6 Ways to Seriously Improve Your Networking Skills

6 Ways to Seriously Improve Your Networking Skills When you have been job hunting, you may depend on networking with people you know to help you get the type of position you want. However, by improving your networking skills, you can use untapped resources and be more proactive in your job search. Being proactive can help you reach your goal of a job more quickly. 1. Send a MessageOver the years, you may have met a number of people you can include in your networking search and now, in addition to searching job sites, you are networking through friends, business contacts and others that you know. However, those people may not know what type of job you are looking for and what you do. By sending these people a short email or calling to ask if they will keep an eye out for job opportunities in your niche, you can widen your job hunt.2. Join Groups in Your FieldJoining groups related to your field and alumni associations and their hosted events give you an added opportunity to network. Former classmates who are in the same field can prov ide potential leads on jobs. Groups with hosted events let you widen your range of acquaintances, and that may give you new leads on jobs. You might even consider doing a volunteer speaking stint to get your name and expertise more widely known.3. Check Social MediaChecking Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media sites is a good way to reconnect. In addition, you can look at friends of these colleagues to find possible new connections and ask them for an introduction to expand your job search base. You probably have a number of friends on Facebook. Tell them you are job searching, and enlist their aid to put the word out. Engage in sites such as LinkedIn Events and Eventful to find helpful events to aid your job search.4. Add to Your Networking StrategyAlthough you can’t go around flinging your business card at everyone you meet, it is a good idea to take some along. When you’ve had what you consider a helpful conversation with an individual, handing over one of your business cards and expressing interest in working for his or her company can be helpful.5.Don’t Make It All About YouWhen you are helpful to others, they are more likely to be helpful to you. Don’t make it all about you, but listen well and show an interest in what others are saying. Contacts will be more likely to think of you if you have a friendly relationship that has been built on trust.6. Practice Your SpeechJust as you would practice a speech for a hiring manager, practice asking job contacts to help or recommend you for a job. You don’t want to take up too much of someone’s time because that can make you look desperate, and keeping your speech short and appealing but to the point can be a good idea. Keep an eye on the other individual’s body language before asking for help. An open individual with positive body language is more likely to assist you.Good networking is one way that you can conduct a job search. Another good way to job search is to have it done for you. TheJobNetwork does exactly that by searching around the clock to find job listings and sending them to you by email. After you fill out your qualifications and job interests, you can start receiving job matches to find the perfect job for you. To get started, sign up for job match alert.

Conservation of Natural Resources Essays

Conservation of Natural Resources Essays Conservation of Natural Resources Essay Conservation of Natural Resources Essay Soils Conservation:Easier Soil is the loose top layer of our planets crust. It is dirt or earth in which plant life can grow. Harder Soil covers a major portion of the earths land surface. It is an important natural resource that either directly or indirectly supports most of the planets life. Life here depends upon soil for food. Plants are rooted in soil and obtain needed nutrients there. Animals get their nutrients from plants or from other animals that eat plants. Many animals make their homes or are sheltered in the soil. Microbes in the soil cause the breakdown and decay of dead organisms, a process that in turn adds more nutrients to the soil. Soil is a mixture of mineral and organic materials plus air and water. The contents of soil varies in different locations and is constantly changing. There are many different kinds and types of soils. Each has certain characteristics including a specific color and composition. Different kinds of soils support the growth of different types of plants and also determine how well that plant life grows. Soil is formed slowly, but can be easily destroyed. Therefore, soil conservation is important for continued support of life. Forest Conservation: CONSERVATION OF forest is certainly a necessity that requires to be addressed as a priority. For the survival of human beings, a holistic approach is required to be adopted as regards protection of the plant kingdom as well as the wildlife with regard to the peaceful and mutually beneficial co-existence of all. To prevent any kind of ecological imbalance a very pragmatic action plan has to be formulated. Towards achieving this many legislation have been enacted in India and elsewhere. At the international level also the world communities, being concerned with the deteriorating situation worldwide, have joined hands towards finding a lasting and sustainable solution by deliberating on the subject in various conventions like that in Rio-de Janeiro and the latest Doha round of talks. These are truly welcome moves taken by the world community. Coming back to India, there are legislations galore to deal with the situation by way of wildlife protection, forest conservation, environment protection laws etc. No doubt, the aims and object of such legislations are in tune with the call of the hour. Forests are being denuded haphazardly. Deforestation in a rampant manner by various elements has depleted the forest areas forcing the wild life to lesser domains and as a result of this rampage of human habitat by wild pachyderms and other animals have become a regular phenomenon in certain areas. Forests are being encroached by people who have been displaced from their original habitat for various reasons like construction of huge electricity generating dams, ethnic clashes, floods caused by breach of river embankments and dams etc. Being forced to the wall by making these people devoid of shelter, at a time when even the United Nations Organisation gives much priority to providing shelter to the homeless, they are compelled to establish their habitat by waging war with the nature by way of deforestation and environmental degradation. The Union of India has passed the Forest (conservation) Act making it mandatory to obtain prior approval of the Union government for using forest land for non-forest purposes. Even for cultivation of tea, rubber, spices, and medicinal plants among others. In this regard, there is bar imposed in de-reservation of any reserved forests. For grant of any approval for such acts of using forest areas for non-forest purposes, an Advisory Committee is constituted under the statute. It thus connotes that with prior approval of the Central government, forest areas may be utilized for other purposes. In Assam, India, in the not very remote past, the democratically established government demolished a great area of human habitation by engaging tuskers in the name of clearing reserved forest land from encroachment. Ironically enough, the area has been under human habitation for quite a long span of time of some decades. Many multi- storied buildings, school buildings, community halls, prayer halls, libraries and many more established gardens etc were razed to the ground causing loss of property worth several billions belonging to the citizens of the welfare state. It is also a point to be noted that there was no forest as such for about half a century in the area. It was an act of high handedness on the part of the government for some hidden political agenda. However, after a huge furore that erupted after the incident, the eviction operation was stalled in the long run; but the damage was already done. In referring to the incident, it needs to be asserted that laws are made for the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people and therefore, human considerations must receive precedence over everything else. In the name of protecting the forest, human lives can never be sacrificed. It needs reiteration that laws are for benefit of man and not vice versa. In a democratic country where welfare of the people is of paramount importance, the powers that be at the first instance must take recourse to explore the possibilities for providing protection to the people rather than giving primacy to preservation of forest over human beings. If human beings are sacrificed for protection of forest, only forests will remain and human beings will be extinct. This needs to be kept in mind by all the people at the helm of affairs – only when human beings exist they will be able to occupy the seats of power they are occupying now. Coal Oil Conservation:Perhaps in the near future, but there is much more to be considered. The cost of replacing batteries in 3 to 5 years offsets a lot of gasoline dollars. Current battery electric cars have limited range and carrying capacity. The hybrid electric cars have long range, but the great looking gas mileage figures on the window sticker are 12mpg lower in the hands of most drivers. Many gasoline and diesel powered economy cars get comparable real world fuel economy as the hybrid at $10,000 lower initial cost and are a lot more fun to drive. There is a lot of potential in battery electric cars for short-range commuters. (Especially if the vehicle size is small and range is less than 75 miles round trip). The battery electric car can be recharged during off peak hours, which makes the electric company happy. Solar panels generating electricity at your home and feeding power back into the grid may help power the community during the day without increased power plant construction and consumption of fuel oil at the power plants. The need to conserve petroleum is very real. Gasoline and diesel powered cars have about 100 years advantage in development over electric cars so catch up will take time. Fuel cell power is a lighter than battery method of storing electricity. I don’t see any advantage in carrying Hydrogen as a fuel unless you are traveling in the vacuum of space. The production of Hydrogen is going to consume a lot of fuel and it tends to explode when accidents happen. It is not a wise choice. Conservation of Wildlife: The Indian subcontinent boasts of serving as the natural habitat of a large and varied wildlife. We can find some of the most magnificent as well as the rarest wildlife species of the world in the country. The beauty and variety we see in the jungles of India is difficult to be expressed in words. However, the past few decades have seen the greed and negligence of human beings working to the detriment of this rich wildlife. Large-scale poaching, habitat destruction and conflict with humans have resulted in a rapid decline in the population of most of the wild animals and birds. Conservation of Indian wildlife was not given the requisite importance for a long time. However, the government as well as the people slowly and gradually understood their responsibility in this context. Today, efforts are being made towards wildlife conservation in India, to preserve this natural wealth. Numerous wildlife conservation projects have been undertaken in India, both at the government as well as the individual level, to protect the rich wildlife of the subcontinent. Threats to Wildlife The major threats being faced by the wildlife in India are: The problem of overcrowding is one of the major reasons for the depleting population of wild animals in India. The wildlife sanctuaries of India have become overcrowded and their capacity has decreased to quite an extent. Tourism in the national parks of the country is increasing day by day. One of the reasons for this is a rise in the popularity of eco-tourism and adventure tourism. This has led to a growth in vehicle pollution and wildlife road fatalities, apart from leading to a damage of the natural habitat of birds and animals. With the increase in tourism, the parks have witnessed an increase in wildfires also. Innocent campfires started by visitors have, more often than not, led to menacing wildfires. These fires not only kill animals, but also destroy their natural habitat. The wildlife of coastal areas is constantly disturbed by personal watercrafts, like jet skis or wave runners. These personal watercrafts enter shallow waters and expel nesting birds from their roosts. Such activities are disturbing the mating pattern of birds. Releasing of chemicals and other toxic effluents into the water bodies has led to poisoning of the water. The animals and birds drinking such water face a fatal threat. Even the population of fish, living in such water bodies, is declining at a fast pace. The climate changes taking place in the world today, are affecting not only humans, but also the wildlife. The natural habitat as well as migration patterns of the animals and birds is experiencing disturb patterns. Last but not the least, the threat of poaching has been haunting the wildlife of India since ages. Even after the establishment of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, the threat of poac hing has not been totally eliminated. Project Tiger Indian government commenced the Project Tiger in 1973-74, with the objective of restraining as well as augmenting the declining population of tigers. Under the project, nine wildlife sanctuaries were taken over and developed into tiger reserves. These reserves were developed as exact replicas of the varied terrains of the country, with their core area being free of any human movement. With time, the number of sanctuaries under the ambit of Project Tiger was increased and by 2003, it had been increased to 27. Along with providing a natural habitat to the tiger, these reserves offer them protection against poaching also. The results are for all to see. After undertaking the project, the population of tigers in India has risen considerably. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) The current WCS program in India was started in 1986, as a single tiger research project at Nagarhole National Park. From a single project, WCS has developed into a comprehensive portfolio of activities related to wildlife. The activities undertaken under the adage of WCS include scientific research, national capacity building, policy interventions, site-based conservation and developing new models of wildlife conservation. Conclusion: An Adaptive Conservation Strategy facilitates â€Å"learning by doing† and â€Å"learning by sharing information,† both of which are science-based. Adaptive management at the site-specific level constitutes â€Å"learning by doing. † The development of species, habitat, or ecosystem Adaptive Conservation Plans (ACPs) constitute â€Å"learning by sharing information. † The goals of an Adaptive Conservation Plan tend to be general and overarching (for example â€Å"promote self-sustaining, functioning riparian ecosystems†)- yet they can only be achieved through a multitude of individual on-the-ground projects that are monitored, assessed, and evaluated at the site-specific project level. An Adaptive Conservation Strategy constitutes a very large feedback loop between site-specific projects and many conservation practitioners with similar interests. Findings from individual projects inform ACPs, while recommendations contained in the ACPs inform management plans that guide the stewardship of natural areas. The crucial components of a successful Adaptive Conservation Strategy (ACS) are collaboration, team work at the project level, keeping data current, information sharing, effective communication, flexibility (from all sides, including funders), and a results-oriented applied focus in monitoring, research, and management. The ACS has, to date, been based on the use of birds as indicators. Continuing research is needed to evaluate and refine our understanding of which bird species are the most accurate indicators of which elements of ecosystem integrity. It is fair to ask, however, whether the ACS process might also be applied in the field using other taxa as indicators (for example, bats or invertebrates). This is an area ripe for future investigation. Natural resource management is an unpredictable process. For this very reason, conservation scientists have an unswerving belief in the power of objective scientific measurement to provide one of the best means for guiding conservation action. Yet managers are often overwhelmed by immediate problems: everything from controversies among conflicting user-groups to exotic species that threaten years of restoration investment to mysterious new plant and animal pathogens. It can be easy, at times, for managers to overlook the important role of science in achieving long-term conservation goals- whether through science partnerships or through participation in research themselves. For their part, conservation scientists must constantly make an effort to reach out to land and ocean managers to ensure that the results of monitoring and research efforts will be relevant and useful in addressing key resource management issues. Both conservation scientists and natural resource managers ultimately serve the same mission: facilitating and advancing successful, cost-effective conservation of our precious natural heritage. An Adaptive Conservation Strategy provides a win-win approach for achieving this mission.

Self Introduction Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Self Introduction Issues - Essay Example I am a deep writer, preferring complex and interconnected topics than straightforward concepts. At the moment, I can say I have been writing for two years. In some cases, especially creative writing, I write papers that are longer than expected because I have â€Å"a lot to talk about.†My personal philosophy on writing is that it is a medium of communication; what I cannot relay verbally I put down. I also believe that writing is part of history. Consequently, by documenting what I experience and think, I leave a historical legacy that others can be inspired by. I hate the ambiguity that sometimes creeps into writing (Widdows 26). Over the years, I have accepted that it is a part of writing that cannot be avoided, but I hate that it hinders my prolificacy. What I like about writing is the appreciation people show for the thoughts and feelings that I put out. The first quote in the book feels true for me; the rest seem to contradict my experiences with – or opinions of à ¢â‚¬â€œ writing.

Durkheim theory of social function Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Durkheim theory of social function - Essay Example Therefore according to Durkheim the existence of crime was and is normal as it has a function in the society. In the case of mark who has been involved in criminal activity it is clear that the society has a mechanism to cater for the crimes, there is the existence of guards and also there is the residential care. These are mechanism in the society to take care for the unlawful in the society. This is according to Durkheim view that crime and deviance in the society is a normal thing and that the parts of the society have a function to play for the proper function of the society. According to Durkheim the society is structured and there exist those roles in the society that are not of much importance to the running of the society, therefore these results into inequality in the society, therefore the issue of inequality and poverty in the society according to Durkheim is a natural thing in the society which is caused by the role importance of individuals. Inequality in our case study is evident from our case study, the inequality displayed in the case is where mark is the first to sit for a state examination in the family, this is inequality displayed in marks family whereby all the other member have not done any state examination but Mark has sat for one. This is inequality in society which is displayed in terms of education level attained. Suicide Durkheim analysed suicide with the use of social integration among groups, he compared the suicide rate among the Protestants and Catholics. In his research he found out that the Protestants had higher suicide rates than Catholics due to the existence of social integration that existed in the two different groups. In the society today people are more likely to commit suicide if there is weak social integration with the other individual in the society as predicted by Durkheim. (2) Marx's theory Karl Marx theory on capitalism discusses the issue of inequality that exists in a capitalist society. According to Marx the society in a capitalist form of society has two groups of people, those who own the means of production and the labourers. According to him the capitalist society is characterised by inequality whereby the bourgeoisies are the ones with wealth and that the labourers work for the owners of the wealth to create wealth. The majority of the people in the society according to Marx are poor because of the capitalist form of society whereby only a few people hold the wealth while others do not have and this is why there is inequality in the society. Therefore there exist inequality in the society because of the capitalist form of society and the only way to get rid of the problem of inequality is through the adoption of the communist form of society, the communist form of society is characterised by equality whereby the wealth in the society is shared by all members of the society and the means of production are owned by the society as a whole and not by individuals. For example in the society we live in today the people who hold wealth are few while those who don't have the wealth are the majority, further those who have the wealth employ those without the wealth and pay them less than they have worked for, this is the capitalist so

Stock Options at eBay Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Stock Options at eBay - Case Study Example With a diverse and passionate community of individuals and small businesses, eBay offers an online platform where millions of items are traded each day. It was started in 1995 with one employee and it has grown to employ thousands of employees today. Any company's future success and profits depend on their employees and the senior management. Even eBay feels that their success was dependant on their key management and their technical staff. As such eBay tries to retain their key personnel officers for the long-term to gain more profits, but they don't have any long term agreements with employees and they don't even maintain life insurance policies on their key employees. eBay attains more profits in land based auction businesses and those are dependent on specialists and senior management as these individuals have established good relations with sellers who transfer property for sale at auction. As the company is growing and the number of employees is also. The company has to attract more people and has to train them and retain them in the company for the long term, particularly the employees who are highly skilled, technical, and m anagerial. Stock options issued by a company allow the employee to buy specific amount of the company's stock at a certain price after a set period of time (the vesting period). Stock options are useful to align the interests of the employee with those of the company. Since the stock options will be profitable only if the company's stock goes up, the employee has incentive to work hard and ensure the success of the company. Also, since the options can only exercised after a certain period of time, the employee has to stay with the company. This promotes employee retention. Furthermore, by giving out stock options, the company can reduce other forms of compensation and reduce its immediate cash expenses. In this way, stock options are a better method of compensation compared to cash or stock. Let's take an example: Let's say you are hired by eBay and they offer you options to buy 10,000 shares of eBay stock at $10 within the next three years. This stock option gives you the right to buy 10,000 shares of eBay stock at exactly $10 after three years. Let's say after three years eBay stock is at $15, you can exercise your stock options, buy 10,000 shares for $100,000 and sell them on them for $150,000 making a $50,000 profit. Now, let's say eBay's price after three years is $5, your options would be worthless. Thus the options incentivize you to work hard to ensure eBay is successful as measure by a stock price greater than $10. Also, you are required to stay for at least three years to profit from your options. From this example, it is clear how stock options align the interests of employees with those of the company and promote retention. The options did not also cost the company upfront. Neither cash nor stock has all these advantages, and hence eBay compensates employees with stock options. Question 2: What are at least four benefits of choosing stock options over other compensation methods Compensation packages are a means by which companies can achieve several different goals related to recruitment,

Cyclone Nargis in Burma: Aid Analysis

Cyclone Nargis in Burma: Aid Analysis Introduction On May 2nd 2008 a category 3 cyclone hit the Irrawaddy delta in Southern Myanmar. Nargis, as it was named, was the worst natural disaster in Myanmars recorded history (TCG 2008). It ended up claiming the lives of almost 140,000 people in addition to displacing a further 800,000. The United Nations reported that overall the cyclone had disrupted the lives of nearly 2.4 million people (Crisis Group 2008). The Myanmar government, or the State Protection and Democracy Council (SPDC), had neither the resources nor the experience to deal with such an event and as a result, assistance from the international community was needed (Selth 2008). The purpose of this paper is to examine the aid delivered to Myanmar by various international government and civil society groups. In an attempt to do so the paper looks at the at delivery of the aid in light of the influence of international politics, the domestic policies adopted by the SPDC, international funding issues, the effectiveness of the human rights system, and issues related culture, environment and gender. Influence of International Politics One of the factors that had a significant impact on the delivery of aid to the cyclone victims was the influence international politics on the decision making process. This section of the paper takes a look at the manner in which politics determined the course of the humanitarian operation in Myanmar. First of all, it is of importance to highlight the fact that for twenty years before Nargis struck the Irrawaddy delta, Myanmar had been deprived of international aid. The international community hoped that by enforcing sanctions and trade embargos they would be able to force the military regime out of political power and bring in a more democratic government. The devastating consequence of cyclone Nargis, however, made the international governments and non government organizations realize that they had to suspend those polices temporarily in an attempt to provide the much needed humanitarian aid to the victims. (Crisis Group 2008) Unfortunately, for several weeks the SPDC continued to hinder the international humanitarian operation. They insisted upon delivering aid themselves with as little help from overseas as possible. They blocked access to the affected region and refused to grant visas to international aid workers (Selth 2008). They also prevented French, UK and US aid vessels from entering Myanmar territory. Despite the fact that these ships were carrying supplies to feed and shelter the survivors, the junta feared that the humanitarian operation could be used as a pretense to overthrow their government. Consequently the aid vessels, which the SPDC viewed as warships, were left anchored in international waters for weeks awaiting permission to unload the much need supplies, before they went back. (Stover and Vinck 2008) This pattern of events prompted several European countries to view the SPDCs response to the disaster as a crime against humanity. They accused the SPDC of having had inadequate aid measures in place and its continued rejection of aid from abroad was considered to be a deliberate disregard for the citizens of Myanmar (Crisis Group 2008). Therefore, the French government, with the support of the British and US governments, requested the UN Security Council to authorize the Responsibility to Protect  doctrine for the purpose of delivering aid to the victims by force if necessary (Belanger and Horsey 2008). However, Chinese and Russian governments rejected the proposal based on the fact that the doctrine did not apply to natural disasters and as a result was not sanctioned by the Security Council (Selth 2008). Eventually signs of cooperation between the SPDC and the international community began to emerge. First there was a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), where it was established that aid could be delivered to the region through ASEAN representatives. Next, at a meeting between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Senior General Than Shwe in Naypyitaw it was agreed that the SPDC would allow international aid workers full access to the disaster sites. As an outcome of these two meetings the SPDC along with representative from the UN and ASEAN set up the Tripartite Core Group (TCG), as a means to coordinate the cooperative relief effort. (ALTSEAN 2008) Domestic Policies Even after granting visas to the aid workers, the SPDC implemented certain domestic policies that hindered the international relief effort. An example of such a deterring policy is the confinement of international aid workers to the immediate Yangon area. As a result of this policy, foreign staff members distributing relief materials and food donated by the international community could only work from Yangon region. They had to rely on the junta to distribute it outside the city borders. In addition, the junta also set up road blocks preventing access to the affected areas in an attempt to further restrict the movements of international aid workers. (ALTSEAN 2008) Additionally the SPDC was cautious of the types of materials they allowed to be brought in as aid. They prevented aid agencies from delivering any materials that could be used by the survivors to gain access to outside world. As a result, the SPDC banned the import and use of communication equipments unless purchased from the government, at a price of $1,500 per phone. Each agency was allowed purchase a maximum of ten phones. Furthermore, the SPDC did not allow aid agencies to import vehicles or machinery from abroad either. An offer by the British government to provide the SPDC with equipment capable of unloading planes faster was turned down. As a result, because of these policies adopted by the SPDC, the delivery of aid was not only slow and delayed but huge quantities of relief supplies ended up in Yangon warehouses as confiscated items instead of being delivered to the victims. (ALTSEAN 2008) Another major criticism of SPDC domestic policies was the fact that they conducted the constitutional referendum despite the cyclone disaster. The purpose of the election was to legitimize the authority of the junta. As a result they went ahead with the elections amidst widespread disapproval. Even though, the junta postponed the referendum in the cyclone affected areas they went ahead with the elections the in other regions (Selth 2008). Consequently, the SPDC had to commit the limited resources it had to the referendum which diverted the much needed attention away from delivering aid to those affected by the cyclone. In addition the SPDC forcefully evicted many of the survivors from both government and unofficial shelters for the purpose of conducting the referendum. For example, the SPDC evicted around 90 people from a hall in Yangon so that the hall could be used as a polling station (Amnesty International 2008). Therefore, international politics combined with domestic policies ensured that the delivery of aid for the victims of Nargis was not an easy matter. To complicate things further the international community faced certain funding issues as well. The next section of the paper takes a closer look at those issues. International Funding Issues Aside from the onsite hindrances of delivering aid the international aid agencies had issues related to raising adequate funds. During the initial emergency response the World Food Program (WFP) estimated that the daily aid delivered to the victims was only one third of the required amount (ALTSEAN 2008). A year later half a million people are still without proper housing and 350,000 people require food donations from the World Food Program (Solomon 2009). The original Myanmar Cyclone Flash Appeal had requested for 187.3 million dollars for the rebuilding effort. However, after a more comprehensive assessment of the affected area and the victims a revised Flash Appeal requesting $481 million was launched (UN 2008). Unfortunately, during the emergency phase of the operation, international aid agencies were able to raise only 66 percent of that amount. Similarly, of the nearly $700 million required for the three years Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP), initiated by the SPDC in association with ASEAN and the UN, only $100 million had been pledged by donor countries (Mungpi 2009). The lack of adequate funding drastically reduced the rate at which aid was being delivered to those in need. Despite the obvious need for additional funding, international aid agencies were unable to accumulate funding the way in which they did during the 2004 Asian Tsunami. One of the major reasons for this was the reluctance of governments to provide additional funding to military junta. They feared that their donations were being diverted away from the victims and were being used to strengthen the military regime instead. Such fears were reaffirmed by evidence of aid being stolen and redirected by the SPDC. For example, the first two WFP planes carrying food into Myanmar were seized by the government upon arrival. The WFP responded by suspending their flights to Myanmar, however, in light of the extent of the humanitarian crisis the WFP realized that they had to resume the flights and send aid irrespective of fact that it might get sized again. In addition there were reports of incidents where the victims being made to pay for the relief items. In some cases the government agents forced the survivors to vote Yes  in the referendum before giving them their aid supplies. Survivors were also reportedly given rotten, low quality food instead of the nutrition-rich biscuits that the international donors had sent. Instead, these items ended up being sold in the markets along with the rice and oil donated by international organizations. To counter these accusations SPDC issued a warning to take legal action against anyone caught stealing relief supplies. However, the threat never materialized, and as a result reports of stolen and missing aid continued to appear, which further discouraged international donors and caused additional funding issues for the aid agencies. (ALTSEAN 2008) The implementation of the human rights system According to an international system of human rights, in the event of a natural disaster, every individual has the right to be given protection from natural hazards, evacuate if necessary and be given access to adequate quantities of food, shelter, and medicine. It is the national authoritys responsibility to provide these services; however, in cases where the authority is either unable or unwilling to provide these services the international community has a humanitarian obligation to deliver the aid instead (Caritas 2008). It was this system of human rights that was used by the international community to aid the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Facing numerous previously mentioned SPDC created obstacles the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on June 18 condemning the continued violation of the rights of the cyclone survivors. The resolution demanded that the SPDC allow aid workers immediate, full and unhindered access  to the Irrawaddy delta and stop forcing t he survivors to return to their cyclone affected village homes where access to emergency relief was inadequate. (Akimoto 2008) However, a year later international relief workers still find it difficult to get visas for Myanmar. Those that do get the in are only allowed a limited period of time to work in the Irrawaddy delta (Solomon 2009). Furthermore, since declaring the end of the rescue and relief phase of the cyclone Nargis response on 20 May 2008 the SPDC ordered increasing number of traumatized cyclone victims to return to their homes despite the fact that they no to access to food, shelter or other aid supplies in those villages (Amnesty International 2008). Therefore, even though it was through the human rights system that the international community was able to provide assistance to the survivors, the domestic policies adopted by the military junta greatly diminished the effectiveness of its application. Many of these domestic policies that hindered the delivery of aid to the victims of the cyclone resulted from certain cultural beliefs that the military junta has. The next section of the paper takes a look at some of these cultural issues that have made delivering aid difficult. Cultural Issues One of the major cultural issues that made the process of restoring the Irrawaddy delta immensely difficult is rooted in the isolationist principles of the military junta. Since the 1960s the government of Myanmar endorsed a self-reliance doctrine where they believed that their nation and citizens would do better if left on their own. Consequently they avoided accepting assistance from abroad even if caused more hardships (Belanger and Horsey 2008: 2). This belief was a major factor behind the initial denial of international assistance. This tradition of self reliance also resulted in the survivors being prematurely sent back to their cyclone devastated homes. Just after a month after the cyclone, the government declared that the survivors had to return to their villages and resume their way of living. According to the SPDC, cyclone victims would otherwise become too dependent on relief from international donors and not be productive enough to support themselves. In some cases, the government forcibly evicted people from their shelters and sent them back to their villages by the use of force. In Yangon, for example, the military reportedly threatened to shoot those that would not return to their villages. (Shwe 2008) Another major cultural issue within Myanmar stems from the fact it is a multi-ethnic country with several groups in conflict with one another. Even the delta region is home to a number of different ethnic groups with the Bamar being the dominant group in the region followed by the Karen and then the Rakhaing. As a result the international aid agencies had to ensure that no particular ethnic group was given preferential treatment or overlooked during the operation. Otherwise intergroup tensions worsened the already strained relations between the various ethnic groups. On the other hand aid through an equitable and non-sectarian delivery of aid the aid agencies were able to make different groups together. (TCG 2008) Environmental Issues Environmental issues also presented themselves as factors that needed to be considered by the aid agencies. Due to the damages caused by the cyclone the local environment in the Irrawaddy delta created severe health issues for the survivors. The contamination of the ponds and lakes, used by villagers as drinking water, with sea water and dead bodies spread dengue fever, diarrhea and dysentery across the region. Despite efforts by the government and international medical groups the damage done to the local environment, continued to create serious health concerns for the survivors. (Shwe 2008) Aside from causing physical harm, environmental damages placed a severe strain on the economic wellbeing of an already impoverished society. The fact that the majority of the victims of Nargis belonged to rural societies they relied on agriculture as their main source of income. In addition the delta region also produced a major portion of the countries of food supply. Therefore, the destruction of the agricultural sector meant that not only were the residents of the Irrawaddy to suffer severe economic hardships, but the entire country would have food shortages for several years unless the aid agencies addressed the issue. Therefore, the rehabilitation of the region, expected to cost $11 billion, remains a top priority for aid agencies (TCG 2008) A third environment related issue is associated with the loss of the mangrove forests in the region. The spread of shrimp farms and rice paddies for over a period of ten years resulted in the loss of significant portion of the mangrove covering. The presence of the mangrove forest would have reduced the extent of the damage caused by Nargis (TCG 2008). Consequently the IUCN suggested that once the emergency aid had been provided, the government and other organizations needed to restore the mangrove forest and other coastal ecosystem in order to avoid future devastations caused by cyclones. (IUCN 2008) Gender Issues According to a report published by the TCG, 61 percent of those that died in the cyclone were women, with the number being even higher in certain villages. Furthermore, the majority of the women that died were aged between the 18-60 years, the age group that is the most the productive and reproductive. Therefore, the cyclone created a gender imbalance in the delta region which in turn created several issues for the aid agencies (TCG 2008). This section of the paper takes a look at some of the gender issues created by Nargis, particularly the ones related to division of labor, migration of women into cities and the overall difference in needs of men and women in the aftermath of a natural disaster. First of all Nargis caused a shift in the division of labor among men and women. The death of the female members of the household meant that the men had to take on responsibilities that were traditionally reserved for women, such as cooking and childcare. Similarly, in families where the men died women had to take on the responsibility of earning money in addition to their previous roles. As a result it created additional burden for the widows and widowers and prevented them from performing other duties and as such had to be treated as among the most vulnerable groups in the community (TCG 2009) Another gender related issue created by the cyclone involves women migrating from the rural sectors to the urban regions. The devastation to the region that Nargis caused left unmarried women with very limited opportunities to earn a living. As a result many were prompted to leave their villages and look for work in the city. Once in the city, these women, with no experience of life outside their village, became easy targets for exploitation, forced labor, prostitution and trafficking. (TCG 2008) Finally aid agencies had to implement different aid mechanisms for the men and women of the delta region who experienced the natural disaster in different ways and as such needed to be looked upon as separate interest groups with specific needs, limitations and abilities. Due to cultural and social restrictions women, comparatively, have fewer opportunities to improve their conditions on their own. As a result the aid agencies, helping women recover, needed to provide services that allowed women to improve their ability to participate in activities and decision making processes. (TCG 2008) Conclusion Therefore, it can be seen from this paper that the delivery of aid to a country devastated by a natural disaster requires the consideration of a variety of factors. In the case of Nargis wrecking the Irrawaddy delta in Myanmar, the international community had to deal with a military government intent on hindering the aid effort. After having convinced the SPDC to let international aid workers enter Myanmar the aid agencies faced additional difficulties due to the domestic policies. Moreover, with the junta diverting and stealing aid the availability of international funds became an issue as well. Despite, having had used the international system of human rights to initiate the delivery of aid to the affected groups, the overall international response was not as effective in preventing the violation of the survivors human rights. Cultural, environmental and gender issues inside the Irrawaddy delta complicated matters further; illustrating the complexity of the delivering aid to an isolated developing country struggling to cope with a natural disaster. Reference Akimoto, Y. (2008) Post Nargis Analysis: The other side of the Story  [http://www.dhf.uu.se/pdffiler/burma_post_nargi_analysis.pdf] ALTSEAN (2008) SPDC turns disaster into catastrophe [http://www.altsean.org/Docs/PDF%20Format/Thematic%20Briefers/SPDC%20turns%20disaster%20into%20catastrophe.pdf] Amnesty International (2008) Myanmar Briefing: Human rights concerns a month after Cyclone Nargis [http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA16/013/2008/en/8592e938-32e5-11dd-863f-e9cd398f74da/asa160132008eng.html] Belanger, J. and R. Horsey (2008), Negotiating humanitarian access to cyclone-affected areas of Myanmar: a review  Humanitarian Exchange 41 Caritas Australia (2008) Burma Cyclone Nargis Humanitarian analysis [http://www.caritas.org.au/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Caritas_policy_documents_PDFsTemplate=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfmContentID=4006] Crisis Group (2008) Burma/Myanmar After Nargis: Time to Normalize relations  Asia Report 161 IUCN (2008) Restoring natural habitats in Myanmar a reconstruction priority  IUCN Press release May 23, 2008, Geneva [http://www.ddrn.dk/filer/forum/File/IUCN_Myanmar_press_statement.pdf] Mungpi (2009) Global support for cyclone victims not sufficient: UN  Mizzima [http://www.mizzima.com/nargis-impact/one-year-after-nargis/2063-global-support-for-cyclone-victims-not-sufficient-un.html] Selth, A. (2008) ËÅ"Burma and the Threat of Invasion: Regime Fantasy or Strategic Reality?, Griffith Asia Institutes Regional Outlook Paper 17 Shwe, K. (2008) An Alternative Assessment of the Humanitarian Assistance in the Irrawaddy Delta Situation after 60 days [http://www.cohre.org/store/attachments/Cyclone%20Nargis%20-%20Alternative%20assessment.pdf] Solomon (2009) A year on, Nargis victims still lack adequate support  Mizzima [http://www.mizzima.com/nargis-impact/one-year-after-nargis/2042-a-year-on-nargis-victims-still-lack-adequate-support.html] Stover, E. and P. Vinck (2008) Cyclone Nargis and the Politics of Relief and Reconstruction Aid in Burma (Myanmar)  JAMA 30(6): 729-731 TCG (2008) Post-Nargis Joint Assessment  [http://www.aseansec.org/21765.pdf] TCG (2009) Post-Nargis Social Impacts Monitoring  [http://www.aseansec.org/CN-SocialImpactMonitoring-November08.pdf] UN (2008) Myanmar Revised Appeal: Cyclone Nargis Response Plan Consolidated Appeal  [http://ochadms.unog.ch/quickplace/cap/main.nsf/h_Index/Revision_2008_Myanmar_FA/$FILE/Revision_2008_Myanmar_FA_VOL1_SCREEN.pdf?OpenElement]

The play opens with Nora and the porter, and it immediately puts the Es

The play opens with Nora and the porter, and it immediately puts the spotlight on money, which emerges as one of the forces driving the play’s conflicts Analysis The play opens with Nora and the porter, and it immediately puts the spotlight on money, which emerges as one of the forces driving the play’s conflicts as it draws lines between genders, classes, and moral standards. Though Nora owes the porter a shilling, she gives him a pound, twenty times the value, presumably because she is infused with the holiday spirit. While Nora likes to spend and allows the idea of buying presents to block out financial concerns, Torvald holds a more pragmatic view of money, jokingly calling Nora a spendthrift and telling her that she is completely foolish when it comes to financial matters. Torvald’s assertion that Nora’s lack of understanding of money matters is the result of her gender â€Å"Nora, my Nora, that is just like a woman† reveals his prejudiced viewpoint on women. He quickly makes it known that appearances are very important to him, and that Nora is like an ornament or trophy that serves to his home and his reputation. Nora’s first conversation with Mrs. Linde plays a key role in establishing Nora’s childlike, self-centered, and insensitive character. Though she claims to be interested in Mrs. Linde’s problems, Nora repeatedly turns the conversation back to her own life with Torvald. Nora’s self-centeredness is further demonstrated in her revelation that she failed to write to Mrs. Linde after her husband passed away. It is only now, three years after the fact, that Nora expresses her sympathy; up to this point, she has made no effort to think beyond herself, and the fact that she does so now seems ... ...ut her husband in a good mood by mentioning the costume that she will be wearing at the dance. The thought of Nora dressed up and looking beautiful excites Torvald, who takes great pleasure in the beauty of his house and his wife. Torvald’s remark about Krogstad—â€Å"I honestly feel sick, sick to my stomach, in the presence of such people†Ã¢â‚¬â€illustrates his deep contempt for moral corruption of Krogstad’s sort. While he thinks that such a bad character is in direct contrast to his â€Å"sweet little Nora,† we are aware that Krogstad and Nora have committed exactly the same crime—forgery. Torvald, then, has unwittingly referred to Nora when he scorns â€Å"such people.† Torvald’s unknowing condemnation of the actions of the woman he loves is an excellent example of dramatic irony, a device that makes the audience see details of which certain characters are ignorant too.