africa In this study, examples of age discriminatory practices in

Second midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Second midterm - Essay Example ar II, which also gets described as the short American century, represented a period of continuous prosperity for the American government and its economy. The shift in the international economic order has led to the US citizens’ increasing sense of disempowerment. The changes witnessed in the classical world economy have decreased the US government’s effectiveness in managing its economy. The change from the Bretton woods based international economic system to a greater international economic integration based system has seen the US lose grip on it domestic economy. The Bretton wood’s system had contributed to the US leading the international economic order between the 1940s and 1970s. The Bretton wood’s system had allowed America to focus on the politics of its national security through the international economic integration it promoted. Through the Bretton wood’s system, the US spent less of its money in rebuilding the economies of Western Europe and Japan. The collapse of the Bretton Wood’s system meant that the US had to put preference in international markets over its domestic considerations of national security. The new contemporary international economic world order has seen countries such as China and Singapore also emerge as serious global economic powerhouses. With the new found international economic system, the relevance of the dollar has dwindled as each and every country strives to use their currency as a means of trade. The US massive foreign debt has inflicted heavily on the predominance held before by its dollar as an international currency. The contemporary international economy that took over the American led Bretton Wood’s system has also allowed for almost every country in the globe to engage in international trade, finance, and investment (Frieden 153). Under the previous classical economic order, only the US and its closest allies had control in setting up terms for international trade. The changing global environment created

Electronics Equipment Waste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Electronics Equipment Waste - Essay Example 130 million mobile phones and an almost equal number of other electronic devices such as MP3 players and gaming consoles became obsolete in 2005. A report by Basal Action Network (BAN), a Seattle-based organization, states that 50-80% of the e-waste generated in the United States is transported to developing nations for disassembly and recycling with methods that are not acceptable in the United States standards (Herat, 2007). Very few people are aware that the electronic equipment contains more than 1000 harmful chemicals like lead, mercury, PCBS and other toxic substances that pollute air, soil and ground water (Baulch, 2002). Unawareness and negligence have been evident in many countries in the way people disassemble these electronic wastes in open spaces instead of disposing of them safely. However, at least some of the countries such as those in the European Union have recognized the potential harmful results of these improper disposal management practices, and these countries are in the process of implementing laws and policies that ensure safe disposal of e-waste (Canning, 2006; Ladou & Lovegrove, 2008). There have been extensive research and studies on various dimensions related to e-waste. The areas of study include but not limited to consequences for the environment and health, problems with improper disposal in and out of countries, need for regulations, and better management of e-waste materials. It is imperative to consider the health and environmental effects before discussing other issues because improper management of electronic waste leads to pollution of the air, soil and water. This has been observed in various studies. 2.1 Sources of E-waste According to UNEP's "E-waste Management (2006) there are three primary sources of e-waste: 1. Individual households and small businesses: White goods such as refrigerators and washing machines form the largest part of e-waste in terms of weight in households followed by television and personal computers (E-waste Management, 2006). 2. Large businesses, educational institutions and governments: Office devices such as photocopiers, fax machines, printers, and computers form the most part of e-waste from this category (E-waste Management, 2006). 3. Original equipment manufacturers: manufacturers generate e-waste at various levels and in different forms such as defective components or products of sub-optimal quality, waste along upstream supply chain, and waste from product recovery and refurbishing operations (E-waste Management, 2006). In 2000, of the 2,214,400 tons of generated e-waste, 859,000 were video products, 348,200 tons were audio products and 96,900 tons were information products (Kate, 2006). According to the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), starting from 2005, approximately 130

Sociodemographic Health Risks in Australia

Sociodemographic Health Risks in Australia Australians regard the country environment a better and safer option in terms of lifestyle and health then populated areas, such as cities and their surrounding neighborhoods (Humphreys Rolley 1991). Moving to rural areas for a much cleaner atmosphere and away from the congestion of traffic. Nevertheless families or individuals who built life for themselves in rural and remote Australia have many health disadvantages in their path, then civilization in city areas and its regions. This is proven statistically with evidence and research that mobility and mortality rates are much higher than those who live in urban areas due to some extensive diseases that can’t be further examined in rural areas to give a full diagnosis and asses their condition due to shortage of resources and medical equipment (Humphreys et al. 1997) . There are many factors that contribute to rural health disadvantages in different specifications in relation to his/her health. This essay will be looking into the four major factors that include, sociodemographics, health status, health risk factors, costs and use of health services. Sociodemographics refers to the variables within a society and its population in terms of race, gender, socio economic statuses and mainly the population’s social wellbeing in both rural and remote Australia. Socioeconomic disadvantages and demographics of the area and its population are major and important determinants of health (AIHW, 2012). It is important to realise the main indicators such as age, health statuses, rates of hospitalisation and mortality rates for rural populations of Australia are determined by certain demographics such as sex and population size, this process is essential to clarify different health statistics (AIHW, 1998a). These points are indications in relation to poorer health, adequate nutrition, better housing and having an education with transport (AIHW,1998), to support your travel needs wither health related or not. Privation of either of these necessities will result in dramatically poorer health. Keeping in mind that if sufficient nutrition is not reachable or used it will have an immediate effect on health status. Needs like education have more of an indirect effect on health (AIHW, 1998). For instance having no educational background can result in the lack of knowledge about certain health conditions like cancer, in rural Australia there are insufficient resources to determine and treat breast cancer, cervical cancer and lung cancer which results from individuals smoking and affecting their health not being health conscious which greatly results in higher death rates (Mathers, 1994). The factors that contribute to the health of a population include social, economic, environmental and an array of lifestyle choices (AIHW, 2012). A number of factors are linked with livelihoods in rural Australia that subsequently affect health status. Factors that affect health status of given population in rural Australia include: employment, ethnicity, business grounds in rural areas other factors are from a demographic point of view looking at climate, geography, aging populations and retrieval of information in relation to health and disability (Frager et al, 1997), (AIHW,2012). These factors take different effects within rural and metropolitan Australia and may result in dissimilarities in the prevalence of an array of diseases and mortality rates (AIHW, 1998a). Australia’s indigenous population are facing poorer health then the overall Australian population. The effect is recognised by numerical categorisation of indigenous people in RRMA sub sections and by use of mort ality data collected and put in Australia’s institute of health and welfare database of mortality (AIHW, 2013). Mortality rates in capital cities was lower than those in rural and remote zones of Australia (AIHW, 1998a). There are different of health outcomes regularly used as indicators for given health populations (AIHW, 2012). Death rates, hospitalisation and cancer incidence rates are all a set of indicators for health status (AIHW, 1998a).   Health risks are the probable factors that decline the health of people from certain medical conditions or diseases. These comprise of certain factors such as their physical environment, pollutants, and communicable diseases, additionally the social environment plays an important part, family matters and disturbances (AIHW, 2003). These all result in the amplification of different diseases affecting people’s health (AIHW, 2013). Behavioral determinants such as inadequate exercise, smoking and reduction of daily activities are linked with increase in disease rates and other medical conditions. Living in rural Australia would be a negative outcome for most when asked simply by being away from health facilities, such as gyms occupying for exercise, doctor surgeries for quick treatment and having less produce stores to buy your five daily fruits and veg’s from for your daily intake. Risk factors are the probable outcomes of disease in people if there’s a link with th e medical condition and factor. Other risk factors for chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease are very complicated to determine. Generally speaking there is not one specific cause to a diseases occurrence rate, there are several factors that need to be assessed before making any thorough diagnosis. Understanding certain aspects in risk factors both rural, regional and remote Australia is the key fundamental in going forward as a nation helping individuals in need. Costs and the utilization of health services across remote and rural Australia is a topic often brought up in the parliamentary senate of Australian states. The idea behind these parliamentary debates are to enhance and better the performance of Australia as a whole country by mending all those gaps that have been left such as expenditure and utilization of health services across rural and remote Australia. The government of Australia has said a lot and personally haven’t done anything to assist with introducing new health resources and supporting the coasts for medical equipment and building safer roads for rural and remote areas so individuals are less likely prone to an accident, therefore it builds better health measures and reduces mortality rates due to degrading the risk factors associated with it. Expenditure levels, amid regions are certainly related with changes in population’s growth size and composition (AIHW), (2011). A district or region with a greater pop ulation are highly likely to have immense total health expenditures then places with lower populations. The age structure of a given population in a specific location is a vital factor in health expenditure, (AIHW), (2011). Reason is due to older individuals and youngsters such as infants and toddlers require greater health diagnosis and care. In remote and rural Australia regions usually consist of younger group sectors in populations then older pupils, (AIHW), (2011). Health care facilities such as hospitals which are the main source of receiving health assessments from ED doctors or getting an x-ray for a broken leg. Procedures in hospitals are surgical and non-surgical whilst they require chemotherapy for cancer patients or even specialist checkups on your health condition to prevent it from actually getting worse. The remoteness of hospitals from rural and regional populations in Australia may impact their access to procedures, (AIHW), (2008). Levels of health expenditure are w idely affected by certain sub factors such as the degree of illnesses and diseases, population and government set out policies and grants alongside the price for these goods and services, (AIHW 2004). Inconclusion for the population of remote and rural Australia there are many positive attributes. In comparison to the National Health Survey they have gathered data that indicates Australians, regardless of their geographical region, have knowledge of certain preventative measures for a better health, and understand the requirement for exercise to keep fit physically and mentally, pap smear tests and protection from the sun by using certain moisturisers to help prevent melanoma or other skin cancers conditions (AIHW, 2011). In addition the health of populations in rural and remote zones of Australia is much poorer then individuals who live in metropolitan regions of Australia. In relation to their health conditions such as mortality as a result of injury obtained, certain heart conditions and diseases, homicide and suicide rates. Overall there are substantial health risks associated with living in remote and rural regions of Australia among them are pollution, road safety, available health facilities, and medical equipment with treatments. However there are positives for the populations of rural and remote zones such as having peace, costs are much lesser then urban areas, less crime and a safer environment with distance from noise. Reference list: Humphreys J/ Rolley F (1991). Health and health care in rural Australia. (Original work published 1991). Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442459022. Humphreys JS/Matthews-Cowey S/ Weinand (1997).Factors in accessibility of general practice in rural Australia. Australia: Author. (Original work published 1997). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (1998). the sixth biennial health report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.Australia’s health. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442459022. Abduljawad Raeiq Student Number Health Health Behaviour 130 Essay 17688257

Joshua Gaugler Essay -- essays research papers

The Concert of a Lifetime   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The concert has begun after a fifteen minute delay caused from the powder snow that started early on in the day and continued through the evening. There I stood up in front of the small crowd on this snowy Sunday evening. I glanced out upon the crowd as the piano picked up speed and intensity. I knew that I was about to strike that F chord in a few measures. I quickly removed the moisture from my fingers with the cloth I brought with me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The band had a special meeting planned after we played the music for our church’s Thanksgiving Supper. We showed up to the church on a cold Saturday morning, making our way to the auditorium. We began to discuss the plans, ideas, or even the thoughts that we had for what we should do next. Dan, the first to talk whatever the occasion, said, â€Å"I think we should work on writing our own songs.† That idea was quickly reviewed and considered to be an option. I thought a little bit harder about what to do and suddenly it came to me. â€Å"We should have a Christmas concert. We can all pick out our favorite Christmas songs and perform them.† Now this was a first class idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now the band had an idea, we had the backbone for our future, but we were still missing our guitar player; whose absence haunted us for the fourth week straight. We had to begin regardless of the scenario, and we began picking out songs, one by one. The most obvious ch...

Racial Ideology of Americas Essay

In the period from 1500 to 1830, racial stereotypes were prominent in the regions of Latin America/Caribbean and North America and they had a tremendous effect on society, especially societies with multiple ethnicities. The racial ideologies of these regions can be seen through the treatment of native peoples and the treatment of slaves. However, because of the strong influence of differing European nations,and their differing standards, contrasting societal effects can be seen. When the Europeans discovered and settled the â€Å"New World† and Latin America their ideology of European dominance and superiority had a direct effect on the natives of these regions. In North America, the Native Americans were often oppressed or forced to live on a confined piece of land. The Europeans would often devise treaties with the Native Americans on where there territorial boundaries were and where the settlers were not allowed to intrude. The European governments did not enforce this, so eventually all of these treaties were broken. This shows that the Europeans did not regard the natives claims to the land as legitimate and that they did not have any rights to the land. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the natives were enslaved and forced into servitude and labor. The dominant European racial ideology also fueled the slave trade in both North America and Latin America. The slave trade revolved around slave ships that would transport masses of Africans to the colonies to increase productions. The slave trade grew in the periods from 1500 to 1830 because slaves became cheaper to buy then hiring indentured servants who would work only a certain amount of years and then be free when their debt was paid off where as a slave is kept for life, unless they are sold. The slaves were bought, sold, and treated like property, not human beings. The colonists, were those who traveled from Europe to the Americas or those born in America who had come from European descent implemented the total colonization of North America and Latin America and the Caribbean. The colonies in North America were predominantly British and had a desire to become like their mother country. This united the colonists and so they did not discriminate against each other like they discriminated against the Native Americans and African slaves. This contrasts the predominantly Spanish dominated colonies because they had no sense of unity. The Spanish racial ideology prompted those in power, the royal sangres azules, and the commoners, translated into discrimination within the colonist populations. The colonists born in Spain were considered better than those who born in Americas, even if you came two fully Spanish parents. Those who were of â€Å"mixed blood† , who were children of native and Spanish parents were even lower.

Contexts that Motivate Learning

Motivational learning can be broken into four contexts. Those contexts are: Practical, Personal, Experiential, and Idealistic. First, the practical context of learning would be learning something because you know in advance it will benefit you. Second, the personal context of learning would be learning something because you want to do it for yourself to accomplish an important goal. Third, the experiential context of learning would be learning something because of past experiences. Finally, the idealistic context of learning would be learning something because you want to explore ideas, theories and concepts to experience the discovery of something new. There are four main contexts that motivate people to learn and everyone has their own reasons. Personal Context of Motivation I decided to return to school for personal reasons. Returning to school is something that I have thought of doing for a very long time. I guess you could just say that I have been very lazy and procrastinated for a long time. I tried to go to college right out of high school but it did not work out. I don’t think I was quite prepared to make that big step. I was headed down the wrong path and decided it was time to do something with my life. I knew it would help me to grow as a person. I now find myself in sort of the same situation. I’ve been a cashier for 18yr and now I work hard every day loading a Goodwill trailer to support my kids I know that without a collage education that most likely will not happen. I also want to be a positive influence to my children and show him how important education is. I want to be a good influence to my son and daughter but most of all I want to better myself as a person. Plus most of all I know in 4 to 5 yr. my fibromyalgia will not be getting any better. By that time my R. A. in my back will be getting bad, I still have 8 yrs. left to support my little girl. I know I can’t do it working on the back of the trailer but maybe be hide a desk for Goodwill I can as a human resource manager

How Mandatory Drug Sentencing Laws Came to Be

How Mandatory Drug Sentencing Laws Came to Be In reaction to an increase in the amount of cocaine being smuggled into the United States and cocaine addiction epidemic proportions in the 1980s, the U.S. Congress and many state legislatures adopted new laws that stiffened the penalties for anyone convicted of trafficking certain illegal drugs. These laws made jail terms mandatory for drug dealers and anyone in possession of certain amounts of illegal drugs. While many citizens support such laws many view them as inherently biased against African Americans. They see these laws as part of a system of systemic racism which oppresses people of color. One example of mandatory minimums being discriminatory was that possession  of powdered cocaine, a drug associated with white businessmen was sentenced  less harshly than crack cocaine which was more associated with African American men. History and the War on Drugs Mandatory drug sentencing laws came about in the 1980s in the height of the War on Drugs. The seizure of 3,906 pounds of cocaine, valued then at over $100 million wholesale, from a Miami International Airport hangar on March 9, 1982, brought about the publics awareness of the Medellin Cartel, Colombian drug traffickers working together,  and changed U.S. law enforcements approach towards the drug trade. The bust also sparked new life into the War on Drugs. Lawmakers began to vote more money for law enforcement and began to create stiffer penalties for not only drug dealers, but for drug users. Latest Developments In Mandatory Minimums More mandatory drug sentences are being proposed. Congressman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), a proponent of mandatory sentencing, has introduced a bill to Congress called Defending Americas Most Vulnerable: Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act of 2004. The bill is designed to increase mandatory sentences for specific drug offenses. It includes mandatory sentencing of 10 years to life in prison for any person age 21 or over who attempts or conspires to offer drugs (including marijuana) to someone younger than 18 years old. Anyone who has offered, solicited, enticed, persuaded, encouraged, induced, or coerces or possess a controlled substance, will be sentenced to a term not less than five years. This bill was never enacted.   Pros of Mandatory Drug Sentencing Laws Supporters of mandatory minimums view it as a way to deter drug distribution and use by extending the time that a criminal is incarcerated therefore preventing them from committing more drug-related crimes. One reason mandatory sentencing guidelines are established is to increase sentencing uniformity- to guarantee that defendants, who commit similar crimes and have similar criminal backgrounds, receive similar sentences. Mandatory guidelines for sentencing greatly curtail judges sentencing discretion. Without such mandatory sentencing, defendants in the past, guilty of virtually the same offenses under the same circumstances, have received vastly different sentences in the same jurisdiction, and in some cases from the same judge. Proponents argue that a lack of sentencing guidelines opens up the system to corruption. Cons of Mandatory Drug Sentencing Laws Opponents to the mandatory sentencing feel that such punishment is unjust and does not allow for flexibility in the judicial process of prosecuting and sentencing individuals. Other critics of mandatory sentencing feel that the money spent in longer incarceration has not been beneficial in the war against drugs and could be better spent on other programs designed to fight drug abuse. A study performed by the  Rand Company  said such sentences have proven to be ineffective in curtailing drug use or drug related crime. The bottom line is that only decision makers who are very myopic would find long sentences to be appealing, said study leader Jonathan Caulkins of Rands Drug Policy Research Center. The high cost of incarceration and the small results that it has shown in fighting the war on drugs, show that such money would be better spent on shorter sentencing and drug rehabilitation programs. Other opponents to mandatory sentencing include Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who in August 2003 in a speech to the American Bar Association, denounced minimum mandatory prison terms. In too many cases, mandatory minimum sentences are unwise and unjust, he said and encouraged the bar to be leaders in the search for justice in sentencing and in racial inequities. Dennis W. Archer, former Detroit mayor and Michigan Supreme Court Justice takes the position that it is time for America to stop getting tougher and start getting smarter against crime by reassessing mandatory sentencing and irrevocable prison terms. In an article posted on the ABA website, he states, The idea that Congress can dictate a one-size-fits-all sentencing scheme does not make sense. Judges need to have the discretion to weigh the specifics of the cases before them and determine an appropriate sentence. There is a reason we give judges a gavel, not a rubber stamp Where It Stands Because of cuts in many state budgets, and overcrowded prisons due to mandatory drug sentencing, lawmakers are facing a financial crisis. Many states have begun to use alternatives to imprisonment for drug offenders- usually called drug courts- in which defendants are sentenced into treatment programs, rather than jail. In states where these drug courts have been established, officials are finding this approach to be a more effective way of approaching the drug problem. Research shows that drug court alternatives are not only more cost-effective than prison sentences for defendants who commit non-violent crimes, they help reduce the rate of defendants who return to a life of crime after completing the program.

Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Questions - Essay Example He also stated that the importance and allegation of myth depends on the investigation pertaining to a particular philosophy. In terms of philosophical investigations, Plato revealed that myths are considered to be full of errors. This is decided based on the type of myth and the philosophy in which it is being utilized. Phaedo, Plato’s innovative work describes about death and the myths that revolve around the concept of death. It also defines the opposites and their arguments which in turn emphasize on the fact that myths are considered to be a concept which relies on arguments and opposites. Acceptance of a philosophy or a theory and the knowledge of that theory depends on the reality. The theories must comply well with its existence even before it is perceived to become a reality. The special conditions and limits define the way in which a myth is understood and conceived. Metaphysics was named as Aristotle’s first philosophy and it described the universal principles and the existence of human beings. This theory emphasized on the wisdom and its nature and this was explained in a scientific manner. Aristotle aimed at rediscovering the scientific facts which is considered to be a turning point in the field of science. Even the existence of universe and humanity where explained in a different perspective. His opinion about was also different and he made it a point to explain them in each and every work of his. (Cohen, 2005). Myth donned a completely different role in Aristotle’s metaphysics. Though Aristotle was a follower of Plato, his opinion and judgment on myth was entirely different when compared to that of Plato’s. Aristotle’s idea of myth was considered to be harsh in most of his philosophies. But in certain situations, he appreciates the concept of myth and defines it in a cosmological and

Financial Statements for Harvey Norman Australia Essay

Financial Statements for Harvey Norman Australia - Essay Example Overall, Harvey Norman Australia produced profitable 2011 and 2010 business operations. A) Analysis the Company Liquidity Position: The liquidity ratios focus on the Harvey Norman Australia’s ability to pay its liabilities on time. A company is liquid if its current ratio is positive. The company’s liquidity ratio is favorable, if the quick ratio is also positive (Brigham, 2009). 1. Current Ratio. The current ratio is shows the relationship between the company’s current assets and current liabilities. A positive current ratio shows a favorable picture of the company. The current ratio is arrived at by dividing the current assets by the current liabilities (Morrell, 2007). On the other hand, a negative current ratio indicates that the company is not able to use its current assets to pay for its currently maturing liabilities on time. Table 1 shows the company’s 2011 current ratio is 1.82 times. The above computation shows that company’s 2011 current assets (1,433,227.00) is higher than the prior year’s current assets (1,254,100). Likewise, the company’s 2011 current liabilities (786,852.00) are higher than the 2010 current liabilities (669,328.00). The ratio shows that the company’s current assets are 1.82 times higher than the company’s current liabilities. ... 2. Quick Ratio. The quick ratio is shows the relationship between the company’s quick assets and current liabilities. The quick asset amount is arrived at by deducting the inventory amount from the total current asset amount. Similarly, a positive current ratio indicates a positive image of the company. The current ratio is generated by dividing the quick assets by the current liabilities (Smart, 2008). Table 2 espouses the company’s 2011 quick ratio is 6.33 times. The ratio shows that the company’s 2011 quick assets (1,291,009.00) are higher than the prior year’s quick assets (1,200,183.00). The ratio shows that the company’s quick assets are 6.33 times more than the company’s current liabilities. The company’s 2010 quick ratio (5.64) is lower than the 2011 quick ratio (6.33). Using the quick ratio financial statement analysis, the two quick ratios show the company performed financially better in 2011, when compared to 2010. The quick ratio similarly proves that the company has the available funds to defray its present liabilities. B) Activity Position: The activity ratios measure the efficiency and liquidity of Harvey Norman Australia’s management. The ratios include determining how fast the company converts cash into other assets and the other assets back into cash (Taylor, 2006). 1. Inventory Turnover Ratio. The ratio determines how fast inventory is sold. The ratio is arrived at by dividing the company’s cost of goods sold by the average inventory (Taylor, 2006). Table 3 confirms the company’s 2011 inventory turnover ratio is 11.52 times. The ratio analysis shows that the company’s 2011 cost of goods figure (1,129,517.00) is lower than the prior year’s cost of goods amount (1,344,455.00). The ratio also

Can Freelancers form themselves into a union and successfully seek Research Paper - 1

Can Freelancers form themselves into a union and successfully seek formal recognition via the rules speled out in the National L - Research Paper Example Dissimilar to other unions, freelancers unions are somewhat innovative and are more like expert trade organizations. Be that as it may, they may play a significant function in one’s professional life by proposing certain benefits. The major aim of the National Labor Relation Act is to characterize and defend the privileges of workers and employers, to boost collective bargaining, and to eradicate some of the performances on the part of work and administration that are hurtful to the general welfare (hcl.chass.ncsu.edu). Similarly, when creating a union for freelancers, one of the large-scale challenges, or obstacles, in employed individually is the need of wellbeing care options. By evolving a constituent of an amalgamation, or other kind of expert membership-based association, one habitually has the opening to buy wellbeing protection at a cheaper rate (i.e. at a group rate). Not only does a freelancer union provide good deals on monthly charges and lesser deductibles, but on e may furthermore gain the proficiency to select from more than one kind of healthcare program.

In a dark time Essay Example for Free

In a dark time Essay Reading and understanding poems is a creative process that goes on in time and from line to line even as the poet’s creation does. In the poem Roethke tries to break through the barriers of rational language with paradoxes and short, seemingly unrelated statements. In a sense, Roethke’s poem is also a commentary on the experience, and his essay is another attempt to record his mystical enlightenment. Each expression in turn becomes its own experience for the writer. â€Å"In a Dark Time,† was a dictated poem, something scarcely mine at all. The allegorical nature of his spiritual journey is clear from the phrase â€Å"A man goes far to find out what he is† that by is generality universalizes and distances the speaker’s quest. His search is less for personal identity than it is for defining characteristics of the human condition-man’s nature and the limits of his understanding. His mystical experience dissolves idiosyncrasies into ultimate concerns, yet we expect more of a union with the divine, a phase he saves for the last stanza. At the end of â€Å"In a Dark Time,† the speaker returns to the opening paradox that natural darkness is actually a spiritual light, but now the paradox has a more agonizing relevance. Instead of the general statement that â€Å"In a dark time, the eye begins to see,† he now confesses that â€Å"Dark, dark/my light, and darker my desire. † In mystical literature God remains the source of all light, although He may appear as darkness to man’s limited mind. Roethke, in the poem, would be restoring the original power of the One beyond God, and what is more, identifying himself with the greater of the two. While he is not the final authority on the meaning of â€Å"In a Dark Time,† Roethke’s interpretation demands the close attention: if only by the necessities of his art, he has lived with the poem longer and more intimately than his readers. Reference: Roethke, T. (1960). Roethke: Colleted Poems. Double-day Company, Inc.

The Airasia Marketing Concept Management Essay

The Airasia Marketing Concept Management Essay In the world of growing business competition, strategic management is where a process of certain level of management set goals and tactics in a firm. Strategic management provides overall direction of the functional areas of business firm department such as accounting, finance, production and marketing that allows the management to understand the concept of each operation level of management in the entire organization. Managers should also make the most from each organization level to achieve a best strengths and weakness in the environment. When this method is being applied, management seek answer to question regards to how, why and what will happened Airlines industry has help the industry in economic growth hence changing the life of people live and experience the world today Airlines operations interact among various officially permitted, community life, technology thus influencing management to make decision and actions This involved in relating the goals of the organization with the environment to a way of conscious and a planned method. AirAsia is one of the companies with a good strategic management and has becoming a low cost carrier airline which received several awards and recognition in the best low cost airlines in the world in year 2009. As of December 31, 2011, AirAsia Berhad (AsiaAsia) has engaged in providing transportation services which operates at a fleet of 90 aircraft. AirAsia operation flies over domestic and international destination with 108 routes and operates over 400 different daily flights which are located from different hubs. Those hubs are located in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. AirAsia concept applies in no-frills, hassle-free, low fare business concept and their corporate values are Now Everyone Can Fly. Low Cost Airlines Simple Product Low Operating Cost Positioning Figure 1.0 AirAsia marketing concept. According to Daniel Chan market for airlines in Asia has been glomming to seek ways to compete each and another in the industry. Each of them has their own strategic management which allows them to achieve long terms objective and making them the best among their competitors. This has encourage AirAsia to consider strategic management program due to the current competition of Asia travel market and the need to have the urge to compete with their competitor which makes them only one of its kind in the industry. Four major functions of process which are planning, organizing, leading and controlling were no longer sufficient to support the current complex environment. This is because this process only managed the company internally but do not concentrate on the current environment which affecting the organization. Companies that adopt the four major functions were found that they were not successful in the current competitive market forces. On top of that, the organization only performs well in operation effective but not in strategy. Operation effectiveness and strategy are both similar but they only perform in a very different ways. Strategy is about the competitive market which the company performs different task in different ways of environment. Those tools are PESTEL, SWOT and Porter Five Forces. All of these tools analyses the macro and micro environment. Below diagram will further explain those tools. PESTEL DIAGRAM Political To fly outside Malaysia is not easy. Government political is one of the problem that low cost airlines faces. Landing charge and parking charges are very expensive and destination to Bangkok, Beijing, and Singapore is no cheaper than a backup airport. People are afraid to fly where threat of terrorism attack has happened before in the month of Sept 11 2001. Political stable where Asia country has no strikes, no wars and customer is free to plan their own traveling time. Economic Due to the stiff competition from MAS, AirAsia tend to offer lower pricing in tickets and a few flight routes to compete with the current economic. The rising of Asia middle class population growth has encourage customer to enjoy flying with a cheaper rate of tickets Malaysia Tourism and hospitality has boost AirAsia economic by advertising the brand name Social Has created a huge people awareness and exposure on traveling within a limited budget in Asia countries. This motivation was created with the AirAsia slogan Now everyone can fly AirAsia has created different living environment and culture by promoting different countries AirAsia commit to Safety First has outcome the fear of customer flying abroad due to the Outbreak of Several Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Technology AirAsia has the state of the art in IT technology which offers E-commerce. In Aug 2003, AirAsia become the first to offer SMS booking where the online service allows consumer to book ticket online, offer seat choosing and luggage check in. The website also offers viewing in six different languages. GO holiday was also launch to introduce customer to book holiday packages online via real time. AirAsia has bought in A320 to replace Boeing 737; which the new airbus has improved fuel efficiency, bigger overhead bin, lower maintenance and extra seat which proven to better performance and reliability. Environment The new purchase of A32 planes has an engine which burn less fuel technology which included lighter weight body. The new planes engine maintenance and wash program which proven to gain 1% to 2% efficiency. More improved pilot training which are being train to take-off and landing more efficiently AirAsia green methods is by adapt the paper containers and cups when they server food during the flight route. Legal Government policy has been set up to ensure that all government business trip to engage with MAS airlines. The budget airlines in south-east Asia is under-develop due to the market of aviation is control by the government right agreement. Customer has taken legal action towards AirAsia for failing to disclose the full price for some route location. Figure 1.0 Self created Pestel analysis Below diagram shows the SWOT analysis. The internal factor can be look into the strength and weakness of the company where else the external factors would be the opportunities and threats in the external environment. SWOT DIAGRAM STENGTHS WEAKNESS AirAsia has a very strong relationship with the government and airlines industry leaders The current management team is good in strategy formulation and implementation. The branding of AirAsia was well established in Asia Pacific. One of Asia cheapest Airlines which are low cost operations. The advance technology of the IT team such in emails alert and desktop alerts for a new promotion Multi-skilled staffed which are well equip and efficient in workforce. A single type of fleet which is easy to maintain and easy for pilot dispatch. AirAsia does not have own repair system, maintenance or overhaul (MRO) facility. Received a lot of complain from end user due to overwhelming of ticket purchases on festive season. Flights always delay due to improper time management. A fix-cost in perishable product which are the airlines seat. This will encourages the airlines to cut down price to attempt to fill empty seats at a lower price than rather flying at a half empty plane. No central location or backup airport. Branding is always an issue in placing in market position. OPPORTUNITIES THREATS There increasing of oil price creates an opportunities for AsiaAsia to capture new or existing customer which are on budget travelers. The ASEAN Open Skies program allows competition among regional airlines which creates partner with other low cost airlines for example Virgin has join in to create a brand name for AsiaAsia. Increase of population of Asian middle class will increase 700 million by 2013 which creates a huge opportunities for AsiaAsia to cater the need of user. Ongoing business prospect will open up new routes and new airport deals Rates such as airport departure, security charges and landing charges are elastic price which beyond the control of the airlines AirAsia profit margin is about 30% and this creates a new competitor to arise such as Tiger Airways. User safety point of view is neglected due to cheaper cost of ticket. User need to purchase a separated insurance for the ticket. Oil price fluctuations which affect the Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and other operational cost. This will add cost to AirAsia since the total cost fuel is higher than 26% for low cost airlines compared to 20% for a full service airlines Lack of secondary backup airport infrastructure. Other countries like Europe have a secondary airport to avoid flying into mainland airports hence they can skip to pay high cost of landing fees. System always down due to high volume of online sales. Figure 2.0 Self created SWOT diagram. Porter five forces have been used to determine the competitive and the magnetism of the market value and to understand the AirAsia competitive advantage. Table below shows the porter five forces: PORTER FIVE FORCES Competitive rivalry within an industry. This would be the matrix segment of geographical and demography market. AirAsia competitor would be Tiger Airlines and Firefly which both of them also provides cheap flight and several same routes. AirAsia also claim that they dont have any additional fees which are not true. They have several hidden fees which are booking seats and luggage fees which could create a problem in price issue. Population of middle class income is increasing hence creates a huge opportunities for the airlines therefore airlines have to slash price among each another due to customer are not loyal and they tend to switch easy from different company to another Threat of new entry Branding is one of the major factors for new entry. Entry within this industry not only required high cost but also a branding image. New entry is required to impress the investors so that they can make a huge investment in the industry. Government legislation is also an issue where new airlines cant get a new permit flight route from the government. For example if AirAsia want to add more flight route to other county, this would be a barrier for them due to government permit and it will affect their profit. Different service product being offered by competitors where AirAsia provided travel packages around Asia besides only selling air ticket. AirAsia also have great connection with tourism companies around the Asia country thus making this harder for new competitor to compete. Bargaining power of supplier Bargaining power of buyers is strong and cost of switching airlines is low. AirAsia is not the only the airlines which offer low cost operation in Asia. Other competitor prices are not so much different than AirAsia. This will create customer to choose their most suitable schedule of airlines that fits them the best. Two major planes supplier which is Airbus and Boeing. Both of them are having the same standard aircraft which mostly AirAsia ordered in a large amounts from Airbus in order to expand their flight routes. This creates a strong relationship and big discount. Bargaining power of buyer Buyers nowadays are more informed and IT savvy. They are more sensitive to price change making they have more choices to compare with other airlines which its easy for customer to change to other airlines that offer the same service. Customer of Airasia is mostly individual /group travelers which their air tickets purchase is being purchase individual. This makes the bargaining power buyer is strong. AirAsia also have bad image when it comes to flight delays issue. Customer tends to choose other airlines to make sure they reach their destination on time. Threat of substitute product When the price of airlines is expensive, customer will look for a substitute. Price also depends on the booking time and flights date. The longer booking dates are cheaper compare to shorter booking dates. If the ticket is purchase last minute, which cost higher price, customer tends to switch to other airlines such as MAS or Singapore Airlines which offers premium services Some of the traveling purpose would be a business meeting which is now being taken over by the Internet industry. These meeting can be replaced with calls such as video conferencing which can take place within the office premises to save company traveling cost. Figure 3.0 Self created Porter Five Forces diagram. AirAsia adapted the theory of market segment where penetrate into the low cost carrier and the ability to compete among other competitor in the field business. Those methods are: The use of E-commerce in the AirAsia system. They have implement a E-commerce business tool making it one of the kind that allows a AirAsia to sell product, advertise, purchase supplies, bypass and track inventory, cutting down the paperwork and sharing information over the e-portal. This system has improved productivity and higher profitability and yet minimizing the cost of expenses in the company According to Pultorak (2004), when a business strategy mix with IT, the IT platform can be modify to meet business needs and respond to certain user requirement. Example would be the IT platform online system that AirAsia implemented. Customer reservation system (CRS) is a user friendly web-based system which allows user to make reservation, choosing their own seat at various prices, printing out their own e-ticketing and self check-in online which saves ample times. This also helps to cut down the middleman or travel agents cost. All this was being implemented to archive the lowest cost of an airline can possible achieved The use of ERP system in the AirAsia system. Its a use of software that develops a support decisions with planning and controlling the business Its integrated software to make the IT system more effective and efficiently which has been successfully maintain the process of integrity data, reduced month end closing processing time, increase in speed up of data reporting and data retrieval process The system also helps AirAsia to capture their daily operation transaction as well as the operational cost. As the result from both of this system, AirAsia has move from the traditional business method and transform it into an E-commerce system which allows them to achieved their goals and objective to be one of the lowest carrier airplanes in the world This essay describes the strategic management use of implementation of certain tools such as PESTEL, SWOT and Porter Five Forces analysis. Those tools make AirAsia achieve their capability, scope and goals Making use of the IT system and E-commerce has also lead AirAsia to be one of the low cost carriers in the airplane industry. AirAsia chooses strategic management method based on the competition in airlines industry is tough. Other airlines companies are trying to figure out strategic ways to compete among their industry which strategic management has become one of the tools factor to survive in their business industry. None the less airlines need to consider on how to integrate the system as well as the main factors such as external and internal process

Enterprise Level Business System :: essays research papers

Enterprise-Level Business System Assessment Several key areas should be reviewed when assessing an enterprise-level business system. It is commonly known that errors made in the early stages of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) can be quite costly. Therefore, careful planning, during the early stages of system development, is crucial. The use of information-gathering tools, during the analysis stage, is useful and recommended. Following will be a review of several of the information-gathering techniques available. The usefulness of business process mapping methods, and which mapping tools should be implemented during the analysis process, will also be discussed. In closing, a review of the methods an analyst can use to confirm an effective understanding of the project requirements will be provided. There are several information-gathering methods available. One such method is a review of the current documentation or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the business. Reviewing documentation can provide current and historical information, and has minimal impact on the daily routine of the business. Negatively, the documentation review process can be time-consuming, and many processes may not be documented. Observing and documenting the activities performed by an individual or a particular system are additional methods used to retrieve information. The observation method can be quite reliable, but also may be costly and time-consuming. In addition, observing an individual may make him/her feel uncomfortable, thus impacting the way he/she performs. Another information-gathering technique is to elicit feedback about business requirements and processes from the users of the system. Feedback from actual users can be elicited via questionnaires or in-person interviews. There are bene fits and disadvantages in using each type of technique. Questionnaires are a fairly inexpensive methodology, and results can typically be turned around quickly. Survey instruments can safeguard the interviewee’s anonymity and can be completed at the user’s convenience. Unfortunately, information retrieved from questionnaires may not be very detailed since the ability to probe for additional information is limited. In addition, missing data is irretrievable. In-person interviewing may provide greater details because the analyst has the ability to probe and interact with the interviewee. The analyst also has the ability to observe any nonverbal communication the interviewee may be expressing. On the down side, interviews can be quite time-consuming, and as seen with other methods, increased time typically means increased cost. Another technique is the Joint Application Design (JAD) session. A JAD session consists of a group of key stakeholders who are teamed together to discuss their opinions and the needs of the system or business.

History of Jute Industries

Chapter 1: Introduction 1. Introduction Jute is a natural fiber with golden and silky shine and is known well as The Golden Fiber. It is the cheapest vegetable fiber procured from the skin of the plant's stem. Jute is the second most important vegetable fiber after cotton, in terms of usage, global consumption, production, and availability. It has high tensile strength, low extensibility, and ensures better breath ability of fabrics. Jute fiber is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable and thus environmentally friendly.It is one of the most versatile natural fibers that have been used in raw materials for packaging, textiles, non-textile, construction, and agricultural sectors. It helps to make best quality industrial yarn, fabric, net, and sacks. Jute, the golden fiber, is the raw material for one of  Bangladesh’s oldest industries. The first jute mill started production in Bengal in 1856. After more than 150 years; the jute industry is now challenged by competition from altern ative materials, by the recession in the international markets and by low awareness among consumers of the versatile, eco-friendly nature of jute fabric itself.Yet this industry still provides a livelihood to more than 250,000 mill workers and more than 4 million farmers’ families. It is a golden bond with the Earth; its use is a statement about ecological awareness as it is a fully bio-degradable and eco-friendly fiber. It comes from the earth, it helps the earth and once its life is done it merges back into the earth. Advantages of jute include good insulating and antistatic properties, as well as having low thermal conductivity and moderate moisture regain.It includes acoustic insulating properties and manufacture with no skin irritations. Jute has the ability to be blended with other fibers, both synthetic and natural, and accepts cellulosic dye classes such as natural, basic, vat, sulfur, reactive, and pigment dyes. While jute is being replaced by relatively cheap synthe tic materials in many uses, but  jute’s biodegradable nature is suitable for the storage of food materials, where synthetics would be unsuitable. 1. Report Background One of the unavoidable aspects of modern business studies is exposure to the practical experiences.As a part of the BBA program requirement, I was assigned by my honorable course instructor Prof. Dr. Nargis Akhter to prepare a Project Work on â€Å"The History of Jute Industries† to fulfill the requirement of 3 credit course, Course Code: BUS 498. It endowed me with the opportunities to experience the real life exposure to the Jute sectors of Bangladesh. 2. Methodology In order to prepare the project report I use both secondary and primary data. For primary data I talked to some employees of BJMC and BJMA over phone and face to face.I also crosschecked the information found over the internet by some people. For secondary data, I used the vast knowledge of internet, the websites of different research org anizations, different news websites and different article found in the internet. 3. Scope & Limitations For this report, I used graphs, chart, tables etc to show necessary information. Firstly, the history of jute industry in the Indian subcontinent has been described elaborately. The history is divided into four parts such as, Ancient Period, Pre-colonial period, post colonial period, after nationalization.The production, sales, contribution of jute industries in Bangladeshi economy, present condition, labor unrest, industrial relations situations etc. are discussed afterwards. Finally I have sum up by some recommendations and showing my findings and analysis. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2. Literature Review The paper titled â€Å"Jute Manufacturing Sector of Bangladesh; Challenges, Opportunities and Policy Options†, written by Khondokar Golam Moazzem, MD. Tariqur Rahman, Abdus Sobhan, is all about production and sales of jute mills, prospects of jute mills features and cha llenges faced by the jute mills of Bangladesh [1].News published in ‘Financial Express† is about the demand fulfilled by the jute industries, the ill management of jute industries and the present management situation of jute industries in Bangladesh [2]. An article published in Business Standard in 31 December 2009 written by the staff reporter Bhubaneswar which says that Jute industries of India seeks ban on imports of Bangladeshi jute goods for positive success of their own jute goods[3]. The article says the news about 48 hour strike held in state owned jute mills.The workers called the strike along with the trade union members for their right of increased wages and other arrears [4]. Information from the website gives a thorough idea about the earlier history of jute industries in Bangladesh [5]. The website provides jute related news about Bangladeshi jute industries. It consists of the news of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012[6]. On 18 March 2012, workers threaten to go o n strike, a report by Arafat Ara published in Financial express [7]. Government targets to double the production within 2011-12[8].While writing on â€Å"history of jute industries† some authentic information were found in the cited website [9]. Some valuable information about the history of jute industries in the Indian subcontinent were found in the website of ‘jute industries’ [10]. †Jute Dilemma† an article by Khalid Rab published in 20th Anniversary supplement of The Daily Star newspaper on March24, 2011 Thursday that talked about the dissatisfactory performance of the jute sector [11]. Chapter 3: Findings 3. 0. History of Jute Industries 3. 1. Jute in Ancient Time (Pre-Colonial Period)Jute has been used since ancient times in Africa and Asia to provide cordage and weaving fiber from the stem and food from the leaves. In several historical documents ( Ain-e-Akbari by Abul Fazal in 1590) during the era of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar   (1542 à ¢â‚¬â€œ1605) states that the poor villagers of India used to wear clothes made of jute. Simple handlooms and hand spinning wheels were used by the weavers, who used to spin cotton yarns as well. History also states that Indians, especially Bengalis, used ropes and twines made of white jute from ancient times for household and other uses.Chinese papermakers from very ancient times had selected almost all the kinds of plants as hemp, silk, jute, cotton etc. for  papermaking. Qiu Shiyu, researcher of the Harbin Academy of  Sciences and expert of Jin history, concluded that Jews used to take part in the work of designing â€Å"jiaozi,†Ã‚  made of coarse jute paper. A small, piece of jute paper with Chinese characters written on it has been discovered in Dunhuang in Gansu Province, in northwest China. It is believed it was produced during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). 3. 2. Colonial PeriodThe British East India Company was the British Empire Authority delegat ed in India from the 17th century to the middle of 20th century. The company was the first Jute trader. The company traded mainly in raw jute during the 19th century. During the start of the 20th century, the company started trading raw jute with Dundee’s Jute Industry. This company had monopolistic access to this trade during that time. In 1793, the East India Company exported the first  consignment of jute. This first shipment, 100 tons, was followed by additional  shipments at irregular intervals.Eventually, a consignment found its way to  Dundee, Scotland where the flax spinners were anxious to learn whether jute  could be processed mechanically. During the same period, the Scotlanders were experimenting on whether jute fiber can be mechanically processed. 1830 is the year when the flax machines were used by Dundee spinners for spinning jute yarns. Since Dundee mill was the only supplier of jute, the use of flax machine ultimately led to increase in production and export of jute products in entire continent. Margaret Donnelly I was a jute mill landowner in Dundee in the 1800s.She set up the first jute mills in India. The Entrepreneurs of the Dundee Jute Industry in Scotland were called The Jute Barons. Starting in the 1830's,  the Dundee  spinners learned how to spin jute yarn by modifying their power-driven flax  machinery. The rise of the jute industry in Dundee saw a corresponding increase in the  production and export of raw jute from the Indian sub-continent which was  the sole supplier of this primary commodity. The major jute growing areas were mainly in Bengal at the Kolkata side. Calcutta (now Kolkata) had the  raw material close by as the jute growing areas were mainly in Bengal.There  was an abundant supply of labor, ample coal for power, and the city was ideally  situated for shipping to world markets. The first jute mill was established at  Rishra, on the River Hooghly near Calcutta in 1855 when Mr. George Aucl and  brought jute spinning machinery from Dundee. Four years later, the first power  driven weaving factory was set up. Although Bengal, particularly Eastern Bengal, was the main producer of quality raw jute, the first jute mill was established at Risraw near calcutta on the bank of the hughli only in 1855, after 20 years of mechanical spinning of jute in Dundee.The delay was due to the non-availability of technical hands and power to drive machines. In 1854, coal mines were opened at Raniganj. Attracted by the easy availability of power, George Aucland, an Englishman established the first jute mill. But he could not make reasonable profits and left the business. In 1859, the Bornee Company founded the second mill with spinning and weaving facilities. Unlike the Aucland mill, it started prospering after its establishment. Figure 1 Dundee Jute Mill in Scotland. The Entrepreneurs of the DundeeJute Industry in Scotland were called The Jute Barons. Figure 2 Dundee Jute Mill in Scotl and. In 1833, Jute fibre was spun mechanically in Dundee, Scotland. Within five years it doubled its plant size. By 1866, three new mills were established. Between 1868 and 1873, these mills made large profits. Five new companies started in 1874 and eight more in 1875. Thus Bengal experienced a real boom in jute industry towards the end of the nineteenth century. With the establishment of jute mills, Bengal became a major exporter of sacking bags.Calcutta appeared to be a strong competitor of Dundee and successfully penetrated into Dundee's hessian market in many parts of the world, including America, primarily because Calcutta had the cost advantage in producing jute goods. Secondly, it was situated in close proximity to the jute growing districts of Eastern Bengal and Assam. Thirdly, it had cheap labour. Fourthly, the mills ran for 15 to 16 hours, and sometimes even for 22 hours daily. This led to a clear advantage of Calcutta manufacturers in monetary terms. Moreover, they could offer a finer quality of jute.In sixty years between 1880 and 1940, the number of mills increased by 5 times, that of looms by about 14 times, of spindles by 19 times, and of persons employed by 11 times. The growth of the industry was significant during the 20 years between 1900 and 1920. During the Great Depression of 1929-33, the jute industry was severely hit since the demand for jute goods declined drastically throughout the world. In the following three decades, the jute industry in India enjoyed even more  remarkable expansion, rising to commanding leadership by 1939 with a total of  68,377 looms, concentrated mainly on the River Hooghly near Calcutta.These  mills alone have proved able to supply the world demand. Several historical events were responsible for the growth of the jute industry. In 1838, the Dutch government specified bags made of jute instead of flax for carrying coffee from the East Indies. At that time flax was imported from Russia. But the Crimean War of 1854-56 led to the stoppage of supply of flax from Russia and forced Dundee, the famous jute manufacturing centre of UK, to look for substitutes.In Dundee the flax mills were converted into jute mills. The American Civil War (1861-65), on the other hand, gave further impetus to the jute trade, as supplies of American cotton were much restricted. Since then, the industry did not return to flax or cotton again. The main reason for this permanent shift had been its comparative cost advantage. The jute industry grew rapidly and jute mills were established in many countries, including USA, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Holland, Spain, Russia, Brazil and Bengal.This led to a rapid increase in the demand for jute. The Bengali peasants responded quickly to][ meet the world demand by increasing the area under jute cultivation. The outbreak of the First World War led to a rapid increase in the demand for raw jute, since it was used to manufacture sandbags to protect soldiers in trenches and to produce gunny bags for carrying food grain for the army. Inevitably, the price of jute also rose sharply. Table 1 Growth of jute industry in Bengal, 1879-1939 Year |Mills |Looms |Spindles |Employment | |1879-80 |22 |5,000 |71,000 |27,000 | |1900-01 |36 |16,100 |331,400 |114,800 | |1920-21 |77 |41,600 |869,900 |288,400 | |1938-39 |110 |69,000 |13,70,000 |299,000 |Before it was put to industrial use, jute was used mostly for domestic purposes. With the conversion of the Dundee flax mills into jute processing mills, the demand for jute increased manifold in the world. Bengali peasants were highly experienced in jute cultivation and could respond quickly to meeting this increased demand. In 1872, when industrial use of jute had begun, it was mainly grown in the districts of pabna, bogra, darjeeling, dinajpur, rangpur and Hughli (West Bengal). The ratio of land under jute cultivation to total cropped land in these districts in 1872 was 14%, 11%, 9%, 7%, 6% and 5% respect ively.Subsequently, jute cultivation spread to other districts. In 1914, leading districts in terms of the above ratio were Rangpur (28%,) Bogra (25%), Tippera (comilla, 24%), Pabna (21%), Dhaka (18%), Faridpur (16%), Hughli (West Bengal, 13%), Rajshahi (11%), Jessore (10%), Nadia (10%), and Dinajpur (7%). After the end of the First World War in 1918, the world demand for raw jute decreased. This had a negative impact on the area under jute cultivation. The situation worsened for jute cultivation during the Great Depression of 1929-33. The prices sank so low that jute growing became unprofitable.As a result, peasants greatly reduced their area under jute cultivation. By 1939, economic recovery took place. The breaking out of the Second World War caused an increase in the demand for jute and between 1939 and 1945; peasants put more areas under jute cultivation. The earliest goods woven of jute in Dundee were coarse bagging  materials. With  longer experience, however, finer fabri cs called burlap, or hessian as it is  known in India, were produced. This superior cloth met a ready sale and,  eventually, the Indian Jute Mills began to turn out these fabrics.The natural advantage these mills enjoyed soon gave Calcutta world leadership in   burlap and bagging materials and the mills in Dundee and other countries turned  to specialties, a great variety of which were developed. 3. 3. Post-Colonial Period After the fall of British Empire in India during 1947, it was found that all jute mills of the region fell in West Bengal, which became a part of India and all major jute growing districts became part of East Bengal, a province of Pakistan. Because it had no jute mills, East Bengal faced problems in marketing of raw jute.The problem was, however, quickly overcome by establishing jute mills in East Bengal. During that time, most of the Jute  Barons started to evacuate India, leaving behind the industrial setup of the Jute Industry. Most of the jute mills in India were taken over by the Marwaris businessmen. In East Pakistan after partition in 1947 lacked a Jute Industry but  had the finest jute fiber stock. As the tension started to rise between Pakistan and India, the Pakistani felt the need to setup their own Jute Industry.Several groups of Pakistani families (mainly from West Pakistan) came into the jute business by setting up several jute mills in  Narayanganj of then East Pakistan, the most significant ones are: Bawanis, Adamjees,  Ispahanis and Dauds. 3. 4. After Nationalization After the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971,  most of the Pakistani owned Jute Mills were taken over by the government of Bangladesh. Pakistani mill owners (about 68% of the total loom strength) left the country, leaving the industry in disarray. Abandoned jute mills were subject to heavy looting.The new government of Bangladesh had to take up the responsibility of rebuilding the industry. By a nationalization order, about 85% of i ndustries, including all jute mills, were nationalized. Later, to control these Jute mils in Bangladesh, the government built up Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC). Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) was formed to manage and look after all the 73 jute mills having 23,836 looms at that time. At one stage the number of jute mills under the jurisdiction of BJMC went up to 78. BJMC had to resurrect the industry from a ruined position.Immediately after liberation, it became very difficult to solve problem of financial hardship of the jute industry because financial institutions were not working well. Frequent power failures and power stoppages also compelled the industry to suffer heavy losses in terms of production and foreign exchange earnings. In addition to these problems, the short supply of spares, labor unrest, wastage in production etc. also shook the industry severely. For jute industry of Bangladesh, the first two years after liberation was the period of reorganizat ion.The government offered cash subsidy to the industry, which amounted to Tk 200 million annually. The annual cash subsidy was reduced to 100 million since 1976-77. Thanks to this policy and periodic devaluation of currency, Bangladesh could retain its position of a prime exporter of jute goods in the dollar areas of export. The industry earned profit in 1979-80, when the subsidy was withdrawn. By December 1979, BJMC had 77 jute mills, two carpet backing mills, and two spare parts producing units. In 1980, six twine mills were disinvested to the private sector.In June 1981, BJMC had 74 mills under its administration. These mills had about 165,000 workers and 27,000 managerial and office staff. 3. 5. Denationalization Denationalization of jute mills started in July 1982. The government ordered BJMC to complete the process by 16 December 1982, but only 10 mills could be handed over to Bangladeshi owners by that time. The valuation process and settlement of other organizational matte rs relating to handing over of the mills took a long time.Among the jute mills owned by BJMC, 46 had satisfactory financial performance in 1982-83, when their profit before contribution to national exchequer was about Tk 240 million. The same mills incurred total losses of about Tk 430 million in the previous year. Jute mills incurred losses regularly over years and external donor agencies pressed hard for denationalization. More and more mills were put into the denationalization list. In 1999, BJMC had 33 mills. The World Bank continued to work closely with the government to restructure the jute sector, especially through denationalization, merger, dissolution, closure and setting up of new units.By 1998, BJMC had an accumulated loss of more than Tk 28 billion and a debt of more than Tk 11 billion. Losses incurred by BJMC in 1997-98 were Tk 2. 38 billion. Major features of the BJMC mills in that year were: total production capacity – 451,707 tons; looms in operation – 12,350; loom hours – 59. 3 million; production per loom hour – 5. 33 kg; baled production – 312,000 tons; consumption of raw jute – 319,306 tons; local sales – 29,000 tons; export 256,000 tons; value of total sales (including export bonus) – Tk 8. billion; production cost per ton – Tk 30,349; wages paid to workers – Tk 3. 89 billion; and salary paid to employees and executives – Tk 881 million. 3. 6. Performance of private sector The performance of the private sector jute industry is also not encouraging. privatization itself has been a very problematic and slow process. Resistance from workers/employees of the mills and lengthy formalities forced the process to be slow. In 1998, out of forty jute mills in the private sector, three were closed and two laid off. The private sector jute mills run on a very low profile.Up to December 1999, the private sector jute mills have accumulated losses of more than Tk 12 billion. Th e jute spinning mills in Bangladesh export nearly 100% of their production. In 1998, there were 41 spinning mills, which had an annual production capacity of about 195,000 tons. Products of these mills are yarn and twine, which are used the world over, for carpet weaving, wall covering, jute webbing, fabrics for shopping bags, caps, handicrafts, canvas, decorative fabrics, laminated cloth, and safety fuse for explosives.These mills employ about 25,000 people and the employers have their own trade body named Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association. 3. 7. An overall trend of production and sales 3. 7. 1. Trend of production Production trend of the jute manufacturing sector can be broadly categorized into four periods: first phase (1950-1970); second phase (1972-1981); third phase (1982-1990); and fourth phase (1991-onward) (Figure 1). During these four phases, jute manufacturing sector had experienced various changes in policies, and also in the pattern of utilization of jute and jute go ods.In the pre independence period, jute mills were owned by a small number of private entrepreneurs. During this phase, average hessian production was 155,586 metric ton (MT) per year, of which 87 per cent was exported; the comparable figures for sacking were 267,614 MT and 78 per cent respectively. Production reached its peak in 1969, with an output of 5. 74 lakh MT. Due to political instability and damages caused during the year of Liberation in 1971, operations of jute mills were interrupted. Consequently, production declined in 1971 and 1972. Thereafter, production started to increase.In the second phase (1972-1981), government decided to nationalize the jute manufacturing sector, and took control of all the private sector jute mills. During the 1970s, average level of production of hessian was about 165,000 MT, of which 94 percent was exported, while comparable figures for sacking were 225,460 MT and 86 percent respectively. Growth in the production of jute goods between 1960 and 1980 can be attributed to the growth in production of hessian, sacking and carpet backing cloth (CBC) products. Figure 3 Production of different kinds of jute goods, 1960-2006 (Source: BJMC, BJMA and BJSA)Table 2 Periodic trend of jute goods production |Period |Hessian |Sacking |CBC |Yarn/Twine | |Up to 1970 |155,586 |267,614 |23,929 |0 | | |(86. 9) |(78. 2) |(96. 7) |(0. 0) | |1972-80 |165,033 |225,458 |63,578 |1,953 | | |(93. ) |(86. 3) |(95. 5) |(73. 3) | |1981-91 |219,048 |270,556 |80,415 |61,090 | | |(94. 8) |(83. 7) |(97. 0) |(69. 1) | |1992-05 |87,968 |96,839 |39,777 |163,830 | | |(99. 5) |(71. 7) |(89. 7) |(90. ) | Production of yarn/twine accounted for a small share of total production during the 1970s. During the 1980s (third phase), the then government decided to denationalize a number of jute mills in line with the initiative of economic liberalization. A mixed trend is observed in the production of jute goods during this phase, which reached its peak in 1990 with a production of 5. 96 lakh MT. Production of yarn gradually increased in the 1980s. Most importantly, production of hessian and sacking- two major traditional products gradually declined, especially since the late 1980s. Production of CBC declined as well.In the fourth phase (1990-onward), following the suggestions of the World Bank, government started to denationalize a number of other public sector jute mills which resulted in the shutdown of many jute mills as well. However, production of jute goods has not picked up even after adoption of various policy measures. Indeed, production of traditional products such as hessian, sacking and CBC has continued to decline with the exception of growth in the production of yarn and twine. Yarn/twine now accounts for the major portion of jute goods and over time, its production has also been on a steady rise.During 2006, Bangladesh’s share in the global production of jute goods was approximately 18 per cent. 3. 7. 2. Trend of Sales Both public and private sector jute mills sell their products in either the domestic market or the international market. Although overseas export comprised major share of Bangladesh’s jute goods production, domestic sale has been posting a rise, which now accounts for 38 per cent of the total production. Bangladesh is the leading exporter of jute goods in the world and her share in the global market is gradually increasing- which accounted for 60 percent of the global exports in 2006.If export of raw jute is taken into account, total export would reach more than 75 per cent. According to Bangladesh Jute Association (BJA), Bangladesh exports about 25 lakh bales of jute goods which accounted for about 56 per cent of the total raw jute grown in the country. It is worth noting here that Bangladesh and India currently meet more than 90 per cent of the global export demand for jute and jute goods; to compare, this share was 79 per cent in 1970. [pic] Figure 4 Sales in Domestic and Inte rnational market (%) 3. 8. Contribution in Economy The contribution of jute sector to economy of Bangladesh is enormous.Bangladesh holds the 2nd position as a Jute producer in the world with the average production of Jute 1. 08 m ton/Year. More than 85% of world production of Jute is cultivated in the Ganges Delta & having the major portion of it; Bangladesh became the largest producer of Raw Jute or Jute Fiber in the world. For centuries, Bangladeshi Jute had and still has demand in the international market for higher quality fibers. This fact makes Bangladesh the major exporter (80% + market share) of Jute Fiber in the world; while India has nominal dominance over export of Raw Jute Fiber.Total average export earnings from jute and jute goods are US$ 611 million (60 lakh bales)/Year. Average export value of raw jute is US$ 140 million and the numbers of factories are 187. Earnings from jute and jute product exports hit the billion dollars mark for the first time in the country's h istory in 2010. Jute sector is contributing 4. 68 percent in export earning last fiscal year and two per cent increase during 2009-10. This sector has been generating employment to a large segment of total population of the country, directly and indirectly over the years. Bangladesh produces 5. -6. 0 million (55-60 lakh) bales of raw jute every year of which some 3. 2 million (32 lakh) bales are used in the existing 148 jute mills. The country exports 2. 4 million (24 lakh). The total demand for jute goods in the international market is 0. 75 million (7. 50 lakh) tons. Bangladesh exports 0. 46 million (4. 60 lakh) tons of jute goods while India enjoys a share of 0. 285 million (2. 85 lakh) tons in the international market. Dhaka controls 62 per cent share of the total jute goods market of the world and earn Taka 20. 125 billion (2012. 5 crore) by exporting jute goods.Bangladesh is the lone exporter of raw jute. In the year 2006, the country exported 2. 4 million (24 lakh) bales of r aw jute valued at Taka 9. 77 million (977 crore). In total Bangladesh fetched Taka 29. 395 billion (2939. 5 crore) by exporting raw jute and jute goods. There are 50 private jute spinning mills producing jute yarn/twine under Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association (BJSA). The mills under jute spinning sector produce 0. 29 million (2. 90 lakh) tons of jute yarn/twine and export 0. 261 million (2. 61 lakh) m. tons of quality yarn/twine consuming 1. 9 illion (19 lakh) bales of high quality raw jute and earn foreign exchange worth Taka 12 million (1200 crore) per annum. 3. 9. Present Situations It has been recognized that Jute and Allied fibers occupy a unique position as eco-friendly, bio degradable, renewable natural fiber. We should also understand that Jute sector of Bangladesh has made and continues to make significant contribution to the national economy. Apart from its versatile use from domestic area to industry, it protects environment from different ways. All the export earnings from the Jute Industry vis-a-vis Jute sector are net foreign currency earnings.Domestic value additions are exceptionally high. So, a viable Jute Industry would be an ideal type of activity for the economic development of the country. We should always consider that Jute Industry is indigenous one. Jute, of the best quality in the world, is available in Bangladesh. It is one of the few natural resources that the country has and it has provided Bangladesh with a comparative edge in the world trade in jute goods. But, over the past decade, the jute industry has suffered more downs than ups for no fault of its own.It has been allowed to suffer gradual decline mainly due to lack of appropriate policy actions. Jute industry in Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan) was established as export oriented industry with the aim of rapid industrialization. It became the major source of foreign currency earnings. The industry was made viable and kept expanding with the Govt. financial assistance on export of jute goods through bonus voucher. After liberation of the country in 1971 and nationalization of the Industry in 1972, such financial assistance to Jute Industry was withdrawn and the Industry started incurring losses.On the other hand, the newly established BJMC had to concentrate mainly on rehabilitation of the war torn Jute Industry and expand the world export market share which was taken by the competitors during war of liberation. At the initial stage Bangladesh Jute Industry i. e. BJMC had to face serious problems to recover the lost market. By the untiring efforts to improve the management, production and export, the Industry i. e. BJMC started achieving positive results from 1973-74 with the production of 500 thousand tons and export of 445 thousand tons from 320 thousand tons and 225 thousand tons respectively of 1971-72.With help of pie chart the result can be shown in the following. [pic] Figure 5 Bangladesh Export in Major Products during 1972-73 In 1977-78 BJ MC could achieve an export of 531 thousand tons, mainly traditional products (hession, sacking & CBC) against the previous highest export of 506 thousand tons in 1969-70. In 1980-81 Jute Industry could achieve highest production of 590 thousand tons exceeding the production of 1969-70. In 1981-82, the Jute Industry again could break the export record of 1969-70, exporting around 537 thousand tons against production of 586 thousand tons.Large scale denationalization started in 1982-83. But, private sector jute mills could not perform the way it was expected for many reasons. As a result, performance of the overall Jute industry started deteriorating gradually from 570 thousand tons (production) and 514 thousand tons (export) in 1982-83 to 286 thousand tons (production) and 192 thousand tons (export) in 2003-04. It is seen in the figure below more clearly. [pic] Figure 6 Bangladesh Export in Major Products during 1993-94 During Eighties the new jute yarn/twine mills came into the pict ure and expanded gradually.It could increase export of yarn/twine from 28 thousand tons in 1983-84 to around 380 thousand tons in 2009-10. The gradual increase in the production and export of yarn/twine could help increase of overall export of Jute products to nearly 600 thousand tons with the share of only around 200 thousand tons of traditional products i. e. Hessian, sacking & CBC. It may be seen from the figures given below that production and export of BJMC and BJMA mills (mainly traditional products) recorded gradual decline over the years. Table 3 Productions and Export of BJMA and BJMC Mills Year |Production |Export | |1981-82 |587 thousand tons |537 thousand tons | |1991-92 |416 thousand tons |408 thousand tons | |2001-02 |321 thousand tons |257 thousand tons | |2009-10 |302 thousand tons |219thousand tons | Position in current financial year is also not encouraging in BJMC & BJMA mills as may be seen from the table (6months/ July-Dec'10) below. Table 4 Production and Expor t of BJMC & BJMA Mills during July-Dec’10 Types of Mills |Production |Export | |BJMC |78 thousand tons |56 thousand tons | |BJMA |60 thousand tons |37 thousand tons | |Total |138 thousand tons |93 thousand tons | However, the production and export of yarn/twine mills mainly under BJSA (Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association) recorded increase gradually from 50 thousand tons and 28 thousand tons in 1983-84 to 399 thousand tons and 380 thousand tons in 2009-10 respectively. It may be maintained during this financial year also on the basis of its production and export of 227 thousand tons and 193 thousand tons of July-Dec'10.Table given below on the comparative position in production of traditional products reveal that while Bangladesh jute industry is sinking, Indian jute industry is booming. Table 5 Comparative Position of Bangladesh & India in Production of Traditional Products |Years |Bangladesh |India | |1999-2000 |3. 10 lac tons |12. 45 lac tons | |2005-2006 |2. 43 lac tons |13. 42 lac tons | |2009-2010 |2. 54 lac tons |14. 50 lac tons |The present govt. has taken some positive steps to revitalize the Jute Industry, particularly BJMC mills. But, piece meal action will not serve the purpose because, production and export of traditional products, both in BJMC and BJMA (private) mills recorded gradual decline to a frustrating level over the years. A recently-created demand for jute sacks in Thailand has come as a boon for the jute industry in Bangladesh, raising hopes for a recovery in exports that fell 13 percent during July-February of the current fiscal year. Also, India has recently increased import of jute and jute goods after its currency started to gain against the US dollar.According to MD Shamsul Haque, director (marketing) of state-owned Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation that has 21 jute mills running, â€Å"Exports of jute goods to our traditional middle-eastern and African markets have fallen amid political unrest in Libya, Syria, Iraq and o ther countries. But our exports increased in the last three months as we got some new markets, Thailand have emerged as a new market for our jute sacks along with Vietnam. † The market in Thailand has widened after the current Thai-government started buying a huge quantity of rice in jute sacks to fulfill its pledge of providing a guaranteed price to farmers. Bangladesh has received orders for supplying two crore (20 million) pieces of jute sacks from millers in Thailand. Thailand has opened up a new opportunity for Bangladesh. It has come as a blessing as Bangladesh’s stocks were piling up due to a fall in exports.Private jute mills will also be benefited due to the decision of Thailand, which is the largest exporter of rice and forecasts to produce 30 million tons of rice in 2011-12. Thailand needs three million pieces of bags a month to package rice which means around 36 million pieces of sacks will be required a year. According to Mahmudul Haque, managing director o f Janata Jute Mills Ltd, â€Å"Demand for jute sacks is high in Thailand. † He said, as his mill alone could not meet the orders, he tied up with two other mills. Janata ships 3. 2 lakh pieces of jute sacks a month to Thailand, he said. Exporters said the increased demand and higher prices of jute goods will allow them to narrow down the losses in export receipts in the first half of the year.But it may not be possible to offset the past fall and post a positive growth in exports by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2012. Export receipts from the jute industry- the second biggest export earner- fell 13. 66 percent to $615 million in the July-February period of the current fiscal year, from $712 million during the same period last year, according to Export Promotion Bureau. In the following figure, workers carry bundles of jute sacks at a factory in Bogra as, Thailand and Vietnam have emerged as new markets for jute sacks. [pic] Figure 6 Workers carry bundles of jute sack s at a factory in Bogra (source: STAR magazine, March 27, 2012).Total figures are not available readily, it reveals from some of the available figures that export of BJMC in the major importing regions e. g. Australia, America, Middle East, Europe, Africa recorded sharp decline in recent years mainly because of decline in production and absence of effective marketing efforts. Present situation of the industry calls for immediate measures/actions in the following areas: ? The new challenges and opportunities presented by the changing global environment of integration in the development of natural fibers; ? Modernize the jute industry to improve efficiency in production and processing to reduce cost and enhance product quality.With the rise of inescapable competition facing our jute sector, in the international field it should be our endeavor to facilitate upgrading the skills of the Workers, Supervisors and Managerial staff who are employed in the Jute Industry. ? Involve and ensure the active co-operation and partnership of Corporation, Financial Institutions, Energy supplying Agencies and Entrepreneurs in the fulfillment of these objectives. ? Power shortage should be reduced either by power supplying agencies or by setting up generators (gas or diesel) in such mills where it is required. ? The efforts need to be put with all earnestness to bring the efficiency level to at least 80%. ? So far management at the mill level is concerned; it should be linked to productivity and efficiency. Enable the jute industry to build world class state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities in conformity with environmental standards, and for this purpose, to encourage Foreign Direct Investment as well as research and development in the sector. ? Aggressive marketing measures need to be undertaken internationally. Markets like Africa and Middle East should be given top priority to recover the lost market. 3. 10. Major drawbacks Major problems of the jute mills are as follows: †¢ Increase in the cost of production while the sales prices of jute goods remain at the same level or even decline; †¢ Accumulation of huge losses and consequently, of huge debts; †¢ Decline in exports of jute goods; †¢ Electricity failures; †¢ Excessive wastage; †¢ Labor unrest; Poor management that affects productivity and frequent changes in government policies; †¢ High cost of jute goods compared to synthetics led jute goods users to turn to synthetics. Concluding Remarks Before the independence, the country had six jute yarn mills. However, this sector had flourished during the '80s as the industry experienced a setback in the developed countries during the same period. The entrepreneurs of the country bought these second-hand jute mills machineries with a very low investment and started setting up these jute spinning mills. Two types of opinion exist in Bangladesh over the management of existing mills under BJMC. One group is in favor of pri vatization of the xisting state owned jute mills, where another group advocates reorganization/restructuring of BJMC mills. The mills under Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation are exporting 0. 128 million (1. 28 lakh) m. tons of jute goods i. e. Hessian, Sacking and CBC. Mismanagement, corruption, inefficiency and lack of skilled manpower have gripped the BJMC mills. The mills should be run professionally to remain competitive in the open market but that are not practiced in case of BJMC, which is causing hundreds of millions of taka losses to the national exchequer. Time has come to put pragmatic/realistic thought on the jute sector to revive this promising sector. The government should devise plans to bring back the glory of the golden fibre.The demand for environmental friendly jute products are on the rise in the global market and Bangladesh should tap this opportunity by implementing some short-, mid- and long-term plans to rejuvenate the ailing jute sector of Bangladesh. At pres ent it is useless to be nostalgic about old prime era of our jute industry. Now we must formulate a pragmatic short, mid and long-term plan keeping in mind about future needs of jute goods' demand. Instead of remembering past mistakes, we must take lessons out of that and look forward with practical solutions which will bring back viability to our ailing Jute sector. This should be our only prime object. Recommendations Some recommendations are prescribed below to be considered by the government in the greater interest of the jute sector: To revive the glory of the jute industry, a high-powered committee should be constituted comprising the Finance Secretary under the direction of the Chief Adviser. †¢ The government should implement some short-, mid- and long-term proposals in a bid to revive the jute sector. †¢ The exiting jute mills of the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation should be converted into public limited companies keeping some shares in the hands of the governme nt like that of the Bangladesh Biman. The government may create a â€Å"Regulatory Board† to run its existing corporations professionally and efficiently. The Regulatory Body will monitor every unit of the corporation and ensure their accountability. The government should arrange a ‘special fund' to upgrade its existing jute mills to purchase necessary spares for machineries. Under this package the government will provide 50 per cent of the total credit as grants and banks will give rest 50 percent on a long-term credit to jute mills. †¢ Irregular power supply is adversely affecting production of existing jute mills by cutting their competitiveness. The government may ask donor agencies like the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to arrange a ‘special fund' to provide long term loans at 3. 00 per cent interest to the existing jute mills to help them to procure â€Å"stand-by generators†. The use of stand by generators by the jute mill s will help to save electricity at our national grid. Government is giving 7. 5 per cent cash incentives on jute goods exports. To expand the market and increase competitiveness, the rate of cash incentives should be raised to 15 per cent from present rate. †¢ The government should enact a law making mandatory or compulsory to use of jute bags for internal consumption in packaging. To meet requirement of local markets, an initiative is necessary to pack sugar, rice and pulse in 5-10 K. G. jute bags. The use of jute goods in the local market is limited. To increase the use, the government should also make law to use compulsory at least 20 per cent of total sugar and cement packaging with jute bags. The jute industries being an agro based and 100% export-oriented industry, the commercial banks are not implementing the Bangladesh Bank's order to provide export credit at lower interest rate (7%), commercial banks should provide â€Å"Export Cash Credit† to jute mills which t hey give to the leather sector. †¢ Crisis of quality jute seed is a regular phenomenon in the country every year. The total requirement of jute seeds are 4,000/5,000 tons against government supply of only 400-500 tons. To meet local demand, sub-standard Indian seeds enter the Bangladesh market through imports and smuggling. To improve the situation and ensure quality seeds, the government should set up ‘seed bank' to distribute seeds among planters at subsidized rate. †¢ Government should also arrange to provide fertilizer at subsidized rate. Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI) should also take appropriate measures to familiarize their new invention â€Å"retting process† among the farmers. †¢ Lack of skilled manpower has put the industries in grave situation. To overcome the situation at least a ‘jute college' may be arranged to set up at one of the closed BJMC jute mills. To address this situation promptly, government should introduce  "Diploma Course† on jute in the six textile institutes as early as these are under the ministry of textile and jute. The significance of Mongla Port has increased as several hundred industrial units have been set in the southern part of the country recently. The government should initiate necessary steps to expand and develop the Mongla Port. †¢ The government should also take measures to promote and expand international' trade of jute products by maintaining existing markets and by developing of new end users. References 1. http://cpd. org. bd/pub_attach/op78. pdf 2. http://www. thefinancialexpress-bd. com/more. php? news_id=14562 3. http://www. business-standard. com/india/news/jute-industry-seeks-banimportsbangladesh/381205 4. http://www. stoppressbd. com/home/news_details/66948 5. http://www. banglapedia. rg/httpdocs/HT/J_0137. HTM 6. http://www. worldjute. com/jute_bangladesh/bangladesh_jute_news. html 7. http://www. thefinancialexpress-bd. com/more. php? news_id=123 813&date=2012-03-18 8. www. theindependentbd. com/business/finance/30375-govt-targets-to-double-jute-production-in-2011-12. html 9. http://www. worldjute. com/about_jute/juthist. html 10. www. jute-industry. com/history-of-jute. html 11. http://www. thedailystar. net/suppliments/2011/anniversary/part4/pg7. htm 12. http://www. bangladeshembassyinitaly. com/bangladesh. php 13. http://www. experiencebangladesh. com/bangladesh-business-jute. php 14. http://bangladesheconomy. wordpress. com/category/jute/