Thursday, December 26, 2019
Tragedy And Epic Of Beowulf - 2267 Words
Aristotleââ¬â¢s Poetics is a brilliant book on the mechanics of poetry, tragedy, and epics. He details the specific characteristics that poetry, tragedy and epic needs to have in order to make it such. The poem Beowulf is a wonderful example of a brilliant piece of poetry, originating from England, tells of the great warrior Beowulf and his battles with Grendel, Grendelââ¬â¢s mother, and finally his last battle with the dragon that terrorizes his city and leads to his death. Considering Beowulfââ¬â¢s death while fighting the dragon, should the poem, Beowulf, be thought of as an epic or a heroic tragedy? According to Aristotle, ââ¬Å"Tragedy is a representation of an action of a superior kind-grand, and complete in itself- presented in embellished language, in distinct forms in different parts, performed by actors rather than by a narrator, effecting, through pity and fear, the purification[catharsis] of such emotionsâ⬠(Poetics 23). Tragedy is supposed to give the view er a way to channel emotions through mimesis, pity and fear, and catharsis. In fact, Leon Golden identifies mimesis, pity and fear, and catharsis as ââ¬Å"the starting point in [an] attempt to establish a fully adequate theory of tragedyâ⬠(Golden 23). Mimesis means imitation; however, the English word imitation does not do justice to what the words means in its original Greek. In Greek, mimesis connotes imitation, but imitation of a deeper level; imitation almost on the level of occupying someone elseââ¬â¢s body in order to achieveShow MoreRelatedThe Epic Of Beowulf And Grendel1363 Words à |à 6 PagesWhen one first encounters the epic poem Beowulf, they are usually taken aback by the differences between the text of the Anglo Saxons at that time and our present culture. This tale of a heroic warrior, Beowulf, defeating his opponent, Grendel, is certainly different from current works of fiction. Differences in diction, context, and characters allow readers to see how diff erent other cultures were, and whether or not these differences carry over into other cultures. It is no secret that things haveRead MoreThe Epic Of Beowulf And Grendel1363 Words à |à 6 PagesWhen one first encounters the epic poem Beowulf, they are usually taken aback by the differences between the text of the Anglo Saxons at that time and our present culture. This tale of a heroic warrior, Beowulf, defeating his opponent, Grendel, is certainly different from current works of fiction. Differences in diction, context, and characters allow readers to see how different other cultures were, and whether or not these differences carry over into other cultures. It is no secret that things haveRead MoreFate And Fate In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight741 Words à |à 3 Pageseffect. In the epic poem Beowulf, the hero battles many enemies and at the same time discovering his destinies. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain must be able to meet his fate as he faces the Green Knight. In the tragedy Macbeth, Macbeth finds ways to try and alter his fate. Fate is portrayed in the epic poem Beowulf as he discovers his heroic destiny, in the epic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Gawain is determined seek the Green Knight, and in the Shakespearian tragedy Macbeth as heRead MoreMonsters and Men in a Array of Literature 727 Words à |à 3 Pagesother are obscure from the: Macbeth, Beowulf, and Frankenstein. All three writers published each for separate purposes. William Shakespeare Constructed Macbeth for the king and was hinting advice toward the king. In reflection, the epic poem of Beowulf is not similar to Frankenstein in anyway. However all of these pieces of literature have an allusion to monsters and men. In stating this monsters and men are not universal throughout the genres of tragedy, epic poem, and romanticism novel. The playRead MoreDifferences Between Hamlets Mental/Emotional Conflicts and Beowulfs Physical Battles960 Words à |à 4 PagesBeowulfs physical battles Beowulf is an epic poem from an unknown author. The main point and theme of Beowulf is about heroism of a warrior with courage who becomes an epic hero; not only by his strength in the battles but also by his social obligations. In Williams Shakespeareââ¬â¢s play, Hamlet, Hamletââ¬â¢s mental and emotional conflict is based on a tragedy of revenge. It is the differences of Beowulf and Hamlet, that also make it the same. The epic poem Beowulf tells the story of a Geatland warrior;Read MoreEssay on Comparison of Modern Day Heroes and Beowulf744 Words à |à 3 PagesHeroes and Beowulf Most of us have heard of modern day heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the Hulk. Each is a hero to many children. Heroes are introduced to people early on in life usually as fictional characters, but as children grow older their perceptions of heroes alter. The characteristics of a hero are usually based around the ideas of a society or culture. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero. Beowulf, a pagan warrior and the main character of the epic, showsRead MoreBeowulf And The Epic s Christian Identity896 Words à |à 4 PagesBeowulf and the Epicââ¬â¢s Christian Identity Composed in early eighth century by an unknown author the epic poem Beowulf, follows the exploits of the protagonist of the same name. Originally composed orally by a tribeââ¬â¢s scop, the epic of Beowulf delivers insight on the lives and adventures of characters that lived in the sixth century. Although, the tale of Beowulf was formulated during post Roman collapse by presumably pagan people; written around seven hundred A.D., it is probable that a ChristianRead MoreCourageous Acts by Heroes in Ancient Literature1546 Words à |à 6 Pages In my essay I will be taking about the courageous acts by heroes in ancient literature. An old English epic poem set in Scandinavia called ââ¬Å"Beowulfâ⬠is a brave adventurous poem about the hero of Geats who helps the King of Danes. Secondly, ââ¬Å"The Antigoneâ⬠a tragedy play written by Sophocles in 400BC. It is mainly focused on a brother sisterââ¬â¢s relationship. At last I will talk about the epic Latin poem ââ¬Å" The Aeneidâ⬠by Virgil is a legendary story about Aeneas travels to Italy. In Italy, Aeneasââ¬â¢sRead MoreEpic of Beowulf Essay740 Words à |à 3 Pages The characters Oedipus and Beowulf represent two different types of heroes. Oedipus is a tragic hero and characterized by its standards. He was an influential man of stature who had a tragic flaw. While he contributed to his own downfall, Oedipus was not entirely responsible for it. He also learned a lesson from his mistakes which ultimately creates a catharsis in the reading audience. Beowulf, on the other hand, is characterized by the standards of an epic hero. He strives for excellenceRead MoreEssay on A Comparison of Oedipus and Beowulf693 Words à |à 3 Pages The characters Oedipus and Beowulf represent two different types of heroes. Oedipus is a tragic hero and characterized by its standards. He was an influential man of stature who had a tragic flaw. While he contributed to his own downfall, Oedipus was not entirely responsible for it. He also learned a lesson from his mistakes which ultimately creates a catharsis in the reading audience. Beowulf, on the other hand, is characterized by the standards of an epic hero. He strives for excellence
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Development Challenges Of The Vietnam War - 1193 Words
Development Challenges Vietnam is one of the fastest developing countires in the world, however it still faces many development challenges. The Vietnam War that began in 1955, is the main factor to why Vietnam is a developing country. The war lasted almost 20 years and took over 2 million lives, 3 million were wounded and too many children were left as orphans. From 1960-1975 (during the war) life expectancy was very low. The average age varied between 59.07 - 61.54 years. Now they average to around 75.61 years. Having low levels of litracy and education can delay the economic development of a country. Vietnams literacy rate is, 15-24 years are able to read. The infant mortality rate per 1000 live births is 18 (last recorded in 2012). Theâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Helping Vietnam overcome poverty and gain sustainable development is in Australiaââ¬â¢s national interest and important for regional prosperity and security. â⬠AusAIDââ¬â¢s main focus on Vietnam is to: -further progress on the economic integration in the region by supporting transport infrastucture -strengthening human resources -improving its environmental sustainability They are helping by having an estimated outcome of $138.9 million for 2013/2014 and an estimated budget of $141.3 million. They are using this money to fund road infrastucture in order to connect Vietnamââ¬â¢s Mekong Delta to the mainland Southeast Asia region. Their plans for this year and next year is to: -Work to complete the Southern Cooastal Corridor road project and work alongside the Aisan Development Bank on the construction of the Cao Lanh Bridge. -Complete the upgrade of 24km of rural feeder roads alongside the World Bank. WORD COUNT: 442 Australiaââ¬â¢s AID Agreement with Vietnam Australia has an agreement with Vietnam to send aid to further continue the development of the country. AusAID is the government agency that is resposible in taking action with programs put together to complete their goals. Their Millennium
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Tourism in Bhutan free essay sample
Bhutans tourism industry began in 1974. It was introduced with the primary objective of generating revenue, especially foreign exchange; publicising the countrys unique culture and traditions to the outside world, and to contribute to the countrys socio-economic development1. Since then the number of tourists visiting Bhutan has increased from just 287 in 1974 to over 2,850 in 1992 and over 7,000 in 1999. By the late 1980s tourism contributed over US$2 million in revenues to the royal government. In 1989, the royal government raised the tourist tariff. That year only 1,480 tourists visited Bhutan but the government still earned US$1. 95 million through tourism. By 1992 tourist revenues contributed as much as US$3. 3 million and accounted for as much as 15-20% of the total of Bhutans exported goods and services. The royal government has always been aware that an unrestricted flow of tourists can have negative impacts on Bhutans pristine environment and its rich and unique culture. The government, therefore, adopted a policy of high value-low volume tourism, controlling the type and quantity of tourism right from the start. Until 1991 the Bhutan Tourism Corporation (BTC), a quasi-autonomous and self-financing body, implemented the governments tourism policy. All tourists, up to that time came as guests of BTC, which in turn operated the tour organisation, transport services and nearly all the hotels and accommodation facilities. The government privatised tourism in October 1991 to encourage increased private sector participation in the tourism sector. Today there are more than 75 licensed tour operators in the country. ?Communication officer, National Environment Commission, Thimphu 84 Sustainability of Tourism Table 1: Tourist Arrivals by Country of Residence and Revenue Receipts from 1989-1998 Tourism Region 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 Americas 479 377 544 616 751 734 1003 1039 1010 1714 Asia Pacific Europe 35 459 755 728 791 1193 1529 1639 1712 1418 621 614 807 1229 1323 1884 2227 2391 2590 2062 Others 45 88 All Regions 1480 1538 Revenue Receipts (million US$) 190 119 160 6 69 51 9 2106 2763 2984 3971 4765 5138 5363 6203 2. 30 2. 99 3. 30 3. 97 6. 00 6. 51 6. 50 7. 98 Source: Department of Tourism, Thimphu After the privatisation process, a regulatory body, the Tourism Authority of Bhutan (TAB), now called the Department of Tourism (DOT), was established under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The primary responsibilities of the Department of Tourism include ensuring compliance by travel agents with the tourism policy of the royal government, including the regulation of the number and segments of foreign tourists; fixation of rates for trekking, expeditions, and cultural tours; receiving of tourist payments and processing of tourist visas; issuing and ensuring compliance with guidelines and regulations related to tourism activities; ensuring conservation of culture, tradition, environment and protection against ravages of pollution and exposure from tourism activities; and developing new opportunities for generating growth and foreign exchange through protective tourism, and to undertake research and development in such areas. Currently the minimum daily tariff set by the Department of Tourism for both cultural tours and treks is US$200 for the high season and US$165 for the low season2. There is no quota or limit on the number of tourists allowed to visit Bhutan. Rather the volume of tourists coming to Bhutan has been limited by the capacity constraints of tourism infrastructure due to the pronounced seasonality of tourism in the country. March/April and October/November are the top tourist seasons as the weather is best for 85 Journal of Bhutan Studies trekking and cultural festivals are taking place in different parts of the country. So far the royal governments overall objective of maximising foreign exchange earnings while minimising adverse cultural and environmental impacts of tourism seems to have paid off. The tourism industry has made significant contributions to the socio-economic development of the country, especially after the privatisation of the industry in 1991. A high level of profits is available to tour operators and an increasing number of Bhutanese entrepreneurs are investing in the tourism sector. Bhutanese have also found employment as guides, cooks, transport operators, and hotel and restaurant owners. Tourism contributes significantly to rural incomes through earnings from tourist transport and portage. Tourism has also provided the impetus for the development of the service sector, including hotels, restaurants, transportation and communication. Another visible impact of tourism has been the promotion of the indigenous cottage industry and the setting up of handicraft shops in Thimphu and other frequently visited areas. Bhutans main tourism attractions are its traditional culture and way of life, its religious festivals, historic monuments and its pristine environment. Bhutan has received much international acclaim for its cautious approach to development that places a high priority on conserving the nations natural and cultural heritage. Protecting nature and culture is part of the Bhutanese value system and is an important aspect of the traditional way of life in Bhutan, and the tourism policy reflects these concerns. The policy of imposing a high tariff has succeeded in making tourism in Bhutan an exclusive and distinctive experience. However, with the increase in the number of tourists coming to Bhutan every year there is a need to monitor and evaluate the environmental and cultural impacts of tourism and offer measures to reduce any adverse impacts. World tourism is evolving as well as growing and tourists increasingly want to engage in recreational or sporting activities, learn more about local cultures or develop special interests. Among these special interests is the natural environment resulting in what is commonly termed eco-tourism. This offers new opportunities and challenges for Bhutan. 86 Sustainability of Tourism Bhutan is keen to develop its tourism industry in a way that is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. It should be recognized that tourism in Bhutan has been sustainable so far due to the sound environmental and cultural policies of the royal government which has considerable authority over setting policy direction. The future sustainability of tourism will, however, depend on greater participation from the tourism industry. The tourism industry must realise that our environment and culture are the basic resources on which it thrives and grows. It must recognize its responsibility for conservation and sustainable natural resource management by committing to and working within principles and guidelines to achieve sustainable tourism development. The sustainable development of tourism will require partnership and cooperation within the tourism industry, and between the industry, government, tourists and people. Local input and involvement are also important for the long-term sustainability of tourism in Bhutan. If local residents and communities are part of tourist operations and receive benefits from tourism, then the goals of the local communities, tourism operators, and the government can be met. Environmental and Cultural Impacts of Tourism Although tourism in Bhutan is referred to as a model for other fragile mountain areas where there is much concern over the societys traditional heritage, there has emerged a number of pressing tourism-related environmental and cultural problems in the last few years. Among the problems currently encountered are3: The destruction of vegetation through the cutting of slow-growing trees for firewood. This is particularly more pronounced in Bhutans high alpine regions through which most of the trekking routes are located. The local people in these areas rely on wood for fuel and tourism adds more pressure on the forests. Erosion of delicate vegetation is another visible problem associated with tourism in Bhutan. Although tourism activities are not solely responsible for erosion in the high mountain areas, the use of horses and yaks during treks have a significant impact. Also local residents tend to increase the size 87 Journal of Bhutan Studies f their domestic herds for transport contracts with the tourism industry, which in turn adds to the limited carrying capacity of fragile mountain ecosystems. The creation of garbage trails from the indiscriminate disposal of nonbiodegradable waste is another visible environmental problem associated with the tourism industry. It has been pointed out that tourism is promoting changes from sustainable farming and cropping patterns to other more profitable and less sustainable livelihoods to meet the needs of affluent tourists. Some people also argue that interactions with tourists have led to the erosion of Bhutanese culture and value systems. Several steps have been taken by the royal government to address these problems. The Department of Tourism has banned the use of firewood on treks. Tour operators now use liquid petroleum gas or kerosene. The Department also levies a fine of Ngultrum 5,000 on operators who continue to use firewood on treks and for littering. Although the fine is not very substantial, operators might not get trekking permits for the next season if they are charged with two violations in a particular season. The Department has also constructed permanent campsites, rest houses and toilet facilities along the more popular trek routes. The Department of Tourism has conducted several training courses for guides and has instituted a system of licensing cultural and trekking guides. All guides employed by any tour operator in Bhutan have to be licensed. This ensures that all guides have basic training in trekking and mountaineering techniques and are briefed on all aspects of tourism in Bhutan with special emphasis on the environmental and cultural issues. Problems that Affect the Future Sustainablity of Bhutans Tourism There are other problems associated with tourism in Bhutan that might affect the sustainability of the industry in the long run if they are not addressed now. These include: Seasonality : Tourist arrivals in Bhutan are subject to pronounced seasonality. March/April and October/November are the top months as the weather is ideal for trekking and religious and cultural festivals are taking place all over the country. January/February and June/July are the months 88 Sustainability of Tourism with the lowest activity as the weather is too cold or rainy for trekking and there are hardly any significant cultural events taking place. The seasonal nature of tourism leads to a highly inequitable distribution of visitors throughout the year adding pressure on the limited infrastructure during the peak seasons. As a result there is a severe shortage of facilities during the peak seasons and private operators resort to makeshift arrangements that may not meet the desired quality of service. Table 2: Number of Tourist Arrivals by Season and Month Sl. No Month 1 January 2 February 3 March 4 April 5 May 6 June 7 July 8 August 9 September 10 October 11 November 12 December Total Arrival for the year 1997 108 254 1062 662 275 90 123 231 276 1488 640 154 5363 1998 96 154 542 1167 267 97 152 340 1107 1329 678 274 6203 1999 148 322 1145 604 395 108 132 348 1069 1856 841 190 7158 Source: Department of Tourism, Thimphu Regional Imbalance: Another problem that might affect the sustainability of tourism is that it is mostly limited to a Himalayan zone for mountaineering and high altitude trekking and a central zone for cultural tours. As such tourism is mostly limited to the western valleys of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Wangdiphodrang, and the central valleys of Trongsa and Bumthang. Insufficient Product Diversification: Tourism in Bhutan is so far mostly limited to cultural tourists, sightseers and trekkers. In 1999, out of a total of 7,158 tourists there were 6,328 cultural tourists and 830 trekkers. Although Bhutan has vast potential for other forms of tourism and special interests 89 Journal of Bhutan Studies such as sports tourism, adventure tourism and nature tourism, the process of product diversification is just beginning. The Department of Tourism lacks both Weak Institutional Base: manpower and finance to manage and monitor the tourism industry effectively. There is a lack of qualified manpower, particularly at the management and entrepreneurial levels. There are no formal hotel and tourism training institutes in the country. Most companies have problems in attracting and keeping adequately trained employees at all levels. Involvement of the Local Community: The government and local communities are now beginning to argue that local communities need to be more involved in the business and should receive more benefits from tourism. Local community involvement is currently limited to providing tourism transport and portage. Lack of Substantive Tourism Research Base: Proper research, surveys, feedback, statistics, data collection and processing and research related to tourism development are needed for making sound policy decisions in the future. Deterioration in Pricing Integrity: Although the governments policy allows a high margin of profitability to tourism operators, increasing competition has brought about undesirable results. This has led to a break down in pricing integrity. Operators are resorting to discounts and rebates to foreign operators in order to snatch business away from competitors. This practice not only has a direct impact on the royal governments policy of high value low volume tourism but also leads to deterioration in the quality of services provided. 90 Sustainability of Tourism Sustainable Tourism in Bhutan4 A few countries including Bhutan have demonstrated that tourism is not ugly. Bhutan is perhaps the best example where controlled tourism has been effective in ensuring the sustainability of the industry in the long run. It has contributed significantly to foreign exchange earnings and government revenues, to income and employment generation and to regional development to a certain extent. It has created opportunities for the development of locally owned and operated private sector enterprises. Tourism has been an important mechanism for publicising the countrys culture and traditions to the outside world, and interactions with tourists have contributed to a sense of national identity, making Bhutanese proud of their countryââ¬â¢s unique culture and environment. Tourism has further enhanced the need to conserve the countrys natural and cultural assets. Bhutans tourism potential is considerable with comparative advantages in many areas to ensure economic growth and diversification. Cultural tourism, eco-tourism and adventure/sports tourism (rafting, canoeing, climbing) which are based on the countrys natural beauty, biodiversity and unique and distinct culture offer numerous opportunities for further development of the industry. The tourism industry can also generate jobs at a time when unemployment is becoming a problem with limited job opportunities in the government and private sector. Bhutan has a clearly established framework for the development of tourism. It has clear tourism policies, excellent tourism resources, a developing and expanding private sector, qualified and experienced personnel, established marketing channels and contacts. In short, the initial phase of setting up the tourism sector, of privatising the industry, and of establishing Bhutan as an exclusive, distinctive destination has been achieved. The future development of tourism should now involve a process of refinement whereby attempts are made by the industry itself to mitigate any negative environmental and cultural impacts; explore and develop the numerous niche markets, such as eco-tourism, that offer significant growth potential and are consistent with the other development objectives of the royal government; and increase the participation of local communities in tourism activities. 91 Journal of Bhutan Studies The future development of tourism should still be guided by the concept of high-value tourism and should include a well-defined and effective policy on sustainable tourism. Such a policy should continue to advocate caution and control instead of aggressive tourism development, and be inclusive rather than sector-based. The policy should also promote value consciousness and heritage conservation. Bhutan has considerable tourism resources today because of the cautious approach adopted by the government. This approach should be applied to policies regarding the future development of the industry to ensure that tourism development is consistent with the royal governmentââ¬â¢s goals of environmental and cultural preservation. A cautious and controlled policy will also allow periodic monitoring and review to ensure that the countryââ¬â¢s tourism develops sustainably, avoiding the negative impacts of tourism. As tourism is a wideranging social and economic activity that is multi-sectoral by nature, such a policy should include inter-ministerial committees to facilitate coordination between different ministries, agencies, and the industry. Bhutanââ¬â¢s traditional way of life and ulture, its religion and its pristine environment have always been the main tourist attractions. A sustainable tourism policy should ensure that these values are promoted amongst visitors and that our cultural and natural heritage is preserved. The following are a few issues that need to be addressed urgently to ensure that tourism in Bhutan remains sustainable. Organizational Development: The future sustainability of tourism will depend largely on the effective functioning of the Department of Tourism and the industry association (Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators). To this end there is an urgent need to strengthen the capacity of the Department and establish an effective co-ordination and organization of the private sector. Product Development: The addition of facilities and services which will improve and enrich the tourism product, lead to greater visitor satisfaction, contribute positively in terms of environmental, economic and sociocultural impacts will further help to reduce the seasonal nature of tourism and also spread tourism activities and benefits to other regions of the country. There is also a need for the development of more niche, high-value special interest market segments e. g. Photography, zoology, ornithology, 92 Sustainability of Tourism botany, white water rafting. Related to product development there is a need for more emphasis on a classification system for tourism facilities and specification of minimum standards. Marketing Strategies: The collection and processing of more complete market information, and improved analysis of characteristics of market behaviour is another basic requirement for developing future policies and plans. Also the development of new products and attractions requires effective joint marketing initiatives that combine public and private resources. Human Resource Development: The development of human resources, not only within the Department of Tourism, but also within individual private operators and other bodies is a must for the success of future programs. With careful planning and management of the industry and the appropriate inputs, the tourism industry in Bhutan could well surpass its economic expectations without eroding the cultural and environment of the country. To this end several initiatives have already been undertaken to a) build up the resources to finance development of the industry b) involve all relevant partners in drafting future policies related to tourism; and c) form an industry association that will take steps to promote, encourage and assist in the development of tourism in Bhutan. The Tourism Development Fund The Tourism Development Fund was set up by the Department of Tourism in 1999 to fund tourism development in the country. The Department collects US$10 per visitor from tour operators and it is intended that this fund will be available for the maintenance of tourism infrastructure, joint marketing programmes, and development of new tourism products (ecotourism and adventure sports such as white-water rafting and kayaking). The fund has also been utilised to set up the office of the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO). The Tourism Development Committee 93 Journal of Bhutan Studies Tourism is not a sector in itself but a wide-ranging social and economic activity that is multi-sectoral by nature. As such, it poses problems of coordination between a variety of different government ministries and agencies. For this reason special inter-ministerial committees or councils are necessary to provide the necessary degree of co-ordination useful to ensure that tourism development plans take into consideration the concerns and sensitivities of all the sectors involved. In Bhutan the Tourism Development Committee was established with the following functions: a) to act as the apex body to oversee all matters related to tourism development in the kingdom of Bhutan; b) to provide advice and guidance to the Department of Tourism in carrying out its functions; c) to approve all plans and programs drawn up by the Department of Tourism in consultation with the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO) and other relevant organizations on an annual basis; d) to approve the annual budget for the development of plans and programmes to be allocated out of the Tourism Development Fund (TDF); and e) to act as a medium between the government and the private sector and facilitate effective and expeditious resolutions of issues emerging from time to time. The Committee consists of 12 members from government agencies as well as the private sector. It is hoped that the wide representation on the Committee will ensure that issues related to the cultural and natural integrity are addressed at this committee during the development of future plans and policies. The Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO) The Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO) was formed in December 1999 with the overall objective of bringing together all the private sector interests involved in the tourism industry. One of the objectives of ABTO is to establish a channel for closer and more effective collaboration between the tourism industry and the Department of Tourism. ABTO is also the first step that the industry has taken to create a mechanism for self-control and self-regulation. Ecotourism 94 Sustainability of Tourism The royal government has realized that it is now time to think strategically about the need for and the impact of future development of tourism in Bhutan. There is a need to monitor and review the impacts of current policies and to develop further guidelines to ensure that the industry grows in a sustainable manner. Numerous policy documents of the royal government, including Bhutan 20205 and The Middle Path- Bhutans National Environmental Strategy6- have recognized the need to promote ecotourism as a way to achieve sustainable tourism development in the country. There is considerable scope for ecotourism in Bhutan as it offers significant growth potential and is consistent with the other development objectives of the royal government while enhancing the cultural integrity of local people. The countrys rich biological resources that includes over 165 species of animals and more than 770 species of birds offer vast opportunities for ecotourism. Also within Bhutans borders there are over 60% of the endemic species of the eastern Himalayan region. Bhutans rich floral wealth also includes more than 50 species of rhododendrons and over 300 species of medicinal plants that are used in traditional herbal medicine. Such a rich natural environment coupled with the royal governments conservation policy are what make Bhutan a prime destination for ecotourism. Ecotourism is considered the fastest growing market in the tourism industry today and with Bhutans enviable resources, it should explore ways of developing this market. Bhutan must, however, be careful and aware that not all forms of ecotourism are well designed. As in other sectors of tourism, lack of planning and foresight even in well-meaning ecotourism projects can cause serious negative impacts. It may lead to the exploitation, and destruction of ecologically fragile areas where tourists might not have been allowed if not for ecotourism. Proper management is needed to reduce the adverse impacts on environment and culture from other forms of tourism. Developing this niche market will require a national strategy to balance nature-oriented tourism, foreign exchange earnings, and protection of the natural resources such as protected areas. Therefore, it is imperative that the government and the industry define ecotourism in the Bhutanese context, addressing both tourism policy and the potential for specific nature-related tourism products. Such an exercise will help determine the nature of ecotourism development in Bhutan. Ecotourism must be compatible with 95 Journal of Bhutan Studies ffective conservation and operate within the areas natural capacity, for the regeneration and future productivity of natural resources. Ecotourism must minimise ecological footprints and give proper consideration to local cultures and local people in the areas they visit, and ensure that these people have an equitable share in the economic benefits of tourism. Ecotourism must be undertaken in Bhutan very carefully so that it is a positive force for conservation and environmental protection that also provides a unique opportunity for raising awareness and enhancing support for conservation. Therefore, if Bhutan is to explore its ecotourism potential, the following investments will have to be implemented7. Marketing and Marketing Survey The first stage in developing the nations ecotourism industry will be to conduct basic market research to determine the types of infrastructure, information, trips, and accommodations that will attract potential tourists. With proper and active marketing of the uniqueness of Bhutan as a tourist destination, it is likely that tourists might be willing to pay more than the current minimum tariff to experience Bhutans biodiversity and culture. However, it must be recognized that the promotion of opportunities must go hand in hand with the development of more information about biodiversity, training of guides, and development of infrastructure. The royal government and the tourism industry must undertake a marketing survey to better understand the potential for this type of tourism in Bhutan and to identify specific areas where Bhutan has a comparative advantage. Training and Capacity Building A weakness in Bhutans present tourism is the lack of well-trained and knowledgeable guides, especially for specialist tours like bird watching, photography and flora tourism. A formal system of training and accreditation will help the country provide the high standards expected by specialist tourists. Ecotourism requires trained guides who have knowledge of specific parks and other sites and who are able to identify the biodiversity of the region. The Biodiversity Action Plan of Bhutan points out that many local residents in Bhutans parks have considerable expertise of the local biodiversity and that the prospects of using them as guides should be explored in order to increase employment opportunities for them. 96 Sustainability of Tourism The Biodiversity Action Plan also proposes that Bhutan encourage natural history tours with organisations that can supply their own guides with some knowledge of the region and pair those visiting guides with local people who could enhance their own knowledge. In the long-term strategies will have to be developed to build up this important human resource that is a vital component of ecotourism. Information Although much has been written about Bhutans rich biodiversity and pristine environment, there is a genuine lack of interpretive materials that can be used by interested visitors to Bhutan and school children, particularly field guides and biodiversity tour guides. For ecotourism to be a success the royal government and the tourism industry needs to invest in the development of basic scientific information on the countrys biodiversity. Infrastructure Promoting ecotourism in Bhutan will require the development of appropriate infrastructure. Although this type of tourism traditionally requires fewer infrastructures than other forms of tourism, many countries have built elaborate facilities within protected areas in the name of ecotourism. Such developments have given ecotourism a bad name with protestors calling it eco-terrorism instead. The development of ecotourism in Bhutan should be limited to development of trails and access routes, and basic interpretative facilities like visitor centers. It is recommended that the development of infrastructure for ecotourism in protected areas undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment to ensure the suitability of the project and to prevent costly environmental degradation. 97 Journal of Bhutan Studies The Role of the Government The role of the government is important to ensure that the low-impact scale of ecotourism is not exceeded and that proper planning is undertaken before ecotourism initiatives are implemented. Strong government controls are also necessary to ensure that tourism practices by the private sector are environmentally and culturally sustainable. In most countries, ecotourism has either failed or not lived up to expectations as it has been promoted without an overall strategy, effective protected areas management plans, and without consultation or inclusion of local communities. Therefore, the government must adopt a national ecotourism strategy to improve the environmental and cultural success of ecotourism. Such a strategy should aim to co-ordinate government and private efforts to achieve positive economic, environmental, social, and cultural impacts of tourism. Excessive or unmanaged visitation adversely affects ecotourism sites, both ecologically and culturally. Also the ecological and cultural value of the sites diminishes if visitation is not managed properly. Limitations on visitors must be imposed in order to maintain the ecological and cultural integrity of a ecotourism site. The Biodiversity Action Plan for Bhutan advocates that the most derisible approach to control visitor number is to maintain the existing fee charged by the royal government, while setting limits to the total number of tourists visiting the country and allocating tradable rights to the existing tour operators. The document argues that operators would thus have to pay the government the current $70 per visitor per day fee, but then would be free to charge what the market would bear. Using this approach, the government would also seek to direct visitors to other parts of the country or to other seasons of the year through either regional quotas or limits in hotel construction in the more busy regions of the country. 98 Sustainability of Tourism Current Status of Ecotourism in Bhutan Several workshops on ecotourism have been conducted by the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), the World Wildlife Fund, and the Nature Conservation Division (NCD) of the Ministry of Agriculture. An Ecotourism Management Plan for the Jigme Dorji National Park was drafted in 1998. Also the Integrated Community Development Programmes (ICDP) that are being implemented in several areas have made attempts to get local communities more involved in managing tourism within their own communities. Such community-based tourism is being encouraged in Laya and Soe within the Jigme Dorji National Park. The RSPN has drafted an Ecotourism Management Plan for Phobjikha valley which has been declared a conservation area for the endangered Black-Necked Cranes. The ecotourism management plan for Phobjikha aims to integrate the conservation of the winter habitat of the Cranes and development of the Phobjikha valley by providing the local community with ecologically sustainable income opportunities to boost the local economy. The programme aims to promote the development of alternative energy, eco-tourism, conservation and education programs, Black-Necked Crane research, and monitoring and development of infrastructure for ecotourism. As such the Phobjikha programme is the first real attempt at developing ecotourism in Bhutan. The prime objective of the RSPN is the conservation of the winter habitat of the Black-Necked Cranes. The society hopes to achieve this by promoting ecotourism in the area. The society works closely with the International Crane Foundation (ICF), based in Wisconsin, USA, which organises tours for its members to Phobjikha every winter. The International Crane Foundation pays US$100 per person over and above the regular tourist tariff to the RSPN to support its work. The RSPN gives 50% of such earnings to the Phobjikha Area Development Committee, a local community organisation. The Bhutanese tour operator also pays RSPN 10% of its earnings from any group that comes through the ICF. The RSPN uses the money to maintain the basic infrastructure in the area. So far, the RSPN has built a photography hide from which to observe the cranes and also developed footpaths to improve access in the area. It is also building a 99 Journal of Bhutan Studies visitors centre and is educating tourists and other visitors on the need for conservation in the Phobjikha valley. Although critics are of the opinion that promotion of ecotourism in Phobjikha attracts more tourists and thereby cause more disturbances to the cranes, the RSPN program with some refinement can be a good model for ecotourism in other areas as it: a) offers a source of financing for development or maintenance of an important natural site; b) promotes local economic development; and c) provides needed foreign exchange and national benefits. This is the first such project in Bhutan that endeavours to promote partnership between an international organisation, a local tour operator, an NGO and the local community. More active commitment and involvement of the tourism industry and the participation of local communities in tourism activities, including the sharing of financial benefits, are important ingredients for the future success of ecotourism in Bhutan. The government must continue to play the lead role in policy and programme co-ordination, which are developed in partnership with the tourism industry and local communities. One of the most quoted benefits of ecotourism is that its success rates are much higher if it is conducted as a partnership between the government, the tourism industry and local communities. Bhutan has immense potential as an ecotourism destination and it must explore ways in which this form of tourism can be implemented effectively in partnership with the private sector and local communities. 100 Sustainability of Tourism Conclusion Bhutan is in a very fortunate position in terms of tourism. While tourism resources are being destroyed elsewhere, Bhutans assets in the form of its natural environment and culture are well preserved. The international community has lauded the countrys policy of giving the highest priority to environmental and cultural preservation. This has further increased the profile of Bhutan as a prime tourist destination. The tourism industry has created a wide range of opportunities for Bhutanese who have begun to grasp economic opportunities offered by the industry. Tourism has also been a self-financing mechanism for promoting the countrys environment and facilitating an awareness and understanding of the uniqueness of this country. Tourism has resulted in some adverse impacts but the government has recognised the need to address them. Tourism has also promoted Bhutanese culture by creating employment opportunities for traditional musicians and dancers and encouraged the resurgence of local festivals in different parts of the country. Although the government still maintains control over the industry, it has become much more diverse and complex since it was privatized in 1991. The private sector is being more involved in not only monitoring itself but also in developing future tourism policies. Tourism bodies like the Tourism Development Committee and the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators have been established to foster partnership between relevant sectors involved in the industry and within the industry itself. Both the organisations are still in their formative stages but have crucial roles to play in determining the future sustainability of tourism in Bhutan. Ecotourism offers a way of achieving the benefits of tourism in a way that is consistent with the countrys development philosophy. Adventure sports: rafting and kayaking is another form of tourism that is being promoted in Bhutan. Bhutan has a comparative advantage in this area as it is endowed with free-flowing and challenging rivers. Opening up rivers around the country for white-water rafting and kayaking will bring tourism to parts of the country that are otherwise not visited and help distribute tourism benefits to these areas as well. Other innovative schemes8 such as providing meditation centres in national parks, replicating traditional and religious festivals so that the real ones are not corrupted, and sponsoring exhibitions 101 Journal of Bhutan Studies of traditional ethnic minority cultures with the aim of returning a fair share of tourism revenues to these communities, offer avenues for sustainable tourism. A Tourism Master Plan is under preparation and once completed will provide a guide to the future development of the industry. However, there should be extensive consultation between various stakeholders before the document is formally approved and implemented. So far the governments policy of high value-low volume tourism has been successful in regulating the growth of the industry and maintaining the number of visitors at an acceptable level. To ensure that our valuable tourism resources are developed in a cautious manner the government must continue to regulate tourism through its pricing policy. It is also time for the government to think of a well-defined and effective policy on sustainable tourism, especially ecotourism. Only the government can provide the strategic planning base for tourism and ensure that valuable and fragile habitats are identified, that baseline monitoring is carried out, and that the overall needs and implications of tourism are assessed. For major developments, environmental impact assessments should be carried out. The tourism industry also has a fundamental role in maintaining the sustainability of tourism in Bhutan. Individual firms can take the lead role by showing how self-regulation can work in practice, by taking voluntary action to reduce pollution, by initiating and abiding by the Codes of Best Practices, and by educating clients. The tourism industry association must continue to develop and adopt such codes of conduct and good practice, and provide members with the information to implement them. The industry association must also develop mechanisms for effective selfregulation and introduce sound environmental practices. Lastly, local involvement and input are essential for the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of tourism in Bhutan. If local communities are involved and have a stake in tourism activities, it will be in their interests to ensure that tourism is sustainable. Furthermore, partnership between the government, the private sector, and the local people can open up a wide range of opportunities that make good economic sense and benefit all the partners. Tourism will be sustainable only if 102 Sustainability of Tourism ourism planners and operators give due consideration to the carrying capacity of our natural resources, recognise that people and communities, customs and lifestyles contribute to the tourism experience and, therefore, accept that these people should also get some of the benefits from tourism. Notes 1 Edward, Inskipp ââ¬Å"Sustainable Tourism development in the Maldives and Bhutan,â⬠UNEP industry and Environment, vol 15, no. 3-4, July-December 1992. P. 34. 2 These prices include services for land transport, accommodation, food, sightseeing, guides and cultural programs. 3 National Environment Commission, Royal Government of Bhutan: The Middle Path-National Environmental Strategy for Bhutan. 1998. ââ¬Å"Tourism and Its Effects on the Culture and the Environmentâ⬠p. 52 4 Sustainable tourism in the context of this paper means that tourism continues to generate revenue, especially foreign exchange; publicize the countryââ¬â¢s unique culture and traditions to the outside world; and play an active role in the countryââ¬â¢s socio-economic development in a manner that is consistent with the royal governmentââ¬â¢s policies aimed at sustainable development. Sustainable tourism therefore means that the growth of the industry will place emphasis on the preservation of the countryââ¬â¢s culture, environment and traditional lifestyle.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story famous for it structure and use of language in the play. The play is set in Verona Italy Essay Example
Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story famous for it structure and use of language in the play. The play is set in Verona Italy Essay The play is about to families equal in most ways who had a grudge for a very long time from ancient grudge break to new mutiny. Throughout the story Shakespeare doesnt give any indication of how the grudge started, he only clearly says that the families had a grudge at the beginning of the play in the prologue, which Shakespeare would reed to the audience of the play. The two families names are CAPULATE and MONTEGUE. The story begins a prologue which was set out as a sonnet with an iambic pentameter which Shakespeare used to summarize the story.The play starts with a street brawl between the servants of the two families in the markets of Verona. Shakespeare started the first few lines with a pun Gregory, on my word, will not carry coals. No, for then we should be colliers. I mean, and we be in cholar, well draw. Shakespeare used three words in three consecutive lines which sound the same but have different meanings. This is a pun (play on words), the play has many puns and sonnets, s ome sonnets are also written with an iambic pentameter. Shakespeare has an amazing capability of being able to have all these sounds in his head and be able to write a sentence which makes absolute sense and have exactly ten syllables at the same time. Shakespeare gives us four main points about the story In the prologue.The first is that there are two households (families) two house holds. The second is that the play is set in Verona Italy In fair Verona where we lay our scene. The third point is there is a grudge between the two families from ancient grudge break to new mutiny. The fourth point is that the two main characters will die A pair of star crossed lovers take their lifes. These points help to inform the audience about the story.After the street brawl Romeo the only son o the Montagues runs into his cousin Benvolio who had earlier seen him moping and in despair. Benvolio talks to Romeo and gets him to talk about why he is so sad. Romeo tells Benvolio he is in love with a woman called Rosaline but she wont return his love. Benvolio tells Romeo to forget about Rosaline and look for other women.At the same time a kinsman of the Prince, Count Paris seeks to marry Juliet the only daughter of Capulet and so goes to him and asks for her hand in marriage, Capulet willingly agrees but tells him to wait two years since she still hasnt even turned fourteen yet.Romeo and Benvolio stumble across a Capulet servant who was baring a list of the people who were to be invited to a feast at the Capulets residents. Benvolio saw this as a chance for Romeo to meet a girl and forget Rosaline so Benvolio suggested to Romeo that they gatecrash the party, but Romeo only agrees because he read Rosalines name on the list of invitations. That night Romeo accompanied by his two companions Benvolio and mercutio got to the Capulets feast. As soon as Romeo enters the room his eyes fell on Juliet and instantly falls in love. A Capulet called Tybalt spots the Montegues and decides to attack them but he was stopped by Capulet knowing that if Tybalt attacks the Montegues the feast would be spoilt. Benvolio and Mercutio leave Romeo behind as he speaks with Juliet and even kisses her even though the pair dont even know each others names, Romeo exchanges vows of love with Juliet.Soon after Romeo rushs to his confessor Friar Lawrence and asks him to carry out a marriage ceremony between him and Juliet, Friar Lawrence agrees in hope that it would end the long running feud between the two families.Up till this point in the play all seems to be going well for Romeo and Juliet but in the following scene thing will take a turn for the worst for the love struck pair. The play is reaching its climax as we reach the half way point of the play which is act 3 scene 1. What happens in the scene to come will add a sudden dramatic twist to the story.As Mercutio and Benvolio are walking along on a sunny day Benvolio suggests to Mercutio that they go indoors I pray thee, good Mercu tio, lets retire, fearing that if they come across Capulets a brawl is imminent. Tybalt accompanied with a few of his friends comes across Benvolio and Mercutio. Tybalt asks to speak to one of them but angered by Tybalts demand and starts ridiculing him Consort! What, dost thou make us minstrels? An thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords: heres my fiddlestick; heres that shall make you dance. Zounds, consort!.Romeo enters the scene, Tybalt turns his attention to Romeo and challenges him to a bout, but Romeo declines, telling him he has good reason to love him I do protest I never injurd thee; But love thee better than thou canst devise Till thou shalt know the reason of my love: And so good Capulet,-which name I tender As dearly as mine own,-be satisfied. Mercutio is very angered and annoyed by Romeos decline to Tybalts challenge and says that he will challenge Tybalt in Romeos place. Mercutio draws his sword fights Tybalt. Romeo jumps in the middle of the dull ing pair to restore peace but Tybalt stabs Mercutio under Romeos arm. Mercutio dies cursing the two families blaming them for his death A plague oboth your houses he also says while still pouring blood Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man.Mercutio said grave man which has two meanings, the first is serious and the second is grave. So he means that tomorrow he will be dead in a grave. Romeo proclaims that his love for Juliet has made him weak and that he should of fought Tybalt. Tybalt comes to Romeo and the two begin to fight. Romeo kills Tybalt, Benvolio pleads with Romeo telling him to flee. Romeo was very shocked at the events that had just occurred and cries O, I am fortunes fool. When Romeo said fortunes he meant fate. So the events that had occurred were his fate. He called himself a fool because he felt that his fate was bad.The Prince enters the scene and Benvolio gives an account of what had just happened emphasising Romeos attempt to maintain peace. But la dy Capulate says Benvolio is lying to protect Romeo. The Prince announces that Romeo is exiled from Verona and if found in the city he would be killed.There was tension building up which lead to the brawl. The event that built up the tension where Romeo Benvolio and Mercutio gate crushing the Capulates feast which out-raged Tybalt who was very protective of his families honour and reputation. There was also the brawl at the beginning of the play. The fact that Mercutio teased Tybalt when he asked to speak to one of them also built up the tension. At the time when the play was written the world was dominated mainly by men and honour and reputation always played a hug role to a mans status. There where n courts or laws to settle feuds. Instead there where brawls and fights.Mercutio is a very clever brave and witty person. Mercutio had many puns and jokes in his speech just for fun. He appeared in many of the scenes throughout the play sometimes dominating them. In my opinion, Mercutio is the only one who didnt blame fate for his death.Romeo is a very intense and deep character. He is not only intense and deep in loving but in other feelings too. His love was not as authentic as his love for Juliet. He loved Juliet so much that he said the most intense and touching love poems ever written.Shakespeare gave hints to the audience about the time of the day the scene was supposed to be in, for example in act 3 scene 4 Romeo asked for a torch to indicate that its dark. Shakespeare also put fights into the play when he felt that the audience was getting bored or losing their interest, so a fight would grip their attention.After the fight of act three scene one Romeo was banished from Verona. Juliet had no news of what Romeo had done. Juliets nurse tells Juliet had killed her kinsman. She decides to go with Romeo. That night Romeo sneaks into Juliets room and at last they consummate their marriage. The next morning the lovers separate unsure if they will ever see each ot her again.Juliet hears that her father intends for her in just three days because of the events that had happened marry my child next Thursday morn. Unsure on what to do she asks the nurse for some advice, the nurse tells Juliet to marry Paris and forget Romeo had ever existed. Juliet was angered by the nurses advice and decides to go to Friar Lawrence for advice instead. Friar Lawrence devised a plan that would allow Juliet to escape with Romeo. Friar Lawrence gave her a potion that would make her appear to be dead. If she is dead she will be laid in the familys crypt and Romeo would retrieve her when she is alone. That night when she returned home she learned that she was getting married the following day, she decided to drink the potion.The nurse discovered her believing that she is dead. The next morning she was laid in the crypt according to the plan. Friar Lawrences letter explaining the plan to Romeo never reached him and he only hears that Juliet is dead. He decides to take his own life rather than live without Juliet, he buy a poison from an Apothecary and makes his way to Juliets crypt. This shows the level of love that Romeo had for Juliet. When he gets to Juliets crypt he finds Paris scattering flowers on Juliets crypt. Romeo kills Paris and finds Juliet lifeless. Soon after Juliet wakes to find Romeo dead, at the same time Friar Lawrence enters the crypt. He hears the watch coming; he tries to persuade Juliet to live with him. She kisses Romeos poisoned lips but she didnt die so she sinks his dagger into her heart.The watch arrives followed by the Prince, Capulate and Montegue. Montegue announces that lady Montegue has died of grief seeing their children dead side by side. Capulate and Montegue declare that the feud has ended. Gold statues of Romeo and Juliet are placed in a newly peaceful newly peaceful Verona.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Free Essays on Yeats Valves
Introduction Yeats Valves and Controls Inc., founded in 1980, went public in 1987, specializing in the manufacturing of specialty valves, heat exchangers, and other engineering work. Since Yeats has a strong reputation of engineering excellence, 40% of the companyââ¬â¢s volume and 50% its profits comes from highly-technical defense and aerospace applications funded by the United States government. With this, Yeats has been able to offset the decline of sales due to the foreign-currency crisis of the last past decade, and is very optimistic that this will continue in the future. Since Yeats is lacking a large marketing and distribution network, Bill Yeats, CEO, believes that selling the firm to a larger company would be very beneficial. Also Yeats is afraid of being driven out of the market by the amount of large consolidations in the industry by his competitors. In addition, Bill is now sixty-two years old and is nearing retirement. He would like to see the firm continue to grow while his services are inactive. Because of these factors Bill Yeats took the initiative to contact Tom Eliot, CEO of TSE International Corporation, a well diversified manufacturing company with production know-how, about the possible acquisition of Yeats Valves and Controls. Valuation Models Before Yeats shareholders can set a price for their shares of stock, they must know the value of their firm. The current market value is easy to determine by multiplying the share price by the number of shares outstanding. However, the current share price may not be the true intrinsic value of the firm. One way of determining value is the discounted cash flow method. Future sales are estimated as well as the free cash flows resulting from these sales. If all future cash flows are discounted back to today at an appropriate required rate of return, the summation of these discounted flows would be the intrinsic value of the firm. The discount rate is most of... Free Essays on Yeats Valves Free Essays on Yeats Valves Introduction Yeats Valves and Controls Inc., founded in 1980, went public in 1987, specializing in the manufacturing of specialty valves, heat exchangers, and other engineering work. Since Yeats has a strong reputation of engineering excellence, 40% of the companyââ¬â¢s volume and 50% its profits comes from highly-technical defense and aerospace applications funded by the United States government. With this, Yeats has been able to offset the decline of sales due to the foreign-currency crisis of the last past decade, and is very optimistic that this will continue in the future. Since Yeats is lacking a large marketing and distribution network, Bill Yeats, CEO, believes that selling the firm to a larger company would be very beneficial. Also Yeats is afraid of being driven out of the market by the amount of large consolidations in the industry by his competitors. In addition, Bill is now sixty-two years old and is nearing retirement. He would like to see the firm continue to grow while his services are inactive. Because of these factors Bill Yeats took the initiative to contact Tom Eliot, CEO of TSE International Corporation, a well diversified manufacturing company with production know-how, about the possible acquisition of Yeats Valves and Controls. Valuation Models Before Yeats shareholders can set a price for their shares of stock, they must know the value of their firm. The current market value is easy to determine by multiplying the share price by the number of shares outstanding. However, the current share price may not be the true intrinsic value of the firm. One way of determining value is the discounted cash flow method. Future sales are estimated as well as the free cash flows resulting from these sales. If all future cash flows are discounted back to today at an appropriate required rate of return, the summation of these discounted flows would be the intrinsic value of the firm. The discount rate is most of...
Saturday, November 23, 2019
And Then There Was None by Agatha Christie essays
And Then There Was None by Agatha Christie essays Have you ever been in a dark, desolate room in complete seclusion from everyone else where you sense a presence nearby, but when you turn around, nobody's there? Have you ever been so afraid that you can't sleep at night? I believe that anyone who is an actual human being can agree with me that, in some way, everyone has felt some kind of fear and excitement due to a scary movie, book, or even reality. After reading this novel by Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None, I can honestly say that there is a book out there that can give me the shivers. Never have I been so afraid of a fictional - based story that I wasn't able to go to sleep that very same night I finished the novel. Not only did the plot of the story keep me on the edge of my seat, but the personalities and the secretiveness of the characters kept me in suspense as well. The novel takes place on Indian Island, a location known for publicity and curiosity, yet nobody knows for sure who owns this piece of land. In the beginning chapters of this book, you become familiar with the ten main characters who are out to spend an eight-day vacation on this secluded island with only a vague invitation with some variety on each one. The descriptions of each character are specified clearly, yet each holds a secret that they wouldn't dare to share with anyone else on the island. When the guests each arrive in their rooms, they find a riddle called "Ten Little Indians" which plays a significant role throughout the book, for this riddle tells the death of ten men on an island (ironic, eh?). By night time, they are all acquainted with each other, until a noise projecting from the wall tells a story about the guests and how they are all charged for a murder they could never be tried for. Now this book might somehow seem like an episode out of a "Clue" mysteryâ⠬âbut did "Clue" ever give you the chills you get on the back of your neck? No, I didn't think so! Suddenly, in the few ...
Thursday, November 21, 2019
PKG 381 assignment #1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
PKG 381 #1 - Assignment Example Crisp vegetables were packed in sacks made of cotton and sisal and these are products which are recyclable (Guerrero 2013). They have longer lifespan and can be used again and again before disposal or recycling. When disposed, they decompose over a short period of time. Filtered water are mostly packed in plastic, these plastics take hundreds of years to break down when disposed and are also expensive to recycle. They pollute the environment widely and expose flora and fauna in danger. Plastics even cause death to animals which humans really depend on. Being difficult to recycle makes man to dispose them any how due to our laziness posing threat to our environment (Guerrero 2013). Pudding containers are also made of plastic though somehow light. Still, they threaten our environment since itââ¬â¢s a loss recycling them. They require good disposal but not dumping them anywhere since they take long to break down. Humans have the greatest part to play in the conservation of the environment. Their action determines our environmentââ¬â¢s stability. Good practices should be put in place especially when it comes to products we use. There should be laws to help us manage our environment and avoid laziness (Guerrero 2013). With good practices towards environmental conservation, the organisms we depend on will be able to survive and in long run human life will be
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Marketing plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1
Marketing plan - Coursework Example The service-profit chain is a concept introduced in the Harvard Business Review in 1994. A book describing the concept was published in 1997. According to the description, in the book, the service-profit chain serves to demonstrate the existing relationship between service excellence and a companyââ¬â¢s financial growth and performance. According to this concept, profitability and revenue growth come because of customer loyalty. Without customer satisfaction, loyalty does not result. Therefore, organizations strive to ensure that their services exhibit a high-perceived value to the customer in a bid to increase customer satisfaction. It is impossible to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction if the employees do not exhibit high levels of commitment and outstanding competencies (Yee et al., 2009). Therefore, organizations seek to hire individuals with remarkable competencies and empower them through training programs in order to increase their productivity. Empowered employee s are more likely to serve customers in an exemplary manner. The Starbucks Company has relied on the service-profit chain in order to register the evident financial performance. The company invests in human resource development through training programs that empower employee to deliver high-quality customer service. Over the years, the company has applied service innovation in order to ensure that employees serve as a valuable link between the organization and the customers. The company regards employees as partners, a factor that triggers employee satisfaction. The satisfied employees have worked for Starbucks for a long time registering high levels of productivity. Since employees are in a position to deliver service value to customers, the company prides itself with high levels of customer satisfaction (Gold, 2010). Due to the high levels of satisfaction that customers
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Qantas Cas Notes Essay Example for Free
Qantas Cas Notes Essay Analyse and interpret data Maintain Qantas/Jetstars combined domestic market share of 65% Match capacity with demand sustaining loads around 80% Grow Jetstar in Asia Increase internet sales Increase customer service standards Enhance complementary portfolio businesses like Freight Reduce losses of Qantas international Transform Qantas International for focusing on right aircraft, right route, network optimisation and margin improvement Grow their frequent flyer program members and partners Market Segmentation and Selection of the Target Market Qantas market segmentation is complex because each segment has distinctive and different needs and expectations, such as the need to make stop-overs, the ability to pay fare levels and expectations in terms of in-flight service and comfort. Qantas mainly uses behavioural segmentation to select its target markets. Buyers are distinguished according to trip purpose e. . business and leisure/non-business travellers. Marketing Strategies Positioning Formulating the Marketing Mix Product Strategies Scheduling features Comfort-based features I ne Qantas Frequent Hyer scneme (H- Intangible benefits Brand name Price Cost plus margin: Qantas determines the cost of production and then adds a margin for profit Market: most fares at Qantas are determined by the market, where demand is matched with supply Competition based: monitoring what other airlines such as Virgin Blue are charging Pricing Strategies Price penetration Full Fares Promotional Fares Loss Leading Promotiono Advertising Sales promotions particularly in periods of subdued demand. When Qantas first launched Jetstar it released 100,000 tickets at $49. Qantas also launches a two-for- one ticket sale, which allowed a second passenger to fly for the cost of taxes and charges. Personal selling Publicity Place/Distribution Distribution to end customers is achieved by Qantas in two ways, direct and indirect. DIRECT via its own retail outlets INDIRECT via sales agents People Because most customers have direct contact with Qantas employees, especially on he ground, the impression they give has a big impact on how Qantas is perceived. Qantas staff must have appropriate personal attributes and training for their Jobs. Qantas spends more that $275 million a year on staff training to ensure a very positive interaction between its customers. Processes Booking flights online Online check in Mobile check in cnecK In KIOSK Physical Evidence Qantas customers are influences by Qantas signage, its website, its terminals, its lounges, etc. E-Marketing uses an electronic medium to perform marketing activities, e. g. website, email. Global Marketing is the use of marketing activities across national boundaries. Qantas uses: Global Branding Standardisation Customisation Implementing, Monitoring and Controlling the Marketing Plan Qantas has a systematic base for continually monitoring, controlling and adjusting its marketing activities using the following tools: Developing a financial forecast of revenue using statistical models, past sales data, executive Judgement and surveys of customer buying intentions. It then estimates costs such as market research costs, promotion costs, product development costs and distribution costs. Comparing actual and planned results using a number of performance criteria.
Friday, November 15, 2019
Free College Admissions Essays: Describe A Person who has Influenced You :: College Admissions Essays
College Admissions : Describe A Person who has Influenced You Everyone is affected by certain events or individuals that greatly change their life. Many people have influenced me during my life. Three wonderful friends that have had a special effect on me are Robert, Tiffany and Ashley. In the four years that I have known them well, they have been my best friends, and have helped to transform me from a lonely middle school scholar into a happy senior with a decent social life. Popular wisdom has it that, "You judge a man by his friends." Earlier in my life, that would have been difficult, because I had few friends other than my cousins. I concentrated mostly on school and sports, paying little attention to life outside my studies. My high grades made me the target of torment during elementary school, the name calling: nerd, geek, and worse, was so bad that I was ostracized by some of the class, and I shielded myself by further isolation. My Middle School experience was no different. I was still a loner. All the dances passed by, and I found other, solitary ways to occupy myself. I rarely took time to hang out with fellow students during weekends or vacation time. Then came high school, and in Mrs. Krawet's Global Studies I class I sat next to this energetic guy named Robert, who joked about the no-brained teenagers working in 7-11's, made fun of the way our teacher dramatized the pronunciation of the Huang-Ho and Yangtze Rivers, and satirized the teacher's methodology of hand-signals for facts, generalizations, and cause/effect. Finding common ground in our senses of humor, and love of the TV Simpson's, we grew acquainted with each other. Later in the year we teamed up as the defense lawyers in a class mock trial in which Mao Zedong was charged with crimes against the people of China. To Mrs. Krawet's dismay, "legal wrangling" caused the mock trial to last two weeks, even though she had planned for it to take three days, until it was resolved by a split decision, with the jury voting 6 guilty and 6 innocent. More important than the result was the experience of friendship and shared learning. We each had a great deal of fun preparing questions for the witnesses and planning our cross examinations, and after the trial we remained good friends.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Police: Racial Profiling in America
POLICE: RACIAL PROFILING IN AMERICA Naomi D. Hopkins Stevens-Henager College APP 101 9 February 2013 Abstract This paper will discuss the relationship between Fear and how it relates to Racial Profiling in Police Practices. We will also discuss and illustrate real life examples under which Racial Profiling has occurred and how it is scientifically defined. The communication between peace officers and ordinary everyday citizens will also be examined. Police: Racial Profiling in America The issue of Racial Profiling in America by our Police Force is an undeniable truth and tragedy.Steve Holbert and Lisa Rose in their book the color of Guilt & Innocence recount a story of a Caucasian woman who is forced to walk alone with her young daughter down dark unfamiliar San Francisco streets at night in the dark. Weââ¬â¢ll call this woman Lisa. She had just exited a train car with her young daughter and was walking down the dark streets unsure of her surroundings when she noticed that a stran ger man, whose features she couldnââ¬â¢t make out, was following her and her daughter.Lisa had heard and seen reports about a young man in his mid-20s that was dark complected and had been robbing tourists. She felt her body tighten as she began breathing rapidly and she had quickened her pace pulling her daughter along without realizing it, until her daughter started pulling her in the opposite direction because she had dropped her candy cane that she had gotten from the cable car employee earlier that evening. After her experience in the city, she began to question whether the irrational fear of monsters conjured up in the mind of a four year old was so different from the ââ¬Å"monsters in the closetâ⬠we perceive as adults, the only difference being that the ââ¬Å"monstersâ⬠we see as adults have a face and the face is of those who are different or those whose skin color is darker than our own. (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). This begs the question, ââ¬Å"Did she fear this man because it was nighttime and she couldnââ¬â¢t see him and was unsure of her surroundings?Or was it because the man following her reminded her of that minority man who had been on the news who was robbing tourists? This brings to mind another quote I found while writing this paper: ââ¬Å"Rather, racial profiling is more about our human response to an instinctual and primitive fear buried deep in each one of us. â⬠(Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004) On the subject of Fear and Racism, Iââ¬â¢m led to another quote in the book used primarily for my research on this very subject as it relates to American Law Enforcement practices. When we ponder the concept of fear in the comfort of a classroom, almost all would agree that to fear a person because of skin color, religious affiliation, or appearance is irrational. In the phobic sense, this fear is xenophobia, the fear and/or hatred of foreigners or anything that is foreign. â⬠(Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). I would even go so far as to say that contempt prior to investigation is in itself, a form or fear and intolerance. How can we judge a situation, let alone a person, accurately without all the facts?Do we assume we are Gods or Goddesses that are worthy to judge our fellow men or women? If so, what makes us so different, or dare I say, ââ¬Å"Superiorâ⬠to another? I am reminded of my own feelings, when as a small child; I made the decision to say that ââ¬Å"all white people are racist. â⬠This statement in and of itself is in fact, a form or racial profiling. That is, I was judging a certain race of people, in this case, whites and assuming that I had gathered enough information to do so.This brings me to another quote out of my research, ââ¬Å"To understand the complexities of prejudice, racism, and racial profiling, we must first explore the origin of fear and understand how it can dictate the way in which our body responds to outside stimuli long before we become consciously aware of the racial implications. â⬠(Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). In fact, the word ââ¬Å"fearâ⬠comes from the old English word for ââ¬Å"danger. â⬠When we, as human beings, experience fear our brains respond to perceived danger by using three distinct systems.The first is called Primal or Primitive fear system, and is found in most animals and mammals. This system responds first by alerting the body to any danger. This reaction is automatic and triggers our ââ¬Å"fight or flightâ⬠response. The second is triggered by the ââ¬Å"fight or flightâ⬠response and is the mindââ¬â¢s Rational or logical fear system. ââ¬Å"This system takes over in an effort to assess the potential danger and weighs options for survival or escape. â⬠(Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). This system effectively plans possibilities we need to consider to escape an immediate or future threat.The third system is called a personââ¬â¢s Consciousness or Awareness, and acts as a mediator bet ween Primal Fear and Rational Thought. This system will strike a balance between the mindââ¬â¢s emotion and reason and will become the ultimate decision maker in the entire process. Now, letââ¬â¢s examine some history on racial profiling that is actually quite interesting. This thought brings me to another quote I pulled out of this book I used to research this topic/ ââ¬Å"Start with a good idea. Test it thoroughly, and use it with care.Put it in the hands of those who donââ¬â¢t have the experience and training to apply it properly. Add a little discrimination and pressure, and turn up the heat for 20 years. What do you get? Racial Profiling. (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). ââ¬Å"In a nutshell, this is the story of Howard Teten, a former FBI Chief of research in the late 1950s who many criminologists credit with popularizing the concept of ââ¬Å"criminal profiling. â⬠A man who lived the best of both worlds, Mr. Teten studied psychology at the University of California at Berkeley while working crime scenes in San Leandro, California.Back in the 1950s, cops typically looked for clues at a crime scene to try to tie the crime to a particular suspect. Teten took this concept one step further by looking at the manner in which the criminal committed the crime in order to develop a psychological profile. This profile ultimately helped officers identify a criminalââ¬â¢s personality traits and mental state and led to a classification of potential suspects who could have committed the crime. â⬠(Holbert S; Rose, L 2004). This very method, which is called ââ¬Å"criminal profilingâ⬠, has been widely distorted, especially when it comes to the United States ââ¬Å"War on Drugs. For example, it is assumed that if a person, particularly a person belonging to a minority group (that is not white or Caucasian), is seen wearing gold jewelry that is large in size, a ââ¬Å"corn rollâ⬠hair style, baggy clothes, and perhaps gold teeth, Law Enforceme nt Officials automatically assume that this individual is a ââ¬Å"drug courier,â⬠or an individual that smuggles drugs or money into or out of the country. It can be said that a personââ¬â¢s appearance, jewelry, and travel habits can be used as a basis for identifying and prosecuting those involved in the ââ¬Å"drug trade. The end result of these discriminatory attitudes is that these ââ¬Å"profilesâ⬠do not demonstrate ââ¬Å"good scienceâ⬠or offer sensible approaches to productive Law Enforcement procedures. Now, letââ¬â¢s examine the other side of the coin, as it were as it relates to basic race relations. When we all think of a police officer, we all have this stereotypical view that they are tough, intimidating, and very arrogant. In actuality, police officers have learned their very behavior and personality traits from the general public. Most people, when contacted by a police officer, become irritated, hostile, overbearing, and even belligerent.So, i n turn, officers have learned how to desensitize or become ââ¬Å"numbâ⬠to their emotions and feelings. It wouldnââ¬â¢t be a far cry to say that they have learned to behave as ââ¬Å"not humanâ⬠just so that they can get through their day without having to worry about what they said, was it rude, right or wrong, what the repercussions might be, and so on. So it is accurate to say that the general public ourselves, have contributed to the attitudes and behaviors of our own Police Force in America. What we donââ¬â¢t hear about or realize often times is that when an officer goes on duty, he or she faces any number of different variables.For example, having a gun pulled on them, being attacked, being shot, taken hostage, being kidnapped, and any number of other things that would threaten or endanger their lives either mortally or fatally. I will illustrate an example of what ought to be advertised when hiring police officers: WANTED: LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS: Must be a social worker, mediator, a fighter, a priest. Must be savvy to the criminal element yet have an unblemished criminal background. Candidates should be compassionate yet distant. Intimidating yet gentle. Aggressive yet always in control. Daily risk of death.Low Pay. Must be willing to work all hours of the day and night in hazardous and extreme conditions. The Faint of Heart need not apply. (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004) WANTED: LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS: Must be a social worker, mediator, a fighter, a priest. Must be savvy to the criminal element yet have an unblemished criminal background. Candidates should be compassionate yet distant. Intimidating yet gentle. Aggressive yet always in control. Daily risk of death. Low Pay. Must be willing to work all hours of the day and night in hazardous and extreme conditions. The Faint of Heart need not apply. Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004) Realizing these facts, we all ought to be a little gentler with the officer next time we are pulled over for speedi ng or contacted about a conflict resolution issue. Police Officers deserve respect, but they also do not have the right to demand respect, and it is the same with the rest of us. That being said, when we think of ââ¬Å"use of forceâ⬠by police officers, we all know the familiar image conjured up; the Rodney King beating on March 3 1991. In case youââ¬â¢re wondering, the case went to trial and all of the officers involved were NOT convicted. The result was the L.A. Riots of 1992. When we think of this case, we wonder, what could have gone so wrong in our justice system? The answer is not as clear as one might speculate. The ââ¬Å"code of silenceâ⬠is as much to blame as ignorant and wrong attitudes are to blame. ââ¬Å"The Code of Silenceâ⬠also known as ââ¬Å"The Blue Wall of Silenceâ⬠is based on the premise that an officer does not reveal negative information about a fellow police officer. (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). I can recall an experience I had in Ca lifornia with an officer who responded to a call about me when I was homeless and sleeping in my vehicle.The officer responded alone, without backup, and contacted myself and two friends of mine. He falsely accused us of smoking weed, arrested my friend for a warrant she had, shined his flashlight deliberately in my face, and pulled his Taser on me when I reacted unfavorably to his ââ¬Å"bullying behavior. â⬠I then had to demand that he call his Watch Commander, or Supervisor out to the field to discuss what happened and what I wanted done about his misconduct. I told the Watch Commander that I wanted an apology, both written and verbal, but to my dismay, he responded and told me, ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m sorry maââ¬â¢am I cannot do that.If I promise to talk to him about this incident, will you refrain from reporting it? â⬠I was appalled to say the least. I later had to go through the channels to report this incident at the Police Department in person, but this is a prime r eal-life example of ââ¬Å"The Code of Silenceâ⬠in action. How many times has this happened to other citizens, but for whatever reason, they are too afraid or intimidated to report such misconduct. If we as a society wish our Police Force to be more accountable, we must take the action to make sure that happens. Otherwise, we are just birds preaching to a choir with deaf ears.The sad fact is that many Police Departments still retain the right to ââ¬Å"policeâ⬠themselves on such issues of misconduct and ââ¬Å"use of forceâ⬠incidents. This is the main reason that the officers involved in the Rodney King beating of 1991 were cleared of guilt. First of all, to even file a complaint against a police officer, citizens must endure a lengthy and time consuming process that involves appearing in person at the police department, then weeding through the trouble and intimidation of even telling a department employee or filling out a report about the alleged incident, and so metimes are refused and intimidated out of that process.Second and most important, even after all that trouble has been endured by the complainant, little or nothing is ever done about the problem other than to refer it to the Internal Affairs Division of the police department and they in themselves have their own policies and procedures which may or may not include final review by the Chief of Police and even then, the issue may not be resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant. In conclusion, I have learned it is sometimes better to ignore arrogant and racist comments by officers unless I have the time to devote to a complaint and investigation process.Iââ¬â¢ll end with this quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. ââ¬Å"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. â⬠(King Jr. , Martin Luther 1963) References Holbert, S; Rose, L (2004) the color of GUILT & INNOCEN CE RACIAL PROFILING AND POLICE PRACTICES IN AMERICA King Jr. , Martin Luther (1963) ââ¬Å"Letter from Birmingham Jailâ⬠April 16, 1963 Retrieved from www. history1900sabout. com/od/martinlutherkingjr/a/mlkquotes. htm
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Eminent Domain When Can the Government Take the Property of a Citizen Without His Consent?
Melanie Carter Political Science 2212 State & Local Government W01 Spring 2013 Eminent Domain When Can the Government Take the Property of a Citizen Without His Consent? One of the more controversial Government actions is its ability to exercise the power of eminent domain to take control of property that belongs to an individual or private entity against their will. ââ¬Å"Eminent domain, broadly understood, is the power of the state to seize private property without the owner's consentâ⬠(WordNet).This paper will examine the elements of eminent domain and what protections are in place for citizens that may be effected by it, identify types of transactions that are typically involved and accepted in eminent domain cases and discuss what the citizens should expect to receive as compensation even though they have lost the property due to some of the broad definitions of the elements. Any time the government is taking the property of an individual, without his consent, it is a con troversial matter.Many politicians and citizens agree that it was necessary to establish a method of acquiring property for the needs of the common good of the community even when there is a lone hold out property owner. It has been held that the power of eminent domain can only be exercised after meeting the protection standards established under the Fifth Amendment of The United States Constitution. We have been conditioned through the media that the Fifth Amendment protects us against self-incrimination ââ¬Å"I plead the fifthâ⬠.Self-Incrimination is an important aspect but most people donââ¬â¢t realize that the Fifth Amendment has a ââ¬Å"taking clauseâ⬠designed to protect the property owners. ââ¬Å"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor sh all any person be subject for he same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation (United States Constitution Fifth Amendment). The Amendment initially only applied at a federal level until passage of the Fourteenth Amendment in which due process and equal protection were made applicable to the states.Taken at face value, the Fifth Amendment taking clause can be broken down into four basic elements: Nor shall (1) private property be (2) taken for (3) public use without (4) just compensation The first is private property, it is self-explanatory and the definition is fairly narrow today although its prior applications were more expansive for example one of the biggest issues with emancipation of slaves was the one time belief that they were seen as pr operty and not as individuals and this status protected the property owner.It was this view that brought about the Emancipation Proclamation and passage of the Thirteenth Amendment. Private property is defined as: Private property N-land or belongings owned by a person or group and kept for their exclusive use (Dictionary. com) The next element is the taking of the property. The property my be taken from the owner without their consent in order to make an improvement of some sort that will have a beneficial result for the community.Itââ¬â¢s important also to note that property owner is not only in jeopardy of losing their property to the government but that it may lose to a private developer for the purpose of an improvement that might add value to the city for example in the form of taxes. In the case of eminent domain the property is taken without the consent of the owner of the property. If the owner were to consent or agree to a payment then it is simply a transaction and emi nent domain is no longer applicable.The third element is the requirement that the property is taken for public use and because of the definition applied for public use it is the most controversial. While the party who is surrendering his property under eminent domain will almost always be upset or offended, the remainder of the citizens will typically may not take issue with the process as long as they see the benefit for themselves and their communities. Improved infrastructure such as road building, bridge building, water shed protection and education are examples of these takings that are agreeable with most of the people.The broad definition of ââ¬Å"Public Useâ⬠in Eminent domain cases as applied today: Public use n. the only purpose for which private property can be taken (condemned) by the government under its power of eminent domain. Public use includes: schools, streets, highways, hospitals, government buildings, parks, water reservoirs, flood control, slum clearance and redevelopment, public housing, public theaters and stadiums, safety facilities, harbors, bridges, railroads, airports, terminals, prisons, jails, public utilities, canals, and numerous other purposes designated as beneficial to the public (Hill & Hill).This broad definition was reviewed and established primarily based on two US Supreme Court cases. The first is a 1954 decision in the case of Berman v. Parker (Law. Cornell. Edu) and it was found that public use has a much more broad reach than simply building a roadway. In Berman, the case dealt with the District of Columbia Re-Development Act of 1945 and found it to be constitutional for the administrative agency to take the appellantââ¬â¢s building from him. The appellant owned property and used it for commercial purposes, to use urban slang, he was a ââ¬Å"slum lordâ⬠and the agency wanted to re-develop the area.The Supreme Court agreed that it was reasonable to ââ¬Å"eliminate and prevent slum and substandard housin g conditionsââ¬âeven though such property may be sold or leased to other private interests subject to conditions designed to accomplish these purposesâ⬠(Law. Cornell. Edu). After upholding the Re-Development Act, the definition of ââ¬Å"public useâ⬠was expanded to cover the aforementioned ââ¬Å"beneficial to the publicâ⬠. Essentially the Supreme Court said that the requirements of the Fifth Amendment are fulfilled when the owner of the property receives his just compensation for the taken property.Berman remained the standard for 50 years, but it was not the final say of the US Supreme Court when it comes to defining ââ¬Å"Public Useâ⬠. The next case would further expand on the public portion of the definition in 2004 with the case of Kelo v. The City of New London. In this case, the Supreme Court expanded on the earlier Berman decision. The City of New London had established a development plan that ââ¬Å"projected to create in excess of 1,000 jobs, whi ch would increase tax and other revenues and would also revitalize an economically distressed city including its downtown and waterfront areasâ⬠à (Minier, 2005).After buying most of the property necessary for the development there were a few ââ¬Å"hold outâ⬠landowners who refused to sell their property. The city wanted to use the power of eminent domain to take possession of the properties that belonged the holdout owners. The Supreme Court set precedent when it found for the City of New London and refused to overturn the ruling of the Supreme Court of Connecticut allowing for property to be transferred to a private owner for the use of economic development, which would benefit the community and therefore could be defined as public use.This broadened the public use definition and has created a lot of controversy because it allows a for-profit, private entity to become the new owner of the taken property as long as it can be shown that the public will benefit. The use o f eminent domain for this purpose will often result in public outcry and protest because the citizens donââ¬â¢t agree with the encroachment by private entities much less the government. As an example, what if Ford Motor Company approached the City of Kennesaw about building a new manufacturing plant for its popular F-150 pick-up line.They are planning on creating 2,500 new jobs with the factory as well as relocating another 250 current employees to the area. Ford has acquired all the necessary parcels of land except for one house on one and a half acres that the owner refused to sell despite offers from the company to pay for the property and relocate the owner. The new plant would increase the tax base for the city and would bring people into the area into new homes (creating more business with construction) or into currently vacant homes.Under the broadened definition of ââ¬Å"public useâ⬠the property could be taken by the city as long as just compensation is paid to the owner, and the city could then sell the property to Ford Motor Company to complete the project. The Final element of eminent domain is ââ¬Å"just compensation for the property which has been takenâ⬠(Smith, Greenblatt & Mariani, 2011). The receipt by the property owner of this ââ¬Å"just compensationâ⬠is what closes out the requirements under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.While the Berman ruling was significant towards defining public use, the Supreme Court felt it was important to speak of just compensation in its findings on the case. Just compensation is very subjective because usually the ââ¬Å"hold outâ⬠property owner has established a value for his property that is not agreeable to the purchaser of the property; or in some cases the property has a ââ¬Å"greater than cashâ⬠value to the property owner who is just determined not to sell it or have it taken away from him.Initially the government will initiate the process of acquiring the prope rty that they need to complete their project just as if they are attempting to purchase it as an independent buyer would. If there is a meeting of the minds and an agreement is reached the purchase is a simple procedure. The challenge comes in when the current owner and the government do not come to an agreement; it is at this point that the process of eminent domain will begin with the formal filing of a lawsuit by the government to take the property.It is also important to note each state has itââ¬â¢s own laws in regards to eminent domain; for example, in one state the government may be required to pay any legal fees assessed in the case. As discussed earlier, if the parties were to come to terms on a purchase then eminent domain would not be applicable. The owner has the right to just compensation which is compensation for property taken under eminent domain that places a property owner in the same position as before the property is taken see also eminent domain.NOTE: Just com pensation is usually the fair market value of the property taken. Since the definition of public use has been broadened it the significance of just compensation increases because it is the greater judicial measure of having met the requirements of the Fifth Amendment. Further, ââ¬Å"The owner of property is entitled to be put in as good a position pecunuarily as if his property had not been takenâ⬠. Fair Market Value as applied within just compensation is also subjective and controversial.FMV (Fair Market Value) will consider current improvements to the property but it does not take into account sentimental value, historical significance, or future increase in value of the property. When addressing the just compensation issue the government usually has the advantage because if they have already decided to exercise the Power of Eminent domain then negotiations have usually ended and with the public use issue settled the property owner can only take the issue to court and hope f or a favorable decision and award through arbitration or the court process.While just compensation covers the property at fair market value it does not cover attorneyââ¬â¢s fees related to the disputed acquisition of the property. The challenge here is that the family that has been displaced may find little satisfaction in being justly compensated (in the eyes of the government) for having their lives in an upheaval; their lives may be wrapped up in the community in which they have been rooted and eminent domain could cause an unjust hardship outside of the monetary issue. This is one of the examples that make eminent domain one of the most unpopular acts.The Power of Eminent domain plays an important role in our communities. Although the Fifth Amendment was designed to afford protection to the property owners that protection has been diluted through a series of court rulings that have broadened definitions and allow Eminent domain to work in the governments favor. Essentially th e government will prevail if it meets the four elements of the Fifth Amendmentââ¬â¢s takings clause nor shall (1) private property be (2) taken for (3) public use without (4) just compensation.When deciding the next course of action the property owner should be aware these elements and also should consider the worthiness of the challenge. Currently the Atlanta Falcons, a private sports franchise, are looking for a new stadium that will be built and operated in a joint venture with the City of Atlanta through a government appointed agency, The Georgia World Congress Center Authority and just compensation will play heavily in the activities of property acquisition.There are two churches in the way of the proposed new stadium site, one of which wants to improve its standing and position and the other has age and historical significance. Friendship Baptist Church has historical significance in that it was started by slaves more than 150 years ago and is the ââ¬Å"oldest black Baptis t church in the city of Atlantaâ⬠and many important events/institutions began at this church including the fact that Spelman College was founded in the basement of the church and Morehouse College held classes there (Proctor, 2013).At this point, Lloyd Hawk who is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the church says that they want the significance of the church to continue to be at the forefront and they want some of the significance of the church, such as the Bell Tower, to remain but they are waiting to see what kind of offer they are going to be made. The other church, Mount Vernon Baptist, has conceded that they would sell and have stated that they want to do what is best for both the community and the church.There will be other property owners who choose to hold out trying to get the ââ¬Å"best dealâ⬠. This matter will be a good, relevant case study in eminent domain because it will involve all aspects of the disputed issues including public money, public use, inc reased economic impact, and private corporate involvement. The bottom line is that in the case of eminent domain there is no clear winner and there may be a clear loser. In some cases it may be a good thing for all parties involved; perhaps the property owner has no ties to the property and is ready to get out.Taking payment for the property may be a way that they can walk away cleanly. But, the government, in my eyes will never be the loser because they will always get what they want. The homeowner may not want to surrender the property for any amount of money based on sentiment or any number of other reasons and being forced out of their gamily home is stressful. Or, the homeowner may feel that the financial (just compensation) falls short of their expectations or they may simply be greedy and want too much.In either scenario the homeowner is clearly the loser if they lose their home under circumstance that they feel are less than ideal if the power of eminent domain prevails. Bib liography Hill, G. , & Hill, K. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://legal-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com/public use Minier, D. (2005). Kelo v. city of new london. Retrieved from http://www. casebriefs. com/blog/law/property/property-law-keyed-to-dukeminier/eminent-domain-and-the-problem-of-regulatory-takings/kelo-v-city-of-new-london/ Miriam Webster. N. p. : n. p. , n. d.Http://dictionary. findlaw. com/definition/just-compensation. html. Web. 04 Apr. 2013. . (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. law. cornell. edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0348_0026_ZS. html private property. (n. d. ). WordNetà ® 3. 0. Retrieved April 16, 2013, from Dictionary. com website:à http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/private property private property. (n. d. ). Collins English Dictionary ââ¬â Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved April 16, 2013, from Dictionary. com website:http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/private propertyProctor, A. (2013, March 22). Historic atlanta church si ts on proposed site of new falcons stadium. Fox 5 News. Retrieved from Historic Atlanta church sits on proposed site of new Falcons stadium SCEG. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. columbia. edu/cu/cssn/expansion/ Smenkowski, B. P. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/206470/Fifth-Amendment/296512/Takings In text (Smenkowski) Smith, K. B. , Greenblatt, A. , & Mariani, M. (2011). Governing states and localities. (3 ed. , p. 439). Washington, D. C. : Cq Staff Directories.
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