Friday, September 6, 2019

Honest Iago Essay Example for Free

Honest Iago Essay Iago is the most unique villain of Shakespeare There has been a lot of controversy about his motives and he has been considered as an incarnation of the devil. At the same time, Iago is one of the most brilliant Shakespearean characters although Shakespeare uses his cunningness only for diabolical purposes. He has can rightly be called an atheist of human nature and a stealthy corrupter of human piety, a fearless disturber of domestic peace and an unbeliever in and denier of anything spiritual. This is interesting to note that all characters in the play, except for Roderigo (to whom he sometimes shows his real face) have a high opinion of Iago and refer to him as â€Å"honest Iago†. He uses this high oestimation of him by these major characters to befool them. The Mutual relationship between Iago and Othello is of trust and reliance on the part of Othello but it is conniving and devious on the part of Iago. Iago has same relationship with Cassio. Cassio is also deceived by the seeming virtue of Iago and actually believes that ensign is a kind-hearted man. But at the same time is a rival to Iago in the royal court. Another facets of his relationship with Othello and Cassio is that he (Iago) lives the part of a blurt outspoken plain fellow who is always prepared to say what he really thinks without caring for the effect it may have on others. Othello is shown as a trustful and thorough in his trust for Iago. Although when Iago starts working on him, he suspects him and asks for evidence, yet from the beginning of the play, he seems to have put entire confidence in the honesty of Iago, who had not been his companions in arms. This confidence is misplaced but it is no sign of stupidity in Othello. He does not have a distinctive fear of him. We find this even before Iago has set a trap for him. Othello fears the monster â€Å"too hideous to be shown† that he discerns about Iago’s thoughts. This manifests a strange relationship based on paradoxical feelings. It is of confidence, trust and fear. But latter events show that Othello’s trust in Iago overpowers the instinctive fear. This happens due to Othello’s non-meditative nature. He does not contemplate over issues and does not weigh their motive and consequences. And this is the thing that helps Iago to get control over Othello. A. C. Bradley rightly says in this regard; The sources of danger in this character are revealed but too clearly by the story. In the first place, Othellos mind, for all its poetry, is very simple. He is not observant. His nature tends outward. He is quite free from introspection, and is not given to reflection. Emotion excites his imagination, but it confuses and dulls his intellect. On this side he is the very opposite of Hamlet, with whom, however, he shares a great openness and trustfulness of nature. In addition, he has little experience of the corrupt products of civilised life, and is ignorant of European women. (p. 217) Relationship between Iago and Cassio exists and develops on the same lines as that of Othello’s. Cassio has a high opinion of Iago and considers him an unmatched person in Florence but Iago’s opinion of him is prejudiced and biased. Iago dismisses Cassio as a mere theorist and not a practical warrior. In their mutual relationship Cassio’s genuine honesty is contrasted with Iago’s seeming honesty. We are never certain that we understand why Iago commits his evil deeds. Coleridge calls his evilness as â€Å"motiveless malignity† (315) there is no doubt that he is throughout an artist in villainy. There is no mystery in the psychology of Iago and the key to Iago’s motives may lie in the composition of his character. One of the noticeable traits in his character is keen sense of superiority and contempt for others. There also the annoyance of having always to play a part, the enjoyment of the action and the absence of fear. Iago’s sense of superiority has been thwarted and it needs satisfaction. The fullest satisfaction, it could find would, no doubt, be in the consciousness to take revenge from those who are so successful and popular. In addition to his strong desire to satisfy his sense of power, there are also certain other forces which drive him on. One of these is a pleasure in action very difficult and perilous. This action and pleasure lends him artistry in the art of being spiteful against other. All these characteristics if nature and his disposition play a part in making him a great villain of Shakespeare. These motives appear and disappear in the most extraordinary manner. Resentment as Cassio’s appointment is expressed in the first conversation with Roderigo, and from that moment is never once mentioned again in the whole play. Hatred of Othello is expressed in the first act only. Desire to get Cassio’s place scarcely appears after the first soliloquy, and when it is gratified Iago does not refer to it by a single word. The suspicion’s of Cassio’s intrigues with Emilia emerges suddenly as an afterthought. Iago’s love of Desdemona is alluded to in the second soliloquy; there is not the faintest trace of it in word or deed either before or after. The mention of jealousy of Othello is followed by declarations that Othello is infatuated about Desdemona and is of a constant nature, and during Othello’s suffering Iago never shows a sign of the idea that he is now paying his rival in his own coin. In the second soliloquy he declares that he quite believes Cassio t0o be in love with Desdemona; it is obvious that he believes no such thing, for he never alludes to the idea again, and within a few hours, he describes Cassio as an honest fool. All these motives have strange paradoxical characteristics in them but it could not have been coincidence that Shakespeare has attributed so many motives to Iago. All these motives manifest the intricate nature of Iago’s characters and disposition. In addition to a man of action, Iago also seems to be something of an artist who takes delight in undertaking a complicated task in a meticulous manner. The action he starts and works out is intricate. We get an impression that at some stage, the action Iago initiates remain no longer within his control and power but rather becomes his master. It is as he was fated to do what he does. Works Cited Bradley, A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth. 2nd ed. London: Macmillan, 1905. Colderidge, Samuel Taylor. Lectures 1808-1819 On Literature. Ed. R. A. Foakes. Volume 2. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1987. Shakespeare, William. Othello. New York: Penguin Books. 1993.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Harm Reduction and Abstinence Based Treatments

Harm Reduction and Abstinence Based Treatments This essay will be constructed into four parts, harm reduction, abstinence based reatments, substance misuse and recovery. There will be a discussion on the history of harm reduction and what harm reduction is in the substance misuse field, for example problematic or harmful behaviour that is caused to the individual or others either socially, psychologically, physically or legally brought on by substance misuse. Secondly an explanation on abstinence based treatments, what they are and what the relationship is between them and harm reduction. Thirdly referring to recovery and what it means in the substance misuse field and what the implications are for the service users. Last but not means least a discussion about the two different approaches and how it impacts on the service user. To conclude a summary of the main points will be made. (136 Harm reduction pilot schemes started back in the 1980s and were a response to reduce the risk associated with harm caused by alcohol problems and injecting drug use, in response to the HIV and AIDS prevention strategy. Harm reduction is a process and not a treatment and should be integrated with other forms of intervention, it reduces the negative consequences of drug use. It is about educating the individuals, carers, partners and family members about the risks involved with their drug use and helping them take responsibility and learn to accept it rather than to ignore it. Most harm reduction interventions are aimed at preventing diseases due to blood- borne viruses (BBV) as well as overdose and other drug related deaths (Tatarsky Marlatt 2010). Harm reduction services include needle exchange services methadone and buprenorphine programmes. Needle exchange provides services where the users have the opportunity to dispose of their old needles, syringes and spoons for example. Moreo ver they will also receive advice and support on safer injecting, reducing injecting and prevention of overdose, they will receive a pack which contains clean injecting equipment to take away, reducing the risk of them sharing equipment with others (NTA 2006). Substitute prescribing such as methadone and buprenorphine programmes, buprenorphine and methadone are licensed for use in opioid dependence where methadone is dispensed in liquid form and buprenorphine is administered by tablet form sublingually (Connock, Juarez-Garcia Jowett, et al 2007). (236) Abstinence based treatment Abstinence means refraining from an activity which is known to be harmful and addictive or reducing this activity with the ultimate goal of being abstinent (McKeganey et al 2006). Doing this involves not taking a particular substance, avoiding areas where this is likely to be on offer or adopting a healthier lifestyle. Abstaining can be difficult to do especially when the substance has been part of their life for so long, this is where the individual has to look at healthier ways to deal with their substance use. This can include a range of abstinence based treatments to help the individuals with alcohol or drug such as Non-drug interventions the twelve step programme (self help) and Psychosocial interventions such as motivational interviewing or CBT. The twelve step programme is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioural problems, it was originally proposed by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a method of recover y from alcoholism. Motivational Interviewing is usually offered to achieve and maintain abstinence, it was originally used with problem drinkers but has also been applied to the treatment of illicit drug misuse (Raistrick et al 2006). There are several Pharmacological interventions available to treat alcohol dependence which are disulfiram, acamprosate and naltrexone. These all work in different ways Disulfiram is used for individuals who wish to abstain altogether, if taken with alcohol it can cause some very unpleasant effects; vomiting, headache, palpitations and breathlessness. Acamprosate and naltrexone are an anti-craving drugs used in the maintenance of abstinence (SIGN 2003). However there is an increased risk of overdose or death due to a relapse after a period of abstinence as tolerance levels will have changed to that particular substance (REF). (288) Substance misuse Substance misuse is defined as the use of a substance for a purpose not consistent with legal or medical guidelines (WHO, 2006). It is a misuse of all psycho-active substances including illicit drugs, non-prescribed pharmaceutical preparations and alcohol misuse. People use substances because it makes them feel good, feel different and makes them more sociable. Using substances only becomes misuse when a problem arises such as it having a negative impact on health or functioning and may take the form of drug dependence causing problematic or harmful behaviour to the individual or others either socially, psychologically, physically or legally. (99) Recovery The Recovery Model as it applies to mental health is an approach to mental disorder or substance dependence that emphasises and supports each individuals potential for recovery. Recovery is seen within the model as a personal journey, that may involve developing hope, a secure base and sense of self, supportive relationships, empowerment, social inclusion, coping skills, and meaning. For someone who misuses substances recovery may not be about being totally abstinent it may simply mean still using drugs but in a safe way, for instance having clean works for injecting or substitute prescribing for opioid misuse. Recovery principles bring about the change in the way a service user thinks and aims to produce a change in behaviour, however before these changes can only happen if the person is ready to change, ambivalence may be experienced by the service user and this can affect motivation on a daily basis. Motivational interviewing techniques go hand in hand with the harm reduction mode l as one of the key factors with motivational interviewing is dealing with ambivalence. Prochaska and DiClemente 1983 provide a framework to understand the change process it was originally created to help understand what individuals go through in changing their behavior. it uses 5 principles, precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance (Hansen et al 2008). Service users with little or no motivation and who are not engaging in any attempts to change are seen as being in the pre-contemplation stage as they do not see their behaviour as a problem and there is no need to change it, this could be due to an attempt to change in the past without success and may feel demoralised so may become resistant to change. It is important to engage service users at this stage and build a trusting rapport so that in the future they will be able to turn to the practitioner for help. The contemplation stage is when a person acknowledges that they may have a problem and work towa rds developing motivation to change but could become ambivalent, engaging with the service user in discussion about their ambivalence is the goal at this stage getting them to think about what their problem is and how it is affecting them. Individuals in the preparation stage may want to change and have a plan but need help to do so, the reason individuals may seek treatment could be that their problem is having negative effects on life for example, criminality or job loss. The action stage comes next this is where the service user is actively setting goals to change and will be developing skills to do so, supporting the service user in making these goals achievable are key here, goals need to be small and achievable to the service user. In the maintenance stage the service user sustains changes in behaviour and works towards preventing relapse by identifying the supports around them, at this stage the service user may decide to make long term goals and problem solve how to best acc omplish them. Prochaska and DiClemente 1983 describe a sixth stage and it is the relapse stage the service user reverts to the behaviour they were trying to change, the practitioner should provide support for the individual in a non-judgemental way as they may be feeling ashamed and guilty for relapsing, re-evaluate the stage of change the individual is at explore the relapse episode trying to discover if the relapse was shorter or longer than previous relapses and were they able to reduce their use, this may be an opportunity for the service user and practitioner to work on other relapse prevention techniques. (Prochaska Diclemente 1983). However service users may move back and forth between the stages. This does not represent failure, but rather the nonlinear nature of the model. Recovery is about making the best out of their life and having quality of life and as nurses we should provide support and advice to achieve their goals (Network 26 2009). (660) Both the abstinence model and the harm reduction model have similar goals. The goal in this case is to create a better quality of life for the person receiving the service. Harm reduction approaches are often perceived to be the opposite of abstinence based approaches to drug use and sometimes even as condoning drug use. This is not the case, harm reduction complements abstinence based drug treatment approaches by providing Injecting drug users with the knowledge and tools to stay healthy and alive until they are able or willing to achieve abstinence. Abstinence remains the most effective way of reducing the negative consequences of drug use. For injecting drug users who are unable to remain abstinent, harm reduction measures such as methadone maintenance treatment and needle and syringe programs are ways to reduce negative consequences. For example the abstinence approach to caring for an individual who uses heroin and has HIV service users would find that they would be encouraged t o stop using heroin completely and to abstain from sex. While with the harm reduction programme the individual may be taught how to use heroin more safely i.e. clean needles and spoons and other paraphernalia or to substitute methadone for heroin and to practice safer sex. It can be argued that because abstinence based services were not providing HIV education and preventive tools such as condoms and syringes, individuals using these services would remain unaware of the risks of HIV and how to protect themselves from it. (247) Conclusion In conclusion, the integration of harm reduction and abstinence based treatment is more powerful than either model separately. The abstinence goal provides more room for the more abstract harm reduction work to occur. The accepting atmosphere of harm reduction with the addition of the clarity of the goal of abstinence promote patient retention better than either separately. The implications of this integration is that harm reduction can be more accepted and powerful in the public sector. It is important to look at the wider context of why people use drugs. Taking away a coping mechanism from a drug user may do more harm than good unless the core issues that led to drug use are dealt with in the first, hence the reason the motivational interviewing approach is more empowering for the service user (134

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Macroeconomic Analysis Of South Africa

Macroeconomic Analysis Of South Africa Introduction The financial crisis, in fact, affects the global world since 2008. There is high inflation, increasing unemployment rate, low export, decreasing GDP and so on. In every country as well as in South Africa that also faces the macroeconomic problems, representing by the falling of the output, high inflation, and the microeconomic problems also affect to the economic market. Therefore, the objective of this report is to analyze and focus on the macroeconomic environment and formulate a strategy in responding to the Economic crisis in South Africa. The reason to know and analyze the macroeconomic in a country is, because the microeconomic, institutional changes are unlikely to be implemented if the economy is in a state of macroeconomic chaos-plummeting widespread unemployment and hyperinflation. Macroeconomic stabilization must and can precede the more fundamental microeconomic, institutional transformation. Macroeconomics in terms of business is dealing with the performance, structure and the behavior of national or regional economy as a whole. It is also a study about GDP, unemployment rates, national income, output, inflation, savings, investment, international trade and economic growth. Macroeconomic Background South Africa Located in base of the continent of Africa, South Africa is a diverse nation with an appealing mix of people, culture, faith and languages. Despite the people, South Africas physical state also has its own distinctive features. It has its own unique geological formations that aids in producing the mountains, plains and coasts. South Africa also has large amount of fertile land. Furthermore, a more extraordinary feature about South Africa is that it is home to the rarest species of wildlife and plant life. The nation has a total area of 1, 127 200 square kilometers and it is divided in four provinces, which are the Cape Province, the Transvaal, the Orange Free State and Natal. Being located in a subtropical area, South African generally enjoys warm weather all year round. Naturally, being located in Southern Hemisphere, winter is experienced during June and summer is experienced in December. Demographic South Africa has a population of 49 billion people (2009). It has particular demographic due to the heterogeneity in population base, apartheid, ethnic groups and emigration Table: Population % (Wikipedia, 2010) Basically the black people theyre the ethnic group like Zulu, Xhosa as well as immigrant form the other parts of Africa (mostly from Nigeria and Zimbabwe). The whites theyre the descendants of French, British or German settlers whom arrived to Cape Town from the late of 17th century. Some of them are from immigrants from Europe and Portuguese colonies left over. Coloureds are the descendants of earliest settlers, their slaves and indigenous people. The last part of racial population can be counted as Indian or Asian (Chinese) Table: Age structure % (Wikipedia, 2010) The average total fertility rate from 2001s to 2009s is 2.41 children born per woman. So thats why each family in South Africa usually has more than 2 children In the country they have around 11 official languages, the most spoken language of black people is 30.1% speak Zulu, 22.3% speak Xhosa while most the white residents speak Afrikaans at home (59.1%), 39.3 speak Englishà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Wikipedia, Demographics of South Africa, 2010) Political situation South Africa has multi-party system where the President Jacob Zuma is the head of government and the parliament. The African National Congress is the ruling party in the national legislature, which received 65.9% of the votes during the 2009 general elections and has 74.25% of total seats in the parliament. Democratic Alliance is the second major party that received only 16.66% of the votes and has 11.75% of total seats. All the other parties represent less than 20 %. From this huge gap between the ruling party and the democrats we can see that political situation is stable and will stay like that in near future. (Parliament monitoring group 2009); (Number of Political Party Seats: National Assembly May 2009 | Parliamentary Monitoring Group | Parliament of South Africa monitored) Laws regulations South Africa has progressive legal framework. The legal system is based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law. Commerce and labour legislation is well developed while laws relating to competition policy, copyright, patents, trademarks and disputes conform to international norms and conventions. South African commercial laws and company laws are similar to the laws of the United Kingdom. Sanctity of contract is protected under common law, and independent courts ensure respect for commercial rights and obligations. The independence of the judiciary is guaranteed by the Constitution. South Africas financial systems are sophisticated, robust and well regulated. Banking regulations rank with the best in the world, while the sector has long been rated among the top 10 globally. Foreign banks are well represented and electronic banking facilities are extensive. (South Africa info 2008); (South Africa: open for business SouthAfrica.info) South Africas economy South Africa is one of the most stable economies in the Arican continent. Its a middle-income country, emerging market with rich supply of natural resources. The country has fully developed infrastructure supporting efficient distribution of goods throughout the southern African region ,with well-developed financial, legal, energy, communications, a stock exchange ranked among the top 20 in the world. The primary sector, based on manufacturing, services, mining, and agriculture is well developed. Economic growth was strong from 2004 to 2008 due to macroeconomic stability and a global commodities boom. Because of world financial crisis in the second half of 2008 economy began to slow down. GDP was growing 5.1 % in 2007 and 3.1 % in 2008. In 2009 it fell nearly 2 %. Unemployment is high (24 % in 2009). Daunting economic problems remain like poverty (47 % in 2009 below poverty line), lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. South African economic policies, which are focused on controlling inflation and attaining budget surplus, are efficient. Inflation rate in 2009 was 7.2 %. To welcome the foreign investment in South Africa, the government has made it clearly by investor- friendly policies. Corporate tax is 29%. VAT on hotels and retirement hostels are charged at 8.4%. South Africa has a huge potential as an investment destination, offering the first world developed infrastructure with a vital emerging market economy. It is also one of the most advanced and useful economies in Africa. (CIA World Factbook 2010); (CIA The World Factbook South Africa) Monetary Policy and Exchange Rate Monetary policy can be defined as the measures taken by the monetary authorities to influence the quantity of money or the rate of interest with a view to achieving stable prices, full employment and economic growth. The South African Reserve Bank conducts monetary policy in South Africa. (About SA Economy, 2009) Exchange rate: Rand (ZAR) per US dollar in 2009 (8.54), in 2008 (7.95); (About SA Economy, 2009) As we know the macroeconomic discussion focuses on monetary policies in the country. And any decision of the government can affect the business-cycle changes in output, inflation, exchange rate or employment. South Africa emerged out of a recession in Q3 2009. A pick up in capital inflows and support from expansionary monetary and fiscal policy is contributing towards its recovery: (Euromonitors Economic Review of Emerging Market Economies: January 2010) A rebound in the manufacturing sector and increased government spending on the construction of roads, railways and infrastructure for the 2010 World Cup helped stimulate growth. The manufacturing sector, which accounts for 15 % of GDP expanded by 7.6% over the previous quarter in Q3 2009; The South African rand appreciated to R7.48 per US$ in December 2009 from R9.97 per US$ in the same month of 2008, suggesting a gain of 25.0% in 2009. It has been one of the best performing emerging market currencies in 2009 attracting capital inflows due to rising liquidity and commodity prices. Nonetheless, this limits the recovery process as a stronger rand weakens exports. So far, the government has not intervened in the foreign currency markets to help curb the unprecedented rise in the rand; In November 2009, the annual rate of inflation eased for the ninth consecutive month to 5.8%, below the central banks target rate of 3.0-6.0% for 2009. The South African Reserve Bank is likely to keep its key interest rate (repo rate) unchanged at 7.0% in the beginning of 2010, despite calls from labour unions for an interest rate cut. Unemployment problem :Picture 1.png (South Africa Country Profile 2010, December) Year Unemployment rate Rank Percent Change Date of Information 2003 37.00 % 18 2001 est. 2004 31.00 % 24 -16.22 % 2003 est. 2005 26.20 % 161 -15.48 % 2004 est. 2006 26.60 % 168 1.53 % 2005 est. 2007 25.50 % 172 -4.14 % 2006 est. 2008 24.30 % 169 -4.71 % 2007 est. 2009 22.90 % 170 -5.76 % 2008 est. 2010 24.00 % 171 4.80 % 2009 est. (South Africa Country Profile 2010, December) The unemployment rate was 24% (2009 est.) and was highest among 15 to 24 year old, at 48.4 percent, and lowest among 55 to 64 years old, at 6.8 percent. Of South Africas estimated 49.3-million people, around 31-million people are between 15 and 24 years old. Today, the government gives some change for SAs unemployed who dont have education by create the training of unemployed project that aims to minimize the negative effects of the recession. The project trains people as electricians, boiler-markers, welders and mechanics, so when they are trained and easy to get the job and facing with the world with confidence. Inflation C:Documents and Settingshim.STUDENTMy DocumentsDownloadsSouth-Africa-Inflation-Rate-Chart-000002.png Market structure Automotive industry The country is one of the best performing automobile market in the world. In 2006, it brought around R118 billion of increasing to sales. In 2007, vehicle exports were about 170 thousand unit sales which were expected to jump up to 285 thousand in 2008. The vehicle market had a huge development when comparing to year 1997, the unit exported only 20 thousands. The sector is about 10% in account of manufacturing exports, 7.5% of contribution in GDP with the employment of around 36 thousand people. The government aims to increase the vehicle production to 1.2 million units by 2020 because of the definition of the automotive industry is a key growth sector Many of multinational companies such as Ford, Toyota, GMà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦use South Africa as source components and assemble vehicles for both the local and overseas markets. From 2000 to 2006, the investment in production and export infrastructure was multiplied by four, which was R1.5-billion to R6.2-billion. An R4-billion in investment was expected in 2008. Most of the investment came from foreign where the parent companies wanted to expend the local operations to improve product capacity, support export and infrastructure (Big Media Publishers, South Africas automotive industry, 2008) 690-1823-0-0_1464872.jpg Table: Automotive revenue (Big Media Publishers, 2008) Mining and mineral resources South Africa is well-known in the world by its wealthy in mineral resources. The wealthy of the country has been built on the countrys vast resources. There are various kinds such as: Platinum, Chrome (which the quality is the 1st in the world), Gold (1st largest producer), Diamond (4th largest producer)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but only crude oil and bauxite is those that the country doesnt have. Mining was an industry that contributed 21% total exports of goods in 2006 Gold was once the keystone of South Africa but it has been diminished in importance due to economys diversity. From 1970s to 1980s, the exports of gold were the predominant source of country foreign exchange earnings which made up a 14% of total value added in economy. In the year of 2007, this shifted to 5.8% contribution to country GDP of mining and quarrying. The mining industry is South African biggest employer. It attracts more than 860 thousand employees of labor force Currently, more than 70% of mining industrys labor force is black. Opposite of that number, its just only less than 5% of managerial positions belongs to black people. The mining sectors key issue is transformation. The target has been set by the government that an expect of 40% managerial positions would be held by South Africans in all mining companies (Big Media Publishers, 2008) 692-1827-2678-0_1452532.jpg Table: Mineral resources (Big Media Publishers, 2008) Agriculture South African agriculture isnt dominated by subsistent farming. In fact, it has both well developed commercial farming which is predominant and more subsistent influenced in deep areas. The country has more than enough output to export massive amounts of agricultural produce. Because of the variousness of climates, there are good conditions (such as mix farming in winter rain fall and in summer rain fall) for growing different crop production in South Africa. The diversity in climate, which is tropical, sub tropical and desert allows diversity in products either. South Africa also has advantages in marine resources which is 3000km of coastline that is appreciated to develop mariculture and aquaculture. The main agriculture export production can be listed as: maize (some southern African countries rely on this import), wine (South Africa is the 5th largest producer worldwide), fruits (grapes, pears, peachesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), livestock farming (sheep, cattleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Agricultural contribution represents less than 4% of GDP but 10% of total reported employment in accounts while farming is 8% of countrys total exports. The key agricultural trading partners of South Africa are America and some countries in EU. They gain the benefit from the market by exporting through number of trade agreements. The agriculture sector is highly protected and evolved to governments control. In 1996, the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act they closed agricultural marketing boards, eliminated subsidies and set the import tariffs to protect South African farming from unfair international competition. So the South African farmers and agribusiness could be placed themselves as players in a globally competitive environment. Nowadays there are still some factors that even though the government has tried to implement, these couldnt bring any efforts to the rest of the economy. For examples: most of indigenous people are subsistence farmers, subsidies from other developed countries, climate changeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦are reducing sector growth (Big Media Publishers, South African agriculture, 2008) (Wikipedia, 2010) Infrastructure Energy infrastructure Among the countries that have the lowest cost of electricity, however South Africa has to face its problem of the demand for power outstripping supply. The economy grows strongly, a lot of rapid industrialization development, the electrification programme is being mass led and distinct lack of investment are all the issues which cause the power supply crisis in South Africa. As a result, the state energy company Eskom and the government has come up with a projected ZAR 343 billions over five years to fund new power stations for energy increasing such as nuclear and electricity storage. Eskom also aims to reduce the demand of electricity by 3 000 megawatts in 2012 and 5 000 megawatts more in 2025 Table: Energy Overview (Big Media Publishers, 2008) There are some thought about using natural energy as wind or solar. Despite South African sunny weather, the ideas havent really taken off and there are some concerns that the country somehow isnt appreciated with the wind energy. Energy contributes an amount of 15% country GDP. The country is 11st country in the world that has highest commercial primary energy intensities due to its large scale economy structure, mining industries and some benefit based on minerals activities which push the usage of energy above average (Big Media Publishers, South Africas energy supply, 2008) Source: EIA Transportation The transport network has been identified and highlighted as a competitive advantage in global market. The road system in South Africa has a total of 754 thousand km in which 9.6 thousand km is national road. 2.4 thousand km are toll roads. However the road infrastructure needs to be constructed due to overloading of heavy vehicles and volumes increasing of road freight vehicles. It has approximately 95% of country trading business are done by passing through the sea as well as the traffic from others countries like Europe, Asia, America and even Africa itself. The railway system is also one of the main transportation which is 10th longest in the world. It connects all the parts in the country together so it can be used for transporting goods or even tourism. The airline industry carries about 33 million passengers a year. There are a lot of airports such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban which are the 3 main international airport and the others at South Africa (ArriveAlive, 2010) ( Publishers, 2008) Technology sector Technology sector is well developed with modern manufacturing sectors like machinery, scientific equipment and motor vehicles. South Africa has strong technological research centers. South Africa has developed a number of leading technologies, principally in the fields of energy and fuels, steel production, mining, and telecommunications. There is all necessary technology for hospitality industry. (South Africa info 2008) Tourism in South Africa South Africas major attractions for tourists are mainly involved with nature. They are the large variety of game parks, nature parks and a magnificent scenic diversity of landscape varying from desert plains blooming with spring flowers to mountains overlooking vineyards, valleys and large farmlands, tribal communities and modern cities. The countrys coastline, which represents many names to our world today, such as; Africas southern most coastline and the base of the large continent, is 3000km long. This 3000km long coastline is nothing but serene sandy beaches with charismatic seaside resorts scattered along. Some of these locations are famous beaches and surfing areas. For animal lovers, there are other attractions that are available. For example, in Pretoria there are various botanical gardens, bird sanctuaries, aquariums and zoo. The National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria is ranked to be the top ten zoos in the world. Some examples of daytime activities are coach tours, ocean cruises, museums, art galleries and a wide range of sports. Other famous attractions in South Africa are the wines produced. South African wines are categorized under New World Wines. These wines are famous all over the world. South Africa is the worlds most known hunting destination. It offers hunting at large land areas that are protecte d under legislative laws and hunters can find many rare species. Hunting seasons are usually between May to July. And the Professional Hunters Other outdoors activities for tourists that are famous in South Africa are canoeing, river rafting, safaris, wilderness trails and rambling. Hiking as well has a rising popularity as the National Hiking Way has been developed and improved. All activities mentioned are easily accessible by the generally good infrastructure in South Africa. Overall, most tourist attractions in South Africa are not for the faint hearted and for nature lovers. According to some reports, international travel to South Africa has increased, in 1994 the year South Africas first democratic elections, only 3.9 million foreign tourists to the country. By 2004, the international visitors have more than doubled to 6.7 million. And in 2007 the total number of 9.07 million foreigners visited South Africa- 8.3% increase compared to 2006- as the country broke its annual tourist arrivals record for the third year running. In South Africa, nowadays, Cape Town has become an important retail and tourism centre, and attracts the largest number of foreign visitors come here for their holidays. (South Africas tourism industry SouthAfrica.info) International tourist arrivals (in millions) nternational tourist arrivals in South Africa (Source: Department of Tourism); (South Africas tourism industry SouthAfrica.info) Tourism is also one of the fastest growing sectors of economy in South Africa, and it contributed to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of country increasing from 4.6% in 1993 to 8.3% in 2006. Tax system Untitled.png Table: Paying taxes (IFC, 2010) SWOT analysis Strength South Africa has a world class infrastructure as their competitive input, like 3 deep water ports, 3 international airports, a network of roads and high ways, well developed cold chain facilities and a sophisticated financial sector. These infrastructures are even comparable to first world developed countries and its cost is favourable (the cost of electricity is still remain inexpensive and competitive in labour rates as well) (Big Media Publishers, South African agriculture, 2008) The free trade agreement and high technology, high infrastructure offering are the key values for international investment from America and European Union The strength includes the mineral resources as well as South Africa is considered as a major mining country. Its the world largest producer and exporter of gold and platinum. They also have a high level of technology (such as a ground-breaking process that converts low-grade superfine iron ore into high-quality iron units) and production expertise (the raw materials such as iron, carbon steelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦were added more values before exporting) which make mining industry is one of the key sectors of the country Weakness South Africa has a high ratio of unemployment which is from 30% 40%. The education of the labour force is still very low, especially black people. A result showed us that just 22% of Black Africans have completed high school. When we do comparison, it has difference amount of 70.7% of Whites have completed high school More than 5.7 million South Africans are infected with HIV in which 350 thousand have already died of Aids with millions of South Africans have been victims of violent crime Opportunities The FIFA World Cup 2010 will be held at South Africa this summer so this will be not only the opportunities for the South Africa itself to increase their international images and reputations. Its a good change to advertise and promote the values of the country so itll attract more investment and partnership from foreign and internal either. For the FIFA World Cup 2010, South Africa has a plan to include a Bus Rapid Transit system which will promote the use of public transportation between host cities as Cape Town, Durban with other cities. They also received an amount of R9 billion investments and an incentive from FIFA to improve the infrastructure in the nine host cities due to the expected massive visitors. It means a lot of upgrades to countrys airports and general transportation including taxi system, passenger trail and bus (Osec, 2010) Threat Because South Africa is an export led economy, its very easy to be influenced by global demand. The depreciation in price of commodities which go deeper to very low levels could be resulted to job losses The power supply crisis leads to needs of diversity in energy mix including natural gas, nuclear power and various forms of renewable energy as well. The indigenous source of energy is coal which use to produce electricity and its one of the causes of greenhouse gases. The activity to increase electricity by using coal can pollute the environment and it requires the government have to have plans to prevent global warming The roads system needs to be constructed because of massive traffic and transportation. An official report said that it would be cost around R65 billion for urgent repair. Otherwise the cost for a year due to overloading will be surpassed R650 million in destruction to roads (Osec, 2010) Future development When South Africa decides to invest into other countries of Africa, they are helping to diversify African economies and reduce the dependent on primary sector industries. South Africa doesnt focus only on oil and gas, but they concentrate about telecommunicating, banking service, mining also. They enter the African market, but creating them as well by building infrastructure, transferring technology and knowledge, encouraging the foreign country to enforce laws and strengthen democratic institutions. For examples: South Africa exported to the rest of Africa a R43 billion worthy, most of involved import related to oil from Nigeria which was R5 billion. That number show an imbalance in South African goods and services with African consumers. The countrys companies also try to integrate themselves with the local economies by hiring local staff or buying materials from local procedures. In return, South Africa received the favour by investment from the other African countries which is go od for South African own domestic economy. Thats why South African engine is very important for economic development across the African continent (Leon, 2004) In 2009, the government spent a total amount of R787 billion on public infrastructures over the next 3 years which would push the countrys budget deficit to 3.8% of GDP in 2009. They explained that it was necessary to borrow the funds to finance planned public infrastructure projects due to the decreased demand for South African commodities and lower output. In the R787 billion: R390 billion would be spent on state owned enterprises R25 billion for Rail Computer Corporation R12 billion for the Bus Rapid Transit system R1.6 billion South African Airways Conclusion After we analyzed the economy of South Africa and predict the future of the country, we realize that South Africa has potential to invest money in this country which can create profit for us as entrepreneurs as well as for the countrys economy. South Africa has many strong sectors but we decide to invest our money in health care sector which is currently not strong in this country. We believe this is the right decision which will bring to us return on investment and profit for the future.

Architecture, Principle, and Culture: The Universal Value for Which Sta

Stanford University is a private research university located in Stanford, CA at geographical coordinates 37.43Â ° N, 122.17Â ° W. Erected in 1891 in memory of the founders’ son, Leland Stanford Junior, The Stanford University campus combines Romanesque, neoclassic and Mission Revival architectural styles on its buildings, with red tile roofs, sandstone walls, and beautiful aesthetic decorative details. Its architectural landmarks, for example, the Main Quad and Memorial Church, are representative of many eras of culture and technological advancement in the United States. Its physical and symbolic aspects make it a universally valuable site like no other. Stanford University is a site of outstanding universal value because of its architecture, which is representative of many eras of historic technological innovation physically as well as symbolically. Stanford’s Main Quad is a brilliant exhibit of architecture that reveals influences from important eras in European architecture yet maintains a Romanesque, mission revival theme that is also prevalent throughout campus. In addition to this, Stanford maintains a commitment to academic advancement and excellence. A place of such physical and intellectual prowess merits outstanding universal value. The campus meets criteria (i), (ii), and (iv): its architecture is representative of creative human genius, is a testimony to the cultural tradition of the United States, and illustrates significant states in human history in the United States, while its intangible aspects exhibits an interchange of human values over the span of more than a century. Both its authenticity and integrity a re attributed to the fact that the campus maintains a culture representative of the entire World. Stanford is... ...f sites such as these, we may lose the opportunity for preservation altogether in the future. We need to preserve the Stanford campus now in order to protect the legacy for which it stands. Works Cited "Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church." UNESCO World Heritage Centre. UNESCO. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. . The Founding Grant; with Amendments, Legislation, and Court Decrees. [Stanford, Calif.]: Stanford University, 1971. Web. . Joncas, Richard, David J. Neuman, and Paul Venable. Turner. Stanford University. New York: Princeton Architectural, 2006. Print. "Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville." UNESCO World Heritage Centre. UNESCO. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. .

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

The Use of Characterization and Symbolism in Fitzgeralds The Great Gat

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby focuses on the corruption of the American dream during the 1920‘s. For the duration of this time period, the American dream was no longer about hard work and reaching a set goal, it had become materialistic and immoral. Many people that had honest and incorruptible dreams, such as Jay Gatsby, used corrupted pathways to realize their fantasy. People’s carelessness was shown through their actions and speech towards others. Fitzgerald uses characterization and symbolism from different characters and items to convey the corruption of the American dream. Fitzgerald expresses the corruption of the American dream through the use of characterization of different characters. Daisy is one of the few characters that could get what she wanted but does not because of her own rules. She has set standards that she would not lower for anyone, even those she loves. The Jazz age had many flaws, inconsiderate actions was a major flaw. Her carelessness shows her attitude towards others. â€Å"Her eyes fell on Jordan and me with a sort of appeal, as though she realized at last what she was doing—and as though she had never, all along, intended doing anything at all.† Daisy had just realized that the affair between Gatsby and herself was real to him. She was insulting his American dream of having her, therefore she was corrupted. When she was with Gatsby she lived in a daydream, carefree and happy, as she says â€Å"Look at that,† she whispered, and then after a moment: â€Å"I’d like to just get one of those pink clouds and put you in it and push you around.† Daisy just states her fantasy, she wants Gatsby, but in reality she knows she cannot have him, consequently she again insults Gatsby’s hope of having her. Fit... ...pectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose.† The all seeing eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg see through the corrupt colored eye glasses. God was watching all the dishonesty take place and those who did wrong were punished. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald used characterization and symbolism to exemplify the corruption of the American dream during the post World War One era. Pre-war society had not grown out to big urban cities and the fast world of the east coast. As WWI commenced, many Americans had to go to cities and work in factories, including women. As a wartime measure women were granted the right to vote which gave women freedom. As a result after the World War, many Americans lived in the cities, where the corruption and infidelity began. The American dream was being soiled, the uphill battle that had once existed to success was no more.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Hinayan and Mahayn

Introductory Comparison of Hinayana and Mahayana Alexander Berzin Berlin, Germany, January 2002 [edited transcript] The Terms Hinayana and Mahayana The terms Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle or Modest Vehicle) and Mahayana (Greater Vehicle or Vast Vehicle) originated in The Prajnaparamita Sutras (The Sutras on Far-Reaching Discriminating Awareness, The Perfection of Wisdom Sutras). They are a rather derogatory pair of words, aggrandizing Mahayana and putting down Hinayana. Alternative terms for them, however, have many other shortcomings, and so therefore I shall use these more standard terms for them here. See: The Terms Hinayana and Mahayana. ] Hinayana encompasses eighteen schools. The most important for our purposes are Sarvastivada and Theravada. Theravada is the one extant today in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Sarvastivada was widespread in Northern India when the Tibetans started to travel there and Buddhism began to be transplanted to Tibet. There were two main divisions of Sarvasti vada based on philosophical differences: Vaibhashika and Sautrantika. Hinayana tenet systems studied at the Indian monastic universities such as Nalanda, and later by the Tibetan Mahayanists, are from these two schools.The lineage of monastic vows followed in Tibet is from another Sarvastivada subdivision, Mulasarvastivada. [See: A Brief History of Buddhism in India before the Thirteenth-Century Invasions. ] Buddhas and Arhats There is quite a significant difference between the Hinayana and Mahayana presentations of arhats and Buddhas. Both agree that arhats, or liberated beings, are more limited than Buddhas, or enlightened beings, are. Mahayana formulates this difference in terms of two sets of obscurations: the emotional ones, which prevent liberation, and the cognitive ones, which prevent omniscience.Arhats are free of only the former, whereas Buddhas are free of both. This division is not found in Hinayana. It is purely a Mahayana formulation. To gain liberation or enlightenmen t, both Hinayana and Mahayana assert that one needs nonconceptual cognition of the lack of an impossible â€Å"soul. † Such a lack is often called â€Å" selflessness,† anatma in Sanskrit, the main Indian scriptural language of Sarvastivada and Mahayana; anatta in Pali, the scriptural language of Theravada.The Hinayana schools assert this lack of an impossible â€Å"soul† with respect only to persons, not all phenomena. Persons lack a â€Å"soul,† an atman, that is unaffected by anything, partless, and separable from a body and a mind, and which can be cognized on its own. Such a â€Å"soul† is impossible. With just the understanding that there is no such thing as this type of â€Å"soul† with respect to persons, one can become either an arhat or a Buddha. The difference depends on how much positive force or so-called â€Å" merit† one builds up.Because of their development of the enlightening aim of bodhichitta, Buddhas have built up far more positive force than arhats have. Mahayana asserts that Buddhas understand the lack of an impossible â€Å"soul† with respect to all phenomena as well as with respect to persons. They call this lack â€Å"voidness. † The various Indian schools of Mahayana differ regarding whether or not arhats also understand the voidness of phenomena. Within Mahayana, Prasangika Madhyamaka asserts that they do. However, the four Tibetan traditions explain this point differently regarding the Prasangika assertion.Some say that the voidness of phenomena understood by arhats is different from that understood by Buddhas; some assert the two voidnesses are the same. Some say that the scope of phenomena to which the voidness of phenomena applies is more limited for arhats than it is for Buddhas; some assert it is the same. There is no need to go into all the details here. [See: Comparison of the Hinayana and Mahayana Assertions of the Understandings of Voidness by Arhats and Buddha s. ] Further Points Concerning Buddhas and ArhatsThe assertions of Hinayana and Mahayana concerning arhats and Buddhas differ in many other ways. Theravada, for instance, asserts that one of the differences between a shravaka or â€Å"listener† striving toward the liberation of an arhat and a bodhisattva striving toward the enlightenment of a Buddha is that shravakas study with Buddhist teachers, while bodhisattvas do not. The historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, for instance, did not study with another Buddha. He studied only with non-Buddhist teachers, whose methods he ultimately rejected. In the fact that Buddha’s understanding and attainment id not arise from reliance on a Buddhist teacher, Theravada asserts that a Buddha’s wisdom surpasses that of an arhat. In addition, bodhisattvas work to become universal Buddhist teachers; shravakas do not, although as arhats they certainly teach disciples. Before passing away, Buddha himself deputed his arhat disciple Sharipu tra to continue â€Å"turning the wheel of Dharma. † According to Theravada, however, Buddhas excel arhats in being more skillful in methods for leading others to liberation and in the breadth of their conduct of teaching.This is the meaning of a Buddha’s being omniscient. However, according to this presentation, a Buddha would not know everyone’s address and would have to ask such information from others. According to the Vaibhashika school of Hinayana, Buddhas are actually omniscient in knowing such information, but they only know one thing at a time. According to Mahayana, omniscience means knowing everything simultaneously. This follows from its view that everything is interconnected and interdependent; we cannot speak of just one piece of information, totally unrelated to the rest.Hinayana says that the historical Buddha achieved enlightenment in his lifetime and, like an arhat, when he died, his mental continuum came to an end. Therefore, according to Hina yana, Buddhas teach only for the rest of the lifetime in which they achieve enlightenment. They do not emanate to countless world systems and go on teaching forever, as Mahayana asserts. Only Mahayana asserts that the historical Buddha became enlightened in a previous lifetime many eons ago, by studying with Buddhist teachers. He was just demonstrated enlightenment under the bodhi tree as one of the twelve enlightening deeds of a Buddha.The precursor of this description of a Buddha is found in the Mahasanghika School of Hinayana, another of the eighteen Hinayana schools, but is not found in either Sarvastivada or Theravada. [See: The Twelve Enlightening Deeds of a Buddha. ] Concerning Buddhas, another major difference is that only Mahayana asserts the three corpuses or bodies of a Buddha – Nirmanakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Dharmakaya. Hinayana does not assert them. Thus, the concept of a Buddha is significantly different in Hinayana and Mahayana. [See: Identifying the Objects of Safe Direction (Refuge). The Pathway Minds Leading to Liberation and Enlightenment Hinayana and Mahayana both assert that the stages of progress to the purified state, or â€Å"bodhi,† of either an arhat or a Buddha entail developing five levels of pathway mind – the so-called â€Å"five paths. † These are a building-up pathway mind or path of accumulation, an applying pathway mind or path of preparation, a seeing pathway mind or path of seeing, an accustoming pathway mind or path of meditation, and a path needing no further training or path of no more learning.Shravakas and bodhisattvas who attain a seeing pathway of mind both become aryas, highly realized beings. Both have nonconceptual cognition of the sixteen aspects of the four noble truths. [See: The Five Pathway Minds: Basic Presentation. See also: The Sixteen Aspects and the Sixteen Distorted Ways of Embracing the Four Noble Truths. ] Both Hinayana and Mahayana agree that a seeing pathway mind rids both arya shravakas and arya bodhisattvas of doctrinally based disturbing emotions, while an accustoming pathway mind rids them of automatically arising disturbing emotions.The former are based on learning the set of assertions of one of the non-Buddhist Indian schools, while the latter arise automatically in everyone, including animals. The list of disturbing emotions that shravaka and bodhisattva aryas rid themselves of is part of a larger list of mental factors. Each of the Hinayana schools has its own list of mental factors, while Mahayana asserts yet another list. Many of the mental factors are defined differently in each list. Both Hinayana and Mahayana agree that the course of progressing through the five pathway minds entails practicing the thirty-seven factors leading to a purified state.A â€Å"purified state† or â€Å" bodhi† refers to either arhatship or Buddhahood. These thirty-seven factors include the four close placements of mindfulness, the eight branches of an arya pathway mind (the eightfold noble path), and so on. They are very important. In anuttarayoga tantra, the thrity-seven are represented by Yamantaka’s thirty-four arms plus his body, speech and mind, as well as by the dakinis in the body mandala of Vajrayogini. The thirty-seven are a standard set of practices. The specifics of each practice, however, are often different in Hinayana and Mahayana. See: The Theravada Practice of the Four Close Placements of Mindfulness. See also: The Four Close Placements of Mindfulness According to Mahayana. ] Both Hinayana and Mahayana assert that the scheme of stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner and arhat refers to stages of an arya shravaka’s path, but not to the path of an arya bodhisattva. Thus, stream-enterers have nonconceptual cognition of the sixteen aspects of the four noble truths, which include nonconceptual cognition of the lack of an impossible â€Å"soul† of persons.We should not think that stream-e nterer is a beginner level. So if someone claims to have achieved the state of a stream-enterer, be suspicious. Hinayana does not provide an extensive explanation of the bodhisattva pathway minds. Mahayana, however, explains that an arya bodhisattva’s path to enlightenment entails progressing through the development of ten levels of bhumi-mind. These levels of mind do not pertain to the path of shravakas. Both Hinayana and Mahayana agree that traversing the bodhisattva path to enlightenment takes more time than traversing the shravaka one to arhatship.Only Mahayana, however, speaks of building up the two enlightenment-building networks – the two collections – for three zillion eons. â€Å" Zillion,† usually translated as â€Å"countless,† means a finite number, though we would be unable to count it. Shravakas, on the other hand, can attain arhatship in as short as three lifetimes. In the first lifetime, one becomes a stream-enterer, in the next lif etime a once-returner, and in the third lifetime, one becomes a non-returner, achieves liberation, and becomes an arhat. This is quite tempting for many people.The assertion that arhats are selfish is like bodhisattva propaganda. It is basically meant to point out an extreme to avoid. The sutras record that Buddha asked his sixty arhat disciples to teach. If they were truly selfish, they would not have agreed to do so. Arhats, however, can only help others to a more limited extent than Buddhas can. Both, however, can only help those with the karma to be helped by them. Bodhisattvas It is important to realize that the Hinayana schools do assert that before becoming a Buddha, one follows the bodhisattva path.Both Hinayana and Mahayana have versions of the Jataka tales describing the previous lives of Buddha Shakyamuni as a bodhisattva. Starting with King Siri Sanghabodhi in the third century CE, many Sri Lankan kings even called themselves bodhisattvas. Of course, this is a little tri cky to untangle because there was some Mahayana present in Sri Lanka at the time. Whether this idea of bodhisattva kings preexisted a Mahayana influence is hard to say, but it did happen. Even more surprisingly, in the fifth century CE, the elders at theSri Lankan capital Anuradhapura declared Buddhaghosa, a great Theravada Abhidharma master, to be an incarnation of the bodhisattva Maitreya. Mahayana asserts that there are a thousand Buddhas in this â€Å"fortunate eon† who will start universal religions, and there have been and will be many more Buddhas in other world ages. Mahayana also asserts that everyone can become a Buddha, because everyone has the Buddha-nature factors that enable this attainment. Hinayana does not discuss Buddha-nature. Nevertheless, Theravada does mention hundreds of Buddhas of the past.One Theravada sutta even lists twenty-seven by name. All of them were bodhisattvas before becoming Buddhas. Theravada asserts that there will be innumerable Buddhas in the future as well, including Maitreya as the next one, and that anyone can become a Buddha if they practice the ten far-reaching attitudes. The Ten Far-Reaching Attitudes Mahayana says that the ten far-reaching attitudes are practiced only by bodhisattvas and not by shravakas. This is because Mahayana defines a far-reaching attitude or â€Å"perfection† as one that is held by the force of a bodhichitta aim.According to Theravada, however, so long as the ten attitudes are held by the force of renunciation, the determination to be free, bodhichitta is not necessary for their practice to be far-reaching and act as a cause for liberation. Thus, Theravada asserts that both bodhisattvas and shravakas practice ten far-reaching attitudes. Aside from the different motivating aims behind them, the other main difference between a bodhisattva’s and a shravaka’s practice of the ten is the degree of their intensity.Thus, each of the ten far-reaching attitudes has three st ages or degrees: ordinary, medium, and highest. For example, the highest practice of generosity would be giving one’s body to feed a hungry tigress, as Buddha did in a previous life as a bodhisattva. The list of the ten far-reaching attitudes also differs slightly in Theravada and Mahayana. The Mahayana list is: * generosity * ethical self-discipline * patience * joyful perseverance * mental stability * discriminating awareness * skill in means

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Zaara Fashion House – New Year Promotional Campaign

Fashions is an exclusive fashion retail store of Bangladesh. It retails women, men, and kids fashionable apparels. Located in a prime zone of Goulash-l in Dacha, it gives customers freedom of choice regardless of their age, location, taste, season, and fashion persona. Established and inaugurated in August 2009, the retail store KARA Fashions has successfully placed itself among the most celebrated and recognized retail stores of the country. The store produces an exclusive array of products and outfits.Most of these are designed and manufactured in house, while he rest are exclusively commissioned from the most talented craftsmen and weavers around the world. Its unique design and features symbolize aristocracy, and target the most elite customers of the country. Thus, KARA Fashions compliments a trendy lifestyle, and always ranks itself one step ahead with the latest styles and designs. Product Offerings KARA Fashions offers different ethnic and aristocratic products to their high end customers. They usually focus on the classy, gorgeous and ethnic products which will quench the aristocratic thirst of their potential customers.The main products that KARA Fashion offer are- Scares, Salsas Kamikaze, Sherwin, Suit, Shirt, Men's accessories, Kids Wear, Jewelry, Cosmetics, Ladies Footwear, Ladies Bag etc. 2. Mission The mission of Kara Fashions Ltd. Is to provide their customers with exclusive products in order to compliment a trendy lifestyle. Thus they refer it as ‘A House of Exclusive Fashions. ‘ 3. Vision Kara Fashions Ltd aims to practice relationship marketing which involves creating, maintaining, and enhancing long-term relationship with their each and every customer. Thus, they believe to stay always one step ahead with the latest styles and designs. . Situation Analysis Today's market is characterized by highly competitive organizations which are all vying for consumer's loyalty. Firms are faced with the challenge to maintain their own competi tive edge to be able to survive and be successful. Strategies are carefully planned and executed to gain the ultimate goal of all: company growth. However, external factors are not the only elements which influence growth. There are also internal factors, components working within the organization which shape the direction of the company. The company's marketing environment influences the business organization directly.This includes the suppliers that deal directly or indirectly to the people within the business organization, the consumers and customers who demand for the products or services offered by the company, and other local stakeholders who influence the decision-making process or affected by the business decisions made by the business firm. As such, the marketing environment of a particular company describes the relationship between firms and the driving forces that control this relationship who are members of a specific industry wherein the relationship is local and the fi rm may exercise a degree of influence.The situation analysis of KARA Fashion House is described according to two types of environment in exists in- 1. Micro Environment 2. SOOT 3. Macro Environment Situational Analysis Figure 1. 1 The Micro Environment The term micro-environment denotes those elements over which the marketing firm has control or which it can use in order to gain information that will better help it in its marketing operations. In other words, these are elements that can be manipulated, or used to glean information, in order to provide fuller satisfaction to the company's customers.This is accomplished through the manipulation of the variables over which a company has control in such a way as to optimize this objective. 1. 1. 1 The Four As' and the marketing mix The Four As' stands for: 1. Product 2. Price 3. Place 4. Promotion Product- is the market offering. The products KARA offers are exclusive scares, salsas zamia, branded cosmetics, Jewelry, suits, hand bags, s hoes, kids wear and much more. All the products offered are of very high quality. Every product is carefully checked before putting into display.Price- in this context price refers to each KARA product costs. Prices of these reduces are set on the basis of product quality, brands as well as market competitiveness. Place- the location of KARA Fashion House is a great advantage of it. Goulash is one of the most prime and posh area of Bangladesh. So KARA stands in very close distance of the target market. Promotion- the promotion and campaigns would following parts. 1. 1. Employee be describe De elaborately in the KARA Fashion has a very strong line of efficient employees.They are highly dedicated towards works. For better Job involvement and Job satisfaction KARA pays them with a scale higher than the regular salary scale. Moreover, compensations, bonuses, health insurance, performance appraisals are also given in expectation of higher motivation. KARA has around 50 employees working in it. In maintains a great mix of both full time and part time workers whereas 20 are full timers and the rest are part timers. But regardless of everything else KARA ensures they are equally well behaved and helpful towards all the customers.So in a sense, these highly efficient bunches of employees are the greatest resources of KARA Fashion House. 1. 1. 3 Supplier This consists of other business firms or individuals who provide the marketing firm tit raw materials, product constituents, services or, in the case of retailing firms, possibly the finished goods themselves. The buyer/supplier relationship is one of mutual economic interdependence, both parties relying on the other for their commercial well-being.Although both parties are seeking stability and security from their relationship, factors in the supplier environment are subject to change.