Acute Pain Post-Op And Misuse Of Pca In An Elderly With

Acute pain post-op and misuse of PCA in an elderly with hip replacement operation RELEVANCE OF CASE Pain is formally identified as a problem of global proportions by WHO and postoperative pain is one of the most common types of pain that has raised a public health concern by various societies in Australia, USA and Europe. It affects roughly 40% of surgical patients who experiencing a moderate to severe pain. It is important that graduate RNs have the knowledge and clinical skills to care for these patients as management of acute post-op pain has posed a significant challenge in surgical specialities for the past 50 years. CASE PRESENTATION – NURSING ASSESSMENT Mrs. M’s information is currently collected from handover, her history, Mrs.†¦show more content†¦Pain that is undertreated can limit her post-op mobility and ability to participate actively in rehabilitation program. Mrs. M had pain at a level 5-8 during the night which indicates a moderate to intense pain that apparently interferes her sleep and probably limits her ability to perform normal daily activities. 5. Assess the effectiveness of PCA: Assess the PCA dose whether it met her needs. Mrs. M repeated multiple attempts PCA overnight, however the medication was not delivered successfully due to her lack of knowledge of using PCA so she only received 4mg/hr. Mrs. M could have got 6mg/ml in 1 hour if she understood instructions of using a PCA. 6. Vital signs assessment: Assess as per post-op protocol or more often if unstable to assess treatment effects, identify signs of clinical deterioration in an early stage and to detect any procedural complications. Mrs. M’s RR (respiratory rate) is 22bpm which is slightly elevated and could due to her pain, SaO2 (Oxygen saturations) is 95% which is a normal figure, she has an elevated BP of 145/90 that could result from her pain, a psychological problem such as anxiety about transferring or ambulating post-op or can even due to her cardiovascular history. Her T (Temperature) is 36.8 ° and P (Pulse) is 98bpm which are normal ranges. RR and SaO2 needs to be checked precisely because her PCA Morphine can cause potentially fatal opioid-related respiratory depression. This problem can lead to a possible need for critical care

Albania still bears the traces Free Essays

Albania, one of Europe’s smallest and isolated countries is also one of the most ancient countries in Europe. Yet its beauty and splendor, its rich natural resources and its extraordinary tradition of hospitality are just few of the many reasons why the outside world should be interested in this country (Konitza 10). Albania still bears the traces of its turbulent past, a history that has been the story of a never-ending succession of invasion and defense, of subjection and revolt. We will write a custom essay sample on Albania still bears the traces or any similar topic only for you Order Now At one time or another, Greeks and Romans, Goths and Byzantines, Serbs and Bulgars, Sicilians and Venetians, Normans and Turks have poured into the country and held it for varying periods (Hamm 3). Many historians believed that the people of Albania descended from a non-Slavic, non-Turkic group of tribes known as Illyrians, who arrived in the Balkans around 2000 BC. The modern Albanians can still be distinguished from Ghegs (northern tribes) and Tosks (southern tribes). After falling under Roman authority in 165 BC, Albania was controlled nearly continuously by a succession of foreign powers such as the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century which made the first recorded reference to a land known as Albania and its people. The Ottoman Empire also ruled Albania form 1385-1912 and it was during this time that much of the populations were converted to Islam.   There were revolts made against the Ottoman, the most famous was led by Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeg which eventually became Albania’s national hero.   But efforts failed as the Ottomans eventually reasserted their dominance. The hundred of years of Ottoman rule weakened during the early 20th century as Albanian nationalism heightened.   This eventually ended with the conclusion of the First Balkan War, and the Vlore Proclamation of Independence on November 28, 1912. When the Second World War broke, Albania was occupied by different countries.   First by Italy (1939-43) and then by Germany (1943-44). After the war, Communism ruled Albania for forty years through the Communist Party leader Enver Hoxha.   During this time, Albania adhered to a strict Stalinist philosophy through a combination of ruthlessness and strategic alliances and most of the population was subjected to purges, shortages, repression of civil and political rights, a total ban on religious observance, and increased isolation.   In 1991, Communism fall and the Albanian society struggled to overcome its historical isolation and underdevelopment by seeking closer ties with the West in order to improve economic conditions. During this time the basic democratic reforms, including a multi-party system was introduced.   Albania’s fragile democratic structures were strengthened by democrats, then socialists; from presidential to parliamentary which eventually ushered in a new period of political stability, making possible significant progress in democratic and economic reforms, rule of law initiatives, and the development of Albania’s relations with its neighbors and the United States.   (Frasheri 25).   The Albanian.com website mentioned that Albania adopted the Parliamentary democratic type of government with executive branch; the President of the Republic (chief of state), the Prime Minister (head of the government), Council of Ministries (appointed by the President); the legislative branch-Peoples Assembly (a unicameral type, 140 seats) and the Judicial branch (the Supreme court and all other).   Its police and security forces have shown effectiveness.   Each security or police organization–the Sigurimi, the Frontier Guards, and the People’s Police–constituted a separate directorate within the ministry; each had a larger proportion of personnel who were party members than the armed forces because of the need for political reliability. Albania’s relations with the outside world are mainly concerned with preservation of its territorial integrity and independence. Albania maintains generally good relations with its foreign neighbors such as Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Italy and Greece It also enjoys friendly and cooperative bilateral relations with the U.S as Pro-U.S. sentiment is widespread among the population. The strength of the government is supported with its Armed forces which includes ground forces, air and air defense forces, and naval forces and comprised about 48,000 active-duty and 155,000 reserve personnel. According to the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, Albania’s economy is considered the poorest in Europe. This is maybe due to the fact that Albania has been isolated and underdeveloped for centuries. Economists estimated the gross domestic product per capita at about US$450 in 1990. Latest figures (2005) shows 5.5% Real GDP growth with an inflation rate of 2.4% and unemployment rate by 14.2%.   Despite significant progress in the twentieth century, Albania still lagged far behind the other European nations economically. The economic policy insisted on rigid centralization and forced industrialization despite Albania’s small size and lack of skilled workers, able administrators, and farmers capable of producing key raw materials and enough grain to feed the population. Albania has abundant literate workforce but unemployed and unskilled workers but few jobs are available in the country.   Because of this, thousands of desperate Albanians fled abroad seeking jobs because of the wretched standard of living and limited economic opportunity at home. The social structure of the country was basically tribal until the 1930s but increasing contact with the outside world and invasions and occupations by foreign armies had gradually weakened tribal society.   Traditionally there have been two major cultures in the Albanian nation: the Gegs in the north and the Tosks in the south. The Gegs, partly Roman Catholic but mostly Muslim, lived until after World War II in a mountain society characterized by blood feuds and fierce clan and tribal loyalties. The Tosks, whose number included many Muslims as well as Orthodox Christians, were less culturally isolated mainly because of centuries of foreign influence. Kinship and tribal affiliations, a common spoken language, and enduring folk customs provided continuity and a sense of community. Foreign influence was inevitable, however. Additions and modifications to the language were made as a result of Latin, Greek, Slavic, and Turkish contacts. Lacking an organized religion as part of their Illyrian heritage, Albanians adopted the Muslim, Orthodox, and Roman Catholic faiths brought to them by their conquerors. In Albania, the basic unit of society was the extended family, usually composed of a couple, their married sons, the wives and children of the sons, and any unmarried daughters. The extended family formed a single residential and economic entity held together by common ownership of means of production and common interest in the defense of the group. Such families often included scores of persons, and, as late as 1944, some encompassed as many as sixty to seventy persons living in a cluster of huts surrounding the father’s house. For centuries, the family was the basic unit of the country’s social structure. To a great extent, the privacy of the family supplanted that of the state. Children were brought up to respect their elders and, above all, their father, whose word was law within the confines of his family (Marmullaku 82-85). Whether its in the past or present, ancient or modern, young or old, Muslim or Christian, rich or poor, north or south, urban or rural, monarchist or socialist: the extremes of Albanian society are vivid and its tensions palpable. Albania is more like a framework, a stable structure of rigid poles positioned in space –and linked together by flexible cables. The cables are stressed but, barring catastrophe, they will not snap. Albania, a land that is very beautiful, is still struggling to leave its communist past and the almost eternal post communism transition behind and find the right route to economical, political, and social stability and prosperity. Works Cited Albanian Information.   Albanian Government .Available:   http://www.albanian.com/information/countries/albania/index.html Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress. Country Studies. Available:   http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/altoc.html Frasheri, Kristo. The History of Albania. Tiranà «: Naim Frasheri State, 1964. Hamm, Harry.   Albania–China’s Beachhead in Europe.   New York:   Praeger, 1963. Konitza, Faik. â€Å"Albania: The Rock Garden of Southeastern Europe.†Ã‚   Pages Panarity (ed.), Albania: The Rock Garden   of Southeastern Europe and Other Essays. Boston:Pan-Albanian Federation of America, 1957. Marmullaku, Ramadan. Albania and the Albanians. Hamden, New York: Archon Books, 1975. How to cite Albania still bears the traces, Papers

My Visit to a Music Concert free essay sample

This paper however lays emphasis on the implications of human trafficking on businesses, weaving into the argument the economic, e. g. loss of human capital/labour supply for businesses in the countries of origin, the socio-economic, e. g. violence when merged with drug trafficking, creating an unhealthy environment for business activities, the legal aspects. At the international level, trafficking in persons can lead to disruptions in diplomatic and economic relations between states, hampering the transfer of technology, sharing of best business practices, access to financial aid, among others. International conventions/laws dealing with human trafficking such as the Palermo Protocols and their role/impact in the fight against human trafficking are also taken into account. By way of solution, some measures to eliminate or mitigate the effects of this canker are proposed within a multilateral framework involving states, civil society organisations, businesses, religious/faith communities, not forgetting individual efforts. These measures include awareness raising/information dissemination, empowerment of vulnerable groups, stronger international cooperation, corporate social responsibility, investigative journalism and national ntegration of international anti-human trafficking conventions into domestic legal systems, etc. Finally, in view of the step-up in the fight against human traffickers, taking into account government interventions and increased awareness, the paper strongly asserts that human trafficking can be surmounted. 3 Introduction The international community of civilized nations clearly demonstrated a collective stand for justice through the abolition of one grave manifestation of human injustice, the enslavement of human beings by their (own) kind. In spite of this achievement and rather unfortunate, there is a form of slavery which is ongoing, proving elusive and resistant to attempts at eliminating it. This modern slavery goes by the name human trafficking, otherwise known as â€Å"trafficking in persons. † Trafficking in persons is estimated by the Polaris Project to be the third most lucrative criminal activity after arms and drug dealing. 1 Trafficked persons are treated like ordinary commodities, are deprived of their human rights and dignity and subjected to all forms of inhuman treatment. In short, they are slaves to their owners, employers or â€Å"buyers† and are threatened with death or violence to themselves and/or their families should they attempt to resist their oppressors or get help. Human trafficking destroys communities, tears families apart and destroys the present and potential gains of the victims as well as those of their beneficiaries. Adding to its complexity, it occurs both within and across borders and can be merged with drug trafficking and arms smuggling. It is indeed a serious crime that is worth all the efforts being made to eliminate it and much more. This paper therefore discusses trafficking in persons by first defining what it is, proceeding to elucidate briefly how it impacts businesses beginning with the economic, then the legal and possibly the socio-economic implications. In the process, the main international conventions which address the phenomenon would also be examined looking at their implications for governments, traffickers and their victims. In the next section, the paper offers some recommendations on how to minimize the effects of and eliminate human trafficking all of which are grounded in a multilateral framework involving all stakeholders, from politicians/decision-makers, to business leaders, students, the victims and to the ordinary man on the streets. The next section concludes by briefly summarizing the main points discussed. Defining Human Trafficking Human trafficking has several definitions two of which are presented here for the purposes of this paper. Human Trafficking is, â€Å"The recruitment, harbouring, transporting, providing or obtaining, by any means, any person for labour or services involving forced labour, slavery or 1 UrbanMinistry. Org, Human Trafficking: Definition, Prevalence and Causes, accessed January 19, 2012 http://www. urbanministry. org/wiki/human-trafficking-definition-prevalence-and-causes 4 servitude in any industry, such as forced or coerced participation in agriculture, prostitution, manufacturing, or other industries or in domestic service or marriage. 2 The second and now standard definition taken from the (Palermo) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, (Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime) reads: â€Å"The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of pow er or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation. 3From these definitions, human trafficking broadly encompasses sexual slavery/forced prostitution, forced marriage, forced labour, and other forms of servitude. The paper now addresses the implications of human trafficking on businesses giving primary consideration to the economic aspect. Economic Implications To begin with, employing or using victims of trafficking in the course of production might compromise the quality of goods and services offered. Distressed, traumatized, fearful, physically and psychologically scarred-these are but some fitting descriptions of a trafficked person. Such persons are unprepared and unskilled for the services they are forced to render. Consequently, victims of trafficking cannot add quality to the production process. Compromising quality along the supply chain can affect a business’ profits especially if it is known for quality but has suppliers and labour contractors who disregard labour standards along the production line. Low quality can be costly in these times of increased consumer awareness and availability of substitutes. The affected company would most likely lose customers and make less profit. Secondly, human trafficking leads to stunted economic growth in the victims’ countries of origin. Whereas it provides cheap labor to businesses in receiving countries/countries of destination, it depletes the labor supply in the countries of origin. Young, energetic individuals, rendered vulnerable and gullible by unfavourable conditions like poverty or 2 International Human Rights Law Group, Initiative Against Trafficking in Persons, accessed June 23, 2012 http://www. rlawgroup. org/initiatives/trafficking_persons 3 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime And The Protocols Thereto, New York, 2004, P. 42 accessed January 19, 2012 http://www. unodc. org/documents/treaties/UNTOC/Publications/TOC%20Convention/TOCebook-e. pdf 5 conflict situations in their countries, are lured under false pretexts, coerced and sometimes kidnapped out of thei r communities, thereby robbing those communities of the human capital for development. This development hinders expansion of businesses operations as a result of inadequate labour supply. Both public and private sector jobs would be affected in such a scenario. A severely depleted labour force would lead to economic stagnation for any country. Human trafficking also undermines fair competition by enabling businesses which employ the victims the benefit of producing at lower costs bringing them unusually higher profits. This is might be evident in productions further down the supply chains in the textile industry. A 2005 International Labour Organization publication estimates profits made from forced labourers exploited by private enterprises or agents at US$44. 3 billion every year, of which US$31. 6 billion from trafficked victims. 5 The danger here is, those firms which adhere to (international) labour standards and good practices become losers to the non-adhering ones and may become tempted to do same, seeing that their compliance with good business/ labour standard s has not prevented non-complying firms from free-riding. If this happens the antitrafficking fight becomes more difficult since there will be more â€Å"rogue† firms to deal with. Businesses also face the risk of operating in high crime environments especially when human trafficking becomes merged with drug trafficking. The victims could become drug users, couriers and dealers in the process of trafficking or be forced into such activities in the countries of destination. Some statistics of drug related deaths provide ample proof of the menace of the drug trade. For example, The Guardian, a United Kingdom based newspaper, had an article captioned: â€Å"Mexico drug wars have killed 35000 people in four years. 6 The drug trade can turn once peaceful areas where business transactions thrived into drug-battle theaters. Business transactions cannot proceed smoothly in environments of crime and violence. Foreign investors and tourists would be scared off from investing in and visiting such areas. Hospitality/tourism sector businesses such as hotels, resorts, tourist attraction sites would be the most affected. 4 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN. GIFT), An Introduction to Human Trafficking: Vulnerability, Impact and Action, Background Paper, New York 2008, p. 97 http://www. unodc. org/documents/humantrafficking/An_Introduction_to_Human_Trafficking_-_Background_Paper. pdf , accessed January 19, 2012. 5 Patrick Belser, Forced Labour and Human Trafficking: Estimating the Profits, Working Paper, International Labour Office, Geneva, March 2005, accessed June 27,2012, http://www. ilo. org/wcmsp5/groups/public/ed_norm/declaration/documents/publication/wcms_081971. pdf 6 The Guardian, Thursday 13 January 2011, accessed January 21 2012 http://www. uardian. co. uk/world/2011/jan/13/mexico-drug-deaths-figures-calderon 6 Following from the above is the fact that victims of trafficking and their captors do not pay taxes into government coffers. Governments therefore lose that fraction of funds they could have used to finance public projects like better healthcare and education systems, maintaining law and order, etc. With regard to busine sses, reduced government earnings could translate into cuts or complete removal of subsidies for production, with fledgling businesses/ infant industries likely to be the hardest hit. In developing countries, governments usually subsidize the cost of energy supply which is very necessary for smooth industrial production. Removal of energy sector subsidies could throw business operations out of gear. On the other hand, faced with tighter economic constraints and insufficient funds, governments may impose higher taxes on corporate bodies, which would lead to higher production costs and higher prices which diminish consumer demand and thus profits. Additionally, human trafficking can lead to loss of human capital for businesses through the spread of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS. Most women and young girls who are trafficked end up becoming commercial sex workers who are simply money making tools in the hands of their captors without right or access to safe sex methods. Sexually active members of the workforce, irrespective of position, might go in for some of these women and end up contracting HIV. Treating and living with the disease becomes an almost impossible task, especially in countries where access to good medical care is inadequate and/or very expensive coupled with social stigmatization. Thus the productivity level of the labour force is diminished. Medical costs may also be borne by the business which drains its coffers of hard earned money. That aside, the loss of labour as a result of HIV/AIDS is a blow to any country’s economy as experience and skills are lost altogether. This loss cannot be easily quantified and might not be replaced fast enough. There could be a decline in multinational activity when a state is branded as corrupt and where human trafficking is unchecked or inadequately dealt with. This bad international reputation has the potential to discourage foreign companies from moving their operations into that state, either to save their corporate image or avoid becoming embroiled in (potential) accusations of having being involved with human traffickers. Firms/companies within an accused state would not benefit from the technology transfer or the sharing of best practices had such foreign companies come in. Consumers would be deprived of the wider range of goods and services they would have enjoyed. Multinational corporations employ locals thereby reducing the unemployment rate in the host country. Though this role is sometimes marginal, it is still significant. Less multinational activity may increase the employment burden for the host state. 7 Last but not least, human trafficking has the potential of pitting workers against their employers in their quest to consolidate their position at the workplace. Faced with an availability of cheap labor, workers may resort to forming stronger unions, becoming inflexible in their demands for better conditions of service from their employers. For example, they may demand more binding contracts and higher end-of service benefits. This trend may be more common in the countries of transit and destination where some victims become integrated into the work force. The converse effect is that, workers become weakened because there is access to cheap labor. Employers can afford to pay lower wages/salaries. Dissenting voices could be hushed through crafty schemes and summary dismissals. Since people, and workers for that matter, respond to incentives,7 low remuneration in an atmosphere of nforced silence and summary dismissals would decrease morale at work, resulting in low productivity. Trafficking in persons could as well trigger and sustain xenophobia. Since human traffickers are difficult to identify, it may be easier to blame the practice on foreigners. Natives may end up targeting innocent foreigners who had moved into their neighborhoods to transact genuine business. Foreign investors sometimes recruit residents and in the unlikely but possible event may become victims of xenophobia-driven attacks. Loss of lives and property are the usual outcome. This situation may prove unfavorable for businesses in both states of which the attackers and victims are nationals. There could be retorsions involving strains in diplomatic and economic relations between states. Retaliatory attacks by aggrieved individuals in the victims’ countries could further complicate the situation. Doubtless, business transactions would be stymied in a climate of fear and violence made worse by diplomatic and economic wrangling. Another dimension to this is that citizens in destination countries might become alarmed at the increasing number of foreigners within their territory and resort to violence to scare them away. Foreign workers may be caught in the melee and have to be either transferred, provided with extra security or give up their posts altogether, at the expense of their employers. This would not be in the best interest of their employers especially if they cannot be easily replaced because of the role they play or positions they occupy. N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor, Economics, Special Edition, South-Western, CENGAGE Learning, 2010 p. 7 8 These are but a few economic implications of human trafficking on businesses. The distinction between the economic and legal areas of impact is not so clear-cut since these are more or less inter-connected. The next section presents some legal implications. Legal Implications In the first place, human trafficking is an international crime which falls with in the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. Part 2 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court captioned Jurisdiction, Admissibility and Applicability lists the four crimes over which the ICC has jurisdiction of which the second is â€Å"Crimes against Humanity. † Article 7 then enumerates the crimes against humanity which include Enslavement, and Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, etc. Enslavement is explained further as the exercise of any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership over a person and includes the exercise of such power in the course of trafficking in persons, in particular women and children. Obviously, victims of trafficking are held against their will (enslaved), female victims usually suffer rape and end up as sex slaves or are forced into prostitution. Thus, employees, labour contractors, suppliers, etc. who employ victims are liable of committing a crime against humanity and could find themselves before the International Criminal Court. Criminal proceedings can be initiated by national referral, Security Council referral to the Prosecutor, as well as the Prosecutor initiating an investigation based on knowledge that such crimes have been or are being committed. Secondly, companies and their partners engaged in human trafficking or employing victims are in violation of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, and can be duly prosecuted by a national court. The Protocol empowers as well as encourages governments to recognize human trafficking as a crime and punish perpetrators accordingly. Human trafficking as defined by the Protocol above covers situations involving, the recruitment, and receipt of persons, as well as the giving or receiving of payments or enefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation. These conditions broaden the scope of the law and would make it difficult for guilty firms to escape punishment. Businesses could be heavily fined and have their assets confiscated as mandated by the courts. Moreover, governments might enact tighter immigration laws which can make it difficult for expatriate workers legally engaged to travel freely to w ork across borders. Businesses stand 8 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Jurisdiction, Admissibility and Applicable Law, accessed June 19, 2012, http://untreaty. un. org/cod/icc/statute/romefra. htm 9 to lose in terms of the number of man-hours that would be lost from workers passing through very elaborate immigration procedures. Governments might as well require that companies introduce very detailed measures to ensure and be able to prove that workers are not victims of trafficking. These requirements might entail taking on additional costs brought on by mandatory tracking and screening systems and maintaining worker databases. At the end of the day, cash-strapped enterprises may be forced out of operations. One other significant consequence of human trafficking on businesses can be examined within the context of the World Trade Organization. WTO/GATT Article XX (General Exceptions) empowers member states to apply sanctions or other measures in disapproval of trade practices involving several malfeasances which include slavery or forced labour. The Article XX Preamble, together with sections (b) and (e) read: â€Å"Subject to the requirement that such measures are not applied in a manner which would constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between countries where the same conditions prevail, or a disguised restriction on international trade, nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to prevent the adoption or enforcement by any contrac ting parties of measures: (b) necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health. (Emphasis added) (e) relating to products of prison labor. Member states are mandated to apply these two clauses to impose trade restrictions on suspicion of forced labour. They could also argue that those measures are necessary to protect the lives of victims of trafficking. Though such actions are challengeable under WTO law, the bottom line is that states can legally impose barriers on trade involving trafficking including child labour and/or forced labour. A state whose nationals are accused of or found guilty of human trafficking risks undercutting its import/export trade benefits to the detriment of domestic industries. Measures to Eliminate/ Mitigate the Effects of Human Trafficking. This section proposes some measures to offset the effects of and possibly eliminate trafficking in persons. These measures broadly involve raising awareness, public recognition of individuals and businesses involved in the anti-trafficking movement; empowerment of vulnerable groups especially women, girls and children, national integration of international 9 Andrew T. Guzman, Joost H. B. Pauwelyn, International Trade Law, (2009-2010 Documents Supplement), Aspen Publishers, Kluwer Law International, 2009, p. 36. 10 anti-human trafficking laws/conventions, among others. These measures overlap and should be considered as complementary. Awareness Raising/Information Dissemination: To begin with, one way to increase public awareness is to make punishments for human trafficking public. Article 6. 1 of the Palermo Protocols enjoins state parties to protect the identity of victims by among other things making legal provisions relating to such trafficking confidential. Nonetheless in order to get the public informed about what is happening, it would be better to publish prison sentences and/or other forms of punishment which should be stiffer so as to make a lot more people aware that such a crime exists, that it is punishable and deter would-be traffickers. Legal proceedings per se may or should be kept secret for the sake of the victim(s) but punishment for the crime should be made public. In low literacy countries, mass education/sensitization campaigns could be carried out in the vernacular to get more people informed. Governments and partners such as civil-society groups could spend a little bit more money in getting vernacular interpreters where necessary to get the message to the grass-root level or rural communities. This is very important since one of the vulnerable groups of victims or potential victims are the uneducated, poor and low skilled who are therefore likely to be ignorant of the existence of such a menace and the various ways it is carried out. Showing documentaries on human trafficking might help to disseminate information on the practice to the public. As in the fight against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in which graphic pictures of symptoms/patients are shown to inform and deter irresponsible sexual behavior, documentary films based on victims stories should be shown so as to inform people, especially vulnerable groups, about the various ways in which traffickers lure their victims. As may be expected, the feeling of sympathy as well as horror could leave an indelible imprint on the minds of the viewers thereby helping to make them more vigilant in protecting themselves and others from being trafficked. Given that education is championed as a major key to the empowerment of individuals, designing and incorporating modules on human trafficking in academic curricula from basic school to the tertiary level can go a long way to help eliminate human trafficking. This is because students would get introduced to the notion of human trafficking at younger ages; they would be challenged to come up with ideas to fight it should there be evaluations on it. Teachers should be encouraged to use local examples in their lessons to make the students regard the menace as near to but not far away from them. Further up the academic ladder, schools and civil-society organizations can collaborate to organize seminars, essays, debates 11 and other thought-provoking activities in which the non academic public may participate. Reports and recommendations would then be published in the related journals in hard and electronic versions which should be made accessible to all. Besides, students can be encouraged to form clubs, societies and associations to brainstorm on the issue, serve as peer-group educators, watch out for one another, inform their parents, and carry the message across to their communities. Teachers should also be encouraged to pay close attention to pupils and students attendance to classes and follow up on sudden and/or continuous inexplicable absenteeism. Teachers and pupils/students who help to thwart any trafficking attempt should be publicly rewarded by the respective Parent-Teacher Associations and the state. This may prove vital especially in preventing or reducing child trafficking. In addition, governments, civil-society groups and media houses can liaise to fight this crime by running special broadcasts during major, sports and entertainment events (e. . World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Miss Universe, etc. ) when it is certain that a large proportion of viewers would get the message. If nations, and for that matter the entire society really want to curtail this crime then all major events of public interest should be used to get the world’s attention to human trafficking. Media houses and journalists who report on human trafficking should be awarded t o motivate them to keep reporting on the issue and also get others within the profession to add their voices in spreading the message. Engaging the religious community is another avenue which should be explored to raise awareness on human trafficking. This is because religion is a very powerful rallying force which cuts across race, gender, culture and economic classes. Significantly, religious beliefs and teachings do shape the behavior of followers/adherents to some extent. For this reason government agencies and civil society organizations can partner with religious leaders to combat human trafficking by using times of religious activity to inform the people, either by encouraging the leaders to do so themselves or inviting resource persons over. This measure, if properly undertaken with the specific cultural and religious contexts taken into consideration would make the crime (morally) unappealing and unacceptable to lots of people and could equally foster unity and cooperation among the various authorities to address not only human trafficking but other socially and economically detrimental practices like female genital mutilation, honor killings, drug trafficking, etc. Empowerment of Vulnerable Groups: Women and children especially girls are at a greater risk of being trafficked because of the booming (international) pornography industry and the (over) projection of feminine sexuality 12 or sex appeal in the media. Therefore implementing policies empowering women and girls through vocational training, apprenticeships, and educational subsidies should be pursued as part of national development agendas to reduce the number of disadvantaged and poor women and girls who fall prey to the enticements of traffickers. At the community level, rolemodeling by successful women and peers might also help women and girls develop a sense of worth and have hope for the future. Admittedly, financial constraints could hinder the implementation of empowerment programs but states should aim at reducing costs by imposing heavier fines on persons and firms caught in human trafficking. Other categories of vulnerable groups are disadvantaged persons like the disabled, visuallyimpaired and orphans. Governments should strive to enact measures to meet the needs of these particular groups. Employable skills training should be held for the disabled and visually-impaired and their family members encouraged to look out for them and be more responsible for their security. Social welfare institutions and adoption agencies should be well-monitored and resourced to cater for orphans and abandoned children. There is the need to maintain databases on such persons to help track their movement. Trafficked persons are also vulnerable especially to re-trafficking and should be well- catered for. To this end, rehabilitation camps and skills acquisition programmes need to be set up to meet their needs. Victims should be helped to get over their experiences through counselling programmes and other healing sessions so as to facilitate their reintegration into society, whether within the countries of destination or if they prefer, back in their home countries. Adequate security should be devoted to such persons to prevent them and their loved ones from being attacked by their former â€Å"owners. Improved Transparency Accountability: At the corporate level, peer accountability a concept explained by Robert Keohane as ways in which organizations may criticize the operations of similar organizations, often through multilateral organizations,10 could be one way of getting businesses to ensure that they are all competing on a level playing field. Since private businesses and corporate entities are generally averse to external or governmental scrutiny, allowing a level of self regul ation among such entities could be one way to foster cooperation among firms in eliminating human trafficking. The UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate citizenship and sustainability initiative is a voluntary intergovernmental/multilateral standards setting and accountability 10 Robert O. Keohane, Accountability in Global Politics, Nordic Political Science Association, Scandinavian Political Studies, Vol. 29- No. 2, 2006 13 body. With more than 8000 participants including over 6000 firms in 135 countries,11 it should be the forum of choice in promoting peer accountability. One advantage of the Global Compact is that, at the very least, membership bestows a certain measure of credibility on a firm since that implies its willingness to be transparent and be scrutinized whilst transparency in turn connotes corporate responsibility and â€Å"clean hands†. These attributes could boost public support, generating interest in the goods and services offered by the business in question. On the other hand, consumers/ the public become more aware of and willing to act as partners in the fight against social evils like human trafficking. Since the information on the activities of the Global Compact is available for public access, public-spirited individuals and groups can identify their areas of expertise/interest and participate in the initiative to help achieve its goals. In addition, the Global Compact has an annual â€Å"Communication on Progress† obligation which members commit to honour. The Communication on Progress is a public disclosure session during which members inform stakeholders (governments, civil-society, investors and consumers) on progress made in implementing the ten principles of the Compact. These ten principles are summarized into four main areas namely human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption with at least two of them, human right and labour closely related to the issue at hand, human trafficking. The human rights principle based on the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly proclaims freedom from servitude, slavery, torture and cruel treatment. The labour principles, based on ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work also engages members to work to eliminate all forms of forced and compulsory labour as well as abolish child labour, etc. By upholding and obliging firms to report on how they implement these provisions , the Global Compact has developed a good means to check corporate malpractices like human trafficking, forced labour and other forms of servitude. Moreover, the public recognition of business leaders who champion the fight against human trafficking and actually follow best practices is an initiative which should be encouraged. In this regard, international awards such as the â€Å"Business Leader Award† instituted by â€Å"End Human Trafficking Now† in collaboration with partner organizations is a step n the right direction which if given the due media attention and governmental support can go a long way to encourage businesses to become transparent to their peers, thereby serving as a disincentive to dealing with human traffickers. The award aims at rewarding a business leader who has vision and (proven) commitment to combating human trafficking, has demonstrated 11 United Nations Global Compact, â€Å"Participants and Stakeholders† , accessed June 22, 2012 http://www. unglobalcompact. org/ParticipantsAndStakeholders/index. html 14 socially responsible initiative to combat human trafficking, been able to influence the company’s management and operations in identifying and combating human trafficking and, has successfully engaged a wider community/audience in preventive measures against human trafficking. 12 Investigative journalism or accountability reporting can as well be encouraged and undertaken by civil-society organizations and supportive governments in regions noted for (high) incidences of human trafficking. This could bring offending firms and their corrupt power-wielding partners under pressure by exposing their activities. This undertaking might be highly risky though, considering the targeting of environmental campaigners in recent times as shown in media reports. To minimize the risk to investigative journalists, they may need to operate using pseudonyms; partner with foreign missions/embassies of powerful nations, independent pressure/interest groups, not stay too long in one place and keep low profiles as much as possible. Investigative journalists can help expose corrupt border guards and government officials, travelling agencies involved in trafficking, businesses involved in forced or child labour and countless other cases of illegal transactions. Their role should therefore be appreciated and given the necessary support. Increased International Cooperation: Increased international cooperation in the form of joint-border patrols and other security measures like the use of surveillance cameras and high-tech tracking systems across borders can prove beneficial in dealing with trafficking and re- trafficking of persons. An example is the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI), a joint program by the United States and Mexico along their borders. To cite other examples of collaboration, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) noted in its 2010 World Migration Report that, â€Å"many countries deploy immigration officials to work with foreign governments and airline personnel to identify persons travelling with fraudulent documents and to combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking operations. †13 Developed countries with the technology could assist developing countries with equipment and personnel training so as to better track the movement of persons within but more especially, across borders. Other measures which could be shared among governments include the work of the Technical Advisory Group on Machine Readable Documents (TAG-MRTD) and the Personal 12 Business Leader’s Award to Fight Human Trafficking, accessed June 30, 2012 http://businessleaderaward. org/nominations. html 13 World Migration Report 2010, The Future of Migration: Building Capacities for Change. WMR_2010_ENGLISH. pdf. p. 33 15 Identification and Registration System (PIRS), which allows for the capturing of biographical data of travelers entering and exiting border points. 4 International non-governmental organizations and other civil society groups can act as watchdogs and advocacy groups in the fight against human trafficking and should be encouraged to do so. They may be the first point of call for escaped victims and offer them protection. They also report instances of trafficking, and inform the public about businesses and corporations involved in trafficking, keeping public pressure up and h olding the latter accountable. However there is the need for such groups to be impartial in their naming and shaming. On a more subtle note, international cooperation can be induced by soft pressure in the form rankings accompanied by the loss of certain favours. This is evidenced by the 2012 United States Trafficking In Persons Report, which has classified state partners into four tiers according to their achievements coupled with efforts they put into the fight against human trafficking. These are: Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 Watch List and Tier 3, with Tier 1 being the best performing rank in terms of meeting minimum anti-trafficking standards. Examples of countries in the various Tiers are: Tier 1, Australia, Denmark, New Zealand; Tier 2, Argentina, Ghana, Switzerland; Tier 2 Watch List, China, Kenya, Russia and in Tier 3, Cuba, Congo DRC, Thailand. 15Tier 3 countries risk the withholding/withdrawal of nonhumanitarian and nontrade related assistance and also risk US opposition to their getting assistance from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Tier rankings are not permanent and sanctions can also be waived to avoid adverse effects on vulnerable populations, which include women and children. 6 Governments should set up victim support centres where victims can get help when they escape from their captors. Such centres should be run by personnel who are trained to be able to deal with the specific needs of victims based on gender and other differences. Getting victims to seek help from foreign sources may be difficult because of fear of detention and repatriation or even lack of trust for strangers due to th e victim’s previous experiences. Security agencies should be encouraged to treat victims with empathy and understanding so as to help them learn to trust again, which is one step in their healing process. Any violence or heckling may aggravate the situation leaving the victims more traumatised, fearful or even hostile to their rescuers. At the regional level, The European Union, being a major destination point, is also engaged in the fight against human trafficking. To deal with this challenge, the European Commission 14 15 Ibid, p. 34 Department of State, United States of America, Trafficking in Persons Report, June 2012, p. 52, accessed June 20, 2012 http://www. state. gov/documents/organization/192587. pdf 16 Ibid, p. 44 16 as drawn a strategy, the â€Å"EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings 2012-2016† in which several policies have been identified including Directive 2011/36/EU (on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims) expected to come into force by 6th April 2013 and the â€Å"EU Internal Security Strategy in Action. † The Commission urged Member States which had not ratified the UN Palermo Prot ocols and the Council of Europe Convention on Actions against Trafficking in Human Beings to do so, emphasizing the fact that the main responsibility in dealing with the problem lies with Member States. A remarkable feature of the Strategy is that it explicitly identified five priority areas the EU intends to focus on namely: a) Identifying, protecting and assisting victims of trafficking, b) Stepping up the prevention of trafficking in human beings, c) Increased prosecution of traffickers, d) Enhanced coordination and cooperation among key actors and policy coherence e) Increased knowledge of and effective response to all forms of trafficking in human beings. 7 This outline is commendable because it states the priority areas in narrow and precise terms which would make national implementation uniform and easy to monitor. Hopefully when these policies become promulgated, human trafficking would be dealt a severe blow in the European Union, contributing to its eventual elimination worldwide. Last but not the least, a pragmatic way of demonstrating national will and commitment in this fight is for the states parties to the international anti-human trafficking conventions, protocols an d treaties to integrate the provisions thereof into their legal systems. This makes it easier to punish those involved and ensure that victims get justice and are also well-protected. Merely ratifying international conventions or protocols does not automatically translate into national adherence and implementation unless decision-makers consciously do so. To this end, states which have adopted anti-human trafficking measures should encourage states which have not done so to pass similar laws. This would make states know that they are together in the fight against human trafficking and would embolden their efforts. If selective national integration of anti- trafficking provisions is not discouraged, the efforts of states which had passed the necessary legislations would be rendered ineffective since the perpetrators could simply shift their operations from those more effective legal systems to weaker, less effective ones. 17 European Commission, EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings, 2012-2016, p. accessed June 26, 2012 http://ec. europa. eu/homeaffairs/doc_centre/crime/docs/trafficking_in_human_beings_eradication-2012_2016_en. pdf 17 Conclusion: The legal enslavement of persons ended a little over two centuries ago yet human trafficking has emerged as the modern (illegal) variant. Human trafficking affects all spheres of societal life ranging from the individual, communal, economic, political, legal, the national, extending to the internationa l. This paper however focused on its implications for businesses bringing out some economic, legal and socio-economic dimensions. In the process, some aspects of the standard international anti-human trafficking instrument, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, were discussed. In the international trade regime, the application of WTO sanctions aimed at slavery and forced labour could also be effective in combating the crime. By way of solution, some recommendations were made such as awareness raising and information dissemination, improved transparency and accountability within the framework of the UN Global Compact, the empowerment of vulnerable groups especially women, girls, disabled persons as well as orphans and abandoned children, among several others. In addition, increased international cooperation such as border measures, regional efforts on the part of the European Union and the African Union were discussed. In brief, mankind has proved its capability to surmount problems, surviving many devastating events including two world wars, diseases such as small pox, poliomyelitis and evolved with significant success. Human trafficking may appear unyielding at the moment, nevertheless if these measures as well as others which circumstances dictate are put in place, it is bound to be eliminated. 18 REFERENCES Belser Patrick, Forced Labour and Human Trafficking: Estimating

Wellness Industry in India Essay Example Essay Example

Wellness Industry in India Essay Example Paper Wellness Industry in India Essay Introduction INTRODUCTION In India, a country where traditional medicinal and health practices like Ayurveda and yoga have promoted the idea of mental and physical wellbeing since ancient times, a new concept of wellness is emerging. No longer limited to health, nutrition and relaxation, the new multi-dimensional definition of wellness encompasses the individual’s desire for social acceptance, exclusivity and collective welfare. WELLNESS INDUSTRY The 2009 FICCI-Ernst Young (EY) Wellness – Exploring the Untapped Potential report classifies the Indian wellness industry into two segments: wellness services and wellness products. Expected to grow dramatically in the next years, both the segments offer great opportunities to wellness providers. At the end of 2008, the overall industry was estimated at around INR 27. 000 crore (EUR 4. 05 billion1), of which INR 11. 000 crore (EUR 1. 65 billion) represented by the services segment and the rest by the products segment. WELLNESS INDUSTRY SI ZE AND SEGMENTATION (EUR billion) 1,65 41% Wellness Products Wellness Services 2,4 59% Source: Ernst Young and FICCI According to the study, the wellness industry has the potential to sustain a compound annual growth rate of more than 14% till 2012, with the wellness services market expected to witness an annual growth of approximately 3035% till 2014. 1 The conversion rate utilized in this report is 1 INR = 0. 015 EUR. WELLNESS INDUSTRY PROJECTIONS (EUR billion) 7,00 6,00 6,00 5,00 4,05 4,00 3,00 2,19 2,00 1,00 2009 2010E 2011E 2012E Source: Ernst Young and FICCI 5,26 4,62 3,84 2,90 1,65 Wellness Industry Wellness Services Geographically, South India is much ahead in terms of wellness, with an average of 34. wellness centers per 100. 000 households, compared with 13. 6 for the North, 12 for the West and 10. 1 in the East. AVERAGE NUMBER OF WELLNESS CENTERS IN INDIA 0 South North West East 13,6 12 10,1 Source: Ernst Young and FICCI 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 34,4 40 The report depicts t he overall wellness industry as highly unorganized, with the organized sector limited to less than 50 percent of the industry. The industry’s disorganization and fragmentation open further opportunities for international wellness players to capture a large share of the market. Wellness Industry in India Essay Body Paragraphs Wellness services From massages to cardio sessions, from steam baths to ago puncture, from slimming programs to beauty treatments, the wellness services segment includes all the facilities, centers and in general domestic and international players which offer Indian customers wellness solutions. Recent trends in the wellness services sector Spas: As per the FICCI-EY study, rejuvenation services – including spas, alternative therapies, Ayurveda treatments and beauty services – is expected to witness a 30 percent growth till 2014. In its 2009 report, SpaFinder Inc. counted over 2. 300 spas operating in India, with over 700 to open by 2012 and generating revenues for approximately EUR 264 million annually. NUMBER OF SPAS IN INDIA (PROJECTION) 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 2009 Source: SpaFinder Inc. + 700 spas 3000 2300 2012 A distinct trend visible in the Indian wellness market is the opening of spas in the mid-price category. No longer exclusivity of 5-stars hotel guests, standalone spas with a more affordable price-value equation are filling a gap that was missing in the market2. Gyms: Assessed at around INR 500 crore (EUR 75 million) in 2009, the gym market in India is quickly developing. As per the FICCI-EY study, fitness services – comprising gyms and slimming centers – will grow by more than 25 percent till 2014. According to the consultancy firm Deloitte and the US-based International Health, Racquet Sportsclub Association, the number of people using health clubs in India currently stands at 0. 23 million. Of this, experts say 40 percent are women3. HEALTH CLUB USERS PENETRATION RATE 2 3 Wellness industry unaffected by recession, liveMint, The Wall Street Journal, Jun 14, 2009. Gym becoming social networking hub, The Economic Times, Aug 14, 2009. 0,0% US Australia New Zealand Singapore Hong Kong India 0,4% 5,0% 10,0% 15,0% 20,0% 17,0% 12,4% 10,8% 6,5% 3,9% Source: Deloitte International Health, Racquet Sportclub Associa tion The still low penetration rate, combined with the success of the fitness reality show Biggest Loser Jeetega, which featured gym equipment of the Italian manufacturer Technogym SpA,suggests there is still plenty of room for new centers to open in India. Hotels and restaurant: A further trend, emerging as a consequence of the significant number of lifestyle diseases which affects the country — India accounts for 60% of global cardiac illnesses and has over 50 million diabetics — is the emergence of hotels as health destinations, offering special menus and fitness programs4. Many restaurants are also starting to propose their health-conscious customers special menus. Main international and national players of the wellness services sector Overall, more than 15 international players in the wellness product and service space have entered India in the recent past and are aggressively expanding in the country. Just to name one, the US-based largest international gym chain in the world, Gold’s Gym has opened 48 gyms since its arrival in India in 2002. This increasing competition from multinationals has compelled national players – including Reliance, Dabur, Manipal Group of Companies, Dr. Batra’s, Kaya Health Clinic – to strengthen and speed up their market expansion strategies. To support the growth, after Talwalkars– one of the leading gym chains in India, with over 100 branches across 50 cities in the country, and over 100. 000 members – and Birla Pacific Spa, also the healthcare and beauty treatment provider Goodwill Hospitals, the drug retail chain Apollo Pharmacy, the diagnostics chain Super Religare Laboratories and the eye care firm VasanEyecare are planning to go public in the next 12 months5. 4 Wellness on the menu, liveMint, The Wall Street Journal, Jul 29, 2011. 5After Birla Pacific Spa and Talwalkars niche beauty and wellness companies planning for IPO, The Economic Times, Aug 25, 2011. While sub standard facilities and a lack of qualified staff still characterize the domestic wellness scene, this unsatisfying picture opens further opportunities to international players, which will bring to India their sets of standards of procedures and training programs. Wellness products Including various types of â€Å"modified† foods (e. g. , fat free, low calories, energetic, reinforcing), oils, supplements, integrators, and personal care products, wellness products are gaining more and more space in Indians’ purchase basket. No longer limited to preventive or supportive nutrition, the wellness product portfolio reflects a mix of indulgence, invigoration and narcissism6. Health and wellness foods market Tata Strategic Management Group (TSMG) has estimated theIndian health and wellness foods market being worth INR 10. 150 crore(EUR1. 52 billion) in 2009, with the potential of rising at a compounded annual growth rate of 32. 5 percent to INR 55. 000crore (EUR 8. 24 billion) by 2015. 6 Impulse and Lifestyle Products Define the FMCG Future in India, Roosevelt D’souza, Executive Director, The Nielsen Company, March 4, 2011. HEALTH AND WELLNESS FOODS PROJECTION (EUR billion) 9,00 8,00 7,00 6,00 5,00 4,00 3,00 2,00 1,00 2009 2010E 2011E 2012E 2013E 2014E 2015E Source: TSMG 8,24 + 32. 5% 4,69 3,54 2,67 1,52 2,01 6,21 To capture the growing demand, food brands are in a race to launch new products. Himalaya International’s natural fruit yoghurt, Parle Products’s baked chips, Amul’s range of functional products (including energy drinks, probiotic ice-creams, probiotic lassi and curd, high calcium milk and reduced salt butter), Frito Lay’s trans-fat and MSG free products, ITC Food’s low cholesterol products, gut beneficial foods are just few examples7. Sugar-free products With diabetes increasing at an alarming rate –the number of people with diabetes was over 45 million in 2010 and is expected to rise to 69. 9 m illion by 2015 –, obesity, hypertension and other lifestyle-related disorders, sugar-free product variants are gaining more space on the retail shelves. While Indians have begun to show a liking to sugar-free products, sugar substitutes (often referred to as â€Å"sweeteners†) do not receive the same welcome. In fact, sweeteners are not yet considered a low-calorie sugar substitute, but a product for people suffering of lifestyle diseases8. Nutraceuticals market Within the wellness products segment, the nutraceuticals market – merger of the words â€Å"nutrition† and â€Å"pharmaceutical† indicating functional foods, beverages and dietary supplements which provide health and medical benefits – is expected to grow exponentially. The 2009 FICCI-EY Nutraceuticals – Critical supplement for building a healthy India estimated the market to be around INR 44 billion (representing one 7 8 Insights on Indian market, NutriConnect, 2009. Sweet eq uilibrium, Progressive Grocer, December 2010. percent of the global INR 5. 148 billion nutraceutical market), growing by an annual 18 percent since 2006, much faster than the global 7 percentaverage. INDIA’S NUTRACEUTICAL GLOBAL MARKET SHARE AND SEGMENTATION Rest of EU; 6% Switzerland ; 3% Italy; 3% UK; 2% France; 6% Germany; 5% Japan; 22% 14% Others; 9% US; 36% Functional foods Rest of Asia; 7% Functional beverages India; 1% Dietary supplements Source: Ernst Young and FICCI 2% 54% Source: Frost Sullivan, Cygnus Growth drivers are: the increasing affluence of working population with changing lifestyles; the reduced affordability of sickness related expenditures (with the Out-ofpocket expenditure constituting 64 percent of healthcare expenditures in India – against the global average of 18 percent – and the average cost of in-patient treatment doubled in the decade 1995-20059); the increasing awareness and media penetration; Andthe increased accessibility to su ch roducts, due to the emergence of new distribution channels. Moreover, due to their high prices compared to conventional foods, the lack of credibility of their benefits among costumers, and the not-yet-implemented regulatory framework, the latent market for nutraceutical products is estimated to be two to four times the existing market size. CONCLUSIONS In India, a new multi-dimensional definition of wellness is emerging, encompassing the individual’s desire for social acceptance, exclusivity and collective welfare. Be it in the services or product sector, the wellness industry in India is showing bright opportunities to wellness providers, especially international players. 9 WHO statistical information system, 2008. We will write a custom essay sample on Wellness Industry in India Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Wellness Industry in India Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Wellness Industry in India Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Siddhartha Quotes From His Spiritual Journey

'Siddhartha' Quotes From His Spiritual Journey Siddhartha is a novel by Hermann Hesse, an award-winning Swiss-German poet and novelist. A Western novel that takes place in India, the storyline follows Siddharthas spiritual journey during the time of Buddha. Exploring themes of enlightenment, the balance between opposites, love, and indirection, the episodic book reflects Hesses own pacifist outlook and Eastern influence.   Here are a few quotes from the work on the quest for self-discovery and nirvana.   Chapter 1 Was Atman then not within him? Was not then the source within his own heart? One must find the source within ones own Self, one must possess it. Everything else was seeking- a detour, error.When all the  Self was  conquered and  dead  when all passions and desires were silent, then the last must awaken, the innermost of Being that is no longer Self- the great secret! Chapter 2 Siddhartha was silent. He dwelt long on the words which Govinda had uttered. Yes, he thought, standing with a bowed head, what remains from all that is holy to us? What remains? What is preserved? And he shook his head. Chapter 3 You have renounced home and parents, you have renounced your own will, you have renounced friendship. That is what the teachings preach, that is the will of the Illustrious One.The teaching which you have heard...is not my opinion, and its goal is not to explain the world to those who are thirsty for knowledge. Its goal is quite different; its goal is salvation from the suffering. That is what Gotama teaches, nothing else.I, also, would like to look and smile, sit and walk like that, so free, so worthy, so restrained, so candid, so childlike and mysterious. A man only looks and walks like that when he has conquered his Self. Chapter 4 I, who wished to read the book of the world and the book of my own nature, did presume to despise the letters and signs. I called the world of appearances, illusion. I called my eyes and tongue, chance. Now it is over; I have awakened. I have indeed awakened and have only been born today.That was the last shudder of his awakening, the last pains of birth. Immediately he moved on again and began to walk quickly and impatiently, no longer homewards, no longer to his father, no longer looking  backward. Chapter 6 She taught him that lovers should not separate from each other after making love without admiring each other, without being conquered as well as conquering, so that no feeling of satiation or desolation arises nor the horrid feeling of misusing or having been misused.Siddharthas sympathy and curiosity lay only with the people, whose work, troubles, pleasures, and follies were  more unknown  and remote from him than the moon. Although he found it so easy to speak to everyone, to live with everyone, to learn from everyone. Chapter 7 He rose, said farewell to the mango tree and the pleasure garden. As he had not had any food that day he felt extremely hungry, and thought of his house in town, of his room and bed, of the table with food. He smiled wearily, shook his head and said good-bye to these things. Chapter 8 The wheel of appearances revolves quickly, Govinda. Where is Siddhartha the Brahmin, where is Siddhartha the Samana, where is Siddhartha the rich man? The transitory soon changes, Govinda, you know that.Now, he thought, that all transitory things have slipped away from me again, I stand once more beneath the sun, as I once stood as a small child. Nothing is mine, I know nothing, I possess nothing, I have learned nothing.As a  child,  I learned that pleasures of the world and riches were not good. I have known it for a long time, but I have only just experienced it. Now I know it not only with my  intellect  but with my ears, with my heart, with my stomach. It is a good thing that I know this. Chapter 9 Nothing was, nothing will be, everything has reality and presence. Chapter 10 It was true that he had never fully lost himself in another person to such an extent as to forget himself; he had never undergone the follies of love for another person.Siddhartha realized that the desire that had driven him to this place was foolish, that he could not help his son, that he should not force himself on him. He felt a deep love for the runaway boy, like a wound, and yet felt at the same time that this wound was not intended to fester in him, but that it should heal. Chapter 11 Had not his father suffered the same pain that he was now suffering for his son? Had not his father died long ago, alone, without having seen his son again? Did not he expect the same fate? Was it not a comedy, a strange and stupid thing, this repetition, this course of events in a fateful circle?All of them together was the stream of events, the music of life.From that hour Siddhartha ceased to fight against his destiny. There shone in his face the serenity of knowledge, of one who is no longer confronted with conflict of desires, who has found salvation, who is in harmony with the stream of events, with the stream of life, full of sympathy and compassion, surrendering himself to the stream, belonging to the unity of things. Chapter 12 Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal.Therefore, it seems to me that everything that exists is good- death as well as life, sin as well as holiness, wisdom as well as folly. Everything is necessary, everything needs only my agreement, my assent, my loving understanding; then all is well with me and nothing can harm me.He saw all these forms and faces in a thousand relationships to each other, all helping each other, loving, hating, destroying each other and become newly born. Each one of them was mortal, a passionate, painful example of all that was transitory. Yet none of them died, they only changed, were always reborn, continually had a new face: only time stood between one face and another.

Synonyms for Sofa

Synonyms for Sofa Synonyms for Sofa Synonyms for Sofa By Mark Nichol The item of furniture that is usually the centerpiece of a living room or family room or a lobby or waiting room goes by any one of many names, but they have useful distinctions in meaning. Here’s a rundown of sofa and its associated terms. Sofa, ultimately from Arabic, originally denoted a raised carpeted floor, but it is now the primary term in American English for a long piece of furniture for seating. (A sectional sofa, often called simply a sectional, is formed from multiple pieces, two of which join at an angle so that the furniture can be placed in the corner of a room.) A settee- the relatively rare term stems from the Old English word setl- is a sofa, often with fewer cushions or none at all, with a back and (usually) arms. Couch, ultimately from the Latin word collocare, meaning â€Å"lay or place,† is interchangeable with sofa but originally referred to a piece of furniture for lying down that was backless, with only the head raised. It is still used in this sense in reference to furniture on which a psychiatrist’s patient lies during a session. (â€Å"Casting couch† alludes to the practice in which a film or theater producer seduces someone on the piece of furniture in exchange for giving that person a role.) Couch is also a verb with a seemingly unrelated meaning; originally, it referred to inlaying or overlaying gold, but it has also long had a sense of â€Å"put into words,† with the idea that a message is worded in such a way to obscure the truth or influence perception. Canapà ©, adopted into English from French to refer to an elegantly styled sofa, derives from the Greek word for mosquito or gnat; it originally referred to a mosquito net. (The English word canopy is cognate, and canapà ©, referring to a type of appetizer, was inspired by the furniture term.) Squab, of Scandinavian origin, is an obscure synonym for couch that can also refer to a cushion. The love seat, originally designed hundreds of years ago to accommodate one woman during an era when fashion dictated voluminous apparel, evolved into a piece of furniture that seated two people- often, a couple, hence the name. (It was also known as a courting chair.) A variation on the love seat is the tà ªtetà ªte (the term, French for â€Å"head to head,† also refers to a private two-way conversation), which seats two people facing in opposite directions and separated by an S-shaped armrest. A davenport (the name is that of a now-defunct furniture company that produced such furniture) is a large sofa that may or may not be able to be converted into a bed; the term is used primarily in the Midwest and in upstate New York, though it may refer elsewhere to a futon-style sofa. (Davenport is also the name of a compact writing desk such as that also manufactured by the same company.) The traditional Japanese futon is a portable mattress, but in the United States and other Western countries, futon refers to a sofa topped with a cushion that can be unfolded to form a mattress when the frame is adjusted to serve as a bed. A chesterfield, meanwhile, is a davenport with upright armrests. The name, which survives primarily in Canada but also, interestingly, in Northern California, derives from an earl of Chesterfield who commissioned a style of furniture that became popular during the 1700s. (Chesterfield is also the name of a type of overcoat with a velvet collar.) Several other terms denote convertible sofas: A daybed is a bed designed to be used as a sofa, a sofa bed is a sofa that can be unfolded to form a bed, and a studio couch- the name derives from the use of studio to refer to a small one-room apartment, not an artist’s chamber- is a backless couch with a cot that can be pulled out from underneath it and fitted alongside the couch to form a double bed. A divan, meanwhile- the word derives ultimately from the Persian word for a book or a bundle of papers and later a government council- is a seat that is often armless and/or backless. (In the United Kingdom, the term refers to a type of bed.) Similar items designed for one person include the fainting couch, a small, narrow fully or partially backless sofa with one end raised. (The name originated in the nineteenth century, supposedly when constricting corsets required that such furniture be conveniently located for a woman short of breath to recline and recuperate.) A recamier (named after the subject of a painting in which such an item appeared) resembles the fainting chair but is distinguished by having a curved high headrest and a matching low footrest. The chaise longue is a reclinable chair extended to provide support for the legs. (The second word is often spelled or at least pronounced in American English like lounge, though the term is French for â€Å"long chair.†) An ottoman, though not technically a sofa, is often an accessory to one or to a chair; it is a backless, armless seat on which one can sit or put up one’s feet. Originally, the name applied to a couch for reclining, a style inspired by habits observed in the Ottoman Empire during the nineteenth century. Bench, related to bank and with multiple meanings, refers in this context to a long, usually hard seat for two or more people. A banquette (the word, from French, is a diminutive of banc, meaning â€Å"bench†) is an upholstered bench, often built in along a wall, or a sofa with one arm. (The term also refers to a raised surface along a parapet or a trench used in warfare to accommodate soldiers to fire guns over the barrier; in Southern US dialect, it is also a synonym for sidewalk.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†The Writing Process75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard†

An empirical study of the existing Indian fashion brands operating in Essay

An empirical study of the existing Indian fashion brands operating in the United Kingdom fashion market - Essay Example It is the fashion designer’s job to create fashion and make clothing for those demanding fashionable clothes. The fashion designers influence the prevailing fashion tremendously and have a grave effect on what will the future fashion be (Images KSA Technopak Study, 2005). As Rabolt & Soloman (2004) explain, global fashion is when a particular type of fashion is famous across the globe for instance big brand names like Channel and Armani. Fashion has become an international commodity because with globalization, people travel form one country to another taking their culture and traditions with them. They cannot completely adapt to the environment of the region they are travelling to because their culture and tradition as may differ from that region. However, Zwaag and Nagrath (2005) defend that they also want to mingle with the people and thus seek to dress in a way that is somewhat mid way –it represents their culture and at the same time helps them be a part of their current surroundings. Moreover, those who experience people from other cultures coming into their country, are influenced by them and they also want to alter their way of dressing etc. thus such an interaction of people belonging to different cultures evolves fashion as people dem and clothes that is a product of the influence of different cultures. New art, culture, tradition etc, also inspire the fashion designers and they seek to incorporate that into their work. Thus as Rabolt & Soloman (2004) add, with globalization, fashion has broken its bounds of traditional cultures and seeks to become global. Indian Fashion industry has become global as globalization influenced the country. With India’s economic boom, many industries prospered and so did the Indian fashion industry as the purchasing power of the people increased. Moreover, according to Schiffman and Kanuk

Journal Entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Journal Entry - Essay Example The speaker had a clear topic and memorable attention getter. This is because her work was clearly organized; thus, she captured the attention of the listener through use of memorable getter such use of startling and quotation statements. Furthermore, it was easy to identify the speaker’s main points because she prepared the speech points in a clear and coherent manner. The speaker also made effective transition by moving from one point to another; thus connecting listeners effectively. The speaker used some citations within the points, which was easy to identify; thus effective for jogging the memory of the listener in case one forgets the speech. Moreover, the speaker reviewed the main points in the conclusion and this was imperative because it builds the credibility of the listener. In this ways, the speaker demonstrated that she has some expertise or experience relevant to the topic and demonstrated to the listeners that she has gained information in other ways. The speake r used memorable concluding devices such as quotations for closing the speech. The speaker had some distracting nonverbal behaviors especially the body language, posture and appearance that took away from the content of her message. However, the speaker used gestures such as deliberate movements and signals, which were effective ways of expressing the meaning of the information without words. She also used visual aspects in order to help the listener to understand clearly the points she was explaining such as diagrams and simple charts.

Economics Coursework - Demand Essay Example for Free

Economics Coursework Demand Essay Manufacturers and dealers want UK to follow Europe into scheme to give cash to drivers who scrap old cars to buy new The government was facing renewed pleas to bail out Britains ailing motor industry yesterday as figures showed sales of new cars had dropped by almost a third year on year. Only 313,912 cars were registered in March a 30.5% fall in sales from this time last year, figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed, prompting fresh calls for the government to pay motorists to trade in their old cars for new ones. The motor industry and lobby groups are hoping this months budget will include a scrappage scheme, under which car owners are given a financial incentive of about à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,000 to swap their old vehicle for a new greener model. Treasury officials have told the industry they are seriously considering including such a stimulus in the budget a fortnight tomorrow although ministers publicly insist that no decision has been taken. A scrappage scheme in Germany which offers car owners à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,500 (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,263) for getting rid of any vehicle over nine years old has attracted more than half a million buyers, with sales soaring 40% there in March. The SMMT estimates that 280,000 Britons would take advantage of a similar programme over an 18-month period. This would cost around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½560m, a figure the SMMT told the Guardian would involve a net cost of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½150-160m. The rest of the money would come from the VAT charged on new cars. But green groups counselled against such a knee jerk response and said the money could be better used to fund sustainable transport solutions. Some environmental organisations fear funds could be diverted from existing pots of money set aside by the government for investment in green technologies, such as the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½400m earmarked in the pre-budget report for an environmental transformation fund, which supports the development of new low-carbon energy and energy efficiency technologies in the UK. Pro-motoring lobbyists argue that if the government does not move quickly to boost the industry, further jobs would be lost and some manufacturers may transfer their business to other countries. In Whitehall, the debate is still swirling over the wisdom of adopting a scrappage scheme. Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, said in February that his department was examining the experience of other countries, notably Germany, to see whether it would work in Britain and carmakers were asked to produce costed proposals, but no decision has been made. David Cameron told the Guardian in January that the Tories were looking at the idea but he was yet to be convinced. In the meantime, demand for cars has crashed across the world, throwing the global industry into its biggest crisis and forcing American giants General Motors and Chrysler to the brink of bankruptcy. Manufacturers in the UK have also been hit, with factories such as Hondas plant at Swindon mothballed and thousands of jobs cut. Last months decline in sales follows falls of 30.9% in January 2009 and 21.9% in February. March, when new number plates are issued, is a key period for the industry and traditionally accounts for nearly a fifth of annual sales. If things do not improve, the SMMT is forecasting that only 1.72m new vehicles will be sold in 2009, compared with 2.13m in 2008. However, there was one bright note with the rise of the small car segment, where sales increased 84%, indicating a trend towards downsizing among consumers. The top three best-selling models were the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Focus. Yesterday SMMT chief executive, Paul Everitt, said: March new-car registrations are a barometer of confidence in the economy, from businesses and consumers alike. The fall in the market shows that the government needs to do more to boost confidence. A scrappage scheme will provide the incentive needed and the evidence is clear that schemes already implemented across Europe do work to increase demand. The UK is the only major European market not to implement a scheme. Edmund King, the president of the AA, said: The latest figures show the stark difference between a country with a scrappage scheme and one without. A vehicle-scrappage scheme has the potential to reduce emissions, reduce accidents and their severity whilst giving a boost to the UK motor industry. There are many benefits from getting older gross polluters off the road. But green groups counselled against introducing such a scheme. Peter Lipman, policy director at Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, said it would be a really, really bad idea, wherever the money is coming from. There are so many better ways of spending government money if you are trying to deal with both the recession and climate change, he added. The RAC motoring strategist, Adrian Tink, said: The introduction of any car-scrappage scheme needs to be contingent on balancing the economic benefits with a concern for the environment. The scheme needs to be as much about getting old, high-polluting cars off the road as it is about stimulating car sales. The dire sales figures bode ill for the economic recovery because new car sales are seen as a key indicator of consumer confidence. When the UK went into recession in the early 1990s, new car registrations dropped for 27 successive months. At one point, sales that had reached an annual peak of 2.3million in the late-1980s dipped as low as 1.5million. IB Economics: Internal Assessment Commentary Car industry begs for budget boost from Alistair Darling The article Car industry begs for budget boost from Alistair Darling found on the web page of The Guardian discusses the effects of the current recession on the car industry, particularly in the UK. The article states according to the SMMT a 30 % fall in sales from the year before at the same time. In order to take a first step to solving the problem the motor industry hopes to impose the scrappage scheme.. The drop of demand for cars during the recession creates an example of the laws of demand and supply. Demand is the quantity of a good or a service that consumers are willing and able to purchase at a given price in a given time period. Supply is the willingness and ability of producers to produce a quantity of a good or service at a given price in a given time period. Consumers being aware of the recession will rather save their money than choose to spend it on luxury purchase. The fall in income due to the recession has, according to the laws of supply and demand and assuming that all other things stay equal (Ceterus Paribus), caused the fall of demand. Although the article doesnt state a percentage of the fall in income of the population, the income elasticity of demand for vehicles can be described as at least unitary if not elastic, the examples will make an attempt to prove this. Income elasticity of demand measures the proportionate response of quantity demanded to a proportionate change in income. The article gives two proves for that: First, the thought of the coming recession has already let people stop buying cars by 30.5% from one year to the other. People wont buy any luxury goods in bad times. And second, subsidising car buyers by about 2000à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (scrappage scheme) will increase the purchases in a month by 40%. The fall in demand will also cause an excess supply even if the motor industry stops production directly. All car producers will hence have a massive amount of cars that are just not being bought because there is no demand. According to the rules of supply and demand, as demand falls, quantity supplied decreases as well. In this particular case, the quantity supplied decreases as well but probably not as much as it could to find a new equilibrium, the price at which supply equals demand. Why this is the case will be explained after the following The following graph will show how a fall in demand will cause the demand curve to shift to the left and therefore a fall in the quantity supplied of cars to find a new equilibrium. It can be seen that cars sales fell by nearly 25 % from 2008 to 2009 As stated above, this development is not quite that what happens in reality. According to the rules of unemployment, unemployment is a lagging factor and the demand for labour depends on the demand for, in this case, cars. That means that it begins to rise some time after the recession began. This is because of several reasons such as that firms want to keep skilled workers and will delay redundancies hoping that things might get better. Since firms want to keep skilled workers they would have to keep up the production to a certain extend. Of course production will decrease what will cause cyclical employment but to a certain extend production will be kept up to occupy the workers. The term cyclical unemployment can be defined as occurring when the economy is growing more slowly than estimated as the demand for labour is interdependent on the demand for goods and services. This situation cant be kept up for long because firms lose money spending more money on workers they try to keep than actually gaining through sales and go bankrupt if the recession doesnt end or if they are not being subsidized by the government. Hence the motor industry searches for ways of pushing demand. A possible solution could be the scrappage scheme which encourages motorists to swap their old cars against new ones by giving the buyer about 2000à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ directly. The effect of the scheme on the demand for cars can be seen on the following diagram: Demand rises again due to the encouragement and shifts the demand curve to the right again. Concluding one can say that the law of supply and demand is displayed in the real world. In the article Car industry begs for budget boost from Alistair darling it is clearly shown how recession can affect the demand for cars and how therefore demand for labour interdepends on demand for, in this case, cars. Furthermore it can also be stated that things like the scrappage scheme can encourage demand again.

The Korean War: A Turning Point in Canadian History Essay -- Canada Wo

The land of the morning calm, this was what Korea was called many years ago. Unfortunately, circumstances have changed. Korea is now no longer a single country but has been split into two parts; North Korea and South Korea. Korea had been united as one country for many years. Japan took control of Korea and made it part of its empire. After World War II, Japan was defeated and its empire fell. Korea was left without a leader or a system of government. This provoked the United States troops to occupy the southern half and Soviet troops to occupy the northern half. The United States and its allies favored democratic government, while the Soviet Union and China favored a communist system of government. June 25, 1950 marked the day in which fighting between the North Koreans and South Koreans started. 135,000 North Korean troops crossed the border into South Korea while others attacked by sea. In several hours North Korea had successfully detained the South Korean city of Kaesong and in the next couple hours South Korea’s capital, Seoul, was under attack. Things were not looking good for Korea. The war in Korea is often referred to as the â€Å"Forgotten War† because it is not mentioned often and is often argued that it was meaningless and unnecessary. The Korean War was significant to shaping Canada’s military and foreign politics though. It has shaped us into a peaceful nation with concerns for the well being of people in foreign countries. The way we engage in future conflicts was changed as well. Canada would no longer get involved as a British colony or single country, but rather under the United Nations. We exhibited ourselves as leaders and role models. In the Korean War Canada asserts itself as a world power but under th... ...ociation of Canada Inc. http:// www.kvacanada.com/canadians_in_the_korean_war.htm (15 Nov. 2010) â€Å"Canadians in Korea, 1950 – 1953.† Veterans Affairs Canada. 20 October 2008. Canada. http://www.korean-war.com/canada.html (21 Nov. 2010) â€Å"Chronology of the Canadian Advance in Korea.† Veterans Affairs Canada. 15 June 2008. Canada. http://www.vacacc.gc.ca/REMEMBERS/ sub.cfm?source=history/KoreaWar/chronology (23 Nov. 2010) â€Å"Facts on Canada’s Involvement in the Korean War.† Veterans Affairs Canada. 21 October 1999. Canada. http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/ youth/sub.cfm?source=teach_resources/korfact (20 Nov. 2010) â€Å"The Response – The Canadian Contribution.† Native Soldiers – Foreign Battlefields. 30 June 2005. Veterans Affairs Canada. http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/ remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/other/native/korea_response (20 Nov. 2010)

Review of Movie : My Fair Lady

REVIEW OF MOVIE: MY FAIR LADY It has been theorized that the ability to communicate through language made the human species possible and in the same way, each individual becomes humanized as he/she enters into verbal communication with those around (Simmons-McDonald). If this statement is accepted as true, then it follows that the continued development of the human species depends on each individual being able to participate effectively in the process of communication. Was this the message of the movie â€Å"My Fair Lady†? Mr.Higgins certainly believed that a person’s accent and tone of voice determine his/her prospects in society and that ‘verbal class distinction could be extinct if the English taught their children how to speak. ’ The process of effective communication has been broadly defined as the successful exchange of information through a series of stages consisting of Sender, Encoding, Channel, Decoding, Receiver, and Feedback in a particular Cont ext. The goal of effective communication is getting the message across without misunderstanding and confusion.Effort should therefore be directed at reducing the frequency of problems at each stage of this process with clear, accurate, well- planned communications. This paper will focus on the use of communication codes to exclude or include individuals in social contexts in the movie â€Å"My Fair Lady†. Encoding is the process of transferring the information being communicated into a form that can be sent and correctly decoded at the other end. So, in a sense all language and writing systems are codes.The ability to encode effectively is vital to successful communication. It requires the sender to convey information clearly and simply, as well as having such in-depth knowledge of the audience that he/she can anticipate and eliminate any sources of confusion that may arise. These include cultural issues, mistaken assumptions, missing information. The sender should consider t he following: †¢ Choice of words or language used in encoding the message †¢ Different interpretations given to the same words by different persons Effect of past experiences on current perceptions †¢ Misreading of body language, tone and other non-verbal forms of communication †¢ Noisy transmission resulting in distorted or inconsistent messages †¢ Personal biases †¢ Interpersonal relationships †¢ Cultural differences Successful decoding is also a skill. It involves taking time to read or to listen actively to the message, as well as having sufficient knowledge to understand it. Contexts are determined by questions like Whom, What and Where.They can be intra-personal, inter-personal, small groups, large organizations as well as mass communication like movies. If, according to Walt Disney, ‘movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives †¦ towards the ideals and the objectives of normal adulthood’, then the mov ie ‘My Fair Lady’ may have been conceptualized to help English youths master the use of their own language. The overall message of the movie was encapsulated by the challenge undertaken by Mr. Higgins to teach young Eliza Doolittle to speak proper English (like a duchess).The movie highlighted the differences in the way people encode their messages and the positive or negative responses that can be directly attributed to the manner in which the message was initially encoded. An expert in effective encoding was Mr. Alfie Doolittle, Eliza’s father, who was a direct contrast to Mr. Higgins, whose crude and impersonal manner was almost guaranteed a negative response. Mr. Doolittle’s philosophy was to enjoy life doing as little as possible and finding ways to benefit from the hard work of others, ‘with a little bit of luck’.The customary response of ‘not a brass farthing’ did not deter him from trying again and again to find someone to support his drinking habit. When all else failed, he had his daughter on whom he could fall back. His rationale was that he had given her life and the opportunity to roam the whole city selling flowers, so he was entitled to some of her earnings occasionally. His expertise was demonstrated in the inter-personal exchange when he visited Mr. Higgins to inquire about the welfare of his daughter. His real intention, though, was to get some money from Mr. Higgins.He was such an expert in effective encoding that he succeeded, not just in stopping Mr. Higgins from calling the Police, but in getting Mr. Higgins to offer ten pounds instead of the five that he wanted. . Mr. Doolittle had no bias against the rich. He accepted the difference in status between himself, a poor dustman and Mr. Higgins, a professor. He was not intimidated by Mr. Higgins’ obviously superior status. Accustomed to living by his wits, he saw before him a man, of a different status, yes, but still a man. He ackn owledged that he was one of the ‘undeserving poor’ and was content with his lot.He rationalized why he could not afford to live by middle class morals; his needs were too much. Nevertheless, he was not going to allow Mr. Higgins ‘to take advantage of his nature. ’ He appealed to what they had in common- their masculinity and their ability to reason. His tone of voice, gestures, body language and facial expression helped to ensure proper decoding of his message. In the end, he was able to impress Mr. Higgins with his natural gift of rhetoric e. g. ‘I’m willing to tell you, I’m wanting to tell you, I’m waiting to tell you. ’ After explaining why he wanted money for his daughter, Mr.Higgins opinion of him changed from being a blackmailer to a philosophical genius. He later recommended him to lecture on morals as ‘an original moralist’. On the other hand, Mr. Higgins’ manner of speaking or way of encoding hi s message was so crude that he couldn’t help but get a negative response. For example, when Eliza visited his home to request lessons, he was most insulting. He referred to her as piece of baggage, deliciously low-class, horribly dirty and a draggle-tail gutter snipe. Mr. Higgins’s harsh: ‘Sit down! ’ was a great contrast to Mr. Pickering’s: ‘what’s your name, dear; would you sit down, Ms. Doolittle? ’ Mr.Pickering succeeded in doing what Mr. Higgins could not do. He got Eliza to sit. Mr. Higgins’ speech reflected his feelings of superiority and personal bias against people who could not speak ‘proper’ English. He obviously believed that Standard English i. e. the English of Shakespeare, Milton and the Bible was the only proper form of the language. Mr. Higgins also expressed some bias against women for whom he apparently had little respect (at least as a wife). He saw Eliza as ‘Something’, not as ‘Someone’ with feelings. The intervention of Mr. Pickering’s ‘what do you want, my dear? ’, again got a positive response from Eliza.She wanted to learn to speak more genteel, in order to work as a lady in a flower shop. Eliza’s ignorance and immaturity were also barriers to proper decoding. Mr. Higgins’ extrapolation of her offer of a shilling a lesson to 60 or 70 pounds from a millionaire, was interpreted as a request for 60 or 70 pounds. Since she knew that she could not afford to pay this huge sum, she became very upset. The use of figurative language was lost on Eliza when Mr. Higgins said that the streets would be full of dead bodies of men fighting to marry her. She thought that he was a mad man and wanted nothing to do with him. These barriers, created both by Mr.Higgins and Eliza, blocked the communication process between them so much, that by the time he was willing to accept the ‘irresistible’ challenge, Eliza h ad made up her mind to leave. His blatant attempt at manipulation forced the intervention of Mrs. Pearce and Mr. Pickering. The terms of their association were clarified to the satisfaction of Mrs. Pearce and later perhaps to Eliza, who still screamed that if she did not like it, she would leave. It has been noted that the most efficient communication takes into account the social and intellectual features of both the speaker and the hearer (Simmons-Mc Donald).Mr. Doolittle certainly did that. He clearly understood himself, his audience (Mr. Higgins) and the social context (the class structure) in which he communicated his message. This made his method of communicating very effective. He also gave recognition to the premise that all communication involves a relationship, conscious or unconscious, between the speaker and the listener. He recognized the differences between Mr. Higgins and himself but appealed to the qualities they had in common.A relationship was established, helping to ensure the successful decoding of his message. In contrast, Mr. Higgins made no attempt to build any relationship with his audience (Eliza). He was arrogant and downright rude. He believed that people could change their class by learning to speak ‘proper’ English. His message was good, but his coding was atrocious. This was principally, because he was very impersonal and totally ignored the feelings of his audience. In my opinion, these two examples demonstrate the positive and negative use of communication codes. Word Count: 1500