Challenges to Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention

Challenges to Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention What are some of the key challenges to understanding the nature and extent of domestic violence? This paper will explore the nature and the extent of domestic violence, In order to understand domestic violence and how still today this type of abuse is still perpetrated against women we need to look at the history of how women was treated before and what has changed now. Then will continue by exploring of what is domestic violence by looking at the definition from the government and other organisations. We will look that who is affected by domestic violence how this affects the victims and are they protected by law. Domestic violence â€Å"exists in many cultures throughout the world and it was socially accepted until recently in the 20th century, especially in places that with male are dominants†. (Heise, 1995) Historically, women and in particular married women have had no protection in law against violence at home. Until the end of nineteenth century, the legal position in England with regards of violence against women was not whether a man had beaten his wife, but how severe that beating was. A man could legally beat his wife providing he used a stick that is no thicker than his thumb (Abbot and Wallace, 1997) It was not until the late 1960s that this type of violence began to be a matter of an open debate, as until 1940s was still accepted that many man would hit their wives. Not only this violence wasn’t condemn by law but women were expected to suffer in silence and had no resources to law, as only men could institute divorce proceedings. (Abbot and Wallace, 1997) Hence, the feminists were challenged throughout the history for trying to bring this problem out in the open as this was regarded as a private matter. (Heise, 1995) EU-Wide Survey defined the problem of violence against women, as a fundamental rights abuse although the violence against women has always existed it is only in the last two decades that the international community has highlighted the problem and it is increasingly addressed as â€Å"gender-based violence†. (Violence against women: an EU-Wide Survey, p-9) A definition, used by the UK government for domestic violence, is: â€Å"any incident of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (physical, psychological, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been in a relationship together, or between family members, regardless of gender or sexuality†. (Home Office 2013) Home office also explained the meaning of coercive control, where controlling is recognised as an behaviour to make a person subordinate, dependant by means of isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain and regulating their everyday behaviour. And Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish or frighten their victim. (Home Office 2013) Considering that domestic violence it is still a ‘hidden’ issue in our society Home Office has widened their definition of do mestic violence and included the young adults as well, where in the past years the 2011-12 Crime Survey found that young people aged 16-19 are more likely to suffer domestic violence than any other age range and was found that they are more likely to hide this form of behaviour than adults. Young adults are more resistant to disclosure of this behaviour as NSPCC report suggests that they feel that adults do not take them seriously also they can underestimate abuse or minimise the effects of emotional abuse due to the lack of visible harm. (Home Office 2013) Where domestic violence is often equated with physical force that leaves some obvious marks or injury on the person. (McKie, 2006) A wider recognition by researches that domestic violence is about Perpetrators power and control over women and involves not only physical and sexual violence, but can include a number of behaviours such as intimidation and threats, isolation and humiliation, behaviour often named as psychological coe rcion violence. (Henrs, Hill, 2008) Women’s Aid included verbal abuse, coercion, isolation, threats and intimidation. Women’s Aid view on domestic violence is physical, sexual, psychological or financial violence that takes place within an intimate or family-type relationship and that forms a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour. Women’s Aid have made a poster of what one can go through domestic violence, where they listed some of the facts that have been or one might go through. The poster †Imagine† ‘we know what the bully is’ Women ‘s Aid Federation of England (2002) The abusers desire for power and control over the family members and partners it is mainly the cause, the Crime statistics show that domestic violence is gender-specific such as most commonly experienced by women and perpetrated by men, regardless of race, ethnicity or religious group, class disability or lifestyle. (Women’s Aid, 2005) Most cases of domestic violence involve female victims but some cases involve men too and it can occur in a range of relationships. However, whilst both women and man can experience domestic violence, women are more likely to be repetitive victims and sustain psychological or emotional impact or physical injuries or even death. (Women’s Aid, 2005) The figures show that one in four women and one in six men will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives. (Council of Europe 2002). Where around 750,000 children in UK witnesses domestic violence (Department of Health 2002: 16) and the majority of children happen to be either in the same room or next room where the incident happens. (Hughes 1992: 9-11). The extend of domestic violence Researches show that despite the attempts to estimate its true extent this issue goes under-reported and under-prosecuted. Coercive and control abuse is seem to be far more â€Å"damaging form of abuse† (Nate, Women’s Aid) Especially when it comes to reporting an incident, as when reporting an incident there needs to be some sort of evidence to prove that domestic violence is present, but proving that, one is being coerced or controlled it is almost impossible to do so. (Nate, Women’s Aid) A person can be isolated from her family and friends and being emotionally or financially abused, they can be deceived and brainwashed by her partner, and it will take long until the victim discloses this kind of abuse and difficult to prove it. Further more, it takes time until they realize that they are being abused as the perpetrator makes sure that the victim believes them what ever they say its true, they isolate them by limiting their acces s to resources for help, or threatening them. (Nate, Woman’s Aid, Karen McVeigh, 2014) Victims of this kind of abuse tend not to report the incident, as they fear that the Police wouldn’t believe them and not be able to prove until they had physical injury. (Nate, Women’s Aid) Therefore, as the case of Abby Horne where she sought the help of police twice, but the experience of reporting to the police about her partner allegedly assaulting one of her children was so poor it stopped her from reporting the incidents when he assaulted her’. She was told: †you are just a middle-class housewife. You need your heads banging together†. (Karen McVeigh, 2014) an experience like Abby Horn’s puts many other victims off to seek for help. In order to prevent someone being at risk of domestic violence, a disclosure scheme has been implemented since March 2014 across England and Wales. This scheme includes ‘the right to ask’ and ‘the right to know’ such as if one needs to ask the Police about their existing or new partners past regarding domestic violence, they have a right to do so. The police will disclose the information if the records show that an individual might be at risk of domestic violence, a disclosure can be made if its legal, proportionate and necessary to do so. (Home Office 2013) In many cases the dominance over the victim develops and escalates over the years until the perpetrator has complete control’, and the abuse continues long after the victim escapes the perpetrator. (May, Alan Travis, The Guardian, 2014) Home office has created an action plan in order to prevent violence; this plan contributes to change the attitudes, behaviours and practises towards violence. Also to increase the public understanding of the violence by looking at the causes, hidden nature and economic cost society. The prime risk indicator was found, is being ‘female’ but not excluding age, ethnicity disability, religion, and sexual orientation and also the social culture plays role. The economy also plays a vital part in contributing towards Domestic violence where women in household with an income of less that  £10.000 were three and a half times more likely to suffer Domestic Violence more than those living in household income over  £20.000. In 2003 the gov ernments strategy to address domestic violence was to prevent the DV from happening, bring the perpetrators to justice and support the victim, providing adequate housing and financial support to help the victims and their families to rebuild their lives. (Home Office 2003:58) Domestic violence can cause physical and mental injuries, and many further impacts on the lives of victims. Women are more likely to be a repeat victimisation when it comes to domestic violence and are subject to multiple incidents of the same type of event. They also are more likely to be a victim of the repeat victimisation by the same perpetrator of the same incident where as men were not subject to more than one occurrence 89% of all those who suffered four or more incident were women. (Home Office 2003:58) The extent of the violence it depends on the nature of the violent action, frequency, gender of the perpetrator and victim, the effects can be very damaging and have wider repercussions. These injuries are reported as the worst experienced and women are more likely than men to sustain some form of physical or mental injuries. (Home office, Walby, Allen, 2004) According Home office reports in 2013-14 the prosecution for domestic violence has improved and risen in volumes, such as the police reports rose to 103,569, which mean that a rise of 15,459 cases from 2012-12 and 70.4% of these referrals were charged. Women’s Aid found that 88% of the victims said that criminal justice system did not take psychological harm into account. (Karen McVeigh, 2014) Recently domestic violence has been on the headline with the changes that were made to the law as announced by the government that the domestic abuse covers coercive and controlling behaviour as well as physical harm, but at the same time the there has been reports of how Police fail in handling cases to the closure of specialist refuges because of the cuts that has been made for private family law cases. (Mary O’Hara, 2014) Statistics show that Police in the UK receive a call a minute from the public or victims of domestic violence or 1.300 calls every day and two women are killed by her partner or ex-partner every week. (Karen McVeigh, 2014) By cutting legal aid budget it is making difficult for domestic abuse victims to survive and putting them at a greater risk, domestic violence was named as an exception to be founded by the legal aid, but only under specific circumstance such as strict ‘evidential’ eligibility. By putting these conditions on the legal aid an d making it tougher to get access to it, it means that fewer experts for victims to turn to. (Mary O’Hara, 2014) Another challenge for the victims of domestic violence is that the evidence that they need to produce ‘ evidence’ that they have been domestically abused, such as a letter from the GP, time spent at a refuge place, a verification that her partner has a conviction or is on bail. (Caplen, Mary O’Hara, 2014) This restriction, points out that due to the toughness on the evidential requirements, the victims fail to get access to legal aid; as most victims fail to have this evidence as most of the time they do not report their incidents due to shame or fear. According to Women’s Aid report 43% of the victims do not have the required evidence to apply for legal aid and also almost impossible to get psychological abuse evidence. (Mary O’Hara, 2014) Another obstacle is that they must prove to meet the criteria that they have a condition or injuries of a domestic violence victim within 24 months of making a legal aid application. (Women’s Aid) As result of these conditions put on the legal aid, most ‘women are staying in the abusive relationship’. Where 46% of the cases took no actions, as they weren’t able to have apply for legal aid and 25% represented themselves to the court and some either paid out of their money or borrowed money. (Mary O’Hara, 2014) After all the obstacles that they have to go through to get the legal aid in order to prosecute the domestic abuser, there is a risk that Judiciary might undervalue the impact of the domestic violence on women and this leads to the perpetrator being under prosecuted. (Jamie Doward, The Observer, 2014) In some cases the judge tends to be more lenient to domestic abusers, such as Moorhouse’s sentencing history that rose â€Å"an issue of misconduct through neglect of duty† and that Judge Moorhouse â€Å"wholly disregarded sentencing guidelines on domestic violence† as result of this, the crime commissioner claims that Judge Moorhouse â€Å"failed to deliver justice for the public†. (Jamie Doward, The Observer, 2014) If judges fail to follow the guidelines of sentencing on domestic abuse even after determining that there was a pattern of abuse, it results on an imbalanced prosecution as Harry Fletcher added, â€Å"the sentencing of domestic violence cases is a postcode lottery.† (Jamie Doward, The Observer, 2014) Looking at the problem of Violence Against Women other crimes related to gender specific where the majority of the victims are women, such as honour crimes, FGM, forced marriage, ‘death by culture’ Home Office Guidelines specifically recognize forced marriage as an example of gender-specific persecution, and acknowledge that the fact that violence against women is common.., does not mean that protection on an individual basis is inappropriate.† Despite the promulgation of gender guidelines, there continues to be a regular failure by decision-makers to take a gender sensitive approach to refugee law interpretation. This may also contribute on Domestic Violence as many women may be subjet to imigration and their status depends on perpetrator. (Burman Chantier, 2004) To improve the accuracy for the unsuccessful outcomes the recording of the reasons were changed, where previously reasons may have been recorded as ’essential legal element missing’ or ‘unreliable witness’. Also the reason for ‘evidence of victim does not support the case’ has fallen from 14.5 against a rise on victim retraction and victim non-attendance. By these changes it is hoped that the outcome may accurately reflect the issues to be addressed, as on of the main issues is that the victim retracts for the reason of a close intimate relationship between the victim and the defendant. In this case the majority of the defendant are men 92% of the defendant in 2013-14 were men and the majority of the victims are women, the number of the victims has risen to 84% in 2013-14. (Home Office, 2004) Conclusion All in all, it is shocking, in the true sense of the expression, that the abuse of the human rights on women continues today in the UK. The work of the government in the last two decades and particularly since 2007 has helped to reduce the abuse, however, there is yet more to be done. The non-exhaustive list of actions which need to be taken should be required reading by all those interested in eradicating this abhorrent and heinous practice. Nevertheless, in the UK, the courts have to come to the rescue of many such individuals who have been abused within their family home or realtionaships of any nature and granted them legal protection by way of recognising Domestic violence as a form of abuse. by deferring a criminal status to domestic violence it should widened the scope of protection to individuals. References S. Burman and K. Chantier. Culture as a barrier to service provision and delivery: domestic violence services for minoritized women. (Critical Social Policy 24, 2004). 345, 348. Family Law Act 1996, Part IV, c 27 A. Sabbe, M. Temmerman, E. Brems, E. Leye. Forced marriage: an analysis of legislation and political measures in Europe. (Crime, Law and Social Change, 62(2), 2014). 171-189. E. B. Council, T. Hulse. Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014. (Image, 2014). 2-8. Retrieved from: http://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/documents/detail.htm?pk_document=25350.accesses on 07 February 2015 A. Shachar. The Paradox of Multicultural Vulnerability in C. Joppke and S. Lukes (eds), Multi-cultural Questions (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999). 88-95 A. Gill, A. Engeland. Criminalization or ‘multiculturalism without culture’? Comparing British and French approaches to tackling forced marriage. (Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 36(3), 2014). 241-259. A. Sabbe, M. Temmerman, E. Brems, E. Leye. Forced marriage: an analysis of legislation and political measures in Europe. (Crime, Law and Social Change, 62(2), 2014). 171-189. Legal Responses to Domestic Violence Mandy Burton http://0-lib.myilibrary.com.emu.londonmet.ac.uk/Open.aspx?id=139452 accessed on 20 February 2015 Abigail Sterne and Liz Poole (2010) with Donna Cadwick, Ctherine Lawer and Lynda W Dodd. Domestic Violence and Children http://0-lib.myilibrary.com.emu.londonmet.ac.uk/Open.aspx?id=231611 accessed on 20 February 2015 CPS (2014) Violence Against Women and Girls http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/equality/vaw/index.html accessed on 18 February 2015 Family Law Act 1996 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/27/pdfs/ukpga_19960027_en.pdf accessed on 15 February 2015 Women’s Aid, The Survivers Handbook http://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic-violence-survivors-handbook.asp?section=000100010008000100310003 accessed on 15 February 2015 Domestic Violence, Parliament www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/sn06337.pdf accessed on 17 February 2015 Home office, March 2013 https://www.gov.uk/domestic-violence-and-abuse accessed on 23February 2015

Islamic Feminism: An overview

Islamic Feminism: An overview Introduction Feminism is a secular ideology and Islam today rests on fundamentalist foundations. Those who advocate that feminist projects be conducted within an Islamic framework have clearly despaired of secular options for change without considering how have elaborated Lilas argument against the possibility of the coexistence of Islam and feminism because it explains the anxiety many Muslim women public intellectuals, including Chandra Talpade (2003), Jasmine (2004), and Martin (2003), feel as they watch the Taliban taking away womens rights in Afghanistan, the Algerian Front Islamique de Salut targeting women intellectuals, the fundamentalist Sudanese government oppressing its women. Many are sure that compromise with such a religion is fatal. Some women are joining religious groups despite their gender conservatism. Others are fighting these same groups, fearing the dangerous chemistry of politics and religion. Whether through or against religion they are choosing to become part of the struggle for a better world. The question many pose to women who voluntarily Islamize is: Do they accept their communities reactionary norms or do they appropriate and in the process subvert them? If there are some who can be considered feminists according to my definition of the term, how do they adapt their convictions that women have certain rights with the perceived need to subsume them to the community interest? How will the ways in which they position themselves to assert responsibility for the construction of their own, new religious identity change the face of Islam? How does participation in jihad allow for feminist activism? These are the questions which are imposed and discussed by Amina Wadud, Badran (1995), Hamid (2006), Saba ( 2005), Lila (2002) and other writers in their respective books and articles. Feminism according to Holy Quran The Quran is unequivocally opposed to gender equality, and the Sharia is not compatible with the principles of equality of human beings (Afshar, 1996, p.122). Despite its growing currency throughout the Muslim world, Lila asserts that Islamic feminism has no coherent, self-identified and/or easily identifiable ideology or movement. Those who advocate its utility as a concept and a marker for a specific brand of feminism are not women from within Muslim societies but rather diasporic feminist academics and researchers of Muslim background living and working in the West (126). These women she later characterizes as exceptionally forgiving, postmodern relativist feminists in the West whose indigenized and exotic form of Western feminism excludes core ideas of legal and social equity, sexual democracy and womens control over their sexuality (146). The attitudes to Islamic feminism span the gamut of leftists like herself who reject its possibility because they consider divine laws inherently hostile toward feminism, to those who posit that feminism within an Islamic framework is the only culturally sound and effective strategy for the regions womens movement (134). The latter group may include secularists overwhelmed by the political and discursive influence of Islamic fundamentalism (134). Here lies the major problem in Lilas argument: she confounds Islam and Islamic fundamentalism, as though the two were the same. This affirmation, she dramatically asserts, relies on twisting facts or distorting realities, ignoring or hiding that which should be clear (135). Her very real fear is that to celebrate Islamic feminism is to highlight only one of the many forms of identity available to Middle Eastern women, obscuring ways that identity is asserted or reclaimed, overshadowing forms of struggle outside religious practices and silencing the secular voices which are still raised against the regions stifling Islamification policies (137-38). An Anti-Modern Feminist Perspective A considerably different perspective is presented in Anouar Majids â€Å"The Politics of Feminism in Islam.† Majid is wary of the dangers of imposing Western feminist traditions on non-Western cultures and attempts therefore to recuperate a feminist tradition within traditional Islamic culture, though he is not entirely successful in doing so. Majid recognizes that the problems women face in Islamic societies cannot be divorced from European colonialism. For Majid, the political and economic structures that have resulted from independence from European domination have not emancipated the poor (341). He feels that nationalist elites have established Eurocentric models of government, namely nation-states (342, n. 17). For Majid, representations of Islamic culture as undemocratic and patriarchal reify the history of Muslim culture and downplay the impact of imperialism on gender relations in Islamic countries (349). Majid finds that a major problem in attempting to develop Islamic feminist perspectives is the difficulty of overcoming the Western and often Orientalist biases that pervade feminist thought. These biases include a dehistoricised notion of human rights and â€Å"an implicit acceptance of the bourgeois political apparatus as a reliable mechanism for negotiating the grievances of the exploited† (339). Western feminism cannot be readily separated from hostility to Islamic culture, according to Majid. To illustrate the point, he cites the example of upper-class Islamic women who have sometimes embraced Western feminist values and in the process â€Å"condemned native customs as backward, proclaimed the superiority of the West, and uncompromisingly equated unveiling with liberation† (338). Females in Islam Even though women may have high-status professional jobs and make important decisions in the course of the day, and even though Islamic sharia insists that women have the right to keep their income, it appears that husbands continue to control the decisions concerning expenditures. The husband is pivotal in allowing his wife to work in the interest of the welfare of the family, he is also the final arbiter in defining what constitutes that welfare. In many instances, while accepting that she may work outside the home, he will not allow her to participate in public events. As already noted, Oven the power of the constitutions of various countries affirming the determination of the sharia that men are in charge of women, there is little chance for change in the foreseeable future. Modernization and urbanization, however, have brought about certain changes in family life. One is a preference for nuclear families. This has altered the traditional power of the mother-in-law which has been undermined by the new system. Instead of being a guest in her mother-in-laws home, the bride gets to be in charge of her own household. But, if she also has to go out to work in order to maintain private residence, her workload is doubled. In addition, the change in housing design from the traditional open courtyard with a garden and opening to the sky to the small apartment has confined the woman and restricted her contact with other members of the family as well as with nature. If her husband restricts her going out, she feels imprisoned and lacks contact with friends and intimate relations. Zine identifies what she sees as the roles for women, determined by the tripartite class structure of Arab society: the working class, the middle class, and the upper class. In the working class, she says, a sharp distinction is made between feminine and masculine characteristics (Zine, 2006, p.19). Conclusion One of the themes that emerges from contemporary writing about Muslim women is that of woman as victim of the experience of oppression in developing countries. The oppression is not unique to the Arab context but is a consequence of disempowerment and feelings of impotence. The condition of the woman serves to demonstrate the extremes of disempowerment. She has become the projection of the inadequacy of the society, shackled with the burden of failure and weakness. Her inherent worth is devalued in relation to her physique, intellect, gender, productivity, and status. At the same time, her role as mother is symbolically elevated. Islam provides security and equivalence to the females and it has made many laws which secures the importance of females in this male dominant world. References Abu-Lughod, Lila 2002. Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others. In American Anthropologist, Vol. 104, No. 3, pp. 783-790 Afshar, Haleh 1996. Islam and Feminism: An Analysis of Political Strategies. In Feminism and Islam: Legal and Literary Perspectives, ed. Mai Yamani. NY: New York University Press, p.122-138 Badran, Margot 1995. Feminists, Islam and Nation: Gender and Feminists, Islam, and Nation: Gender and the Making of Modern Egypt. Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press. Hamid, Shadi 2006. ‘Between Orientalism and Posrmodernism: the changing nature of Western Feminist thought towards the middle east’, HAWWA 4,1:76-92. Mahmood, Saba 2005. Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject (Princeton: Princeton University Press). Mahmood, Saba 2006. ‘Performativity, Agency, and the Feminist Subject‘, in (eds) Ellen Armour and Susan St. Ville, Bodily Citations: Religion and Judith Butler (New York, Columbia Uni Press). ISBN 0-231-13407-X Majid, Anouar 1998. The Politics of Feminism in Islam, Signs, Vol. 23, No. 2, p. 321-361 Martin F McLelland 2004 ‘Re-placing queer studies: reflections on the queer matters conference’, in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies vol 6, number 2: 299- 311. Talpade, Chandra 2003. Feminism without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity. Durham London: Duke University Press. P.71 Zine, Jasmine 2004. Creating a critical faith-centred space for antiracist feminism, in Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. Vol. 20, No. 2, Pages 167-187 Zine, Jasmine 2006. Between Orientalism and Fundamentalism: The Politics of Muslim Womens Feminist Engagement, Muslim World Journal of Human Rights: Vol. 3, p.19 Public Health Issue Analysis: Smoking Public Health Issue Analysis: Smoking ENHANCING HEALTH AND WELLBEING ACROSS POPULATIONS: INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this essay is to identify a public health issue related in my field. To facilitate the discussion smoking as a public health issue has been chosen. The holistic impact smoking have on the wellbeing of an individual will be explored. The stage of change model and the Healthy Lives (2010) policy will be explored in relation to smoking. The rationale for choosing this topic is because smoking is an important public health issue. The smoke is very toxic to every human tissue it touches on its way into, through and out of the smoker’s body (Ewles 2005). Smoking is considered as a health hazard because Tobacco smoke contains nicotine, a poisonous alkaloid, and other harmful substances such as carbon monoxide, acrolein, ammonia and tars.Gorvenment initiatives like the Public Health White Paper, choosing health; Making Choices Easier (DH 2004) will be addressed. The nurse’s role and other professions involved will be highlighted .Confidentiality shall be maintained throughout this essay as prescribed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008). The impact of tobacco smoking on public health extends beyond the direct effects on the individual smoker and their personal health, plus taking into account the effect on their economic, environmental and social effects (Ewles 2005).). Smoking harms nearly every org an of the body thereby causing many diseases, reducing quality of life and life expectancy. Also it has been estimated that in England, 364,000 patients are admitted to NHS hospitals each year due to smoking related diseases which translates into about 7,000 hospital admission per week and 1,000 admissions per day (ASH 2006). In the UK, smoking causes about a fifth of all deaths, approximately 114,000 each year, most of which are premature with an average of 21 years early (Ewles 2005). According to Peto et. al. (2003) cited in Ewles (2005), most premature deaths caused by smoking are Lung and coronary cancer, chronic obstructive heart diseases and coronary heart diseases with 42800, 29100 and 30600 deaths respectively every year. In addition, smoking is known to also bring increased risk of many debilitating conditions like impotence, infertility, gum disease, asthma and psoriasis (Ewles 2005). Research has also shown that non-smokers are put at risk by exposure to other peopleâ₠¬â„¢s smoke which is known as passive or involuntary smoking and is also referred to as second-hand smoke (SHS) or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) (Cancer Research 2009). According to the Oxford Medical Companion (1994) cited in the WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic 2008, â€Å"tobacco is the only legally available consumer product which kills people when it is used entirely as intended†. Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the World which causes one in ten deaths among adults worldwide and in 2005, tobacco caused about 5.4million deaths, an average of one death every six second Certain behaviors have been labeled as risky behaviors associated with negative health outcomes among which smoking is and which has been the subject of UK national health strategies (Naidoo Wills 2005). Smoking causes about one fifth of all deaths in the UK, most of which are premature and has hugely significant impacts on the wider environment and community through causing air pollution, fires, litter and environmental damage (Ewles 2005). Prevalence of smoking among the low paid groups has been observed to be twice those of the affluent groups because of the great difficulty people in the less affluent groups experience in stopping smoking (Ewles 2005). Tobacco smoking is also widely recognized as a cause of health inequality in the UK because it is common among the deprived groups and also compromises the already poorer health of deprived population such as those that fall within the marginalized groups. Examples are people with mental problems and prisoners, who are more likely to smoke and less likely to have access to mainstream smoking cessation services (Ewles 2005). The Index of multiple deprivation ranks areas from the most deprived to the least deprived and the odds of smoking increases as deprivation in the area increases (The NHS Information centre 2008). Children smoke for all sorts of reasons. Some smoke to show their independence, others because their friends do while some smoke because adults tell them not to and others do smoke to follow the example of role models. There is no single cause. Parents, brothers and sisters who smoke are a powerful influence. Also is the way it is been advertised and the tobacco companies sponsor sport which makes children want to try it (DH 1998). The problems of smoking during pregnancy are closely related to health inequalities between those in need and the most advantaged. Women with partners in manual groups are more likely to smoke during pregnancy than those with partners in non-manual groups: 26 per cent of women with partners in manual groups smoke during pregnancy, compared with 12 per cent with partners doing non-manual work (DH 1998). Health promotion is a complex activity and is difficult to define. Davies and Macdowall (2006) describe health promotion as â€Å"any strategy or intervention that is designed to improve the health of individuals and its population†. However perhaps one of the most recognized definitions is that of the World Health Organization’s who describes health promotion as â€Å"a process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health (WHO 1986). If we look at this in relation to the nurse’s role in smoking cessation and giving advice to a patient, this can be seen as a positive concept in that with the availability of information together with support, the patient is then able to make an informed decision, thus creating empowerment and an element of self control. Bright (1997) supports this notion suggesting that empowerment is created when accurate information and knowledgeable advice is given, thus aiding the development of personal skills and self esteem. A vital component of health promotion is health education which aims to change behavior by providing people with the knowledge and skills they require to make healthier decisions and enable them to fulfill their potential. Healthy Lives Healthy People (2010) highlight the vital role nurses play in the delivery of health promotion with particular attention on prevention at primary and secondary levels.Nurses have a wealth of skills and knowledge and use this knowledge to empower people to make lifestyle changes and choices. This encourages people to take charge of their own health and to increase feelings of personal autonomy (Christensen 2006). Smoking is one of the biggest threats to public health, therefore nurses are in a prime position to help people to quit by offering encouragement, provide information and refer to smoking cessation services. In 2010 the white paper Healthy Live Healthy People set out the government long term policy for improving public health and in 2011 a new tobacco control plan was published (Department of Health 2011). The Whitepaper Healthy Life Healthy People set out a range of measures aimed at preventing people from starting to smoke and helping them to stop, such as banning cigarettes advertising on billboards, in size and action on tobacco intensified (DH, 2011). WHO defines health promotion a process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve, their health. It implies that the ideology moves beyond a focus on individual behavior towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions. Naidoo and Wills (2010), states ‘health promotion is based on theories about what influences people’s health and what are effective interventions or strategies to improve health.

herbert hoover :: essays research papers

Herbert Hoover Son of a Quaker blacksmith, Herbert Clark Hoover brought to the Presidency an unparalleled reputation for public service as an engineer, administrator, and humanitarian. Born in an Iowa village in 1874, he grew up in Oregon. He enrolled at Stanford University when it opened in 1891, graduating as a mining engineer. He married his Stanford sweetheart, Lou Henry, and they went to China, where he worked for a private corporation as China's leading engineer. In June 1900 the Boxer Rebellion caught the Hoovers. While his wife worked in the hospitals, Hoover directed the building of barricades, and once risked his life rescuing Chinese children. One week before Hoover celebrated his 40th birthday in London, Germany declared war on France, and the American Consul General asked his help in getting stranded tourists home. In six weeks his committee helped 120,000 Americans return to the United States. Next Hoover turned to a far more difficult task, to feed Belgium, which had been overrun by the German army. After the United States entered the war, President Wilson appointed Hoover head of the Food Administration. He succeeded in cutting consumption of foods needed overseas and avoided rationing at home, yet kept the Allies fed. After the Armistice, Hoover, a member of the Supreme Economic Council and head of the American Relief Administration, organized shipments of food for starving millions in central Europe. He extended aid to famine-stricken Soviet Russia in 1921. When a critic inquired if he was not thus helping Bolshevism, Hoover retorted, "Twenty million people are starving. Whatever their politics, they shall be fed!" After capably serving as Secretary of Commerce under Presidents Harding and Coolidge, Hoover became the Republican Presidential nominee in 1928. He said then: "We in America today are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than ever before in the history of any land." His election seemed to ensure prosperity. Yet within months the stock market crashed, and the Nation spiraled downward into depression. After the crash Hoover announced that while he would keep the Federal budget balanced, he would cut taxes and expand public works spending. In 1931 repercussions from Europe deepened the crisis, even though the President presented to Congress a program asking for creation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to aid business, additional help for farmers facing mortgage foreclosures, banking reform, a loan to states for feeding the unemployed, expansion of public works, At the same time he reiterated his view that while people must not suffer from hunger and cold, caring for them must be primarily a local and voluntary responsibility.

Legalization of Marijuana :: Argumentative Persuasive Drugs Essays

The question of whether to legalize drugs or not is very controversial. Drugs affect so many areas of society. For several decades drugs have been one of the major problems of society. There are two views on the legalization of drugs: some people think that they should be legalized, the other group of people think that they must not be legalized. I support those who refuse legalization of hard drugs. Well, and what about marijuana? Whether you call it hemp, Mary Jane, hash, pot, juane, giggle-smoke, kef, weed, grass, ganja, shit, marijuana, it is still Cannabis Sativa, or Cannabis for a short form (www.encyclopedia.com). It is classified as a soft drug and it is still illegal in our country. Marijuana has been used throughout the world for centuries by almost every culture. The active ingredient in marijuana is called THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol. It is smoked in a pipe or rolled in a cigarette or it is eaten (www.nida.nih.gov). I don ´t have a straight opinion whether marijuana should be legalized or not. However, although legalization of this drug has many disadvantages, I think that marijuana should be legalized for several reasons: it would cause the fall of the black market, the government might control it and the most important reason to legalize marijuana is because of its medical effects. Some people feel that legalizing of marijuana would increase the number of users due to its availability. Marijuana would become cheaper and more available to people who previously had not tried it because of the legal risk. Some of them also assert, that the temptation to use marijuana would increase when advertisments for it would displayed on television. I disagree with these opinions, because I think that people, who want to smoke marijuana, smoke it - if it is legal or illegal. I know plenty of people who have never smoked cigarettes, although smoking tobacco is legal and there exist plenty of advertisments for many kinds of cigarettes. By a large, these people don ´t want to smoke and I think that anything would not persuade them. I think that it would be great to sell marijuana at apothecary ´s, because the black market would disappear and thousands of dealers would be put out of business. Another argument for legalization of marijuana and selling it at apothecary ´s is, that the government could regulate its use and could receive the profits of the drug business.

The Role of Government in Policy Making

While reading Chapter 2 on The Role of Government in Policy Making, I noticed that in the text it stated that â€Å"all fields of practice are affected by the social and organizational policy made by judicial decisions. † (Donald E. Chambers and Kenneth R. Wedel. Published by Allyn and Bacon pg. 35). The YWCA provides women and children with several different services. It is vital that the organization is careful of what they are doing with their clients and observe the policies for these social programs.The judicial branch of the government has a lot of power over these social programs and can completely discontinue the program under certain circumstances. This is done in order to keep the organization consistent with court orders. â€Å"The judicial branch restricts or expands the power of government administrators and officials so that they are consistent with past court decisions, with governmental principles, and (sometimes) with the fundamental constitutional rights of citizens. † (Donald E. Chambers and Kenneth R. Wedel. Published by Allyn and Bacon).The laws that are put in place for this organization or organizations similar to the YWCA can influence the decision making and its day to day operations by a simple change in law. A change in law could mean that the requirements have been altered or changed and in order to service their clients properly, there are guidelines that need to be met. â€Å"The judiciary both creates anew and reshapes old social policy. (Donald E. Chambers and Kenneth R. Wedel. Published by Allyn and Bacon). I found that the YWCA has to only engage in activities related to its mission or purpose.â€Å"The Association may not engage in any activities that do not further the Mission or its purposes as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation and these Bylaws. † (http://www. cortlandywca. org/pdf/ywcabylaws07. pdf) Some of the laws read were very particular about the dos and don’ts of the organization. The information read shows that these laws put in place definitely influences the organizations decision making day-to-day operations. These changes that the judicial branch make keeps the organization on their toes in making sure they follow guidelines.The role that the court system or law played in shaping policies that affect the YWCA is pivotal. The courts are very involved in the evaluative process. â€Å"The public policy values the court is free to evaluate are related to but independent from the political values which motivated the existence or absence of a statute†. The court system benefits the YWCA tremendously considering they provide shelter and protection from abuse. â€Å"Each year the YWCA helps hundreds of individuals obtain protection from abuse orders, and provides victim support in criminal and civil court cases.The YWCA court advocate provides assistance to victims who are involved in the district court system. † (http://www. ywcaofwichita. org/pr ogram-court-advocacy. htm). Knowing that the court system can not only have a negative impact on the organization but also help women who are in an abusive situation, and get away from whatever the problem is, no matter what her financial situation may be. â€Å"Courts can shape and frame social policy in regard to administrative rulings as well as legislation. † (Donald E. Chambers and Kenneth R. Wedel.  Published by Allyn and Bacon).Reading this passage has help me to realize how the judicial system really affects non-profit organizations or organizations in general. Any organization that meets the guidelines of the judicial system are affected by its policies. Keeping organizations consistent with the court orders ensures the organization effective execution when dealing with clients. Whenever a judicial decision has been made it is important for that organization to be well informed so that there is no discontinuation of the program.Although the legislative and executiv e branches are elected by the people, the judicial branch is a presidential pick. It is very important to stick with the policies, and procedures and be prepared for any changes that may arise. Having a preview of how the organization and the government works when it comes to a particular situation helps to help me better prepare for future endeavors. These laws and judicial decisions affect organizations all around the world, it can be a benefit to all, if everyone is well informed on what is going on and what is to come.

Operating Cycle

OPERATING CYCLE The way working capital moves around the business is modeled by the working capital cycle. This shows the cash coming into the business,what happens to it while the business has it and then where it goes. the term operating cycle otherwise known as â€Å"cash cycle†. In order to earn sufficient profits,a firm has to depend on its sales activities apart from others. The continuing flow from cash to suppliers,to investors,to debtors and back in cash. The time gap is technically termed as operating cycle. In other words,the duration of the time required to complete the following sequence of events,in case of a manufacturing firm,Is called operating cycle. 1)Conversion of cash into raw materials 2)Conversion of raw materials into work-in-progress 3)conversion of work-in-progress into finished goods 4)conversion of finished goods in debtors 5)conversion of debtors to cash Bewteen each stage of this working capital cycle there is time delay. For some business this will be very long where it takes them a long time to make and sell the product. They will need a substantial amount of working capital to survive. Others though may receive their cash very quickly after paying out for raw materials etc. They will need less working capital. For all businesses though they need to plan how much cash they are going to have. The best way of doing this is a CASH FLOW FORECAST. WORKING CAPITAL CYCLE From the above chart,it can be observed that the firm’s liquidity of a minifacturing firm depends an operating cycle involved in the conversion process from raw materials into finished goods and then sales into cash. In case of non-maifacturing firms,the operating cycle will include the length of the time required to convert: )Cash into inventories b)Inventories into debtors c)debtors nto cash To determine the operating cycle period,time lag associated with all the individual activities of working cycle are to be determined first. Then summing up all the individual time lags working capital cycle is to be ascertained. Determine of individual time lags are shown as follows Raw Materials Conversion Pe riod The RMCP denotes the period for which the raw materials are generally are kept in stores before it is issued to the production department. It is calculated as : RMCP= Average inventory of raw materials and stores †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Averahe daily consumption of raw materials Work-In-Progress conversion period(WPCP) It refers to the period for which the raw materials remain in the production process before it is taken out as finished products. WPCP being done in the following ways : WPCP= Average work-in-progress †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Average daily factory cost of production Finished Goods Conversion Period(FGCP) It refers to the period for which finished goods remain in stores before being sld to the customers. It is measured as : F GCP= Average stock of finished goods †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Average cost of goods sold per days Receiveable Collection Period(RCP) It is the time required to convert the credit sales into cash realizations,i. e. , the time allowed to debtors after credit sales for making the payment. RCP= Average debtors †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Average daily credit sales Payment Deferral Period(PDP) The firm may get sum credit facilities from the suppliers of raw materials,wage earners etc. As the firm enjoys credit,this period has the effect of the reducing money lock period in the operating cycle. CPP= Average creditors †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Average daily credit purchase COMPUTATION OF WORKING CAPITAL IN BIRLA CORPORATION LIMITED (Rs. In lakh) As on 31. 3. 08 As at 31. 3. 07 As at 31. 3. 06 CURRENT ASSET Inventories 20044. 82 14258. 83 10572. 33 Sundry debtors 3171. 25 2722. 47 2248. 22 Cash and Bank 3135. 65 3439. 42 5922. 59 Balances Other Current 28. 38 Assets Loans and 47311. 7 30525. 34 12442. 01 Advances †¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ TOTAL 73662. 99 50946. 06 31213. 53 LESS-CURRENT LIABILITIES AND PROVISIONS Current Liabilities 30109. 32 24092. 95 25753. 21 Provision 73662. 99 19215. 28 4489. 21 NET WORKING CAPITAL 8246. 75 7637. 83 971. 11 [pic][pic][pic]PLEASE DO THIS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Importance of Working Capital Ratios Ratio analysis can be used by financial executives to check upon the efficiency with which working capital is being used in the enterprise. The following are the important ratios to measure the efficiency of working capital. The following, easily calculated, ratios are important measures of working capital utilization. |RATIO |FORMULAE |RESULT |INTERPRETATION | |Stock Turnover |Average Stock * |= x days |On average, you turn over the value of your entire stock | |(in days) 365/ | |every x days. You may need to break this down into | | |Cost of Goods Sold | |product groups for effective stock management. | | | | |Obsolete stock, slow moving lines will extend overall stock | | | | |turnover days. Faster production, fewer product lines, just | | | | |in time ordering will reduce average days. | |Receivables |Debtors * 365/ |= x days |It takes you on average x days to collect monies due to | |Ratio |Sales | |you. If your official credit terms are 45 day and it takes | |(in days) | | |you 65 days. | | | |One or more large or slow debts can drag out the average | | | | |days. Effective debtor management will minimize the | | | | |days. | |Payables Ratio |Creditors * 365/ |= x days |On average, you pay your suppliers every x days. If you | |(in days) |Cost of Sales (or | |negotiate better credit terms this will increase. If you pay | | |Purchases) | |earlier, say, to get a discount this will decline. If you simply | | | | |defer paying your suppliers (without agreement) this will | | | | |also increase – but your reputation, the quality of service | | | | |and any flexibility provided by your suppliers may suffer. |Current Ratio |Total Current |= x times |Current Assets are assets that you can readily turn in to | | |Assets/ | |cash or will do so within 12 months in the course of | | |Total Current | |business. Current Liabilities are mount you are due to | | |Liabilities | |pay within the coming 12 months. For example, 1. 5 times | | | | |means that you should be able to lay your hands on $1. 50 | | | | |for every $1. 00 you owe. Less than 1 times e. g. 0. 5 | | | | |means that you could have liquidity problems and be | | | | |under pressure to generate sufficient cash to meet | | | | |oncoming demands. | |Quick Ratio |(Total Current |= x times |Similar to the Current Ratio but takes account of the fact | | |Assets – Inventory)/ | |that it may take time to convert inventory into cash. | |Total Current | | | | |Liabilities | | | |Working |(Inventory + |As % |A high percentage means that working capital needs are | |Capital Ratio |Receivables – |Sales |high relative to your sales. | |Payables)/ | | | | |Sales | | | A measure of both company’s efficiency and its short-term financial health. The working capital ratio. The working capital ratio is calculated as: Positive working capital means that the company is able to pay off its short-term liabilities. Negative working capital means that a company currently is unable to meet its short term liabilities with its current assets(cash,accounts receiveable,inventory). If a company’s current asset do not exceed its current liabilities,then it may run into trouble paying back creditors in the short term. The worst case scenario is bankruptcy. A dceclining working capital ratio over a longer time period could be that the companys sale volumes are decreasing,and as a result,its accounts receiveables number continues to get smaller and smaller. Working capital also gives investors an idea of the company’s underlying operational efficiency . Money that is tied up in inventory or moey that customers still owe to the company cannot be used to pay off any of the company’s obligations. So if a company is not operating in the most efficient manner(slow collection),it will show up as an increase in the working capital. athis can be seen by comparing the wotking captal from one period to another;skow collection may signalan underlying problem in the company’s operations. FOR LIQUIDITY POSITION As on 31. 03. 08 As on 31. 03. 07 As on 31. 03. 07 Current ratio 1. 13 1. 18 1. 3 [pic] INTERPRETATION This ratio reflects the financial stability of the enterprise. The standard of the normal ratio is 2:1 but in most of companies standard is taken according to Tandon Committee which is taken as 1. 33:1. Now if we analyze the three years data it can be predicted that it holds a stable position all through out period but it is seen that it holds a low position than the standard one and the company is required to improve its p osition. As on 31. 03. 08 As on 31. 03. 07 As on 31. 03. 07 Quick ratio 0. 82 0. 84 0. 68 [pic] INTERPRETATION It is the ratio between quick liquid assets and quick liabilities. The normal value for such ratio is taken to be 1:1. It is used as an assessment tool for testing the liquidity position of the firm. It indicates the relationship between strictly liquid assets whose realizable value is almost certain on one hand and strictly liquid liabilities on the other hand. Liquid assets comprise all current assets minus stock. By analyzing the three years data it can be said that its position was weak in the year 2006 but itimproved significantly in the next two years and was stable during that year. But it is to be said thatit does not meet with the standard but in the year 2007 & 2008 it was very close to the standardand it can be said that its liquidity position on an average is stable. As on 31. 03. 08 As on 31. 03. 07 As on 31. 03. 07 Working capital ratio 0. 06 0. 07 0. 01 [pic] INTERPRETATION This ratio indicates whether the investments in current assets or net current assets ( i. e. , working capital ) have been properly utilized. In order words it shows the relationship between sales and working capital. Higher the ratio lower is the investment in working capital and higher is the profitability. But too high ratio indicates over trading. This ratio is an important indicator about the working capital position. Now if we analyze the three years data, we find that it follows an increasing trend which means that its investment in working capital is lower and the company is utilizing more of its profit. But we find that ratio is increasing at a very fast rate which is not a good sign for the company and the company is required to look into these matters closely. FOR PRFITABILITY POSITION As on 31. 03. 8 As on 31. 03. 07 As on 31. 03. 07 Gross profit ratio 34. 36% 31. 40% 14. 67% [pic] INTERPRETATION The gross profit margin reflects the efficiency with which management produces each unit of the product. This ratio of the gross profit to net sales of the business. This ratio gives information about the movement of stock and earning capacity of the business. A high gross profit margin ratio is a sign of good management. it increases higher sale price. As on 31. 03. 08 As on 31. 03. 07 As on 31. 03. 07 Net profit ratio 22. 2% 20. 82% 10. 35% [pic] INTERPRETATION A net profit ratio establishes a relationship between net profit and sales and indicates management efficiency in manufacturing,administrating and selling the products. The ratio is very helpful for measuring the profitability of the business. If the net froit margin is inadequate,the firm will fail to achieve satisfactory return on shareholders fund. As on 31. 03. 08 As on 31. 03. 07 As on 31. 03. 07 Oprating profit ratio 19% 16. 27% 3.. 50% [pic] INTERPRETATION The ratio shows the relation between the entire operating cost and net sales. It indicates the efficiency of the management in operating the business. FOR MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY As on 31. 03. 08 As on 31. 03. 07 As on 31. 03. 07 Debtors turnover ratio 5. 72 days 5. 53 days 5. 79days [pic] Debtors turnover indicates the number of times of debtors turnover each year. generally the higher value of debtors turnover,the more efficiency in management credit. the shorter the average collection period,the better the quality of debtors. A short collection period implies the prompt payments by debtors. As on 31. 03. 08 As on 31. 03. 07 As on 31. 03. 07 CREDITORS TURNOVER 3. 96 days 4. 54 days 7. 72 days RATIO [pic] The ratio reveals the number of days the business or the company enjoys as credit period from its sundry creditors. A very largr credit period in this case indicates over-trading by the company. CALCULATION F MAXIMUM PERMISSABLE BANK FINANCE (MPBP) IN THE YEAR 2008 CURRENT ASSET,LOANS AND ADVANCES Inventories 20044. 82 Sundry debtors 3171. 5 Cash and bank 3135. 65 Loans and advances 47311. 27 Total 73662. 99 CURRENT LIABILITIES AND PROVISION Current liabilities 30109. 32 Provision 35306. 92 Total 65416. 24 Working capital=current assets – current liabilities = 73662. 99 – 65416. 24 = 8246. 75 Own contribution= 25% of working capital = 25% of 8246. 75 = 2061. 68 MPBF = 8246. 75 – 2061. 68 = 6185. 07

Argumentative Essay: Plastic Bags vs Paper Bags Essay

One drizzling day, Aling Saling bought half a kilo of rice. It was put in a brown paper bag which the 40-year-old housewife held at the bottom, all 10 fingers at full stretch. But one side of the bag ruptured, too weak to hold even its meagre content. Aling Saling coddled her torn paper bag like a baby to keep what was left of her precious rice from spilling onto the wet pavement. She was torn: should she kneel and pick up her rice one grain at a time or take refuge from the rain and protect what was left? She walked on, her shoulders hunched over her bag. Her experience captured the essence of the continuing debate about the plastic ban, which has resulted in the shift to the use of paper bags. Our world today is experiencing an environmental dilemma particularly on the numerous solid wastes around us. This is what pushed the government to implement an ordinance that would ban plastic bags and use paper bags instead. But did the government thought of the possible environmental effects that this alternative might bring? Are they positively aware that using paper bags as a replacement for plastic bags could be of much help to mankind and to our environment? The use of plastic bags had been banned for the reason that it clogs sewers and drainage canals that lead to floods and other environmental damage. But, what people do not know is that it comes with a lot of benefits. First, plastic bags are cheap, reusable and can be recycled even when wet and can hold heavy weights compared to paper bags. Second, they use less energy when it comes to their production and it generates less atmospheric pollution when produced and transported and third, it is more weather friendly compared to paper bags and for it to be made, trees do not need to be cut. These are the main benefits of using plastic bags not only to the environment but also to mankind. Noli Jimenez on his article â€Å"Biodegradable Plastic Bags†, believed that plastic bags are a wonder of modern technology because it can be made very hin with minimal raw material and are still strong enough to carry a heavy load of shopping. He also said that no other carry-all container can hold 2,500 times its own weight and stay strong even when wet. Even though a lot of people consider paper as a more eco-friendly option than plastic, some of them do not know that the creation of a plastic bag requires 40% less energy than that of a paper bag. In addition, paper bag production requires 50% more water pollution and 70% more air pollution than plastic bag production. Furthermore, to make one ton of paper, 17 trees need to be cut and none for plastic; furthermore, a gallon of potable water from public supply is used per paper bag while only one gallon of water is used to make an estimated of 116 to 125 plastic bags. Paper bags do not have handles making it more difficult to carry and are less preferred for reuse because they cannot hold heavy loads and is unrecoverable when wet. Plastic bags, on the other hand have handles that makes it more convenient to reuse and can still be used even when wet, making it more useful and handy. Carlito Soon, PPIA director and board member of the Packaging Institute of the Philippines, said that a total ban on plastic bags would not solve the problem and will only result to 600,000 employees losing their jobs. On the aforementioned complications on the use of paper bags, it also has its advantages. For instance, it is biodegradable and decomposes easily than plastic bags. It does not clog sewers and is not visible in landfill or waterways. When one ton of paper bags is reused or recycled, three cubic meters of landfill space is saved and 13-17 trees are spared. On top of that, paper bags do not emit many harmful effects on the environment and to man. Banning plastic bags is not the best solution after all for it can be of great help to our environment and to mankind. We cannot just ignore its benefits and considering the fact that it is eco-friendly in its own ways; therefore, I say that plastic bags should be managed and people should know how to dispose them properly instead of banning it. In addition, it is the misuse and improper disposal of plastic bags that causes damage to our environment, not the product itself. I have nothing against the government but just to reconsider the usage of plastic bags again. Who knows? Maybe at this point, chemists might be thinking of ways to improve the composition of plastic bags making it more eco-friendly providing less pollution to our environment and less harm to man.