Philippine Contemporary Issue-Abortion

Philippine Contemporary Issue – Abortion Why is abortion a social problem today? I think why abortion is a social problem is for the fact that not everyone agrees with that and everyone puts in their prospective. So then everyone else does to which leads into making it a big problem. The act of seeking or obtaining an abortion is not a real issue today. The personal issue of the people in the position of seeking an abortion hasn't changed with the exception that these people don't have to do it on a criminal basis from unsafe, illegal sources.Personal issues of fear of discovery, regret, guilt (or lack thereof), and what this will mean to their future and future relationships has not changed overtime Predominantly Catholic, the Philippine Islands have banned all abortion, except that which saves the life of the mother. Yet there are an average of 470,000 abortions induced annually. Filipinas do not have the same socio-political climate as they do in the United States.There is no taxi service to public abortion clinics, judicial waivers, or counseling sessions. If you are caught having an abortion in the Philippines, it’s against the law and you are thrown in jail – plain and simple. Of the women who are successful in inducing their own abortions, many go to great – and often grotesque – lengths to achieve their goal. Most of them take some form of anti-clotting or aspirin-related drugs, to induce bleeding.Some drink incredible quantities of alcohol. When all else fails, they throw themselves down flights of stairs or beat on their stomachs, with the â€Å"help† of a local midwife†¦ others self-catheter their vaginas. All of these violent practices greatly endanger the mother as well; it’s shocking that a woman would harm herself like that for an abortion. I’m not detailing this because I think pregnant Filipinas should have it cushy like they do in the States.No way! I believe just the opposite: The U nites States needs to outlaw abortion, now. I’m amazed at how desperate we are, as a civilization, to kill unborn babies and end inconvenient pregnancies. It is stunning that the world feels so entitled to its desires and personal gain that we have huge social movements trying to protect murder on demand. Think hard about that. Murder on demand – on a worldwide scale.

Teaching Beginning Esl Students

Teaching Beginning Students Teaching students is not as easy as it may seem. Teaching beginning students is no walk in the park either. There is more to teaching than going by the book. It might seem like common sense, but there are more important aspects of teaching. The term ‘beginner’ tends to strike fear into the hearts of inexperienced teachers. The teacher needs to distinguish what kind of beginner the student falls into. For example, there is the absolute beginner (no English), fake beginner (exposed to a little English), adult and young beginners, and a beginner without Roman alphabet.Remember to take into account that a student can fall into more than one of the categories mentioned. There are various methodology and techniques for teaching beginners which require special skills and psychology. For example, the teacher needs to be aware of the students needs with a clear and realistic aim. Do not try to do too much. Remember to adapt to the situation, and to be as visual as possible. Use of gestures and visual aids adds interest and reduce the need for further verbal explanation.Pacing the lesson with frequent group or pair activities along with a lot of homework is effective when teaching beginners. The teacher can also face some problems when teaching beginners. Like how to help a student who is falling behind the others, or getting through a lesson sooner than expected, and students who seem not to be interested in learning English at all. These are all hypothetical situations, but all teachers are bound to come across a situation like this sooner or later. I was reluctant at first, but I have come across these situations.When I had students who were shy or nervous in class, I solved the situation by pairing the student with someone who is more active and talkative. I believe it helps motivate the weaker student and builds rapport. If I get through a lesson sooner than expected then I would re-review the lesson taught and maybe do a qui ck activity from the top of my head. If a student just do not seem motivated or interested in learning English I would ask the student some questions with an answer the student would know and give compliments to boost his self steem. With this I would hope to increase his interest in learning English. Also, remember to stay calm. Just because something unexpected has happened during a lesson does not mean that it is the end of the world. From my experience, the activity that is going to be used is very important in getting your lesson through to the students. Remember, it is not how you start, but how you finish. I have had classes that started slow in the beginning and ended well in the end and vise versa.From the feedbacks from one of my students, she said, â€Å"I like it better when we have fun towards the end of the class. † The student said that leaving the class in a high spirited and enthusiastic feeling made her anticipate for the next session. When I say activities, I do not mean a simple crossword or a word jumble worksheet. The teacher needs to take the next step and put some creativity into the activity so the students will appreciate the effort that has been put into it.There are various other activities like Pictionary, Mime activity, Role playing a certain scenario, etc. Teaching beginners requires effort from the teacher as well as the student for the lesson to be effective. So remember the technique and methods for teaching, problems that may arise from teaching, and activities that can be used to increase the interest of the lesson. ——————————————– [ 2 ]. ITTT, Unit 19 Teaching special groups, pg1. [ 3 ]. Chelsea Lee, oral interview, 14 February 2013, student’s home in Seoul, Korea.

Reflective Draft

Through the activities was undertaken in class about negotiation, I realized that different negotiation tactics have crucial impact on negotiation in the workplace. In the activities, I was assigned to play the role of manager (Dale Williams). I need to persuade two of my subordinates to wear safety glasses. I use pressure to told Taylor she should allow the principle of company, if she doesn’t wear safety galsses, she will be fired. I give her pressure. she wants keep her job, finally, we were got a deal. And she is unhappy. In the second turn, I changed my way of talking to Chris Johnson.First I show my care of her, I asked her do u have problems of your eyes. Then I tell her experience of J. B. Harris. J. B. Harris was suffered a serious accident in another division. And she missed six weeks of work after an eye injury. If don’t wear safety glasses when work, it is easy to have risk to hurt eyes. Finally , we got a deal, and she is happy this time.. contrast these sa me situation but different experience and different tactics I used. I realized that the first time I used of fear to evoke a desired response from Taylor.It is nor effective. when I want to negotiation and get a deal. the better way and easy way is show my sympathy and worry first . it is easy let people can accept. KNOW:::From the aactivity, I know effective and good communication is an essentially significant source of negotiation power. A good communicator can manager a group or an organization easily. At the same time, it also can improve the pproduactivity of work.. on occasion, good communication is not easy. It needs people who . In fact, from this role play, I also know listening is very important.For example, Obama is good at motivation , when listen his speech, I always full of energy. And willing to accepet what he present. I realize the barriers existed in the process of negotiation. In this process, my parten is from indonisia as Pat Taylor. but I come from Chian. When we communicate, we have language barri. She have been this comapy for 20 years, More than me. She is the informal leaders of the group of more experienced employeers. I wanna she can tell me more about her experience. But she The tutor teach us types of influence tactics.Power used well achieves effective communication and positive results. Negotiating power is the ability of the negotiator to influene the behavior of another. What actions do you plan to take based on what you learnt? did you discover that a particular influence tactic is more/less effective and therefore are you likely to use this tactic in future negotiations? What did you learn about your natural preferences for influencing tactics based on? the aactivity? you might have felt more comfortable using ‘rationality’ and less comfortable using one or more other tactics.

Why Do People Attend College or a University Essay - 1

Why Do People Attend College or a University - Essay Example In the process, as the students become favorably engaged in learning, they discover real potentials so that they eventually alter course or enroll for a program and continue attending school for the new field of interest sought thereafter. It is not an unusual scenario that a great percentage of a nation’s population enter and leave an academe yearly, hoping to be trained under courses which are thought of to equip young individuals with pertinent skills and intellect that would determine their place in the industry or corporate world. The common notion that college graduates are secured of a profession or a preferred nature of work often assumed as lucrative is kept in mind, inspiring people to invest in college education. Parents and children alike seem conventionally attached to this system of thinking where they believe that attending college is, by all means, a profitable investment in terms of enabling individuals to construct knowledge and expertise to be well-suited for one’s aspired career. With the right academic tools and resources as well as fully developed facilities and a faculty of fine instructors, a college or university manages to provide students with training and instruction meant to e nhance them in several aspects of personal growth. Hence, since a majority of people, even to this extent of a modern age, seek after financial security that is deemed to coincide with specialization or passion for something, a college education remains indispensable. There are, nevertheless, instances in which attending a college or university is chiefly intended for keeping a family reputation intact as in the case of families of prominent figures in the society.  

The Analects from the Writing of Confucius Essay

The Analects from the Writing of Confucius - Essay Example Confucius talked about ways through which a perfect social order can be established, arguing there is wisdom in encouraging the good characters and punishing to discourage bad deeds. Through this, Confucius envisioned a bright society that would thrive in what is good for all humanity. Consequently, Confucius belittled the principle that says, â€Å"Injury should be paid with kindness† (â€Å"Analects† 2), claiming that kindness should be reciprocated while injury should be met by justice. This is true even today, and the works of Confucius holds true to the establishment of many nations. The establishments of rehabilitation centers for offenders borrow from Confucius teaching. Moreover, punishing lawlessness is an act of helping the suspects so that they can become better individuals. Through this, people in authority do expand their humanness. Further, he questioned the disparity in society as he found nothing imperative in accumulating wealth because â€Å"riches an d honor are a floating cloud†. Confucius argued that virtuous does not stand-alone, and the rich requires the not so rich to survive. In this regard, a virtuous man is whom that shares his wealth.Confucius was angered by the laxity of a political leader. For instance, he reassigned from public office due to internal conflict and political disagreements (Zukeran). Thus, the short stint he had in the position of authority may have influenced his writing on what completes a man.

ALL SAINTS BRAND Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ALL SAINTS BRAND - Essay Example All of the All Saints stores bear a unique interior design which differentiated from each other. This reflects the brands image of uniqueness and non corporate culture. All Saints have associated itself with the music industry quite intimately. The company made strategic business collaboration with brands like U2, Kelis, Robbie Williams, etc. in order to enhance its brand equity. The company endorsed clothing for several music videos, thereby creating a brand culture associated with youth culture and casual lifestyle (Allsaints, 2015). According to Kotler and Keller (2011) the brand is defined as the perception of the customers regarding a particular product or individual or any other marketable entity. It is a mental image that a company wants its customers to have regarding its products. All Saints brand is best known for its uniqueness and focus on the gothic culture. The products’ design, the promotional activities and the aesthetics of the store are based on culture of matured and rough life style while wearing black, grey and white. The signature interiors of the store is characterized metal, worn off wood and exposed bricks, which indicates a rough and weathered lifestyle. The design of the clothes has been carefully selected that complements the gothic and dark nature of the brand. Thus it can be stated that the brand has been positioned to be youth centric thereby targeting the age group of 18 to 35 (Ferla, 2010). Apart from the uniquely mundane and muted appearance of the brand, the company has al so tried to blend fashion with rock music. Currently, All Saints is associated with a sense of decaying decadence and distress outlook with a taste of vintage lifestyle. It is one of those very few brands that barely follow market trend and try to initiate a trend in the industry. The company has successfully engaged the customers by building a close relationship with them, thereby creating a

The different themes in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. What Research Paper

The different themes in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. What message was Mark Twain trying to relay to the readers - Research Paper Example It was highly criticized and scrutinized because of its over adventurous nature to the racial content, but anyone who reads and understands will not have any doubt about the intention of the novelist or the novel itself. Even after 200 years of its publication it is still considered as an important part of the American literature which is thought to have been shaped by the presence of it. Huckleberry Finn is described by Twain as â€Å"a book where sound heart and a deformed conscience come into collision and conscience suffers a defeat† (Twain, 1992 p xvii). The novel portrays Huck’s moral development as he ends up in different circumstances but is able to maintain his freedom and security The author wants to impose the importance of freedom for every human being and tries to justify it as a basic necessity. However, the novel is also criticized on its racism by few critics because of the use of the racist slur â€Å"nigger†, but author clearly tries to show tha t Jim is a very loving and caring person. Even Huck is also confused sometimes by the voices of his inner conscience that tells him to like Jim but the socially accepted treatment for the slaves at that time, told him to do otherwise. In this way this novel also conveys an idea about the effect of the society in a person’s acts and decisions (Alberti, 1995). Twain’s novel brings into consideration this very important point that one’s opinion must not be influenced by that of society. Twain also demonstrates the psychic struggle going on between the morally right and legally and socially enforced decisions. In the beginning, Huck also considers himself as a slave because he is oppressed by the ideals of society. He is a freedom loving person and enjoys his less restricted life style. He acquires it by means of escape; this is what satisfies Huck (Jarnow, 2004 p 41). In the course of the novel two seemingly opposite people become friends and their friendship prosp ers in the rest of the novel. Their relationship becomes as important as that of a father and son which seems like impossibility in reality. By this portrayal the aim of author was to show the absurdity of the idea that was felt by the society and the reader. It also shows the misjudgment prevailed in the society. Regardless of immorality and inhuman behaviors of white people, they were considered superior and virtuous than black. This is shown when Huck’s drunkard father gets his custody legally. This decision of the society shows its instability in regard of equality and logic. Society’s criteria or priority was laid for only white skin people. The fact was clearly ignored by them that beneath skin, they all are human with same will and passions. Huck realized this after meeting Jim and he wanted to treat him as a person and not as a slave whose only fault was his dark skin (Jarnow, 2004 p 51). The most important dispute in the novel was the use of the word nigger be cause of the sensitivity of the African American towards it. However inhibiting the use of a word for its emotional aversion will only increase its offensive power, although banning a literary novel over this cause while media is embracing the same word is an unjust act. Not only media or modern culture but a lot of other literary novels contain coarse language but still they are a significant part of the literature.

Point of View Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Point of View - Essay Example At the same time, I felt it was also the time for everything in the surrounding to listen to me pour out the nostalgic feelings that filled me; how just the other day we lived in the structure with dad, mommy and my sisters and how things have changed beyond the point of no return. At the door, I am welcome by the woodpecker, which takes a flight. As the door opens, it seems to it cannot mince the joy of meeting one of its masters again, as evidenced by the production of screech sounds by the hinges. As I get in, I find the building inclusions smiling at me. The pictures on the wall, the furniture, the falling ceiling seem to be saying ‘son, welcome back. We have never missed you’. It is a place that one would love to stay. I take a walk around to explore the full feelings. I rediscover the other part of this world. I discern that the structure stands isolated at the end of the ranch. The structure is now old seem to be on the final stages of its life. By looking at the structure, one can derive a lot of unpleasant memories. The remaining trees and few stumps do not seem to be moved by the unfolding events. As walk, my feet interact with the dried leaves that seem to give unwelcoming sound. Even the few daffodils at the entrance can only be described as lonely and displaced. The woodpecker has taken over the cottage door and takes a scary flight. As I open the door, it is apparent the hinges were hardly prepared to see me again. As I come to face with what is in the building, everything, including the pictures on the wall, the furniture and the falling ceiling seem to be lamenting on why I had forsaken them. The only smell is that of the decomposing woods and memories. I totally feel out of place. I chose to write on dad old cottage because it grants me the opportunity to describe both positive and negative attributes from my own experiences. In my first impression of the

Personal Development Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Personal Development Plan - Assignment Example This personality type compels individuals to be responsible and punctual. They tend to go great lengths to do things they believe in. This includes helping in any way to benefit their loved ones: family or friends. ISFJs’ hate confrontation but will stand up against anyone who hurts those they love. Following tradition is vital, including respecting authority. Practical, these people act according to the stored information shaping their mindset. This differs only when they deal with people who cause them to replace sensibility with feeling: concern and values.If you feel that this result does not portray your personality adequately – suggest what you think your personality is. State which parts of the result you agree with most and those you don’t. For the answer below only right about the traits you agree with.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I agree with most of the traits of my personality. It is true that I would do anything in my power to protect the ones I love and keep th em happy. My family considers me a good caretaker, especially when someone falls ill. However, it’s also true that I am sensitive to the smallest of things. This overtly sensitized me ends up hurt because it’s impossible for me to confront people. A stout traditionalist, I am very aggravated when an authority is challenged. I am also very paranoid under stress and can think the most horrific outcomes of my decisions. Also, a strong belief system makes people with ISJF to respect authority while maintaining their practicality. Weaknesses associated with this personality type are: ISJF compels some individuals in developing certain data, which they refuse to question when rushed into decisions. This rigidness often causes them to make wrong judgments. ISJFs’ need appreciation for what they do; if their contributions are unacknowledged they become bitter and aggrieved. It can also lead to severity while supporting authority which can create problems if the hierarchy makes a wrong decision. These individuals are very aware of the outcomes of situations and do not function well under stress by imagining overly negative outcomes, without realizing the ramifications for those around them. 2. Learning preferences. (Honey and Mumford) Activist 3 Reflector 12 Theorist 18 Pragmatist 10 What are your relative strengths (in terms of learning preference?) I am better at being a theorist. I believe in following facts and figures that have been long established. There are rigid facts that have to be followed and if their complexities can be solved it ensures that my decisions are perfect. What are your relative weaknesses (in terms of learning preference?) My weakness would be in being an activist. I am incapable of allowing experiences to shape and dominate me. Also, I believe in following a strict regime while learning and am not open to a lot of brainstorming. Suggest three things that you could do to develop your weaknesses 1. I could try to enjoy what I am doing instead of constantly concentrating on the outcome. 2. Instead of working alone I could choose a group which would open me up to new ideas 3. I should stop trying to perfect everything I learn because life is

Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Happiness - Essay Example These challenges include the satisfaction of physiological needs, safety, love, and self esteem. All of which serves as the motivation for the individual to strive for self actualization which is the basis of true happiness. To begin with however, the person has to take care of his body and mind. A person has to satisfy his physiological and psychosocial needs then continue to meet his self esteem and finally self actualization. In each of this case, people should have the determination to work it out to be able to be successful at this level. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, when the lower needs are satisfied, there is the possibility that the individual may move on to the next level of need contributing to happiness. Thus, lower needs have to be maintained. A disturbance in one area may lead to disequilibrium which may result to unhappy life (Suddarth, p 4). A person who is deprived of food cannot be able to understand what love means. The absence of this may undermine the in dividual’s psychosocial capacity to be happy and share happiness to others. This goes with the idea that if a person is hungry is likely to be angry. Self actualization leads to contentment which defines happiness in a deeper sense. People who are satisfied with what they have done in their life are a true picture of happiness.

Infosys HRM Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Infosys HRM - Case Study Example The company has had to overcome several difficulties since its inception to stamp its authority in the market. The company has had a commendable annual growth rate of 65 percent from 1993 to 2003. The company first strategy was to be an off shoring company, but in the early stages, it had engaged in body shopping. Body shopping involved the sending of its IT experts to foreign countries to solve their client’s problems. However, the company moved back to its original plan of off shoring due to the restrictions that were facing it inn having the control of a specific project (Delong, 2006). The company prior to the preparation of the case was ranked as the best employer. The company had however dropped in the ranking necessitating for serious restructuring at its human resource department. The company placed a lot of importance on its current and future employees ensuring they were satisfied in terms of their welfare. The remuneration of the company’s employees was over ten to fifteen percent that offered by other companies in the same industry (Delong, 2006). Analysis of the company’s performance The company was founded by Murthy and six of his colleagues who had previously worked at start-up software firm against the discouragement from many of their friends. They started the company on two hundred and fifty dollars that they had borrowed from their spouses. The company’s vision was founded on the principles of creating wealth while adhering to the law and a strict code of ethics (Delong, 2006). All the founders of the company were professionals and they aimed at ensuring that they hired professionals to work for them in their endeavors. The founders envisioned a professionally run company that dealt fairly with all its stakeholders who included the customers, shareholders and employees. The initial face of starting the business was faced with challenges occasioned by the bureaucracy and regulations present in India. The regulations hampered the transactions of the business and limited its ability of becoming a global company. The company had a single client up to 1986 and matters became worse when the United States government placed restrictions on the issuance of visas (Delong, 2006). The action by the U.S. effectively reduced the customer base of the company that nearly collapsed. The company was faced with difficulties when one of the partners left to pursue other avenues in the U.S., which dent a blow to the company’s efforts of growth. Murthy convinced the rest of the partners to stay on in the company with a promise of turning it around into a successful company. The company’s management engaged in restricting efforts that were boosted by the liberalization of the Indian economy. The Indian economy had been faced with negative macroeconomic conditions that forced the government to liberalize its economy dismantling the licensing system that had been used (Delong, 2006). The new conditions in the business market allowed for the conversion and a hundred percent ownership of high-technology companies. The company took advantage of the liberalization of the economy to venture into the Indian capital markets through an initial public offer (IPO). The company moved from body shopping to off shoring as a strategy to counter the restrictions placed by the U.S. government on the limitations of obtaining a visa (Delong, 2006). T

Art Forgeries Essay Example for Free

Art Forgeries Essay When one enters into an art museum, one would expect all of the pieces of art to be that of the original. However, when an art lover does not know the difference between an original from a forgery, then they may have been fooled by both the museum and by the forger. No one can really look at a painting and distinctly know whether it is a forged piece of work or an original piece of work. Art forgeries may seem like an artist copying a well-known artists work, but it depends on how one looks at a particular piece of art. There are multiple reasons as to why art forgeries can be seen as something positive in the artistic world. Crispin Sartwell discusses about Jerrold Levinson’s definition of art from Levinson’s article, â€Å"Refining Art Historically,† in the Journal of Aesthetics Art Criticism of 1990. To Levinson, art is something that is made to be intended to be â€Å"regarded† as a work of art (Sartwell). Luise Morton and Thomas Foster discuss Nelson Goodman’s definition of art from Languages of Art in Journal of Aesthetics Art Criticism of 1991. Goodman says that it is about how one looks at an original and a forged art depends on the way we look at it (Morton and Foster). Both Levinson and Goodman make good points because they are both saying that all depends on the person’s perspective. Not everyone sees the same piece of art the same way another person does, so given a choice between an original or a forged piece of art, some may be able to tell the difference and some may not. The idea of having different perspectives on what is real art or what is not depends solely on an individual. Levinson and Goodman both see art by how the person intends it to be. According to Jonathon Keats who writes in The Daily Beast, art forgery helps take us out of our comfort zone, while the real art keeps us within our comfort zone. Keats writes that forgers credit their work to the original artist. In doing so, the artist’s work is more accessible to more people and that the artist who forged an original should be appreciated (Keats). Blake Gopnik writing in the New York Times says that the forgers can make recreate art with their hands; however, great art depends on the idea of the artist. The idea of the forger comes from the original artists, like Pollock and Rothko, setting up procedures and ideas for making art (Gopnik). The forger is able to recreate a work of art because of the way a particular artist wanted their art to be seen. On the other hand, Ross Bowden writing in the Journal of Aesthetics Art Criticism of 1999 about Alfred Lessing’s essay titled, â€Å"What Is Wrong with a Forgery? † In Lessing’s essay, he disapproves of art forgery when talking culturally. Lessing believes that forgeries do not have that artistic integrity and lacks creativity. He continues to say that one can recreate an amazing artwork, but it will lack the imagination it takes to create the original piece of work (Bowden). Forgeries in the opinion of Lessing lack imagination and creativity, however, Gopnik and Keats see that an artist has the imagination and creativity to recreate a famous piece of work. If one lacks that imagination and creativity then they would not be able to get away with forgery. These forgery artists are capable of pulling off century old paintings and able to sell them to museums as originals. That takes imagination and creativity. W. E. Kennick brings up in the Journal of Aesthetics Art Criticism of 1985 that every copy of an original piece of work is a forgery. Artists make their work in the style of others, but still make it their own. One is not actually forging a real piece of art, much less than copying or imitating that person’s style (Kennick). Gopnik also says that Andy Warhol’s works were sometimes made by him or sometimes made by his assistant. Warhol even attributed some of his work to other artists. An artist by the name of Marcel Duchamp made art out of bicycle wheels, urinals, already made sculptures, and other reusable items. Duchamp encouraged others to do the same and copy his style (Gopnik). Every artist can imitate or copy someone else’s work, although that artist who made the original work may no longer be alive, their work is still living on. Art forgeries can be looked at as some sort of crime because someone is recreating masterpieces and selling them to museums. However, if one stops to think about the fact that art forgeries are actually artists bringing masterpieces back, one would not think it was a crime. These artists are creative enough to be able to recreate an artwork and give art lovers the feeling of having a masterpiece in their home or be able to look at it in a museum. Art forgeries are a lucrative past time for those who love art and want to be able to see â€Å"their art† in a museum. It is a win-win situation for both the artist and the art lovers. Works Cited Bowden, Ross. What is wrong with an art forgery? : An anthropological perspective. Journal of Aesthetics Art Criticism (1999): 333-343. Gopnik, Blake. In Praise of Art Forgeries . The New York Times 2 Novemeber 2013. Keats, Jonathon. Why Forgeries Are Great Art. The Daily Beast Kennick, W. E. Art and Inauthenticity. Journal of Aesthetics Art Criticism (1985): 1-12. Morton, Luise H. and Thomas R. Foster. Goodman, Forgery, and the Aesthetic. Journal of Aesthetics Art Criticism (1991): 155-159. Sartwell, Crispin. A Counter-Example to Levinsons Historical Theory of Art. Journal of Aesthetics Art Criticism (1990): 157-158.

Reflection on Inter-professional (IP) Working

Reflection on Inter-professional (IP) Working Introduction. Professional development and up to date practice is a requirement of the nursing profession. Reflection is a vital component of this (Gustafson and Fagerberg, 2004) and allows nurses to critically and actively evaluate their practice in the light of current research and their own learning. Reflection has been defined as a process of describing experiences and then using reflection as a basis from which to ask questions about practice (Bowden, 2003). The NMC (2004) states that nurses should use professional standards of practice to self-assess performance. This essay evaluates my own learning in relation to the NMC Standards through the use of a reflective cycle by Gibbs (1998) (see Appendix). The focus of the reflection is Inter-professional (IP) working. IP is a fundamental component of education programmes for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions (Pollard et al, 2004). The NMC (2004) states in the standards of proficiency for entry to the register that student nurses sh ould: â€Å"consult other health care professionals when individual or group needs fall outside the scope of nursing practice.† (p26). â€Å"utilise a range of effective and appropriate communication and engagement skills† (p 27). â€Å"seek specialist/expert advice as appropriate.† (p28) â€Å"establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with members of the health and social care team and others.† (p32) â€Å"participate with members of the health and social care team in decision-making concerning patients and clients.† (p32) â€Å"review and evaluate care with members of the health and social care team and others.† (p32) Description: What Happened. In providing care for clients allocated to me on the general medical ward, I engaged with the case of Mrs B, who had been admitted seven days previously from a nursing home with dehydration and confusion. Mrs B was registered blind, and required full nursing care which was delivered according to a care plan. Having been treated with IV fluids and encouraged with diet and oral fluids, she had made a good recovery and my role was to implement a discharge planning process with her, so that she could return to the nursing home. In order to assess her discharge needs, I consulted occupational therapy colleagues, dieticians, medical colleagues and social work colleagues to ensure that her needs would be met in her home environment. I also attended the ward rounds with the medical consultant and his team, to gain the expert advice needed to ensure all Mrs B’s needs were met and that she was well enough for discharge. In collaboration with other nursing colleagues and the occupational therapist, dietician and social worker, I reviewed the care plan, carried out a thorough reassessment and evaluation of Mrs B’s condition, medication and ongoing care needs, and drew up a comprehensive discharge plan, including communication to the receiving nursing home. I also discussed all of her needs with Mrs B, and her family, and ensured their input was included into the discharge plan. Feelings The sense of responsibility attached to discharge planning is considerable, and I was aware that I needed to ensure all Mrs B’s needs had been addressed. I felt uncomfortable in some of my interactions with other professionals, and frustrated at times with communication issues. Evaluation I felt confident in care planning and evaluation, having had ample opportunities to develop these skills over my training, but was also aware of the scrutiny of colleagues. This kind of scrutiny was double-edged, in that I felt uncomfortable to be the subject of scrutiny but that it also helped me to focus on the highest standards of care. It was difficult sometimes to ensure timely communication with these colleagues, and the responsibility for ensuring collaborative working and good communication was also somewhat stressful. Analysis At this stage of my training, I was very aware of requirements that I meet standards of competency related to the nursing role. This led to an initial reconsideration of what competency actually is. For example, competency has been described as being able to complete tasks (Gonczi 1993), but professional competence is much more than this. In this case, the ability to complete single tasks was evident in my ability to plan and manage care. Identifying individual nursing tasks in relation to Mrs B was a part of this process, and the process contains in-built mechanisms of evaluation which, if applied objectively, allow the nurse to ‘tick off’ tasks as achieved or in progress. But the complexity of care planning does not led itself to a simple task-based approach, and it is here that the greatest challenge to competence can be identified. The holistic approach to nursing requires the nurse work in a collaborative, inter-professional manner. In particular, it is important to take into account the context of nursing care and presence and contribution of others, including their effect on performance (Ashworth and Saxton, 1990; Field, 1991; Collins, 1991). The NSF for Older People demands the provision of care services which are based around the needs of older people and their carers (DOH, 2001). In order to meet these needs, there is a need to employ â€Å"an integrated approach to service provision†¦ regardless of professional or organisational boundaries.† (DOH, 2001, p9.) Thus IP working can be seen to be fundamental to the process of discharge planning for Mrs B. One of the challenges for my practice was to identify all the other professionals who might need to be engaged in this process. Some of these were obvious, such as the medical team, other nurses, and the dietician, who already played a fundamental role in her care management and implementation. The other professionals involved were not as obvious, and I had to consult with senior nurses to identify where other professional colleagues might be important in discharge planning. There were also other challenges in this process, in engaging with other professionals and carrying out individualised discharge planning. The NSF for Older People recognises that this has been a problem in the past, acknowledging that organisational structures have hitherto had the effect of impeding the provision of individualised care management packages (DOH, 2001.) One of the difficulties I reflected upon was the conflicting demands of such an individualised process which formed only one of my many nursing duties in a busy medical ward environment. And the sense of achievement I felt in taking such responsible role was not always reflected in the ways in which other colleagues interacted with me. Discussion with other nursing colleagues, and some exploration of the theoretical and research literature on this subject identified that this is no new experience for nurses engaged in IP working. Research seems to indicate that medical hegemony leads to the pivotal role of nurses in IP working being largely unacknowledged, which can affect the development of collaborative care practices (Coombs and Ersser, 2004). However, a new awareness of this issue made me more confident and proactive in engaging with other professionals, which led to a negotiation of sorts, during the communication process, between my role and some of their perceptions of my role and position in the institutional hierarchy. There were definite lessons to be learned from this in particular. Adapting modes of communication, paying attention to communication, and formalising communication through detailed record keeping all supported this process. I also learned how vital the nursing role is in inter-professional, client-centred working, if the highest standards of care are to be consistently achieved and maintained for every client. Some authors argue that nurses, as the primary care contact for the majority of patients, should seek to distinguish and celebrate their practice as professionally discrete from that of others because of their intimate and sustained knowledge of their clients (Price, 2006). This is a really important point, and one which allows me to take my experience forward into future practice and build on my confidence in addressing challenging situations. Conclusion I felt that I ‘matured’ through this particular care incident and my own reflections upon it, coming to terms with a sometimes uncomfortable reality of persistent hierarchies, stereotypical beliefs and defensive protection of professional role boundaries. My own competence in achieving an excellent discharge process, engaging in communication despite considerable challenges, and ensuring individualised care in an IP context were all signposts of considerable achievement in my professional journey. However, I could also have perhaps worked more collaboratively with other colleagues, qualified nursing colleagues in particular, who might have been able to give me some advance warning of these issues and perhaps identified ways in which I could overcome them. Instead, I learned the hard way. Action Plan Explore alternative strategies for inter-professional communication. Carry out further research into the challenges of IP working and its benefits. Explore ways to safely challenge rigid roles and hierarchies whilst still providing client-centred care. Seek out support from colleagues when challenging situations arise and build on this experience in future nursing practice. Carry out future cycles of reflection on similar clinical issues, and compare these to previous reflections to clearly signpost my own learning and development. References Ashworth, P. and Saxton, J. (1990).On competence. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 14, 3-25. Bowden, S.D. (2003) Enhancing your professional nursing practice through critical reflection. Abu Dhabi Nurse Summer 28-31. Collins, M. (1991). Adult education as vocation. London: Routledge. Coombs, M. Ersser, S.J. (2004) Medical hegemony in decision-making – a barrier to interdisciplinary working in intensive care? Journal of Advanced Nursing 46 (3) 245-252. Department of Health, (2001) National Service Framework for Older People. Available from www.dh.gov.uk/publications accessed 22-3-07. Field, J. (1991). Competency and pedagogy of labour. Studies in Education of Adults, 33(1), 41-52. Gonczi, A. (1993). Competence and competencies: A global perspective. Paper presented at the First National Conference on Competencies in Nursing Adelaide: Australian Nursing Federation (SA Branch) Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing. A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford Gustafsson, C. and Fagerberg, I. (2004) Reflection: the way to professional development? Journal of Clinical Nursing 13 271-280. Knight, P. (1995) Assessment for Learning in Higher Education London: Kogan Page. Neary, M. (2000) Responsive assessment of clinical competence. Nursing Standard 15 (10) 35-40. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) Code of Conduct Available from www.nmc-uk.org Accessed 30-4-07. Pollard, K.C., Miers, M.E. Gilchrist, M. (2004) Collaborative learning for collaborative working? Initial findings from a longitudinal study of health and social care students. Health and Social Care in the Community 12 (4) 346-358. Price, B. (2006) Exploring person-centred care. Nursing Standard 20 (50) 49-56. Appendix Gibbs (1988) Cycle of Reflection http://www.nursesnetwork.co.uk/images/reflectivecycle.gif

The Ethics Of Predator Drones Criminology Essay

The Ethics Of Predator Drones Criminology Essay Since its inception in 1995, the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator was initially intended for reconnaissance and forward observation roles, but the September 11 attacks changed that altogether. During February 4, 2002, the CIA deployed the first unmanned, armed Predator drone in an assassination attempt. The strike was to happen in the city of Khost, a province in Afghanistan. The target was Osama bin Laden, or at least someone who the CIA thought was him. Armed with a payload of Hellfire missiles, the drone attacked a group of would-be insurgents. Days later, local journalists and Afghan civilians reported that the dead men were civilians collecting scrap metal. What ensued thereafter was backlash from the public condemning its use. Using (UAVs) unmanned aerial vehicles to kill suspected terrorists marks a radical departure from the ways we have dealt with enemies before. Drones have unofficially become the weapon of choice for counter-terrorism. And over the coming decades, are expecte d to replace piloted aircraft. With the future of warfare pointing to the use of drones, legal and ethical issues surrounding their use must be explored. Since their deployment, armed combat drones have killed terror suspects as well as innocent civilians. The Ethics of Predator Drones Introduction From Davids slingshot, to the invention of bows and arrows, then guns, and missiles, major advances in military technology have revolved around the ability to kill from a distance. Just like a sniper able to shoot down an NVA commanding general from a mile away, the ability to shoot at your enemy from a greater distance than he can shoot back at you is one of the reasons why warfare continues to evolve. The MQ-1 predator drone is just a new tool in a new kind of war. A war waged in the 21st century, the height of technological advancement in weaponry. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were used by the US military as a test bed for their development of future weapons. The US military might is one of the greatest of the world. The US spends more money in defense than all of the other countries combined. The money spent is used in the hopes of lessening military casualties, and to help in accomplishing missions and tasks in a more effective way by using new technology. Their latest inventions include an assortment of robots that are capable of performing EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) and IED (Improvised Explosive Device) destruction missions. Some robots have even cross-trained to a more combat role. For example, the US military have deployed a robot called the Foster-Miller TALON. This robots mission ranges from reconnaissance to combat by employing a rifle mounted apparatus to its tracked chassis. Calibers from the M16, M249, M240 machine gun, .50 Barrett, and sometimes a six barreled 40mm grenade launcher have all been outfitt ed into its tracked chassis. These are just examples of the robots that are deployed on the ground. The most noticeable robot from this new generation of combat robots is the MQ-1 Predator drone. To this day, the Predator drone has flown more than 1 million flight hours. Combat Capabilites The CIA began experimenting with reconnaissance drones since the early 1980s. It was only in the early 1990s when they finally found a suitable prototype that could meet their intended mission needs. Before the production of the current MQ-1 Predator, most of the prototypes were so loud that their detection was inevitable. A chief designer from the Israeli Air Force immigrated to the US in the 1970s and started his own defense contractor business and called it General Atomics. The CIA secretly bought 5 drones from General Atomics and equipped with a more improved and quieter Rotax engine that is driven by a propeller. The Predator drone can fly a range of 770 miles and stay in the air for up to 40 hours, cruising at altitudes over 25,000 feet. Its top speed is 135 mph which is powered by a 115 horse powered Rotax engine. With a payload of 450 pounds, most of the equipment include: infrared tv cameras, and a ground-scanning Synthetic Aperature Radar. A variant was also produced to pro vide a more combat-centered role. This variant is armed with a pair of AGM-114 Hellfire laser-guided, anti-armor missiles. Another variant called the MQ-9 Reaper is their latest incarnation of combat drones. The MQ-9 Reaper is much larger and also capable of autonomous flight operations. It is the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-edurance missions. The Predator can be disassembled into 6 main components and loaded into a container which makes it rapidly deployable. Included in the Predator package is a 20ft satellite dish and other supported equipment. The satellite dish provides a link to communicate with the operators at a distant remote location. The ground station houses the multiple support staff from pilots to sensor operators. The remote link could be as far as 5000 miles away, which makes the predator a system rather than an aircraft. The advantage of using such a system is that it has all the advantages of a traditional reconnaissance sortie without ever exposing the pilot to a hostile environment. Combat Record Currently the US Air Force has over 190 MQ-1 Predators and over 25 MQ-9 Reapers in operation. Over 250 missiles have been fired in Iraq and Afghanistan alone since 2008. An estimated 70 Predators have been lost due to weather, equipment failure, operator error and an additional 4 have been shot down. With over 1 million flight hours, the Predator has maintained a 90 percent mission capable rate. With no US casualties related to operating a drone, this proves advantageous in combat operations. The Predator drone first took flight over the Balkans. It provided reconnaissance during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Then in 2000, the CIA and the Pentagon joined forces to locate Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. The first flights over Afghanistan were more of an observatory role which provided intelligence for the locations of suspected terrorists. It wasnt until the September 11 attacks that the US started to seriously consider arming the Predator with weapons for combat purposes. After successful testing of the newly armed Predators, the US found more missions for the Predator to perform and more are used today in multiple combat zones. With its newfound role as a combat drone, the US began to deploy the Predator on missions to Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, and other middle-eastern countries in which suspected terrorists are expected to be in hiding. During missions in Iraq, several Predator drones encountered Iraqi MiG-25s and participated in the first air to air combat between a drone and a piloted fighter aircraft. In fact, the US stripped multiple Predator drones of its sophisticated weapons and sensory systems and used them as decoys in the sky to entice Iraqi air defenses to expose themselves by firing. The most recent account of a Predator being used to kill high-profile terrorists was during an operation to apprehend deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Since then, several Predators have returned to Libya in support of the Benghazi attacks. Civilian Casualties Despite its combat effectiveness against suspected terrorists, reports suggest that far more civilians have been killed by US drone attacks than US officials have acknowledged. A new study by Stanford University and New York University contends that CIA targeted killings arent making America any safer and instead has turned the Countries that these drones have ravaged against the US. The study calls for the Obama administration to be more transparent and accountable for its actions, and to prove compliance with international law. One instance in dispute involving civilian casualties occurred during a drone attack on March 17, 2011. An estimated 42 people were killed during a Jirga, a meeting of elders. According to reports, most of those killed were civilians with only 4 known members of the Taliban in attendance. The disparity of civilian deaths to militant deaths calls to question the legal basis for targeted killings by drones and the criteria in which an authorized strike is recommended against armed men who fit the profile of militants. The study says that the drone attacks violate international law because the government has no proof that the targets are direct threats to the United States. The following graph displays the reported fatalities resulting from US drone strikes conducted in Pakistan. As you can see from the graph, fatalities have risen significantly since 2004. The dramatic rise in fatalities correlates to the frequency of use. Not only has President Obamas administration embraced the CIAs campaign of Predator drone strikes in Pakistan that began under President Bush in 2004. It has also continued an acceleration of the campaign that began in July 2008 during the last year of President Bushs tenure (Woodward 2010: 25). There is also evidence that the range of persons being targeted has expanded. In particular, it has been widely reported that late in the Bush administration, the CIA received permission to broaden the scope of targeting from an exclusive focus on high-value al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban targets to include low level fighters whose identities may not be known and that this broadened scope has gradually come to include the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) or Pakistani Taliban (Kilcullen, Exum, Fick and Humayun 2009: 18; Mayer 2009; Entous 2010). More and more pressure has been added by the international community to stop these drone attacks, but top US officials have defended its use. A top US counter-terrorism official cited the benefits of its uses. Such benefits include reduced danger to US pilots and limited US military involvement overseas. Legality There were reports from the Wall Street Journal that revealed the Bush Administrations and CIAs plan to set up hit squads to capture and kill Taliban and Al Qaeda militants around the world. The anger from the public grew even more when the Times reported that the CIA planned to carry out these hits by employing the controversial private contractor formerly known as Blackwater. Members from both the House and Senate intelligence committees claim that these plans were hidden from them and demanded a thorough investigation of the programs created to carry out those hits. Although the program was never fully operational, many legal experts contend that if they were, it would have violated President Gerald R. Fords 1976 executive order in which it bans American intelligence forces from engaging in assassinations. Although the targeted-killing program was never fully implemented, many consider the Predator program to be an extension of its intended creation. It so happens, that the Predator program also uses private contractors for maintaining the drones, equipping it with Hellfire missiles, and also flying it. There are currently 2 drone programs in which the US government runs. There is the military version, for which it is publicly acknowledged and operates in recognized war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The military version is considered to be an extension of conventional warfare. Then there is the CIAs version, which aims at killing suspected terrorists around the world, including in countries where US troops are not present. The latter is covert and not much information is provided to the public about how it chooses its targets, where the operations are conducted, or how many people have been thought to have been killed. The international community condemns these targeted killings and suggested that these attacks would encourage other countries to disregard long-established human rights standards. Some even suggested that these drone strikes may even constitute war crimes. Powerful countries such as China, Russia and other countries have publicly criticized the US drone attacks. The concern is mostly about the use of drones outside of recognized war zones and the secretive nature of such operations. Aside from the lawful use of drone attacks in which it is involved in armed conflict, some consider the secondary attacks on rescuers who are helping the injured after the initial drone attacks, those further attacks are suggested to be war crimes. Ethical Concerns One of the main concerns about using the Predator drone, despite its exemplary combat record, is that drones could lead us down the road to building fully autonomous weapons systems; machines that can make their own lethal decisions on the battlefield. Its hard to distinguish which weapon system is considered autonomous, so for the purpose of making a quick distinction, I will refer to any weapon that makes a decision to launch a lethal attack as fully autonomous. So, a heat-seeking Hellfire missile that follows a target would not be autonomous because a human entity made the decision to push the button to launch it, but a Predator drone programmed so as to make the decision for itself to fire on a specific target of its own accord would be. So as long as the human element is present for each particular lethal decision, it would not be considered autonomous. Many consider autonomous drones to be morally impermissible and are afraid that the move to make current drones autonomous is j ust around the corner. Another concern pertains to the drones decreased ability to discriminate combatants from noncombatants. The concern stems from the trust-worthiness of intelligence and also from the ability to discern different people from a video feed in which the operator is literally thousands of miles away from the battlefield. The examples given before in which the toll of civilian deaths were reported to be significantly larger than the combatant deaths attest to this concern. Some are worried that the use of drones leads to psychological conflicts for their operators. A drone operator would go home or to a PTA meeting after a hard days work of killing suspected terrorists from the comforts of his work desk. Some argue that this places unjust psychological burden on them and causes cognitive dissonance in the mindset of the warrior. An even greater concern is that drone operators would treat warfare as if it were a video game; as a result from the cognitive dissonance which will weaken a warriors will to fight. This could ultimately lead to mental problems or even PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) which would likely affect the operators decision-making on the battlefield. Another criticism is that drones create unjust asymmetry in combat. The objection follows: The use of technologically superior weapons such as drones by one force against another force that does not have the means to attain similar technology crosses an asymmetry threshold that makes the combat inherently ignoble. Its considered to be morally impermissible to pit two opposing sides against each other whose combat abilities differ greatly. Imagine pitting a lion against a dog. The same principle applies when you consider jus in bello (Laws of war). This position is usually held because in such circumstances one side literally does not take any life-or death risks whatsoever (or nearly so, since its warfighters are not even present in the primary theater of combat) whereas the opposing side carries all the risk of combat. (Stawser, 2010) A Moral Case for Drones There are many advocates for the continued use of drones. Some argue that the US is not only entitled but morally obliged to use drones. Considering all the advantages, there is really no downside to using them. Drones are merely an extension of a long historical trajectory of removing a warrior ever farther from his foe for the warriors better protection. (Strawser, 2010) Predator drones have been credited with the removal of top Al Qaeda and Taliban members, the most recent being Al Qaedas No. 3, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid. Stopping these influential terrorist leaders proved to be valuable in stopping large scale terrorists plots aimed at destroying or even devastating US cities and their allies. Conclusion Its only a matter of time when drones will rule the sky. Not only are drones being used in the combat zone, assassination plots, or just surveillance, there are plans in the future for them to roam in the sky of our own US cities. Plans to make drones an extension of law enforcement are inevitable. Before that happens, we have to be responsible citizens and look deep into the ethical problems that they provide and not be blinded by its technological superiority. As the drone attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and elsewhere have demonstrated, we now have the ultimate in push button warfare. There is always an advantage to having military superiority over your enemies. However, I think its important that we not fall into the trap of thinking that just because our slingshot has a greater range than the other guys, we are morally justified in using it in every case. Military superiority brings with it a moral responsibility not to use the superior weapons we possess merely because we possess them.  (Vincent, 2009)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: essays research papers

Miss Harper Lee has chosen Scout as a first person narrator in this story. This narrative technique has many strengths and some weaknesses. Scout is a bright, sensitive and intelligent little girl. For all her intelligence, she is still a child and does not always fully understand the implications of the events she reports. This is sometimes amusing, as the time she thinks Miss Maudie's loud voice scares Miss Stephanie. Scout does her best to inform us of the happenings at the Tom Robinson trial. Yet, she is not certain what rape is, and is neither aware of the prejudice state surrounding her. Ultimately she represents the innocence within society. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout Finch, a little girl growing up in a small Southern town, tells the story of her childhood, when she witnessed the trial of a Negro falsely accused of raping a white woman. The Negro's lawyer is Scout's father, Atticus Finch. He defends the Negro vigorously, though he expects to lose the case. As well as being the story of childhood, it is also the story of the struggle for equality of the American Negro. To Kill A Mockingbird can be read as the story of a child's growth and maturation. Almost every incident in the novel contributes something to Scout's perception of the world. Through her experiences she grows more tolerant of others, learning how to " climb into another person's skin and walk around in it." On her first day of school she finds that there are both social and poor classes in society, some are respectable and others not. She also learns that her father is an extra-ordinary man, fighting for a Negro's rights in court. At the trial of Tom Robinson Scout learns about equality and inequality, about justice and injustice and finally about racial prejudice. Many times during the course of the novel the idea of the mockingbird comes to mind. We first hear of the bird when the children are given there first air rifles for Christmas, There father warns them to never shoot the songbird, saying to do so would be a sin. During the trial of Tom Robinson, it occurs to the reader that the Negro has many characteristics he shares with the mockingbird, He is a gentle man, who has never harmed anyone and only tried to help. His murder is as much a sin as the killing of any innocent creature.

Qualitative Research Critique Essay -- Advanced Nursing Research

Article Citation Gilmartin, J. (2003). Day surgery: Patients’ perceptions of a nurse-led preadmission clinic. Journal of Clinical Nursing 13, 243-250. Initial Reaction This research article is from the UK and the writer questions if the findings from this study will have heuristic relevance and applicability to nursing and healthcare in the United States (U.S.). Primary healthcare in the UK is provided through the National Health Service (NHS); this writer has little knowledge as to how it works and its impact on patient care and nursing. This limited knowledge may introduce bias in this critique. Descriptive Vividness The significance of this study is to determine if a preadmission clinic process can be developed and implemented to positively impact the physical, psychological, and social healthcare needs of patients undergoing day surgery. The purpose of this study is â€Å"to elucidate patients’ perceptions of the preassessment preparation prior to day surgery† (Gilmartin, 2003, p. 244). This researcher identifies four themes related to patients’ perceptions of the preassessment preparation prior to day surgery; efficient functioning, assessment of patient suitability, the experience of information giving, and the problem of cancellation. Minimal excerpts are provided for three of the four themes; the fourth theme, the problem of cancellation is completely in narrative format. Although the emphasis of the findings was on the majority of excerpts, this researcher included negative case studies under two themes; efficient functioning and the experience of information giving. Efficient functioning was described by the majority of participants as being provided to in a timely manner, in contrast some (numbers not men... .... This study could have been improved by expanding the sample group from various preassessment clinics and to include diverse ethnicities and representation across various surgical specialties. In addition, another credible author would have increased trustworthiness of the entire study. This writer suggests the study be replicated in the U.S., with the suggested enhancements, for application in the U.S. healthcare system. Works Cited Burns, N., & Grove, S.K. (2009). The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier. Gilmartin, J. (2003). Day surgery: Patients’ perceptions of a nurse-led preadmission clinic. Journal of Clinical Nursing 13, 243-250. Tappen, R.M. (2011). Advanced nursing research: From theory to practice. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 26

I cannot say how long I ran. The night was clear and cold, and my heart felt as though it were pounding in my neck, in my brain, in my feet. I occasionally pressed my hand to the wound on my neck, which was still bleeding. The area was warm to the touch, and I felt dizzy whenever I put my hand on it. With each footstep, a new image appeared in my head: Katherine, bloodstained foam collecting at the corner of her mouth; Father, standing above her with a stake. Memories blurred, so I wasn't sure whether the red-eyed, shrieking monster who was on the floor was the same person who'd lunged at me with her teeth, who'd caressed me in the pond, who haunted my dreams and my waking hours. I shivered uncontrollably and lost my footing, tripping over a felled branch. I landed on the dirt, on my hands and knees, and retched repeatedly, until the iron-like taste in my mouth disappeared. Katherine was about to die. Father hated me. I didn't know who I was, or what I should be doing. The entire world was turned upside down, and I felt dizzy and weak, sure that no matter what I did, I would cause destruction. This was all my fault. All of it. If I hadn't lied to Father and kept Katherine's secret †¦ I forced myself to catch my breath, then stood up and began running again. As I ran, the scent of the vervain in my pocket filled my nostrils. Its sweet, earthy fragrance wafted through my body, seeming to clear my head and imbue my limbs with a wakeful energy. I turned left on the dirt path, surprised at the course I was choosing, but for the first time in weeks, I felt certain about my actions. I burst into the sheriff's office, where Sheriff Forbes sat with his feet up on the desk, asleep. In the one holding cell, the town drunk, Jeremiah Black, was snoring loudly, obviously sleeping off a bad night at the saloon. Noah, a young officer, was also nodding off on a wooden chair outside the cell. â€Å"Vampires! There are vampires at Veritas!† I yelled, causing Sheriff Forbes and Jeremiah to simultaneously snap to attention. â€Å"Let's go. Follow me,† Sheriff Forbes said, grabbing a club and a musket. â€Å"Noah!† he yelled. â€Å"Get the wagon and follow behind with Stefan.† â€Å"Y sir,† Noah said, jumping to his feet. He es, pulled a club from a hook on the wall and passed it to me. Just then, I heard a piercing noise, and I realized that Sheriff Forbes was ringing the alarm outside the sheriff's office. The bell clanged over and over again. â€Å"I can help. Please?† Jeremiah slurred, both hands on the bars. Noah shook his head and hurriedly ran through the building, his boots echoing against the wooden floor beams. I followed him, stopping to watch as he hastily hitched two horses to a long iron wagon. â€Å"Come on!† Noah called impatiently, holding his whip. I jumped up onto the seat next to Noah and watched as he cracked the whip, causing the horses to gallop at breakneck speed down the hill and into town. People were standing outside their houses in nightclothes and rubbing their eyes, some hitching horses to wagons and coaches. â€Å"Attack at the Salvatore estate!† Noah called, over and over again, until his voice almost broke. I knew I should help. But I couldn't. Instead, I felt fear grip my heart as the wind whipped my face. I heard the clip-clopping of horses in the distance, and saw doors being flung open and more townspeople in their nightclothes hastily grabbing rifles, bayonets, and any other weapon they could find. As we galloped through town, I noticed the apothecary was closed tightly. Could Anna and Pearl be at home? If so, I needed to give them a warning. No. The word came so strongly, it was as if my father had whispered it in my ear himself. I needed to make things right for me, for the Salvatore name. The only people I cared about were Father and Damon, and if anything happened to them †¦ â€Å"Attack at the Salvatore estate!† I yelled, my voice breaking. â€Å"Attack at the Salvatore estate!† Noah repeated, his words sounding like a chant. I looked up at the sky. The moon was a tiny sliver, and clouds obscured any hint of starlight. But suddenly, as we rode up the hill, I saw Veritas lit up like morning, with a mob of what looked like a hundred people brandishing torches and standing on the steps of the porch, yelling. Pastor Collins stood on the porch swing, calling out prayers, as several people watched him, kneeling on the ground and praying. Next to him was Honoria Fells, yelling to anyone who would listen about demons and repentance. Old Man Robinson was brandishing his torch and threatening to burn down the entire estate. â€Å"Stefan!† Honoria called as I jumped off the wagon before it stopped. â€Å"For your protection,† she said, proffering a branch of vervain. â€Å"Excuse me,† I called hoarsely, as I pushed through the horde, using my elbows, and ran to the carriage house and up the stairs. I heard angry voices from the chambers. â€Å"I will take her! We'll leave, and you won't see either of us again!† Damon's voice, as low and ominous as incoming thunder. â€Å"Ungrateful!† Father roared, and I heard a sickening crack. I bounded up the stairs and saw Damon, slumped against the doorway, a trickle of blood oozing from his temple. The door had cracked from the impact of Damon's body. â€Å"Damon!† I called, falling onto my knees next to my brother. Damon tried to struggle to his feet. I winced as I saw the blood flooding from his temple. When he turned toward me, his eyes blazed with anger. Father stood, stake in hand. â€Å"Thank you for getting the sheriff, Stefan. Y did the right thing. ou Unlike your brother.† Father reached out toward him, and I gasped, sure he would hit him again. But instead he stretched out his hand. â€Å"Stand up, Damon.† Damon slapped away Father's hand. He stood on his own, wiping the blood from his head with the back of his hand. â€Å"Damon. Listen to me,† Father continued, ignoring the look of pure hatred on Damon's face. â€Å"Y were bewitched by the demon †¦ by that ou Katherine. But now she will disappear and you must side with what's right. I showed you mercy, but these people †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gestured toward the window and the angry mob beyond it. â€Å"Then let me be killed,† Damon hissed, as he stormed out the door. He brushed past me, hitting me hard with his shoulder as he ran down the stairs. From inside the room, an agonizing shriek emerged. â€Å"Sheriff?† Father called, swinging open the door to Katherine's chambers. I gasped. There was Katherine, a leather muzzle over her face, her white arms and legs bound together. â€Å"She's ready,† Sheriff said grimly. â€Å"We'll take her to the wagon and add her to the list. Gilbert's got the compass and is rounding up the vampires in town. By daybreak, we will have rid the town of this scourge.† Katherine stared at me, a desperate, pleading expression in her eyes. But what could I do? She was lost to me now. I turned down the stairs and ran.

Polticaal situation of nepal Essay

Introduction The mass movement of April 2006 in Nepal sought to restore parliament for the democratic process to continue and to initiate a peace process for the end of a ten-year long armed conflict. This required the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) to join democratic competition which in turn necessitated the devising of a constitution to manage root causes of conflicts afflicting the nation. Hence, a Constituent Assembly (CA) election, that would pave the way for an inclusive state responsive of social diversity and sustainable peace, was seen as the compromise solution among all the political forces. A train of processes and events was thus set off resulting in the advent of current Nepalese politics. A Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed between an alliance of the seven political parties (six after the merger of Nepali Congress and Nepali Congress-Democratic) and the CPN (Maoist) on November 21, 2006. An Interim Constitution drafted and the restored parliament dissolved to pave the way for an interim legislature and interim government that included the CPN (Maoist) in 2007. The ruling seven-party alliance (SPA) announced substantive structural reforms, such as declaration of the country secular, federal and republican. Civilian control of Nepal Army (NA), nationalization of royal property, empowerment of the Premier as head of state, abolition of the national unification day and substitution of the national anthem were announced as time went by. There were also reform measures such as greater inclusiveness regarding marginalized people in the CA, the bureaucracy and police. However, all these measures have allowed a neo-patrimonial regime to incubate, sapping the political will necessary to alter the policy and strategic development vital to transform the â€Å"structural causes of conflicts†. This has hindered efforts for cultural, social, economic and political transformation needed to establish a well-organized virtuous state capable of instituting sound democratic governance. The political transition has remained highly turbulent due to the open-ended nature of the conflict system. It is, therefore, hard to say whether Nepal has actually entered a post-conflict phase. The continuation of high political dynamics in the country now indicates a steady erosion of the writ of state and the low level of constitutional and government’s stability. This has resulted in a new bargaining environment for armed non-state actors and movement-oriented ethno- regional forces thus further  limiting the scope for complex reforms, both involving long-term institutional restructuring and short-term policy interventions. The weakness of state institutions has further spoiled efforts to promote relief to vulnerable sections of the population and address conflict residues. Social movements of marginalized groups– women, Dalits (untouchable underclass), Janajatis (ethnic groups), Aadibasis (indigenous groups) and Madhesis (people living in the southern plains) â €” for identity, proportional representation, federalism and self-determination and insurrectionary activities of two-dozen non-state armed actors have upset the coherence of state-society relations in an unprecedented manner. While the mainstream parties have interest in restructuring the state, the social forces favor restructuring political parties to expand the social base of politics. As a result, the SPA has missed three deadlines (June 14 and 20 and November 22) for the CA elections to draft a new constitution. It was forced to amend the Interim Constitution three times in eight months-(May 9, June 14 and December 18) to give in to rising demands that the political process was exacting and to give in to the voice of various agitating groups. Among the provisions included in the amendments the more significant ones empower the parliament to abolish the monarchy, if found plotting against the CA elections, and declare the country a federal democratic republic, subject to ratification by the elected CA, or even before that by a two-thirds legislators if the King poses a threat to the elections. Despite voices emerging for a space for monarchy and efforts of CPN (Maoist), NC and CPN-UML to woo its suppo rters, King Gynendra remains aloof from the power struggle. All this has not changed the political dynamics for the better. The Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF), a group which organized violent protests in the Tarai where scores of people were killed last year, is demanding a fourth revision of the constitution to address the grievances of the Madhesis. The peace process kept in limbo by the political events appears to have been finally taken up with the 23-point accord reached among the SPA constituents on 23 December. It finally decided that it would establish a high level Peace Council and the six basic pillars of peace within a month. Accordingly, the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal has been assigned to probe into rights violations during past emergency rule, managing cantonments and providing remuneration to Maoist  combatants, return of illegally seized public property, end to forced donation by Maoists, etc. It vows to hold the CA elections by April 10, 2008, has increased the number of seats for CA from 497 to 6 01 and began a common process of electoral socialization through joint mass meetings. The process is marred by mutual accusations. On January 16, Minister for Peace and Reconstruction R. C. Paudel, made a public call on all the agitating groups for dialogue and facilitate CA elections. He has to be more strategic with the ability to strike a balance between achieving the human rights protection objective and responding to changing narratives of discourse, contexts, actors, issues, rules and political priorities. Constituent Assembly Elections The Election Commission (EC) has already published the CA election schedule and enforced the election code of conduct from January 16. The parties contesting it will have to submit their closed list of candidates for proportional representation system by February 22, registration of candidature for direct voting will be opened from February 22 to 25 and the candidates will be given election symbols on March 2. The Interim Constitution recognizes the SPA but says that anyone else willing to register a new political party must submit 10,000 signatures to EC. Many opposition parties – MPRF (Yadav), MPRF (Bishwas), Rastriy Prajatantra Party (RPP)-Nepal, Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP), RPP, Nepal Sadbhava Party and Tarai-Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP) have depicted the SPA as undemocratic in spirit and attitude and argued that setting the date for elections without creating a proper security and political environment is meaningless. The MPRF and TMLP blaming the deployment of Special Task Force â€Å"for creating terror in Tarai and helping the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL), have threatened to stage a decisive agitation if their demands are not addressed by January 18. Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), a coalition of 54 ethnic groups, has put its dilemma this way: if it wages its movement, the SPA will be demolished; if not, the SPA refuses to implement the 20-pint accord it signed with the government. The meeting of the high level seven-party coordinating committee, a SPA coordination mechanis m, is currently discussing the possibility of conducting elections in two phases, keeping in mind the security situation in the Tarai. It  decided to request the EC to postpone the implementation of the code of conduct for 15 days so that local bodies can be constituted. Finance Minister R. S. Mahat has requested Nepal’s international development partners to extend an additional assistance of $4.76 million to implement the 23-point accord among the SPA and to hold the elections. At the same time, an influential section of NC has warned of â€Å"Tarai disintegration† if election takes place in two phases. The decision of the government to distribute $15,870 to each legislator for the development of their constituency also stoked the fire of protest in the civil society. The pre-election perk out of the government coffer does not make the election competitive process. It is such controversies that overturned the election apple-cart in the past. A badly designed election can easily foment social divisions, fragment the political sphere, institutionalize sub-national conflicts and embroil the nation into the centrifugal pressure of regional geopolitics. Tarai’s Geopolitics Twenty-two districts in Nepal’s southern plains bordering India constitute the Terai or Madhesh. It is fertile area and is linked to Nepal’s major supply routes to hills. After the declaration of secular state and talk about redistributive land reforms, the glue that bind hill and Tarai communities got lost. The Madhesi movement spearheaded by the MPRF wants the declaration of the Madhesh as an autonomous region, talks with armed Madhesi groups, balanced distribution of state revenue and income to Madhesh, proportional representation in all the governance institutions including the NA, appointment of chief administrators in Madhesh from the Madhesi communities, return weapons captured by Maoists to the concerned people and declaration of those killed during the Madhesh movement as martyrs including compensation for their families. The TMLP has expressed its desire to have its own state organs for the plains. The two radical components of Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha ( JTMM) demand international mediators like the UN to resolve their issues and a separate independent state. India’s assertion that â€Å"Tarai’s demands should be addressed,† has provoked a prickly reaction from various political forces. Premier Koirala who had earlier assertion that the â€Å"Tarai problem can be resolved within a minute with India’s cooperation† has led to suspicions about an ‘Indian hand’ in the  unrest. India’s main opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, criticizes the Indian government for remaining silent on the collusion of Indian and Nepali communists for creating turmoil in both countries and quashing of the symbols of Nepal’s stability and unity-Hindu state and monarchy. An open border with India, existence of co-ethnics across the border and affiliation of each group and political party with like-minded ones in India create a context in which resolution of conflict requires confidence-building measures from both sides. The violent conflict in the Tarai has forced the hill people to migrate to safe places and create their own mechanisms in the area, like the Chure Bhavar Unity Society (CBUS) that positions itself in the foothills border ing the Terai and the mountains, for autonomy and self-defense. The autonomy movement in the Madhesh has snowballed into ethnic Tharus, Rais, Limbus, Tamangs, Gurungs, Magars, Dalits and Newars also demanding autonomous federal states based on the right to self-determination. But, there is no unity among Madhesi groups due to their multiple caste, language, religious and ethnic identities. For example, TMLP leadership is dominated by high caste groups, MPRF by intermediary caste groups and JTMM by lower caste groups. The government’s Special Task Force (STF), deployed in Kathmandu and eight Terai districts, has failed to penetrate, divide and destroy criminal networks and create public security for local governance to operate. Nepal’s problems cannot be tackled without taking this regionalism into account and identifying ways to address it. No matter how one looks at this problem, it seems obvious that there is no military solution. The political package must create a situation favorable to all groups where they see they have more t o gain through peace than violence. An election in a security and authority vacuum will neither have legitimacy nor ability to institutionalize democratic polity. Law and Order The Nepalese army has expressed its commitment to democracy and a nationally-owned security sector reforms. But, Chief of Army Staff, Gen. R. Katawal clearly said â€Å"No† to integrate the CPN (Maoist) combatants. The UN has verified 19,602 politically indoctrinated People’s Liberation Army (PLA) out of its total force of over 32,000. Premier G. P Koirala agrees with the army’s viewpoint and has given options to Maoists- to integrate the PLA into  industrial security groups or give them priority in foreign employment. Nepal’s total strength of security forces stands at 165,000– NA (92,000), the civilian police (48,000) and Armed Police Force (25,000). The NA is holed up inside barracks as per the peace accord. The existence of these two adversarial structures does not provide any incentive for confidence building and to pursue a viable peace process for the future. Similarly, without disarming all autonomous armed groups and improving civil-milit ary relations, the chances of free and fair elections remain fragile. Erosion of state monopoly on power, taxation and loyalty of citizens, growth of competitive violence and failure of statehood in governance have confiscated the state’s capacity to provide security in the country. As a result the ability of the political system to maintain balance of power between different governance organs is severely undermined which is telling on its capacity to enforce rule of law, provide service delivery and resolve the multi-layered conflict. SPA’s control over the legislature, the executive control over the judiciary and a lack of legitimate opposition have established monopoly rule. There is an absence of institutions protecting property rights and promotion of collective goods. Nepal has a very weak middle class and poor mediating agencies to protect the rights and welfare of the poor. Tax contributes 12 percent to GDP and the contribution of public sector output to GDP is only about 7 percent. Foreign aid constitutes 70 percent of developmen t outlays. Domestic revenue raising capacity is very poor. Easy borrowing from international institutions has established the government’s autonomy from their tax paying citizens. As a result, the government is less concerned with institutional capacity of the state to deliver governance goals. The substantial contribution of remittance to GDP (17 percent) too has detrimental effect on the accountability of government. GDP growth rate of 2.3 percent hardly balances out the population growth of 2.2 percent. The daily per capita income of $ 1 puts Nepal’s human security condition at the bottom of world development statistics. Feudalism, caste hierarchy and patriarchy have suppressed social mobility of the underclass. This lack of social and economic security has made Nepal’s politics highly inflammable amidst radical appeals and growing frustration. Nepal’s bureaucracy, police and public institutions are highly politicized along partisan lines, de-motivated, show poor esprit de corps and weak to enforce  rule of law and deliver essential public services. â€Å"The rulers have no trust in the constitution, leading to its failure,† Ch airman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, Laxman Aryal said on January 15. To him, the constitution emerged as a compromise among SPA constituents for the transition politics until the CA election is conducted. It, therefore, does not hold the principles of constitutionalism. He added, â€Å"We saw nothing during its first year, but chaos and deterioration of law and order.† This condition has made national integrity system ineffective in controlling crime, corruption and impunity. Public institutions and enterprises are still monopolized by ruling parties. Sense of public trust in the authority, assuming that the government is trustworthy and acting in the public interest, is sharply declining. Lack of a boundary between leaders’ personal and institutional interests has given birth to a political culture of clientalism although new social movements of women, youth, Dalits, indigenous people and ethnic groups are increasingly challenging the position of authority fixed at birth, lineage and patronage. They are seeking to remold the pre-modern political culture of mutual distrust, betrayal and revenge and into post-conflict modern culture of a shared future based on social justice, democracy and peace. Voice and Participation of Marginalized The struggle for human rights in Nepal for liberation, entitlements and social opportunities still remains unfinished. Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRC) K. N. Upadhaya stresses the need for joint efforts among the human rights organizations and individuals to mitigate human rights violations in an effective manner. The government’s presence is felt to some extent only in Kathmandu and some urban nodes. Killing, kidnapping, extortion, strikes, food shortages, rocketing prices, shrinking job opportunities and growing fear have deteriorated human rights conditions in the periphery. Last year, 130 civilians got killed by various forces. Seventy-two political parties have applied in the EC for registration. This number represents asymmetry and diversity in Nepalese social life. A number of social groups are struggling for social, gender and inter-generational justice in the party structure of mainstream parties. Internal party democracy is essential t o make political power proportional  to its representativeness and end the fissiparous tendencies that have sapped their social integration potential. The country has 102 ethnic groups and more than 82 languages. No single group claims more than 18 percent of the population. This means it is a country of minorities and there is no institutional mechanism to prevent the minority from becoming a majority. Civil society groups are columnized along partisan lines. This condition has marred the possibilities for cooperative action for public service. Despite the legislation of the Right to Information Act, the media is unevenly distributed just like the per capita income and, therefore, people of backward and remote areas have no access to the public sphere in shaping the agenda. In contrast, the apex body of media persons, Nepal Federation of Journalists, revealed the condition of media freedom this way: Between April 24, 2006 to December 1, 2007 one journalist was killed, one disappeared, 74 detained and 128 threatened. There were 203 attacks on media houses, 129 journalists lost their jobs and 55 media houses were shut down. Engageme nt of the International Community For an international community caught in a fluid political climate, it will be hard to enlarge the development space as agreed in the Basic Operating Guidelines (BOG), other than relief and humanitarian supplies. The presence of the international community in Nepal acts as a deterrence against excessive use of violence and abuse of human rights. Japan has put Nepal in the category of a â€Å"fragile state.† By definition, a fragile state creates a situation for humanitarian intervention owing to anarchy of free wills, poor governance and failure to enforce rule of law. India has often insisted that elections to the CA must take place on time at any cost, but remained silent when the SPA failed to create a favorable security and law and order situation. The European Union and the US are insisting that the security situation in Nepal must improve for a credible, free and fair election. On January 18, the US Ambassador to Nepal, Nancy J. Powell suggesting the government and political parties to fulfill earlier commitments made in the peace accord said, â€Å"The CA polls will not guarantee sustainable peace in Nepal. What is necessary for the sustainable peace is loyalty to the nation.† On January 11, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon submitted his report to the UN Security Council proposing a six-month extension of UNMIN’s  mandate to support Nepal’s peace process through CA elections. He has advised against downscaling the UN’s presence, emphasizing that it could imperil prospects for a successful election, except in the cases of technical assistance which has already been provided. The UN too favors a credible CA election with improved security, government’s engagement in a dialogue with disgrunt led groups and abolition of the culture of impunity. Unlike the EU, however, India, the US and China have geopolitical priorities. India’s role in bringing the SPA together against the ‘monarchy’ in November 2005 and their joint struggle forced King Gyanendra to hand over power to the political parties. As the SPA established their monopoly over power and resources but failed to maintain security and rule of law, it evoked the security concern of neighbors. China has voiced against â€Å"any foreign intervention in Nepal,† showed interest to actively involve itself in Nepal’s peace process, expressed anxiety about the events taking place in the Tarai and asked the Nepalese leaders to take independent decisions depending less on outside forces. Aid coordination and coordination of government-donor practices have become particularly important in Nepal, especially to engage both sides in abolishing the historical practice of clientalism and paternalism, building trust on each other’s role and engaging in multi-dimensional aspects of the peace-process, such as state-building, support to constitution-making, transport, communication, energy development, education, agriculture, rural development, water supply, finance, health and sanitation and sustainable development. Conflict mitigation projects should involve rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure and internally displaced people, rural reconstruction and eradication of the root causes of mal-development which, in the first place, triggered the cycle of conflict. Expectation of People at the Grassroots Level The media and the political leaders have generated unrealistic expectations among the population that the CA is the panacea that will fulfill all their needs and desires. It was important to cast the message that CA is meant to frame a draft of the constitution and the necessary laws for governance. People at the grassroots level are expecting informed and reason-based knowledge about the constitution-making process, the suitability of the  election system, improvement in security and are concerned about political stability, cooperation from outside, avoidance of unnecessary foreign intervention, knowledge about the modern state, functions of political systems, government, political parties and leadership, enfranchisement of citizens and their stake-holding in public institutions, social cohesion, support in education, health and economic activities and social justice. Minorities are increasingly questioning about their human rights in a majority dominated federal state. They want to know about their role in the multi-staged negotiation with the CA, suitability of federalism, concept of a republic and the vision of a New Nepal. Ordinary people also ask about the mixed election system that has been adopted and which presents a new challenge- what with the twin-ballot paper for voters and administration. FES training series on civic education has created a synergy as demands for such activities from various quarters have increased, advocacy documents have been utilized by all sides, resource persons interviewed by the media and published in the local papers. They were even involved in non-partners’ activities with the same advocacy resources. In general, our programs have strengthened the civic competence of citizens as they can debate on equal terms with their leaders and contest their view points. In many conflict-hit places, our activities provided space for dialogue among heterogeneous participants and directly contributed to building public opinion, democratic will-formation and reconciliation. We also tried to encourage participants to speak up and share their views rather than just receiving top-down dissemination of knowledge and information. In many places, they suggested to us to provide training to central level leadership and demanded more seminars in the districts and villages so that dialogues across diverse communities can build trust between conflict-torn societal groups and improve their relations with the state. Road Ahead A credible, free and fair election depends on the ability of the political parties to create a secure environment for political actors and voters, cross-party consensus on security plans in the Tarai, engagement of movement-oriented and armed non-state actors opposed to the elections in constructive dialogues to address their outstanding grievances, dispelling the threat of pro-monarchy forces through inclusive measures and a common  process of socialization and goal-orientation towards democratic peace. What happens if elections do not take place on April 10? In case the CA election does not take place as scheduled, then this constitution, parliament and government will suffer from legitimacy deficit. The first scenario is well articulated by Minister without Portfolio Sujata Korala, â€Å"The constitution of 1991 will return.† This will satisfy the traditional forces and its resistance to change. But, there will be a dangerous polarization between the radical and the conservative forces. The second scenario is the creation of a civilian government with the backing of NA. A CPN (Maoist) ideologue calls it a â€Å"democratic coup,† because civilian politicians, not the King, will be utilized. A lot of things depend on the move of the international community because Nepal is an aid-dependent country and its policy, power and legitimacy flow from it. Similarly, it requires to win the confidence of India, the US and China as they are geo-strategically enmeshed in Nepal’s internal developments. A group of civil society and opposition parties are opting for a broad-based national government to hold elections. The third scenario seems optimally satisfactory if the major insurgent groups are engaged in dialogue and national consensus. Civil society groups should serve as a mediating ground for all pol itical perspectives and mobilize national and global