Productivity and Human Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Productivity and Human Performance - Essay Example Compatibility in the aspects of attitude, need and work is very important in assessing a person's productivity. This leads us to the habit of understanding other persons feeling by the practice of tact and empathy. If management fails to provide a platform for expressing their individualism then this can be a handicapped towards their decision making and self confidence and destroys their will to outrun competition by performance. Speaking openly with one's ideas and any improvements that is work related may overcome fear or discomfort that will accelerate daily social interactions. One does not have the right to humiliate unintelligent conversations for it defines who they are partially reflecting how they feel towards a certain subject. Good work relationships depict the ability to communicate emotions in non verbal ways and in a lot of significant actions. This serves us to understand the person not only as to how they communicate but the hidden meanings of their nonverbal ways wh ich is in a lot of situations gives us a clearer picture of what they want. What most managers fail to practice are their listening skills and lowering indifference barriers to non intelligent flow of conversations from workers. Teamwork to productivity. This paper seeks to identify the things that negatively impact and lowers productivity. We have to bridge the gap to accurately pick up nonverbal cues to connect workers relationships to verbal repertoire. The things that we have been practicing everyday are being able to read between the lines through signals from the eyes, facial expression, tone of voice, and posture. Stress is very common and we must carefully note the conditions and the things that cause it either within the job function or within the... Teamwork to productivity. This paper seeks to identify the things that negatively impact and lowers productivity. We have to bridge the gap to accurately pick up nonverbal cues to connect workers relationships to the verbal repertoire. The things that we have been practicing every day are being able to read between the lines through signals from the eyes, facial expression, the tone of voice, and posture. Stress is very common and we must carefully note the conditions and the things that cause it either within the job function or within the work environment that continues to negate the will to perform more. Emotions communicate and an employee must learn to develop emotional intelligence. A good move is to deviate from the person centered plan of vision to transformational leadership. In the hospitality industry, customer service needs an upfront of visions to develop and to maintain to aim for the performance rating of customer care. It relates a changing nature of customer service in a multicultural environment of changing customer behavior where expectation notes empowerment to employee care. The fact is that a customer is the foundation of the very existence of our people and our existence. We have to empower employees to sustain values as valued people to value people. (Cook, S., 2002). Organizational productivity is not a stand alone concept. A large number of corporations fail when there are a lot of floating personal visions of managers and they don’t coordinate with other departments in their directions to achieve more.

Teaching and Culture Essay Example for Free

Teaching and Culture Essay Cumulative cultural texts give a foreground and a context into what to expect for that particular culture. In fact there is a criteria in which any text may be classed as this. Intergenerational, Intertextual, Multidimensional. In short these words mean that the texts within this accumulation relate to each other, they refer to each other within themselves or insinuate links or they apply to the masses and are regarded of any particular text type. In this essay I will be exploring different Cumulative texts within the boundaries of Teaching. By first examining the key arguments of Mitchell and Weber (1999)’s prescribed article and what their views are in which these texts can change teacher Identities. Furthermore comparing and contrasting their study with Dead Poets society (1989) and how typical texts can be linked and provide support for identity within the classroom for both teachers and students. Part A Mitchell and Weber (1999) discuss the importance of the role of cumulative cultural texts in the portrayal of â€Å"The teacher† in society and explore this impact it can have on self-evaluation and analysis of pedagogies of the â€Å"real classroom†. This is done by focusing on a lead text in Dangerous Minds but complimented through comparing and contrasting to intertextual links within the Teaching movie genre. From this examination we can come to the conclusion that from looking at past texts teachers can have some form of model either a how to or a how not on the kind of pedagogies they will engage with and their sense of self as teachers in the classroom. Looking at Dangerous Minds, Good Morning Miss Dove, and To Sir with Love, Mitchell and Weber note the ‘popular texts wouldn’t be popular unless they managed to tap into particular desires of many readers [viewers]’ (Mitchell and Weber, (1999), pp. 167). Texts such as these are a window into the profession of teaching and give society a distorted knowledge on what it is to be a teacher. The dramatization of these texts gives a false sense of expertise to the common man/woman. It leads to an impression that Joe Blow can come up and tell you what it is to be a teacher and how you should go about your classroom. When in fact they are getting a completely skewed view into what the real classroom looks like thus popular culture in the form of the â€Å"hero teacher† having a negative effect on the profession. This leads to the ‘unrealistic and potentially harmful expectations by encouraging teacher fantasy at the expense of reality’ (Mitchell and Weber, (1999), pp. 181). It’s these expectations formed from the cumulative cultural texts which lead to disappointment for both students and teachers. Although these â€Å"hero teachers† stem from real people on the film reel their characters are over romanticised leaving new teachers at a turmoil between the pulling of the popular hero vs. the curriculum. The recurring theme and what can be argued as a centre focus of Mitchell and Webers exploration of the cumulative culture texts of teaching, is that they provide an opportunity for professional development through critical reflection and evaluation. An area in which we can link the contrasting nature between teaching pedagogies in popular culture for uses or reflection and evaluation, is the excerpt where Weber looks at To Sir with love and Dangerous minds. Both of these teachers have been portrayed as â€Å"Hero Teachers† and both have a similar style of racially diverse and disadvantaged rebellious class. As goes with the hero teacher story both teachers break through the barriers faced by these particular children. Who have been recognised as the outcasts of classroom which have been â€Å"turned around† by these teachers Miss Johnson and Sir. But with Webers close analysis between the two we can pick out distinct differences between teaching styles and can be used for some self-evaluation of how to compare your own teaching methods. For example Sir attempts to raise the students intellect through leading by example, guidance to high culture and teaching them self-control, respect and toughness of the mind (Mitchell and Weber, (1999), pp. 178 where as Miss Johnson is ready to step into their shoes on every level including language, dress and position to illustrate to the students that there will be challenges and obstacles in which they have to make their own decisions about. This style lead her to let her arm them with words and ideas in order to make them tougher (Mitchell and Weber, (1999), pp. 178). This little contrast illustrates show teachers can have the same goals and ambitions for their pupils but varying pedagogies will be best suited to you as the teacher and your students. Once this comfort has been achieved there is no wrong or right way to use the classroom. In short Mitchell and Weber argue that teachers should be using popular cultures view on teachers to apply this to their own self-evaluation and self-criticisms of themselves. As this can help us to re-invent and rejuvenate ones role and ones ambitions for what teaching is and how they want to go about teaching their classes on the daily basis. Part B Dead poet’s society (1989) gently slips into sub categorical role of the Hero Teacher in the cumulative cultural texts of teaching. It centres on the teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) taking the creative art of poetry and literature to the highest level of priority within his class room. While simultaneously throwing curriculum and structure out the window. Keating encourages students to go outside the box of Welton colleges standards and become free thinkers. Being a former student of Welton Keating encourages the boys to re-unite an old â€Å"dead poets society† in which the boys would come together and discuss the works of other free thinkers and fight back against the strict views of Welton and their families’ expectations. There are many different forms for representations of teachers within ‘Reels† but the most common and uplifting story which is what seels the movie seats and tickets are the stories of hero teachers. The story of Keating and his throw the curriculum out the window is not dissimilar to the texts in which discovered by Mitchell and Weber in the reading. As discussed before Keating only ads a further end to the spectrum of teaching styles covered in modern day representations of teacher life. The only big issue to be considered when looking back up on theses texts for the purpose of professional development is that they aren’t realistic for the common classroom. Movies always have the perfect conditions or it’s a stable environment designed to the specifications of whatever the director so chooses. Classrooms do not work this way there are many variables and this expectation of the hero teacher can smash the hopes and dreams of many graduate teachers in their pursuit for popularity. Thus we can see the turmoil the teachers in these movies are all perfect souls and do not have underlying ambitions behind becoming popular to students, some people may have hidden motives in which actual learning is set behind of become a hero teacher and getting the status level that people like Keating, Sir and Miss Johnson could achieve. Each in their own way. On deeper analysis of Dead Poets Society (1989) it can be used as a model of what not to do as a teacher. Such as the situation arising between the ambitions of student Niel to follow acting and the performing arts. But this is against the wishes of his parents and he secretly engages with dramatically activities at the encouragement of Keating. As a result the parents find out and a rift is set between Neil and his parents which leads to his death as he commits suicide from the pressure. Evidently this is a reminder of the importance to note the impact and jurisdiction of parents. As teachers we should not intervene in student lives beyond what is necessary, as seen in the movie this encouragement to break the boundaries think outside the box can go too far. Part 3 Essentially I consider that the representations can quite possibly have a positive effect which was well noted by Mitchell and Webber (1999) but can just as much negatively affect a pre-service teachers understanding of what it is for the teacher to do in the classroom. As discussed in part one by comparing to texts of similar contexts which apply to the three criteria of being a cumulative cultural text. These can be used as a mock model in which we can evaluate to ourselves what it means for us to be teachers. But furthermore it can give us insight into the many different ways of teaching. Such as the wildly differing spectrum offered through texts I have looked at. For example the Control styled approach of Sir (Mitchell and Webber, (1999)) and the more involved hold up the mirror lead style by Miss Johnson encouraging students to spread forth and realise their true potentials. Compared to that of Keating in Dead Poets Society who just through curriculum out the window and went for a creative independence lead teaching style. Thus leading to my next point that although there are positives to these texts there are equal negatives that can bring down the teaching profession or set unreasonable expectations on those wishing to pursue the career and become and educator. As mentioned in part 1 ‘popular texts wouldn’t be popular unless they managed to tap into particular desires of many readers [viewers]’ (Mitchell and Weber, (1999), pp. 167). , This highlights the fact that overall these films are not real classrooms and give society and pre-service teachers either a false satisfaction or a welcoming surprise to be introduced into the world of educators. In conclusion I would have to say that the positive far outweighs the negative associated with the cumulative cultural type literature. Therefore texts uch as these can be classed as useful as well as providing a way for teachers to design themselves or re-evaluate their own teaching. It sets a positive eye for the community around teachers and promotes the profession showcasing stories in which teachers are truly making a difference to the lives or their students. These high amount of publication and popularity increases popularity of teachers and the profession in general. These benefits associated with the knowing you can use these texts to model yourself makes them useful.

Evolution Of Substance Abuse In Mauritius Criminology Essay

Evolution Of Substance Abuse In Mauritius Criminology Essay Substance abuse is a multi-facetted problem that plagues a whole society, irrespective of different age categories and social classes. The consequences and the amount of harm caused to the individual, the family and society are diverse. Mauritius, while being a small island of approximately 1.2 million  [1]  inhabitants only, far away from the leading powers of the global economy, and niched at the heart of the Indian Ocean has not been spared from this issue. According to the National Drug Control Masterplan 2004-2009  [2]  , the age of initiation to substance abuse in Mauritius starts from as early as 11 years because of peer or media influence. The rationale of substance abuse is however not this simple. Sometimes, some people give in to the instinctive human behaviour which is trying to find the easiest escape from harsh realities and nuisances of daily life, and resort to substance abuse. Evolution of substance abuse in Mauritius Substance abuse may have become an alarming phenomenon of late, but drugs have been present in Mauritius for a far longer time. The use of drugs has been recorded to have started with as early as during the French colonisation  [3]  with illicit rum production by slaves. With the arrival of indentured labourers, Indians brought along with their culture and traditions, cannabis, while Chinese immigrants brought opium  [4]  . These drugs were mostly utilised in a socio-cultural circumstance, by adults without being a cause for serious concern. Mid-sixties brought with it the Hippie Culture  [5]  to Mauritian shores as well as new forms of drugs such as LSD  [6]  , Mandrax  [7]  and other hallucinogens which became synonymous to new highs to youngsters. The seventies caused an altogether different trend of substance abuse, as the situation changed drastically from its socio-cultural to a more significantly worrying use. A rudimentary form of heroin  [8]  known as Brown Sugar was introduced in Mauritius. Brown Sugar was smuggled through the airport, harbour and through postal packets. The Amsterdam Affair  [9]  that broke out in 1985 was the quintessence of the scope of the drugs problem in Mauritius. As an attempt to display its willingness to leave no stone unturned in the combat against drug trafficking, legislation was amended  [10]  and death penalty was introduced for proved traffickers. No drug trafficker have however been executed because of the thorny legal issues surrounding capital punishment. A sudden downward trend was observed in 1987 and continued until 1990 after which indicators revealed a slight increase in illicit trafficking and consumption  [11]  . In 2003, the White Lady  [12]   was a psychotropic drug opted by most drug users. Post 2005, Subutex  [13]  , which is normally used as treatment on those dependent on narcotic pain killers, and opiates, soon became the most sought-after drug in Mauritius.    Substance Abuse and Repercussions Social Consequences Significant social consequences include the disintegration of the family unit, with the emotional and psychological well-being of family members being upset. Substance abuse and delinquency go hand in hand; as sometimes dependency and withdrawal syndromes overcome reason and push addicts towards theft, violence and similar such acts to procure the financial means to obtain their required dosage. The 2009 World Drug Report  [14]  shows that number of drug-related crimes has increased by 18% from 2006 to 2007. Health Consequences Substance abuse affects the personal health of drugs addicts themselves. Withdrawal and apathy are a few of the psychological dysfunctions they might face. The impact of addiction can be far reaching. Cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and lung disease can all be caused by drug abuse  [15]  . Because of needle sharing behaviour  [16]  , a well-established norm among IDUs as has been shown by the IDUs Respondent Driven Sampling  [17]  , which is explained by the increased costs and low financial means of IDUs as well as Police Services continuous stalking of IDUs in possession of drug paraphernalia, blood borne diseases such as AIDS or Hepatitis  [18]  are easily transmitted, repercussions of which is catastrophic both for the IDU and society at large. IDUs who get affected by such blood borne diseases will often through a domino effect, affect their sexual partners, while pregnant women who are IDUs run the risk of contaminating their unborn children with such. Injecting drug use is the cause for an increasing proportion of HIV infections in many parts of the world, Mauritius included. It is estimated that between 11 and 21 million people worldwide inject drugs, and of those, between 0.8 and 6.6 million are infected with HIV  [19]  . Financial Impacts Health services that have to be provided to drug addicts include treatment of diseases which may develop in drug addicts as a consequence of substance abuse, as well as costs of rehabilitation services, which is often overlooked by most persons. The cost of non-generic antiretroviral treatment per person per annum may amount up to $ 1500  [20]  , averaging to about Rs 50, 000 based on current exchange rates. Financial consequences on the economy are grave, with the parallel running of a black economy with profits obtained from the illicit traffic, as well as with the effects of drugs abuse of members of the workforce which reduces productivity. Conventional Approaches to Substance abuse Mauritius has ratified the United Nations Drug Control Conventions  [21]  . It has also ratified the 2000 Convention on Trans-National Organized Crime  [22]  and is also signatory of both the African Union  [23]  and the SADC Drug Control Protocol. Existing legal frameworks that were used, and still are used to control drugs supply and demand reduction are: The Dangerous Drug Act 2000  [24]   The Pharmacy Act 1983  [25]   The Financial Intelligence and Anti Money Laundering Act 2002  [26]   Drugs Demand Reduction Drugs demand reduction is one of the approach used to combat the substance abuse crisis at its core. Drug demand reduction refers to policies and programmes directed towards reducing the consumer demand for narcotic drug and psychotropic substances as covered by the three main International Drug Control Conventions, as mentioned above. The National Agency for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Substance Abusers (NATReSA) is a parastatal body under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions which was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1996  [27]  and it is responsible for all demand reduction activities in the country. By conducting a number of prevention activities in the community, schools and the workplace, NATReSA uses education as its main vehicular weapon to try to diminish the demand for drugs. It provides funding to a number of NGOs engaged in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation work. The National Prevention Unit set up by th e NATReSa in 2002 has set up a Demand Reduction Integrated Program, from which more than 25 regions have already benefitted till date. Supply Side Reduction As to supply side reduction, the law enforcement side is actively involved and a number of institutions operating under the aegis of different ministries are responsible for drug control activities. The Anti Drug Smuggling Unit (ADSU)  [28]  , the National Coast Guard and the Special Mobile Force are special units of the Mauritius Police Force, working under the command of the Commissioner of Police involved in drug control. The Passport and Immigration Office also operates under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police and has a role in the screening of passengers at the seaport and airport while Custom Investigation and Intelligence Unit plays a noteworthy role in the checking of containers and other luggage entering the country. The Pharmacy Section of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life is responsible for the issuing of licenses for the import of licit narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Finally, Mauritius Post Services work in close cooperation with the above units to exercise close control to guarantee that drugs do not enter the country through letters and postal packages and the Forest Department aids through its field work in forests, mountains and state lands, and is instrumental in detecting cannabis cultivation. According to the 2010 World Drug Report  [29]  , Mauritius is the country with the highest opiates consumption prevalence in the African continent with an estimate of 1.9 %. This demonstrates clearly that conventional approaches to the Mauritian drug problem have not met expectations in terms of efficiency in tackling it. Instead, new factors borne due to a rapidly changing society contributed to the rendering them inefficient opening up of airspaces which while increasing benefits from the tourism and travel industry has also increased the risks of drugs being brought into the country by foreigners, expansion of the offshore sector through which large sums of money transits through Mauritius, sources of which remain confidential to the offshore companies and the open secret being that sometimes, part of these monies go into the black economy, financing drug transactions and poverty and prostitution which are key contributory factors as well to the expansion of the Mauritian dru g market among others. The escalation of drug use became a cause for worry as the main vehicle for substance abuse being through injection, this implied a heightened risk of transmission of blood borne diseases  [30]  among the IDU population and hence a greater number of HIV positive and hepatitis cases amongst others. An altogether new approach was hence adopted to counter this eventuality, known as the harm reduction approach. The harm reduction which consists of needle exchange programs as well as methadone substitution therapy implied a completely different perspective, the core principle being admitting the existence of a substance abuse issue in a community, which often is stubbornly resisted by authorities, hence displaying the huge difficulty in the implementation of this method. Over the years, numerous observations have been made by journalists and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) representatives on the structural changes of the drug situation in Mauritius, the worrying dimensions of the issue of substance abuse and its relations with transmission of blood borne diseases. Harm reduction however, being a relatively new concept in Mauritius dating only back to 2006, remains a rather unexplored path. Hence, the purpose of this dissertation would be to bring focus on Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs) as they are carried out in the Mauritian context. While running through a general overview of the harm reduction approach, the rationale behind it will be examined along with implementation timeline of NEP in Mauritius. Policy aspects will be reviewed and an analysis of the legal backdrop of NEPs in Mauritius will be presented, which will consist of a study salient features of the existing laws and NEPs and eventually the NEP specific framework which is the HIV/AIDS Act 06. NEP in prisons, being a delicate and debatable issue, will be considered and the prospect of such in Mauritian prisons discussed. The dissertation will be concluded by evaluating the Mauritian NEP, and proposing recommendations of possible ways to gear more towards efficiency and best practice with regards to Mauritian laws and needle exchange. Preliminary Chapter: Understanding Harm Reduction The Basic Concept Harm reduction refers to policies, programmes and practices utilised and applied with the objective of diminishing risks associated with the use of drugs by substance abusers  [31]  . Subdivided into needle exchange programs and methadone substitution therapies, harm reduction is viewed as a far-reaching innovative approach to the problem of substance abuse and its related risks. The salient feature of this novel method is the radical shift in focus to the prevention of harm caused by substance abuse, rather than on the prevention of drug use itself. This entails recognising the existence of a substance abuse problem in society which in turn indicates the inability or sometimes even failure of concerned authorities in tackling the drug problem. This approach was often discussed in Mauritius after recognition of the threat of HIV as well as other blood borne diseases which were spreading through injecting drug use. (RSA())  [32]  . Stakeholders including the National AIDS Secretariat  [33]  agreed that harm reduction does not undermine but instead complements approaches seeking to prevent or decrease drug consumption. It is based on the recognition that many people throughout the world continue to use drugs despite the best of efforts to prevent drug use. Rationale Behind Harm Reduction Harm Reduction and Human Rights The harm reduction approach to drugs is based on a strong pledge to public health and human rights. Harm reduction interventions have found support among numerous United Nations (UN)  [34]  human rights mechanisms, specifically in context of HIV prevention and the right to attain the highest achievable standard of health International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights  [35]  Ã‚  (ICESCR) And Harm Reduction. The Committee on the Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights  [36]  (CESCR) has recommended  [37]  many times that States Parties scale up their harm reduction programmes in order to meet their obligations under Article 12  [38]  of the ICESCR. In its Concluding Observations on Ukraine (2007), the Committee stated that it was gravely concerned atà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the limited access by drug users to substitution therapy, and recommended that the state party make drug substitution therapy and other HIV prevention services more accessible for drug users  [39]  . In 2009, the UN Human Rights Council  [40]  adopted a resolution on human rights and HIV/AIDS that unequivocally provided support to harm reduction programs, including needle exchange. The resolution reflected past Commitments  [41]  made at the General Assembly  [42]  in 2001 and again in 2006. In 2010, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs  [43]  adopted a resolution more than ever, backing the far-reaching package of interventions for HIV prevention treatment and among injecting drug users. Both ECOSOC and the UNAIDS Programme Co-ordinating Board(will be explained in footnote) have also endorsed these interventions. Article 15.1.b ((will be laid out in footnote) guarantees the right of everyone to benefit from scientific progress and its applications. In the context of injecting driven HIV, this implies a right to benefit from evidence based programs that can prevent, treat and control HIV/AIDS and other drug related potential diseases. Harm reduction methods have been backed by extensive scientific evidence base indicative of their effectiveness at reducing injecting-related risks. Research Based Rationale Supply reduction has been used in Mauritius now, since many years and although being an expensive method to combat substance abuse, drug trafficking crimes and substance abuse is still well present in the Mauritian society. 2002, 2003 to 2004 mode of transmission of HIV and blood borne infections steadily shifted from heterosexual activities to injecting drug use.(annexed charts) The 2009 Injecting Drug User HIV surveillance survey was implemented by the AIDS Unit of the Mauritius Ministry of Health and Quality of Life (MOHQL). HIV prevalence is 47.4%. Hepatitis C prevalence is 97.3%. (Results of the survey will be annexed as table) Currently, injecting drug use comprises the bulk of HIV infections in Mauritius. Whereas in 2002 injecting drug use accounted for 14% of all new HIV infections in Mauritius, this percentage increased dramatically to 92% in 2005.  [44]  Although HIV prevalence among Injecting Drug Users appears to have decreased gradually to 73% in 2008, this percentage is still cause for worry. The use of non-sterile needles and syringes and other injecting drug equipment is an extremely efficient mode of HIV transmission and remains a key factor aggravating the HIV epidemic among drug users worldwide. Estimation of population size of IDUs in 2009 has been rounded off at 10000. High-risk injection drug use practices 61.2% of Injecting Drug Users reported injecting two to three times a day and 29.3% reported injecting with a previously used needle in the past month The Implementation of Harm Reduction In Mauritius Harm reduction implemented in Mauritius under two programs: Methadone Substitution Therapy and The Needle Exchange Program Methadone Substitution Therapy (MST) Methadone hydrochloride is an opioid (will be explained in footnote). Methadone is now primarily used today for the treatment of narcotic addiction. Methadones effects can last up to 24 hours, thereby given only once a day in heroin detoxification and maintenance programs for the treatment of people dependent on heroin and other opioids. (sources will be provided in footnote) Methadone is usually available as a liquid and drunk with fruit juice. MST works by reducing cravings and blocking highs from heroin. It does not provide the euphoric rush. The drug user under MST will no longer experience extreme highs and lows that results from the level of heroin in the blood. (source will provided in footnote). Ultimately, the patient remains physically dependent on the opioid, but is freed from the uncontrolled, compulsive, and disruptive behavior seen in heroin addicts. National Detoxification Centre For MST found at Cità © Barkly. Program may be residential (15 days) or day-care. Drug users are induced on methadone under medical supervision and doses consequently adjusted. 16 methadone dispensing points from which drug users, after having gone through initial induction receive their daily doses of methadone. Needle Exchange Program Forms part of harm reduction strategy and is funded by the Government through the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life and partially by international organisations such as the Global Fund. NGOs and Government through Ministry Of Health and Quality of life both carry out NEPs. The program offers a comprehensive package of services which include exchange of used needles, HIV counselling and testing, provision of condoms and alcohol swabs and referrals for rehabilitation services (where requested) as well as other HIV-related services. The Mauritian Needle Exchange Program Implementation of Needle Exchange Program In Mauritius Having recognised injecting drug use as the main vehicle of blood borne transmission, the aim behind carrying out needle exchange programs is to transmission  of HIV  and other  viral  infections  (Hepatitis  B  Ã‚  C)  which travels through contaminated syringes and equipments. NEP protects the IDU, by ensuring provision of safe, clean and sterile injecting equipment, eliminating risk of transmission of HIV and blood borne infections through sharing. NEP protects not only the IDU but also IDUs sexual partner. Needle exchange started in 2006 by two NGOs- Ki Nu à ©tà © and Prevention Information et Lutte contre le Sida (PILS) on two sites Batterie Cassà © and Baie Du Tombeau (source will be cited in footnote) Adoption of HIV/AIDS Act in 2006 which provided legal framework for NEP following which November 2007 saw government through the Ministry of Health And Quality of Life endorse NEP in Mauritius through the official launching of the NEP in Mauritius. A third NGO started NEP on a new site at Tranquebar in November 2007 In 2008, MOHQL called for tenders for new NGOS willing to participate in NEP, with only one response and in February 2008 Idriss Goomany Centre (IGC) started Needle Exchange on a new site in Plaine Verte March 2008 saw some of the non-governmental organisations undertaking needle exchange till date regroup themselves under the aegis of one central organisation Collectif Urgence Toxida (CUT). CUT consists of Ki Nu Età ©, PILS and Rapid IGC joined CUT for a limited time period only. In April 2008 two new sites for needle exchange were put into operation by CUT. May 2008 : official kick off of government run NEP It is worth noting that Mauritius has pioneered government run needle exchange in Sub-Saharan Africa As of date- 35 sites officially operating for Government run NEP and 17 sites for NGOs run NEP Operation of the Mauritian Needle Exchange Program Two principal methods of operation, NGO run NEP and Government Run NEP NGOs: street based needle exchange. Usually, two members of the NGO visit a fixed spot in the locality the site, a certain number times per week (depending on the NGO in question) and have a number of syringes with them and an empty gallon. IDUs come to see them , bringing with them the used syringes which are disposed in the gallon and are given new sterile syringes by the members. IDUs are assigned a code when they visit the sites. It should be noted that this is not for identification purposes of the IDUs but rather for monitoring and reporting purposes (Number of syringes per IDUs, number of IDUs visiting each sitesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). Disposal of the needles is made after closure of sites for the day, by dropping them off at regional hospitals, where they are burnt in the incinerators. MOHQL: Mobile NEP through two operational caravans. Two authorised health care assistants and one qualified nurse per caravan (identified by Ministry issed identification cards). Each caravan visit three sites daily, spending an average of one hour and a half to two hours on each site. Work in collaboration with peer leaders amongst IDUs who help facilitate smooth interacting between IDU crowds and the government staff. The Needle Exchange Program in Mauritius and Other Policy Measures Needle Exchange And Demand Reduction: Demand reduction, focuses on detoxification and management of withdrawal syndromes with the aim of long term abstinence. However, the results yielded are not the expected ones as detoxification succeeds in removing people from the drug scene in the short term but the relapse rates usually approach 100 per cent (Fact Sheet Supply Demand And Harm Reduction, Burnet Institute Centre For Harm Reduction). Needle Exchange And Methadone Substitution Therapy Contrasting costs of providing needle and costs of providing methadone Return rate of syringes; and treatment follow-up statistics and relapse rates for MST Efficiency of both harm reducting programs in the sense that they would still cost less even than provision of antiretroviral treatment to an HIV positive person (provision of non-generic anti-retroviral may approximate $15000) The Needle Exchange Program and Its Framework In Mauritius Adoption of the HIV/AIDS Act 2006 Needle exchange was carried out by NGOs even before the HIV/AIDS Act came into effect. As such, they faced a legal impediment in the sense that the practice of needle exchange was inconsistent with the provisions of existing laws which is the Dangerous Drugs Act at its section 34(c) which made possession of injecting equipment and drug paraphernalia a criminal offence. Following several committees of various stakeholders including the MOHQL itself, police officers, specially members of the ADSU and NGOs , it was agreed that there was a need for a framework to regulate the situation of NEPs. HIV/AIDS Act 2006 was then adopted in 2006 with general consensus by members of parliaments (comments of few members from Hansard will be included here and lengthier works will be attached) and came into effect in August 2007. Aims of HIV/AIDS Act 06 according to the act itself is to provide for measures for the prevention and containment of HIV and AIDS Analysis of this aim was a framework really required to provide for prevention measures which are done principally through education, information and sensitization, and containment which is already handled through supply-side reduction. This tends to lead to the conclusion that the true motive behind the HIV/AIDS Act was to provide a legal framework for the NEP Possession of Syringes and Needles and the HIV/AIDS Act 06 Article 2 of the International Convenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights also requires legislative reform in order to create a legal and policy environment conducive to the scale up of these services and the removal of barriers to access and coverage to improve accessibility. Hence in line with this, Section 16 of the HIV/AIDS Act deals with the Possession of syringes and needles in the context of NEP. It in fact through very explicit terms decriminalizes its possession in the circumstance of the NEP. This was crucial because : possession of a used needle and syringe may be used as circumstantial evidence to lay other drug-related charges. For this reason some clients may be reluctant to return used equipment to NEP site. fear of being arrested while in possession of drugs and/or injection equipment can lead IDUs to rush injections, skip safer injection techniques (e.g., hand and skin cleaning) and to feel so anxious that they cannot inject with accuracy. All of these consequences can increase the risk of injection-related problems such as infections and skin and soft-tissue damage However Section 34 (c) has still not yet been repealed. Questionned by NGOs as to whether this is a best practice. Needle Exchange: Health and Safety Under the HIV/AIDS Act 06 Handling of used syringes by personnel involved under the NEP compliance with Occupational Health and Safety Act Applicable only for Govt. Run NEPs Section 10 Risk Assessment By Employment (Will be showed in footnote) Is this carried out? Section 35 Cleanliness (Will be showed in footnote) Analysis of whether the caravans meet up with these requirements Section 37 Ventilation and Temperature (Will be showed in footnote) Analysis of whether the caravans meet up with these requirements Section 39 Sanitary Conveniences (Will be showed in footnote) Analysis of whether the caravans meet up with these requirements Section 40 Supply of drinking water (Will be showed in footnote) Analysis of whether the caravans meet up with these requirements Section 41 Washing Facilities (Will be showed in footnote)

What’s Under my Bed :: Free Essay Writer

What’s Under my Bed As I cleaned and rearranged my room one day, I slid my bed forward and found my childhood teddy bear. When I first saw him I could not believe I still had him. It looked much different than I remember. It was covered in dirt and grime. It smelled like a dusty, mildew-infested basement. I remembered the bear’s name; his name was Horace. I named him after myself. Horace lay there on my floor; his body stretched out twenty-four inches across my floor. He is wearing my old blue denim Oshkosh overalls. The overalls’ appearance reminds me of pants that had been run through the washer several hundred times. Atop Horace’s head are two half brown, half mocha, orange slice shaped ears. The right ear has an inch slit where a sliver of white thread hangs out. He has a large orange-peach head like a scrap of metal going through the first stages of oxidation. The soft fur on his head is hard and matted on the end where sticky candy used to lie. He has one small half marble, black eye on the right side. On the left side he has a hole where fluffy dirt colored cotton hangs out. The left side also has a dark brown spot; the spot reminds me of a cartoon character with a black eye. Just under the left eye on his puffy, beige-colored cheek he has two dark brown freckles. In between his right eye, and left hole, he has a patch of hair missing, wh ich reveals tightly threaded fish netting holding the stuffing inside. An inch below that is his flat, oval shaped nose. I can see teeth marks made by a teething Child. Horace’s head attaches directly to his torso; there is no neck in between. There is an upside down beige triangle patch of fur top of his chest his chest. His upper body is dark brown, like the patch around his eye. The brown flows out to the outstretched, five-inch arms. It comes to an end at the last two inches of the arms where it changes to an orange-peach color again. His lower section is hidden in the overalls. The left leg of the overalls is cuffed just above the foot.

Analysis on Blackfish Essay

Introduction: Sea World is a place for people to get a splash of happiness and amusement watching whales do intricate tricks but is the fact that the Orcas are held in captivity and unhappy worth that splash of amusment. The case of â€Å"Blackfish† deals with the captivity of Orca Whales in Sea World and the bill being put up in California to ban the captivity and breeding of Orcas called the California Captive Orca Welfare and Safety Act (Sanchez, 2014). A documentary produced by Magnolia Films about the â€Å"Blackfish† case and the danger of Orcas being in captivity lead to a menacing effect on the image of Sea World. Description: In 2010, a trainer who worked for Sea World, Dawn Brancheau was killed by one of the show whales in Sea World [Tilikum] which set off this controversy and the realization that Orcas should not be kept in captivity (Zurko, 2014). In the documentary â€Å"Blackfish† that was released in July of 2013, it expresses that when Orcas are h eld in detention and bred within such confinement they grow unhappy and aggressive. Orcas are used to living in open waters and that’s where they are happiest, being so detained makes them unhappy to the point where they get aggressive towards those trainers who they know have a part in keeping them imprisoned. They lash out towards the trainers, not because they are dangerous creatures, because they are desperate for a normal healthy life back in the open waters. Because Tili attacked Brancheau, it lead to the beliefs that the title of killer whales was a literal title, when in reality their anger is due to the face they are in captive in the park. Animals are adapted to the environment they were intended, Orcas are used to living free in open waters being able to communicate with other animals in the ocean (Sanchez, 2014). The captivity of the orcas has shortened their lifespan because they are unable to live the way that they should. Interpretation: The image of Sea World has been totally turned around since the â€Å"Blackfish† case has escalated into the media forming a new image for the company. Identity is when a company’s reality is exposed through evidence, such as the services they provide, from the company, whereas image is a tangent of identity where it is the refl ection of the organization’s identity. In  relation to â€Å"Blackfish† the way the trainers and the company of Sea World treat the orcas has been exposed to the public altering the image of the company. Sea World used to be viewed as a place for families to go and enjoy watching trained Orcas do awesome tricks and entertain their audiences, where now it is seen as a place where animals are mistreated and held captive. Evaluation: This captivity is a huge controversy building up to protests against Sea World and leading to the bill put up by California to ban the act of keeping Orcas that were caught from the wild and keep them in captivity. Though there are Sea Worlds in Texas and Florida, the bill will immediately affect the California Sea World (Rohenkohl, 2014). If the bill were to pass, California would have to find a new way to entertain their guests or breed orcas that are not wildly caught (Martinez, 2014). The documentary, â€Å"Blackfish† caused much controversy and threatened the image of the Sea World Company. Conclusion: It would make a person wonder, if Brancheau was not attacked, would the true identity of Sea World been exposed? The image of Sea World being a happy escape has been reformed due to the fact that Orca’s being detained was proven to be a problem and a danger to not only to the trainers, but to the Orcas themselves. Orcas deserve to live in the open waters, free, and live the life span they are intended and not be confined within the tiny pools of Sea World. California may be the first to make a difference in Orca’s lives, now the rest of the world can be a part of the change. Annotation of Information Sources Martinez, Michael. (2014, March 8). Seaworld ‘Blackfish’ backlash: Richard Bloom calls for banning orca shows. Retrieved from http://www.wptv.com/news/state/seaworld-blackfish-backlash-richard-bloom-calls-for-banning-orca-shows

Great Depression Essays (3565 words) - Economy Of The United States

Great Depression Essays (3565 words) - Economy Of The United States Great Depression Greg Squires The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one which touched virtually all of the industrialized world. The Depression began in late 1929 and lasted for nearly a decade. Many factors played a role in bringing about the Depression; however, the main cause for the Great Depression was the combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920's, and the extensive stock market speculation that took place during the latter part that same decade. The mal-distribution of wealth in the 1920's existed on many levels. Money was distributed disparately between the rich and the middle-class, between industry and agriculture within the United States, and between the U.S. and Europe. This imbalance of wealth created an unstable economy. The excessive speculation in the late 1920's kept the stock market artificially high, but eventually lead to large market crashes. These market crashes, combined with the maldistribution of wealth, caused the American economy to capsize. The roaring twenties was an era when our country prospered tremendously. However, the rewards of the Coolidge Prosperity of the 1920's were not shared evenly among all Americans. According to a study done by the Brookings Institute, the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42% in 1929. That same top 0.1% of Americans in 1929 controlled 34% of all savings, while 80% of Americans had no savings at all. Automotive industry mogul Henry Ford provides a striking example of the unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the middle-class. Henry Ford reported a personal income of $14 million in the same year that the average personal income was $750. By present day standards, where the average yearly income in the U.S. is around $18,500, Mr. Ford would be earning over $345 million a year! This maldistribution of income between the rich and the middle class grew throughout the 1920's. While the disposable income per capita rose 9% from 1920 to 1929, those wi th income within the top 1% enjoyed a stupendous 75% increase in per capita disposable income1. A major reason for this large and growing gap between the rich and the working-class people was the increased manufacturing output throughout this period. From 1923-1929 the average output per worker increased 32% in manufacturing. During that same period of time average wages for manufacturing jobs increased only 8%. Thus wages increased at a rate one fourth as fast as productivity increased. As production costs fell quickly, wages rose slowly, and prices remained constant, the bulk benefit of the increased productivity went into corporate profits. In fact, from 1923-1929 corporate profits rose 62% and dividends rose 65%2. The federal government also contributed to the growing gap between the rich and middle-class. Calvin Coolidge's Republican administration (and the conservative-controlled government) favored business, and as a result the wealthy who invested in these businesses. An example of legislation to this purpose is the Revenue Act of 1926, signed by President Coolidge on February 26, 1926, which reduced federal income and inheritance taxes dramatically. Andrew Mellon, Coolidge's Secretary of the Treasury, was the main force behind these and other tax cuts throughout the 1920's. Even the Supreme Court played a role in expanding the gap between the socioeconomic classes. In the 1923 case Adkins v. Children's Hospital, the Supreme Court ruled minimum-wage legislation unconstitutional3. The large and growing disparity of wealth between the well-to-do and the middle-income citizens made the U.S. economy unstable. For an economy to function properly, total demand must equal total supply. In an economy with such diversified distribution of income it is not assured that demand will always equal supply. Essentially what happened in the 1920's was that there was an oversupply of goods. It was not that the surplus products of industrialized society were not wanted, but rather that those whose needs were not satisfied could not afford more, whereas the wealthy were satisfied by spending only a small portion of their income. Three quarters of the U.S. population would spend essentially all of their yearly incomes to purchase consumer goods such as food, clothes, radios, and cars. These were the poor and middle class: families with incomes around, or usually less than, $2,500 a year. The

Love Actually Quotes

Love Actually Quotes The 2003 movie Love Actually emphasizes the funny side of love through an interesting series of plots and subplots. The movie follows eight couples- each telling a tale of love and adding a fresh perspective. Their tales are loosely interconnected, and all are set during a month before Christmas in London. If you are in love  or have been in love, you will empathize with the characters in Love Actually. Hugh Grant, Billy Bob Thornton, Laura Linney, and others put in terrific performances. Check out the quotes to reminisce about the movie. Judy All I want for Christmas is you. Aurelia  [in Portuguese] I will miss you. And your very slow typing... and your very bad driving.Thank you. That will be nice. Yes is being my answer. Easy question. Juliet All I want is just one shot of me in a wedding dress that isnt bright turquoise. Sam But you know the thing about romance is people only get together right at the very end.Lets go get the shit kicked out of us by love. Karen True love lasts a lifetime.Weve never got friendly. I just wanted to say I hope that can change. Im nice, I really am, apart from my terrible taste in pie. And it would be great if we could be friends.Get a grip; people hate sissies. No ones ever going to shag you if you cry all the time.The trouble with being the Prime Ministers sister is it does put your life into a rather harsh perspective. What did my brother do today? He stood up and fought for his country. And what did I do? I made a paper-mache lobster head. Karl Life is full of interruptions and complications. Mia Ill just be hanging around the mistletoe, hoping to be kissed. Billy Mack When I was young and successful, I was greedy and foolish, and now Im left with no one ... wrinkled and alone. Jamie [in Portuguese] Beautiful Aurelia, Ive come here with a view of asking you to marriage me. I know I  seems  an insane person- because I hardly  knows  you- but sometimes things are so transparency, they dont need evidential proof. And I will inhabit here, or you can inhabit with me in England.Christmas is a time for people with someone they love in their lives. Daniel Youve seen the films, kiddo. It aint over til its over.Jo and I had, uh, a lot of time to prepare for this moment. Some of her, uh, requests- for instance, that I should bring Claudia Schiffer as my date to the funeral- I was confident she expected me to ignore.Tell her that you love her. Youve got nothing to lose, and youll always regret it if you dont. Colin American girls would seriously dig me with my cute British accent.I am Colin. God of sex. Im just on the wrong continent, thats all.Im on Shag Highway heading west. Sarah Hello, darling. No, no, Im not busy. No ... fire away. Prime Minister I had an uncle called Terence once. Hated him. I think he was a pervert. But I very much like the look of you.Who do you have to screw around here to get a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit?