Alternative Finance Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Alternative Finance Models - Essay Example After the end of World War II there have been various innovations in the Banking sector and communication and technology have played a major role in aiding these innovations. The question is, however, whether the financial system that countries have been following is reliable or not. The system failed in the recent financial crisis and many countries such as Bangladesh are now finding alternative finance models such as Grameen Banking and the Gulf countries have now introduced Islamic Banking. Both of these models have certain attributes that differentiates them from the conventional Banking system. The choice of the system depends on the nature of the country and the series of policies being followed by the government. According to the World Bank estimate, around 1.3 billion people live on less than a dollar per day. Grameen Bank system was formed in 1976 by Muhammed Yunus, with a vision to eradicate poverty from Bangladesh. (Anon., n.d.) This Bank is designed especially for the poor who have no education, no credit history and no assets to offer to the Bank (Latifee, 2008). The bank also aims to empower poor women who are usually the bread earners of the family (Anon., n.d.). Women in Bangladesh are engaged in activities such as farming or raising poultry and they need small loans in order to meet their daily needs. Furthermore, women in Bangladesh are not educated and lack the basic knowledge about banking activities. The Grameen Bank was formed especially for women in the rural areas who do not have the finances to pay for their children’s education or to pay for basic necessities such as food and water. With the Grameen bank designed especially for the poor these women and men can now go to the bank and avail the financial services like any other individual residing in the urban area. For example women can get loans from the Bank and start up their own business. The loan can be repaid within a period of 3 months or 3 years depending on the amount. There are no requirements for getting the loan but members are usually required to memorize the resolutions proposed by the Bank. These resolutions include statements such as â€Å"I will use clean drinking water, I will wash vegetables with clean water, I will use contraception when possible† and so on. It has been estimated that the population growth in Bangladesh fell after the Grameen Banking system was introduced (Yunus, 1999). The concept of resolutions was Muhammed Yunus’s idea and he wanted to educate the women of his own country and help them improve their standards of living. His strategy has worked and over 5% of borrowers from the Grameen Bank rose above the poverty level and extreme poverty decl ined by 70% in a span of 5 years (Yunus, 1999). The Bank also serves the beggars though its struggling members program. The main features of this program are: The rules of Grameen Bank do not apply to these members and they can form their own rules All loans given to these struggling families are free of interest and they can pay installments in any way they are comfortable with The beggars are not asked to give up begging but they are asked to engage in other income generating activities. The main idea behind this step is to slowly move these beggars away from beggary and introduce them to other income generating activities. Such programs help the poor in ways one could not have imagined. Grameen Bank is probably the first Bank in the history of Banking which is 100% made for the poor and of the poor. The poor own the Bank; after a year of membership they can buy shares in the bank and become members. According to the founder Muhammed Yunus around 94% of the bank is owned

Cultural Differences Between Employees Management Essay

Cultural Differences Between Employees Management - Essay Example While superficially it might seem the first three elements of the analysis, (Political, Economic, and Sociological), might seem to be the most applicable to a discussion of culture within the workplace, the others are as well. PESTLE has been used by many companies to examine both the internal and external factors that will influence both present and future business. It is a way of viewing complex situations through the prism of a strong model that can both provide a rational framework for the examination of complex issues and also provide a foundation for the possible alleviation of the problems discovered. Thus the problem of "culture" is one that is posed for nearly all managers in all businesses, but especially within increasingly diverse environments such as are found in Europe. First of all, what does "culture" mean The dictionary defines it in the following manner: What does such an esoteric subject have to do with the ordinary business environment one might ask Basically, culture is all the beliefs, biases, likes, dislikes and general attitude towards life that an employee brings into the workplace. If all these were homogeneous within each company then culture could be ignored as it would be shared and unified. Problems arise when a culture is not shared, specifically when a particular manner, way of speaking or belief conflicts with another. On a most basic level, one might deal with the problem with hand gestures.  

Artist Statement Visual Arts and Film Studies Personal Statement

Artist Visual Arts and Film Studies - Personal Statement Example Growing up, I always felt confined to rigid thought patterns and strict behavioral expectations. I had to live the way people around me desired, not how I wanted. Added to this was my position as a woman in a highly patriarchal society. I recognize that success would only come from struggle and commitment. My mother once told me that when I was a little girl, she never noticed when I was around because I was introspective, and was always drawing. While my interests and experience has grown significantly since this formative period, I recognize many elements of myself in this early incarnation. Today I remain introspective and committed to art. For me, artistic expression now helps me articulate my feelings and work towards personal development and self-discovery. This is why I love the art of Frida Kahlo. She tells stories about herself and reveals the beauty in this truth. I always care to tell something in my art. I like to draw characters that reflect aspects of my personality â⠂¬â€œ I want my art to speak and to tell the truth. I also recognize that oftentimes things are not black and white; in these instances, art allows me to confront my struggles. When I consider broader issues in my life, I recognize I believe that there is nothing more beautiful than imagination. Without imagination the world’s problems cannot be tackled. ... Psychodynamic theory contends that childhood experiences influence later personal development and motivation. While I am no psychologist, I oftentimes consider that my controlled and restrictive childhood greatly influenced my artistic desire for self-expression. Throughout high school in Kuwait I yearned to simply write my opinion in an essay, yet I always was restricted to what my teacher thought. I remember watching a program about cartooning when I was a child and told my mother that is what I wanted to do with my life. I would dream about becoming an animator and construct stories to songs I would hear. My father was largely indifferent to my aspirations, instead he emphasized math. Still I persisted in my aspirations and still have a dream of becoming an animator. Each time I watch one of my favorite animated films, such as Spirited Away, Triplets of Belleville, or Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, I get inspired about animation. I’m applying to California Institute of t he Arts because of its outstanding Master Degree in Animation program. After researching the program I came to recognize that I would make an excellent fit at your institution and strongly contribute to the artistic environment. Specifically, I appreciate your institution’s emphasis on self-express and diversity of study. I’m familiar with many student films made at your institution and appreciation their process and aesthetic quality. I recognize that many of my artistic conceptions could find expression in such an environment – I have an abundance of plans and projects that I want to bring to life. Being half Arab and half Persian, I have a diverse cultural background that

Development Economics nd interntionl debt crisis Essay

Development Economics nd interntionl debt crisis - Essay Example Rther, it must be understood within the broder context of ntionl governnce nd economic mngement s well s the globl politicl economy, especilly the interntionl finncil rchitecture. The debt problem is intimtely relted to openness nd the cpcity or lck thereof for competitiveness nd beneficil globliztion. Those countries unble or unwilling to tke dvntge of globliztion hve the highest debt burden. In the following pper I will be discussing interntionl debt crisis tht hs been the issue for the lst decdes s well s previous yers. I will provide techniques nd methods tht re considered to be effective in eliminting the debt, review the finncil stte of countries tht mostly suffer from the debt nd come up with conclusions nd recommendtions. To provide blnced pproch, I will briefly discuss domestic debt: wht it is, its importnce for the domestic economy, why it hs been going up for most of the poor indebted countries, nd the need to tke n integrted pproch to understnding nd mnging the ntionl deb t. The prolonged debt crisis of developing countries hs lwys been ssocited with ctive serches for different strtegies for solving the crisis. t the beginning, emphsis ws on rescheduling debt pyments to give debtor countries more time nd to provide them with dditionl finncil resources to meet their current nd future obligtions. Debt-equity swps, lso known s debt-equity conversion, refers to process or processes by which debt instrument of debtor country, denominted in foreign exchnge, is converted into n equity investment in tht country. For exmple, if Brzil borrows $100 million from n mericn bnk, the lon cn be converted into debt-equity swps whereby the mericn bnk, or other investors, converts the mrket vlue of the lon into equity shres of Brzilin compny. The process of converting debt into equity vries from country to country. In simplified form, here re the common steps. To begin with, n investor wishing to invest in debtor country through the debt-equity swps submits proposl to the debtor government. Once the proposl is pproved, the investor purchses the debt of tht country, often owed to n interntionl bnk. The price pid is less thn the fce vlue of the debt instrument, clculted to reflect the mrket expecttions concerning the likelihood tht the debt will be serviced ccording to the originl schedule. The more severely indebted country is, the less likely it is to service its debt ccording to schedule nd, therefore, the lower the price the investors py for the debt-equity swps. Once the sle is complete, it is presented to the centrl bnk for redemption in the locl currency. The centrl bnk pys somewhere between the fce vlue nd the secondry mrket vlue of the pper. Investors then use these funds to mke their investments. To mximize the benefits nd minimize the costs of debt-equity swps, debtor countries develop policy frmework nd detiled guidelines for their implementtion. The guidelines generlly define the eligible investors, purpose for the investments, priority sectors or geogrphicl res for the investments, restrictions on profit remittnce nd cpitl reptrition, nd requirements for new money inflows. Regrding eligibility, n importnt issue is whether the debtor

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Research Paper - 6

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) - Research Paper Example Management of risks associated with exposure to PAHS depends on the levels and the duration of exposure. If an individual is exposed to acute high doses, decontamination and other supportive measures should be the basic objectives (Feng, Sun and Song, 2014). Decontamination should be carried out by washing up the individual and cleaning up the clothes. The skin of the victim should be thoroughly scrubbed with soap and water as soon as possible. The victim should also be isolated from a polluted environment to a place with clean air (Plant et al., 2012). Other supportive care such as pulmonary functional tests should be routinely carried out. X-rays to determine the level of damage to the lungs should be carried out also. For ocular contamination, the patient should be treated by irrigating the eye (Whitacre and Ware, 2008). If an individual has been exposed to low levels of PAHS for a long time, they eventually develop toxicity. For effective care, the patient should be taught about the risks associated with exposure to PAHS and how to avoid further exposure (Friis, 2008). They should be informed of the possibility of developing bronchogenic cancer and the additive effects of exposure to cigarette smoke and other related toxic agents. The parents should be made to follow-up periodic evaluations for treatment of symptoms associated with PAHS exposure. Risk communication to individuals exposed to PAHS should take into account the challenges associated with trying to maintain a balance between concern and undue alarm to the patient. This is because PAHS are complex, and hence it is impossible to predict their carcinogenicity based only on several of the components. Effective risk communication should involve a comprehensive education programme on the dangers of PAHS exposure. Medical surveillance of workers who are at the risk of exposure to PAHS should be done to inform them of the dangers of overexposure

Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release Essay - 2

Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release - Essay Example As the whole event unfolded, the company took the action of keeping the families, friends, and the employees informed about the condition of the victims, at one point a video was played showing their condition; they were able to sing the national anthem. The constant communication relayed to the people was very important as it kept them with high hopes. The government presence also played a major role, as the workers were assured of government protection. Keywords: Audience, Communication, Mines, Report, Victims, Memo, Accident, Family, Friends, Employees, Protection, Expectation, Hope, Information Considerations to remember given different roles and the audiences According to Lundgren and McMakin (2013), one cannot communicate unless he or she knows the audience with whom to pass the message. It is a noble thing to know the audience to avoid limiting oneself to one form of communication. In this case of trapped miners, the audience comprise of the families, friends, workmates, and t he entire nation. All are very much depressed and hopeless; therefore, the information required is the one that will give them hope and expectation. They characteristics the information should have are highlighted as follows: The message delivered should carry a lot of hope and encouragement, and ensure the drafted information to be released should meet the people’s expectations, and to a larger extent, be persuasive and convincing. This will calm the people’s emotions. Communication given must outline the effort carried out to salvage the lives of the victims. It should also be timely; that is to say, the report should be released to the people early and updates given most frequently. This will enable the people to track the progress of the operation. The method of revealing information to the people should be carefully considered amongst the many forms like, face to face, written memos, emails, and press releases. The well chosen form should be the one that will reac h the targeted audience conveniently, in time, and provide a means of dialogue, if appropriate. For the case of San_Jos mines accident, psychologists had to review the video that was due to be revealed to the people. Potential need of the family members It should be noted that in such incidents, the families of the victims are the most traumatized audience, and at such moments, their great desire is to get the report concerning the well being of their loved ones. The first thing they would want to hear is that their loved ones are alive. According to the New York Times ( â€Å" Chile Mining Incident (2010),† 2011), during the rescue process, a modified telephone was provided to the trapped victims, they were thus able to sing their National anthem, and this caused a lot of jubilation amongst their relatives. This outlines that their key need is to know that they are alive. Another important requirement by the relatives is assurance in the rescue process; they would like the m atter be handled timely and their trapped relatives to come out alive. Potential needs of the employees The employees would like to know how the company has responded to the accident. They want their workmates be rescued, and they also want to know how the company is prepared to respond to such calamities, since they are much aware that they are in a similar risk. Additionally, their requirement is to see that the victims receive compensation from the company and that their job

Womens Political Participation in Iraq Research Proposal

Womens Political Participation in Iraq - Research Proposal Example In this vein my dissertation explores whether these expectations have been achieved five years down the lane since the Iraq war. My initial research in the field of investigation of 'women and political participation' as I sifted through academic and political commentaries pertaining to the issue of women and empowerment reveals that there is a recurring trend of the problems that women face throughout the globe. It is also possible to see that the women's participation in the democratic process in Iraq can be divided into historical phases. Whereas the decade of the sixties witnessed a growth in the number of more politically aware women in the country's economic, political and civil spheres of the society particularly through the public/government sector. The advent of the Bathist party in the early seventies also saw the "Education for all" initiative which made women's liberation a supreme tenet of its agenda based upon the prevalent socialist ideology .This is did little for the private sphere as the Muslim Shariah laws were discriminatory against women. Things did not look good for the development of the "Women's liberation" in the mid eighties which witnessed an Iraq tumultuously struggling in the Iraq-Iran conflict and the birth of an increasingly secularist state which targeting the clerical fundamentalist minority of the country's political arena. The subsequent suppression of this fundamentalist element caused social conservatism so where as the women were active economically but politically their position weakened and this caused the decade to witness an increased breach of women's rights and liberties. The nineties saw a wave of religious fundamentalism backed by the public sector and there was an increase in Burqa and Hij ab clad women and there were less women in the work force and colleges. The decaying economy and the decreased salaries were equally pivotal in discouraging women's work and education. It is often said that the condition of women's liberation and empowerment was worse under Saddam's regime than compared to Afghan women under the Taliban and it is often argued that the political and economic status of women was greatly brutalized under Saddam.At the end of the war it is estimated that only 25% of Iraqi women are literate and nearly 20% of the women are employed. (UNESCO estimates). Literature Review Proposed Division of Chapters in the literature review It is intended that this literature review will consist of 4 chapters Chapter 1, Women Political Participation Global facts and figures; this will include the number of seats that