Encountering Conflict Essay

When confronted with conflict, peoples moral centre can cause them to act in heroic ways. When we are exposed to war and devastation our reactions to this†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Thousands of Chinese students gathered in a peaceful protest for basic Democratic reform at Tiannaman Square 1984. Due to these actions they were senselessly and inhumanely killed in cold blood by the Chinese Military. The students were unarmed and in no way of a danger to anyone. This devastation shocked the world and erupted massive conflict. One thing that this devastation proved to the world that during times of conflict where ones moral compass is tested there true heroism is revealed. A small, unexceptional figure in pants and white shirt, looking tiny next to the hulking tanks, carrying what looks to be his shopping, positions himself before an approaching tank, with a line of 17 more tanks behind it. The tank swerves right, he moves in front again. The tank swerves left, he moved in front again. Then this anonymous bystander climbs up onto the vehicle of war and says something to its driver, â€Å"Why are you here? My city is in chaos because of you.† With a single act of defiance, a lone Chinese hero revived the world’s image of courage. He was the â€Å"unknown rebel† also know as the Tanks Man a man who was immensely courageous and a beacon of hope. The courage that it took to walk out against such massive machinery, knowing good and well that it could very well be your last day on this earth is inspiring. He took courage to a whole new level, becoming a world hero of sorts. This ordinary everyday man had stood up to one of largest of armies which was an undeniably, extraordinary act. Another man who stood up for what he believed in response to such brutal and callous acts was a man named Bradley Manning. A man who new his moral obligation was to show the world what the Government was hiding from them. Manning was an American soldier and as apart of his job he has witnessed such cruel and inhuman acts performed by the military that the world were unaware of. Manning new what was right, his response to this conflict was to present this information to the world. Manning fulfilled his legal duty which was to report war crimes. He complied with his legal duty to obey lawful orders but also his duty to disobey unlawful orders. An order not to reveal classified information that  contains evidence of war crimes would be an unlawful act. Manning had the legal duty to reveal the commission of war crime. Manning revealed to the world, the unjust detachment of Guantanamo Bay, he revealed the human cost of wars in Iraq through the â€Å"Collateral Murder† video which depicts U.S forces in a helicopter killing unarmed civilians. The video even showed men trying to rescue the wounded who then were shot down as well. Manning had sent this information to a website called Wiki Leaks; a website created by Julian Assange in order to reveal to the world the truth about our leaders and what they are not telling us. Manning has been held 19 months in military custody. Manning has been held in solitary confinement 23 hours a day. He is only allowed to walk one hour a day in shackles. When he sleeps he is not allowed to between 5AM and 8PM weekdays and 7AM and 8PM on weekends. If he tries to he was made to sit up or stand by guards. The goal was simple the Government want to make Manning an example to other potential whistleblowers and wanted to seek to, pressure Manning into an admission that wikileaks solicited material from him, making that organization and Julian Assange part of a criminal conspiracy. Manning was a hero. This ordinary man, a solider witnessed cruel and brutal acts that the Government were hiding and presented it rightfully to the world â€Å"I want people to see the truth†. For these extraordinary actions he has been humiliated and inhumanely tortured. When our moral center is tested, ordinary inadvertent individuals who act in miraculous and extraordinary ways are revealed. Manning was tested. His moral obligation and his legal duty was to present these war crimes to the world. Conflict can stir emotions, including emotions of hatred, fear and protection of ones self and loved ones at the expense of anyone or anything else. As a result, people may act in irrational ways causing them to abandon their moral values for something that is inhumane and amoral. In times of conflict often people are fighting for there ideologies. In these times people who can lose there touch with reality and who’s blind devotion to the belief causes them to act in ways they normally wouldn’t. However, people who don’t think of the morality of there actions and are blind to the suffering there actions cause, they perform the most extraordinary acts that are the most  dangerous. The ‘Quiet American‘ written by Graham Green explores how in times of conflict peoples moral obligation for what is wrong and right is truly tested. The character in the novel Alden Pyle is a man used to provide readers with an American who is strong commitment to democracy in Vietnam has caused him to have a false conception of the world. Pyle with the intentions of saving Vietnam from the grasp of Communism in the process killed many innocent civilians in the name of what he believed was right, democracy. Through the character Fowler, we can see through his reactions to the devastation to the human impact of the bombings that emphasizes the cruelness and naivety of Pyle. Fowler witnesses the Bombings at Place Garnier, in fowlers words â€Å"what I remembered was the torso in the square, the baby on its mothers lap. They had not been warned: they had not been sufficiently important†. The horrific scenes Fowler describes presents Pyle as inhuman. Fowlers reaction to the devastation emphasizes on Pyle’s reactions as callous and brutal. We see this when Pyle uses a dismissive tone, â€Å"they were just war casualties †, as he shows no remorse for those who he has killed. Pyle again dismisses the deaths in saying â€Å"we are looking after the relatives†. To Pyle the actions that have occurred are for the good of the majority, these deaths lost are necessary for everyone. Pyle is blinded by his ideology of democracy and he remains untouched by the human suffering around him. Its not necessarily the good extraordinary acts that people can respond to conflict with but we can make the wrong choices and we question our morals and beliefs. Times of turmoil can bring out the worst in people and they can make the wrong decisions. In Harper Lees novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird, Bob Ewell is fueled by his hatred for the African Americans and is only concerned about power. He uses his position as being above African Americans so that people believe him and his family are more than white trash. He does this by accusing Tom Robinson of raping his daughter. We see here how someone can respond negatively to conflict, this conflict being racism and lack of civil rights during the 1930‘s. Ewell during this conflict, doesnt look to his heart or conscience. He doesn’t care if an innocent man is executed, he is run by purely selfish motives. We see a different response in times of intense circumstances, how someone so evil and cruel can fakley accuse a man for his own benefits. A man who just as Pyle was, is oblivious to the suffering but in order to follow his beliefs  he must be immune to the suffering.

Descartes Meditation 1 Summary Essay

In his first meditation, Descartes embarks on a journey to ensure that all his beliefs are true. He deems that he must rid himself of all false knowledge in order to obtain any true knowledge. Descartes decides to doubt everything he has previously held to be true. He will rely on his reasoning ability to rebuild his own knowledge, beginning with things of which he is completely certain. He states, â€Å"But reason now persuades me that I should withhold my assent no less carefully from opinions that are not completely certain and indubitable than I would from those that are patently false,† (18). Descartes refuses to accept anything that is possible to doubt. His reason for doing so is because he truly believes that this is the only way to discover the possible existence of something that cannot be doubted. While the text is at times muddled, Descartes does use a method in his attempt to acquire knowledge. He starts by defining everything he could possibly doubt. He presents the argument of sensory deception. In his life, the things he has accepted as true are things he has learned through his senses. In this meditation, he rejects knowledge that which he has learned through his senses because he claims that the senses can often deceive. But, while the senses are deceitful in some cases, Descartes claims that there are certain things learned through the senses that would be crazy to doubt. For example, he simply describes what he is wearing and what he is doing at the time he is writing the meditation. He uses his senses in order to write this description, and he claims that he would have to be insane to doubt what he is saying (19). Descartes then goes on to present a second argument, about dreams. He claims that there is the possibility that he is dreaming. He compares the perceptions we have in our dreams to those we have when we are awake. They are essentially the same. He concludes that there is no definitive way to distinguish being awake from being asleep. However, he still maintains that there are certain things that would be foolish to doubt. He considers several of his a priori beliefs as potentially containing doubt. For example, he casts some of his basic knowledge of mathematics into doubt. He states, â€Å"For whether I am awake or asleep, 2 plus 3 make 5, and a square  does not have more than 4 sides,† (20). He ultimately concludes that while the senses are at times deceitful, certain things are indubitable. Descartes then transitions to the existence of God. His considers the potential doubt of his a posteriori belief of God. He claims that God is all-powerful and all knowing. He reasons that he, himself, could not have come up with the idea of God, because God is a being more perfect than himself. And the only way he could have an idea of such a supremely perfect being is if God himself planted the idea in the meditator. Therefore, he concludes that God does exist. Since God is supremely good, the meditator determines that God is not a deceiver. The meditator then reaches the conclusion that God is not a deceiver, but there could be a â€Å"supremely powerful and clever,† (22) evil genius who is deceiving him. This leads the meditator to believe that everything his senses tell him is possibly an illusion created by this evil genius. Descartes ends his first meditation in a state of ambiguity. The possibility of an evil genius deceiving him causes him to doubt everything. He closes the meditation without having reached a distinct conclusion, but he states that he will refuse to believe the false things he used to believe.

What role does the coach play in developing athletes, and what Essay

What role does the coach play in developing athletes, and what importance does the Coach Athlete relationship have on performance - Essay Example The importance of the â€Å"coach-athlete† relationship on performance will also be discussed. Being a facilitator, a coach should ensure that an athlete is focused on improved performance. A coach should create the right conditions that will allow athletes to concentrate on improving their performance (Balague, 1999). Athletes need not be stressed by challenges that may be present in their professional life. They need to concentrate on how they will improve their performance. Concentration is crucial in the success of an athlete’s career. It is the role of the coach to create an environment that will make it easy for athletes to focus on performance (Huber, 2013). Coaches need to eliminate all possible distractions. This phenomenon is psychological in nature because an athlete will hardly concentrate if there are issues that are making it difficult for him to concentrate (Jowett & Chaundy, 2004). It is necessary for a coach to remain focused on his job as a coach. When he concentrates on his roles as a coach, he is able to execute them easily, thus maximizing the potential of the athlete. The coach needs to be in the right state of mind and focus on the athlete. The coach should concentrate on the wellbeing of the athlete (Jowett & Cockerill, 2003). A coach is an athlete’s manager. Control is a crucial in management. As a manager, a coach should have control over the athlete (Jowett, 2003). Control is the ability of the coach to direct, regulate, check, manage and positively influence an athlete. The coach has to make the athlete know that he is in control as his mentor and role model. If the coach is able to control the athlete, the athlete will have a positive attitude towards his own training and performance. Control entails a coach’s authority over an athlete. A coach should let his authority be felt so that the athlete can respect and adhere to the rules set by the coach (Kidman, 2005). As a planner,

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Reflection paper - Essay Example Both artists are generally considered to play music under the Pop rock genre. Aside from this shared quality, the two musicians differ greatly in almost everything else from their style of music, their portrayals in music videos, their album covers and even their live performances (â€Å"Jason Mraz† n. pag.; â€Å"Katy Perry† n. pag.). Jason Mraz was born on March 23, 1977 and started his career singing at various coffee shops in San Diego where he released his first acoustic album, â€Å"Live at Java Joe’s,† last 2001. Since then, he has made 9 award-winning albums up to his current album, â€Å"Love is a Four Letter Word.† Over a little more than a decade, he has accumulated two Grammy Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, and was the â€Å"Artist of the Year† in the San Diego Music Awards for three consecutive years, while garnering many nominations in between (â€Å"Jason Mraz† n. pag.). As a performer, Jason Mraz tends to present himself simply, relying on his music and wit to liven up a performance. During his live performances, he likes to joke and share his ideas with his audience in between songs. In his album covers, he is usually portrayed simply on the street, in a hallway or a simple caricature of himself. His minimalist presentation seems to invite the listener to skip the album cover and go ahead to the music. In his music videos, he is usually portrayed playing a guitar and singing in various locations in casual clothes. This seems to give him the image of an artist that is ‘all about the music’ by not adding so much glamour to his performances. His stereotype is that of a laid back coffee shop musician that makes his music quite easy to listen to. Katy Perry was born as Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson on October 25, 1984, and started out as a gospel singer when she released her first self-titled album of Christian songs in 2001 at the age of 15. Her second album, â€Å"One of the Boys† last 2008, had a more â€Å"Pop† feel to her

Mass-spectrometer (another copy) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Mass-spectrometer (another copy) - Essay Example ion concentrations of shared elements for all the drugs as well as, once detected these chemical elements will be matched with a catalogue of chemical compounds; an illustration of this process is described in the report as well as an assessment on the limitations, design specifications, besides recommendations for enhanced dependability. Basically, a mass spectrometer performs three important roles (Figure 1). Initially, it bombards the molecules to be analyzed with a stream of high-energy electrons, transforming a number of the molecules to ions, which are then fast-tracked in an electric field by a sequence of polarized fast-tracking plates, a huge potential difference (p.d), oscillating from 1 to 10 kV (kilovolts), applied across these fast-tracking plates yields a beam of briskly roaming positive ions. Moreover, one or more focusing slits subject the ions into a uniform beam. What is more, majority of the sample molecules do not undergo ionization, nonetheless, are incessantly drawn off by vacuum pumps which are linked to the ionization chamber; whereas some of the molecules are changed to negative ions by the absorption of electrons. Consequently, the repeller plates engross these negatively charged ions. Besides, a number of the positively charged ions which are produced can possess a charge greater than one ( a loss of in excess of a single electron). These are fast-tracked in a similar way as the singly charged positive ions. Secondly, the fast-tracked ions are isolated consistent with their mass-to-charge ratios in an electric or magnetic field by a deflection that transpires through an applied magnetic field. Finally, the ions that have a specific mass-to-charge ratio are identified by a detector device which can tally the number of ions reaching it that have negotiated the static-curved radius of arc because of the applied magnetic field (Figure 2). Additionally, particles with mass-to-charge ratios which are both too large as well as too small hit

Management Accounting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management Accounting - Research Paper Example The intention of this study is management accounting as the process of generating reports that enable managers to assess how the company is performing in relation to competitors. By contrast, financial accounting provides reports for external stakeholders such as the shareholders. Financial accounting reports are also prepared according to the generally accepted accounting principles. However such rules are not applicable to management accounting. Thus a management accountant can apply his own discretion in preparing the required report. Management accounting is defined on the basis of several assumptions. The first assumption is related to the goal of management accounting. The goal of management accounting is to assist the management in maximizing the net profit of the company. The second assumption is that the management is able to control the success of the company to some extent so that its performance is not completely dependent upon market forces. The role of management is to apply planning and control to impact upon organizational performance. Management accounting is defined based upon the assumption that it is meant to provide a set of decision making tools that the management will apply to enhance organizational performance. As mentioned before, the role of management is to apply planning and control. Planning and control can be applied in marketing, production or finance. Therefore the definition of management accounting must include decision making in marketing, production and finance. ... As mentioned before, the role of management is to apply planning and control. Planning and control can be applied in marketing, production or finance (Lillis & Mundy, 2005). Therefore the definition of management accounting must include decision making in marketing, production and finance. Management accounting derives its definition also from the assumptions that the management makes about the accounting department. The management expects the accounting department to provide data that will assist in marketing, production and financial decision making. Finally, management accounting must be defined based upon the assumption that accounting information must be customized to the decision making tool involved. Sometimes this involves defining the nature of the accounting information according to fixed and variable costs (Emsley, 2005). Management accounting as a process must incorporate all these assumptions. The sources of management accounting data can be both external and internal. T he role of management is to apply planning and control techniques in influencing the organizational performance. To meet this objective, the management must access data from both the internal environment and the external environment. Management accounting data from the internal environment enables the management to assess the organizational performance. The data from the external environment, such as the data on competitors and demand, enable the management to compare organizational performance with market performance. Thus these sources of data enable the management to understand whether the company is performing above or below the market average. As mentioned before, one of the assumptions

Primo Levi Suvival in Auschwitz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Primo Levi Suvival in Auschwitz - Essay Example Levi has moments of clarity that contribute to his ability to survive, neither optimism nor pessimism, both of which are deadly. He thinks, "clearly they will kill us, whoever thinks he is going to live is mad, it means that he has swallowed the bait, but I have not" (Levi 24). What saves him is the middle ground, his acceptance that while things could be better, things can always be worse. As he says in the beginning, "Sooner or later in life everyone discovers that perfects happiness is unrealizable, but there are few who pause to consider the antithesis: that perfect happiness is equally unattainable" (Levi 17). It is this perspective that keeps him from either sinking into despair, or losing himself in hope. In the Lager, Levi learns to take the most pleasure in the least reminder of his humanity. Throughout the narrative, food figures prominently into the lives of the starving men. Although there is nothing but bread and soup, a little more bread and soup can be the difference between content and discontent. In "A Good Day" he recalls the wonderful surprise of extra soup and asks, "What more could one want Even our work seems light with the prospect of four hot, dense pints waiting for us in the hut" (Levi 76). By adjusting his expectations, Levi adjusts his will to live. And even more soothing is the prospect of sleep. Any point in which the men can lie down, close their eyes, cover themselves with blankets, is a moment of relief. He relates with joy his assignment to a hospital bed: "a miracle! It is empty! I stretch myself out with delight; it is the first time since I entered the camp that I have a bunk all to myself. Despite my hunger, within ten minutes I am asleep" (Levi 50). In "A Good Day," the presence of the sun makes life a little more bearable. It is a thing that, as free man, they took for granted. Now, "I understood how men can worship the sun" (Levi 71). And even less than a sunny day can help the men bear their burdens. For instance, "The latrine is an oasis of peace" (Levi 68), and other small facets of a typical daily cycle provide a break from the insanity of the Lager. Beside the regular meals and rest hours, the mere anticipation of a break, which "can be almost glimpsed in the fog of the remote future, allowing us to derive a little more strength from the expectation" (Levi 69), is enough to keep him going just a little while longer. In the lager, Levi learns to live in the moment. If something good happens, he will be present and enjoy it as much as he can, without painful thoughts of past or future. When he finds himself in a beautiful, clean, warm laboratory, almost reminding him of his old life, he says, "All this is a gift of fortune, to be enjoyed as intensely as possible and at once; for there is no certainty about tomorrow" (Levi 140). Another little help is that Levi has friends. Although he writes that some men are hypocrites or spies, that men will not help those who cannot help them back, he finds himself fortunate to remain among the company of his best friend, Alberto. He takes courage in "the rare figure of the strong yet peace-loving man against whom the weapons of the night are blunted" (Levi 57). Another friendly connection is found in his countryman, Lorenzo, who gave him extra food for six months. Although every haftling lived with the

Textile industry and water pollution in China Essay

Textile industry and water pollution in China - Essay Example In recent times, China has risen to be among the world’s most powerful economies as the country intensely relies on textile industries as a way of assured sustenance. However, this aspect of economic growth has had a downside effect on the environment in which it has experienced intense degradation. Many analysts argue that the Chinese environment has suffered because the Chinese government has failed to create policies that regulate the Chinese environment. In addition, the lack of public awareness on the environmental challenges in China has also hindered any attempts by China in creating a proper balance between economic growth and environmental management (Wencong, 2012). Presentation of the problem As the current global statistics China, has at least fifty thousand textile industries making the country to be ‘the factory world’ (Ecotextiles, 2012). These textile industries are the prime victims of water pollution that has the forced the government to intervene as a way of protecting the Chinese environment. As at now, there is no strict legislation that holds Chinese textile companies viable for environmental degradation. This has influenced an increase in awareness of textile companies taking responsibility for the waste water from their industries. According to surveys, the chemical by products used in the production of textiles encompasses intense amounts of contaminated substances that have detrimental effect on human and the environment at large. This aspect poses a danger to the global community as the harmful substances find their way to the environment through the water used in washing these textiles by those that purchase these fabrics. The depiction here is that toxic chemicals find their way to water sources from the point of production to the last point of the chain that is at the point of consumption. Further, research has also unearthed that man made toxic chemicals used in the production of textiles have an effect on human health as the skins tends to absorb these harmful particles (Gang, 2009). Over time, various environmentalists have adopted campaigns that have the intention of influencing principal textile brands to less harmful substances in their production because of the effects that these substances present. Some of the textile manufacturers that have agreed to this campaign include Adidas, Marks and Spencer, Puma, Nike just to name a few. In this regard, environmentalists have initiated campaigns aimed at re-evaluating the legislation surrounding environment protection and support the natural ecosystem. In essence, the Chinese textile industry generates at least three billion tons of wastewater as compared to wastewate r generated by other economic propellants in China (Menon, 2010). In addition, China recorded at least six thousand environmental violation instances from Chinese textile factories as per the Water Pollution map of China database. The Waste Pollution Map body has the responsibility of consolidating data essential for launching legal action against textile industries that secrete both solid and liquid waste to water

The United Nations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The United Nations - Research Paper Example The United Nation was based on the theory that all nations are equal according to international law despite variations in demographics. The United Nations has come to be recognized as a figure of peace and of order where Nations can come together to resolve issues or conflicts among them. Membership includes nearly two hundred different nations and often negotiations between Nations which involve economics, security and democracy are the focus of UN assembly’s. Each member of the United Nations has one vote in these assembly’s; the United States having one vote when assemblies meet to decide on issues and actions or responses to international threats or areas of interest such as global warming which has an effect on every nation. It is thought that the United States uses it financial power and influence to dictate to Countries considered third world or disadvantaged. At times when these Countries have used the United Nations to present their cases against the United States publicly the United States has retaliated with refusal to pay United Nations dues. With the United States being the largest financial contributor to the United Nations dues easily reach over 1 billion dollars. Disagreements caused the US to withdraw from UNESCO, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Many operational programs were begun by the UN and operational programs have continued to be developed (Sharp, 1965). The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, was given status as a permanent UN program in 1953. It is the oldest and the most recognized of the UN programs. UNICEF focuses on key areas in various locations, meeting the needs of children nationwide. UNICEF provides a global platform to stop preventable deaths among children using interventions such as access to health care, vaccinations, antibiotics, and protections methods from carries of diseases such as Malaria, education in good hygiene practices and the promotion of