Achieving Sustainable Development In Developing State Of Grenada Tourism Essay

Achieving Sustainable Development In Developing State Of Grenada Tourism Essay In order to adequately address the question of why Sustainable Development is important in the context of the Small Island Developing State of Grenada it is important to first understand what Sustainable Development is and what it entails. Secondly, the characteristics of Grenada must be described in terms of the most viable approach for achieving Sustainable Development. According to the Brundtland Report (1987), sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs The commission also emphasizes that whether a country is considered developed or developing (in the context of Grenada) the goals of social and economic development must be defined in terms of sustainability. According to the CIA World Fact Book (2010), Grenada relies heavily on tourism as its main means of foreign exchange. The tourism industry contributed 72.98 % of Grenadas overall GDP in 2008 (World Bank Statistics, 2008), which underpins the importance of this industry to the economy. Therefore, sustainable development as it pertains to Grenada should be examined within the framework of tourism since it is Grenadas principal income generator and in essence what fuels the economy. However, it must be noted that tourism is not the only industry that can be looked at in terms of sustainability in Grenada. Agriculture, construction, textiles and food and beverages are also other industries. However, these also feed into the tourism sector. According to Joseph (2010), tourism utilizes the historic, economic, socio-cultural and environment to grow and develop. The concept of sustainability as it relates to tourism put forth by McKercher (2003) further strengthens this point since its approach is very holistic and encompasses four main pillars; economic, ecological/environment, cultural and local. All four pillars are recognized as being paramount in order to achieve any form of sustainability. Therefore each pillar will be examined in the in the context of Grenada. According to McKercher (2003) economic sustainability is geared at profiting the country in both the immediate and long term. Tourism affords the Small Island Developing State of Grenada the opportunity of improving its economic well-being (Joseph, 2010). Grenada derives many economic benefits from the tourism industry. The tax revenues collected as a result of accommodation, restaurant taxes, airport and sales taxes all provide the government with much required tax revenues. The jobs created are spread across the economy, such a retail, construction, manufacturing and communications (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 1999). Additionally, it earns the country valuable foreign exchange. This new money which is brought into the country in turn creates a multiplier effect, thus circulating many segments of the economy (Joseph, 2010). Tourism also attracts additional businesses and services as a means of support. Grenada is currently experiencing tough economic times as a result of the global financial crisis. As a result, unemployment and poverty levels are increasing creating the need of employment opportunities for locals. According to the International Monetary Fund (2010), the Gross Domestic Product of Grenada is estimated to have declined 7.7% with a 13% drop in tourism. Therefore, one of the economic concerns for tourism in Grenada that this brings to the forefront is the diversity of the local economy. According to McKercher (2003) the diversification of the products by developing a wide range of tourism activities is part of economic sustainability. This should be taken into consideration since the tourism sector in Grenada is seasonal thus being unable to provide steady streams of income. Also, Grenada is susceptible to natural disasters particularly hurricanes which have a devastating effect on tourism infrastructure. Therefore, the adoption of sustainable tourism development could serve to create diversity and thus mitigate against economic vulnerability in the tourism sector. Another economic consideration that pertains to sustainable tourism in Grenada is the minimization of leakage. McKercher (2003) promotes the formation of partnerships throughout the entire supply chain from micro-sized local businesses to multinational organizations. A major form of leakage in the context of Grenada is that many of the profits generated from the industry are exported since many of the major tourist operations are owned by foreigners. For Example, many villas are being built in Grenada by foreign investors who later sell these villas to individual owners, thus not significantly contributing back to the local economy. The Port Louis project is a perfect example. Although the lagoon is much more picturesque than it was before Peter De Savary invested in it. Grenadians havent directly benefited from this development since Mr. De Savary has made his profit by selling the pr operty to Camper and Nicholson, another foreign owner, and left with his money. Consequently, the occurrence of leakage results in the local population bearing the environmental and cultural costs of tourism while retaining relatively little of the economic benefits and thus reducing the multiplier effect. Over the last few years Grenada has experienced a tremendous amount of development as a result of tourism. However, many of these developments were not executed in an economically sustainable manner. Bhola (2010) emphasizes that economically sustainable tourism should ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income, earning opportunities and social services to host communities and contributing to poverty alleviation. The Brundtland Report (1987) further stresses the integration of economic and ecological considerations in decision making because these concerns need no necessarily have to be in opposition. McKercher (2003) purports that when it pertains to ecological/environmental sustainability that any form of development must be compatible with the maintenance of essential ecological processes, biological diversity and biological resources. However, in the context of Grenadas tourism industry, according to Kelly (2008) the Grenadian government is sacrificing the islands pristine [environment] to the fast buck of resort development. The Mount Hartman estate development is one such project identified as a potential threat to a tract of pristine dry forest and swampy mangroves and also the Grenada Dove which Mount Hartman happens to be a nesting site for. According to Dr. Clare Morrall (as cited by Kelly, 2008) Grenadas mangroves are incredibly important to the ecosystems of the surrounding area and what is happening in Grenada will have an impact on fishing stocksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦which are at the point of collapse. The environmental characteristics of Grenada are one of the main reasons that it is such an attractive tourist destination. These include the lush green vegetation, white sandy beaches and exquisite marine and terrestrial life. However, tourism puts added strain on these resources through excess demand and unbalanced economic development (Bhola, 2010). Some of the environmental problems associated with tourism are deforestation, water and air pollution, poor solid waste management practices and coastal destruction of coral reefs, mangroves etc (Joseph, 2010). The development of hotels, marinas and harbours along our coastline has served to damage shoreline ecosystems, coral reefs and mangrove systems. According to Burke, Greenhalgh Prager et.al (2008), the valuable goods and services provided by ecosystems such as coral reefs are often overlooked or underappreciated in coastal investment , development and policy decisions, resulting in short-sighted decisions that do not maximize th e long-term economic potential of coastal areas. Therefore, not only is the environment affected but the viability of Grenada as a tourist destination is also compromised which in turn threatens economic well being since these resources are depended upon to support Grenadas main industry. World Bank Statistics (2008) shows that Grenada currently has 3 mammals and three plant species that are threatened. The Caribbean region and by extension Grenada has been listed as one of the top hotspots for endemic species worldwide, yet the Caribbean retains only 11.3% of its primary vegetation (Myers et al, 2000). This exemplifies the lack of concern for the environment and how development has been allowed to significantly contribute to the reduction of our natural resources. According to Gardiner (2009), ever form of life on this planet does not stand on its own but is supported by, and supports, other living things. He further goes on to state that to lose one species is equivalent to losing an important part of the ecosystem. This therefore underscores what is at stake if these mammal and plant species identified by the World Bank as being endangered in Grenada are allowed to become extinct. As a result, both environmental and economic vulnerability of Grenada is being exacerbated by unsustainable development. Another very important aspect of sustainable development is cultural sustainability. According to McKercher (2003), cultural sustainability increases peoples control over their lives and is compatible with the culture and values of those affected and strengthen the community identity. Grenadas history of colonialism has created a very unique and diverse culture and history which serves to enhance its marketability as a tourist destination. Colonialism has facilitated a movement of people to the Caribbean and by extension Grenada from Africa and Asia with has greatly influenced the formation of the culture through the mixture of experiences from these different Diasporas (Smyth, 2010). Carnival, Parang, Maroon festival, Folklore, string band music, big drum dancing and patois are a few of the cultural aspects of Grenada that adds to the attractiveness of the tourism product (Joseph, 2010). Although tourism could serve to reinforce the preservation and conservation of heritage and trad itions, it can also degrade the cultural environment through the commercialization of the culture, religion and arts (Joseph, 2009). Many observers believe that tourism has negatively impacted the Grenadian culture and society. According to McKercher (2003), cultural sustainability should guarantee the protection of nature, local and the indigenous cultures and especially traditional knowledge.One of the key ways in which tourism negatively impacts society is through the conflicting lifestyles and ideas between the tourist and the locals. In the Grenadian context, the locals try to imitate these lifestyles and ideas which lead to a dilution of the culture and value systems on the island. This in turn increases social problems such as theft and prostitution, and increased alcohol and drug use. In addition, the divisions between the tourist and the local population can cause a lot of tension. This tension arises from the fact that small communities where poverty, unemployment and overcrowding are pervasive are sometimes located near to hotels and other developments specifically designated for the tourist. As a result, locals become aggravated since they feel a sense of inequality in their own country. Sometim e locals are even displaced in order to accommodate a tourist. This was exemplified during the development of the Port Louis project where many of the locals were relocated to La Sagesse in St. Davids in order to make room for the villas. In this case the new development was once where the locals depended on their livelihood through fishing. Local sustainability is also a key aspect of sustainable development. According to McKercher (2010), local sustainability should be designed to benefit the local communities and generate and retain income in those communities. The provision of quality employment to community residents and the equitable distribution of financial benefits throughout the supply chain are identified as being important aspects of local sustainability. Local industries such as farming and fishing should employ sustainable practices, which should also be developed to meet the needs of the tourist. This could in turn minimize the effects of leakage. Many of the goods used by the tourism industry are bought outside of the country because many times the local suppliers cannot adequately meet demand or provide the right quality. A locally sustainable approach would provide incentives and training to local suppliers (farmers, craftsmen, fishermen etc.) to improve their standards and also to find other avenues to benefit from tourism. The Gouyave fish Friday is an example of how a local fishing community was able to benefit from tourism not by directly supplying to the hotels but through their own initiative and thus directly benefiting. However, Tourism puts added strain on local industries such as fishing and farming, therefore, a sustainable approach must be employed in order to ensure that the locals continue to benefit. The Levera turtle protection group is another example of how the locals were diverted from exploiting the turtle, by killing them for meat, to protecting them. This is more sustainable because a protected turtle will be around for a longer period to generate income for the locals, whereas the previous approach would have eventually resulted in them becoming extinct. The importance of sustainable tourism in the context of Grenada must be emphasized since the benefits that can be derived from it are numerous. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (1999) further underscore this point by stating that the sustainable development of tourism is of importance for all countries, in particular for Small Island Developing States. The economic, environmental, cultural and local security of Grenada is at stake if sustainable development is not adequately adopted in Grenadas approach towards tourism. If a sustainable approach is not employed there is much at stake. The cost of repairing damages to the marine as well as the terrestrial environment could put added strain on the economy. Also, at stake is possibility of loss of endangered plant and mammal life and biodiversity. The country will also continue to experience and increased state of vulnerability towards the effects of climate change since according to AOSIS (2009), climate cha nge poses the most serious threat to our survival and viability and that it undermines our efforts to achieve sustainable developmental goals and threatens our very existence. Also at stake is the degradation of Grenadas culture and traditions. Nettleford (1977) emphasizes the importance of culture by stating that the issue of cultural identity is of great significanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and as such should be treated with the same level of importance as economic self sufficiency. In addition, the welfare of the local population could be significantly compromised since there is a possibility of increased poverty. The Brundtland Report (1987) stresses that poverty reduces peoples capacity to utilize resources in a sustainable manner which intensifies the mount of pressure placed on the environment. Therefore, every aspect of life in Grenada can be affected if a sustainable approach to tourism in not immediately employed. Therefore it can be concluded that, since tourism is such an integral part of Grenadas economy, if a sustainable approach is adopted it can significantly contribute to environmental protection, conservation and restoration of biological diversity and the sustainable utilization of natural resources (UNEP, 2003). A sustainable approach to tourism in Grenada should employ a holistic approach encompassing the economic, environmental, cultural and local aspects since all these different segments of the country serve to benefit. The adaptation of a sustainable approach in the economic sense would improve the diversity and functionality of the sector while at the same time providing a wide range of economic benefits. The goods and services provided by the environment will be preserved through ecological sustainability. Cultural sustainability would serve to promote the preservation and celebration of the local culture and beliefs. And, local sustainability provides the locals with rewardin g and immediate work and income opportunities. Consequently, ever aspect of life would be positively impacted and the Small Island Developing State of Grenada could secure a more viable future.

An Investigation of the Factors Affecting the Period of a Pendulum :: Papers

An Investigation of the Factors Affecting the Period of a Pendulum I could investigate the following factors: * Angle of displacement * Length of string * Pendulum weight I am going to investigate and see if varying the length of string will affect the period of the pendulum. My prediction is: The longer the string the longer the period. The period will be longer as the pendulum has farther to travel. My theory is demonstrated below. Pendulum A has a shorter string. This gives it a shorter period. Pendulum B has a longer string and has a much larger period as it has farther to travel to get from X to Y to X which is one period. [IMAGE] I made my prediction based on a previous experiment I have done. The length affected the period as stated above and I think this will happen again in this experiment. I looked at a clock with a pendulum to see how it worked. I found that to change the speed of a second you adjust the length of the pole which the pendulum hangs from, so I also based my prediction on that as it is the same principle. I set up a trial experiment to test out the following: * Which angle of displacement to use (e.g. 90Â °) * How many readings to take * Which lengths of string to measure (e.g. every 10cm) * Where to carry out the experiment (on a desk/floor etc..) To ensure the test is fair I am going to: * Use the same piece of string * Use the same weight pendulum (preferably the exact same pendulum) * Make sure the string is measured accurately To ensure the test is safe I am going to: * Use a sensible angle of displacement * Not to swing the pendulum near others To ensure the test is accurate I am going to:

Entrepreneur ship Essay

Regardless the state of the country, one can realize that coffee is one of the most favorite products among American people. It has remained in the top positions for some decades. However, drinking coffee is not only the consumption of a product; it has become a daily activity. It is normal to hear this question when someone wants to meet up with one person: â€Å"do you want to get a coffee tomorrow and we can talk about†¦? † Any excuse is good enough to get a cup of coffee. The beginning of the coffee industry dates back to the 1960’s, when a man named Alfreed Peet felt the inspiration to create the first gourmet coffee shop (Peet’s Coffee). That inspiration came, between other reasons, because he grew seeing his parents ‘coffee business (Peet’s Coffee). He was living in Holland and later in Indonesia. After that, he went to California where he thought he had the necessary knowledge to start his own business. By doing that, Peet started to produce a richer and more complex coffee that the available coffee at the market (Peet’s Coffee). Because of his marketing strategy, motivation through employees and resilience to fall, Alfreed Peet was one of the most innovative and creative entrepreneurs of coffee industry. Some people think that entrepreneurs are different from everyone else since they think these people were born with a special ability that nobody else has. However, these people are what they are because they learn from experience, including inconvenient experiences. Peet reached a great success because he did it. Despite this level of success, Peet can still became a better brand by introducing an aggressive advertising, worldwide expansion, and improving the pricing system. Peet had the features that best define an entrepreneur. First, he had the vision to open a shop in an unfamiliar market, the coffee market. Vision is a characteristic that most of the entrepreneurs have (Boone and Kurtz 608). Entrepreneurs do not fall depressed when people tell them that their business will not run successfully. Instead, they trust in their intuition and continue until they get what they want (Kelly and McGowen 92). Along with vision, Peet had passion about his coffee. He did not think in becoming rich or famous, but making the best coffee he could. He knew the importance of enjoying the process rather than thinking about the outcome. Moreover, he had enough motivation to start his business and offer the best product and service. This is the most important factor that one person must have to get anything in his or her life. Some people do not pay enough attention to how important the motivation is to succeed in any field. When one is motivated, it is much easier to reach any goal. Time does not seem to go by when one feels a motivational force inside him. Furthermore, the motivation makes one enjoy whatever he or she is doing. Then, along with this enjoyment, the results come without the sense of effort. â€Å"Motivation is important simply because it allows you as a leader to meet and even exceed your own organizational goals† (â€Å"importance†). However, motivation is not enough if one does not spend time working. For this reason, Peet knew that dedication was important if he wanted to be successful in the coffee industry. He did not believe in luck, but in causality. Another reason why he was a successful entrepreneur was that he wanted to see the growth of his family? s coffee business. He wanted to continue what was started decades ago. Finally, the word â€Å"commitment†. To Peet, it meant to be persistence. If he wanted his dream to become a reality, he had to overcome big obstacles. It meant never giving up and to being congruent by taking action instead of just talking. Peet? s coffee should be an admired company because of its behavior towards employees and customers. Peet? s makes an effort in having a good workplace where employees must be prepared to create the great coffee that customers like (Peet’s Coffee). It has been proven that the performance of the employees is greater when they are in a comfortable and attractive environment. Moreover, Peet knows the importance of making his employees feel well. An employer should not only think of the employees as part of the company, but should also take into consideration their opinions and complaints. â€Å"Democratic leadership ordinarily produces higher member satisfaction and morale. It also results in higher quality decisions when members have as much or more knowledge than the leader regarding a particular problem† (Sharpe). The results of a company depend on the performance of the employees. Espinosa states that an important step is â€Å"to be a positive model as a leader. You’re supposed to be a good example for your members to emulate, and a person worth respecting. † Good team work is an essential part of any job because the best results are achieved when everybody goes in the same direction. Moreover, motivation is crucial to push people to get their goals. â€Å"Democratic leaders involve members in decision making either by reaching consensus or by using parliamentary procedure. They pursue open, trusting, follower-oriented relationships† (Sharpe). The relationship between Peet and his customers has also been excellent during the time that Peet’s coffee has existed. (Peet’s Coffee). This relationship is passed from parents to their children and grandchildren and it seems to be continuing for a long time. Besides, Peet’s company has developed different economic and education programs in order to collaborate with the growth of the countries that provide beans and leaves for his coffee (Peet’s Coffee). To summarize, Alfreed puts the emphasis on being a big family who plays on the same team. Every member of the team has different tasks to do in order to reach the same goals for Peet’s coffee, which are to make a profit, offer an excellent service to the clients, and of course, to enjoy while doing it. Peet knows that the world has changed in the last decades; therefore, he has adapted to the marketing changes along these years. At the beginning of his expansion, Peet started in a local place where the coffee market was becoming more popular. At that time, the marketing concept changed and the business’ owners started to offer the goods and services that their clients demanded in a higher quality than their competitors (Boone and Kurtz 380-381). Thus, Peet wanted to get customer satisfaction more than anything else. However, times changed and Peet had to adapt if he wanted to continue being successful. Peet spread out his stores to different states of the country such as California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington (Peet’s Coffee). Moreover, the last decades are characterized by some changes in marketing. Marketers are conscious of the importance of keeping loyal customers. Boone and Kurtz say that â€Å"acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than keeping an existing customer† (380-381). For this reason, Peet not only provided his products in his stores, but he started to look for ways that customers could find his products everywhere. Customers can now buy his products in different supermarkets around the country. For example, Safeway, Super-valu and Ralphs offer his products (Peet’s Coffee). In addition, Peet has seen how technology has grown in the last years and he has created his own website. This website gives the customers the opportunity to see, compare and buy Peet’s products. This website has also a service for customers and they can ask any question related to the products which will be answered by his representatives (Peet’s Coffee). Another important marketing feature of Peet’s business is that he is not only a retailer for his customers, but he is also a wholesaler for distributors of restaurants and food services (Peet’s Coffee). Even though Peet’s coffee is famous and well-known by coffee drinkers, there are some strategies that he should use in order to expand his business. First, a better advertising marketing strategy should be utilized if he wants to become more known around the country considering most people do not know about Peet’s coffee. However, when someone tastes this coffee they should ask themselves: How come I have never heard about this coffee? Peet should then invest money in publicizing his products. For instance, an advertisement on television and in a newspaper would make people arouse curiosity about this coffee. Second, it would be a good idea to emphasize the selling in the universities. Between students it is really popular to drink coffee, especially when exams are approaching. Peet should promote specific campaigns where executive go to different universities to publicize its products. The most important thing would be to franchise Peet’s stores in different universities. By doing this, students would start to know Peet’s coffee and it would be an excellent opportunity for Peet to grow his brand. Finally, in my opinion, the best strategy would be to expand his business to other countries of the world. Peet only has stores in the United States. In this situation, he can not expand his branch more than one point. He could expand his stores to other countries of the world because people like to try new brands. Even if one brand like Starbucks is successful around the world, people will still be attracted if a good product is offered to them. If Peet’s marketing strategy has worked in the United States, there is a high probability that it may work in other countries. Peet’s coffee would be successful around the world and it would keep in people minds for ever. Works Cited Boone, Louise E., and David L. Kurtz. Contemporary Business 12th Edition. Mason: Thomson, 2006. Print. Espinosa, Jerome. â€Å"How to effectively handle union negotiations. † Helium. com Helium 06 Oct. 2010. Web. 03 February. 2012. â€Å"Importance of Motivation. † Leadership-central. com Leadership-central. com, Web. 20 Jan. 2012. Kelly, Marce. , and McGowen, Jim. BSN3. Mason: South Western Cengage Learning, 2006. Print. Peet’s Coffee and Tea. Peet’s Coffee and Tea. PCT, Web. 14 Dec. 2011. Sharpe, Dave. â€Å"Choosing Leadership Styles. † Msuextension. org Montana State University Extension, Web. 20 Jan. 2012.

Should America Go to War essays

Should America Go to War essays On September 11, 2001 at 8:45am, American Airlines flight 11 slammed into the North tower of the World Trade Center, in the heart of New Yorks financial district, and changed the lives of Americans forever. America was unexpectedly attacked by terrorists, and the prime suspect is Osama Bin Laden. Americans are in shock, and are feeling agony, pain, grief, fear, but most of all, anger and rage. We all want revenge and retaliation on the evil, heartless people who did this. But the question is, should America go to war? And if we do, who do we fight against? We are not sure because this is not a fight against a certain country, this is a fight against Terrorism. There should be no doubt that the United States should find the perpetrators of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks and use whatever military force is necessary against them. If the mastermind behind these heinous acts is indeed Osama bin Laden, then our goal should be the total destruction of his al Qaeda terrorist group. If it is bin Laden, then the Taliban government in Afghanistan should suffer the wrath and might of a U.S. response. President Bush made clear from the outset that the United States would "make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts, and those who harbor them." But we are also at a crossroad. We need to make the distinction between retaliation against those responsible specifically for the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks versus a war on terrorism. These are two very different things. The former is a daunting task of tracking down the setup of a distributed terrorist network and destroying it. The latter - "a global assault against terrorism in general," according to Secretary of State Colin Powell - is completely uncharted waters. We have to understand that going after terrorists is not a routine military operation such as the Gulf War. Bush says What we ...

Religion and the Syrian Civil War

Religion and the Syrian Civil War Religion played a minor but important role in the conflict in Syria. A United Nations report released in late 2012 said that the conflict was becoming â€Å"overtly sectarian† in some parts of the country, with Syria’s various religious communities finding themselves on the opposite sides of the fight between the government of President Bashar al-Assad and Syria’s fractured opposition. Growing Religious Divide At its core, the civil war in Syria is not a religious conflict. The dividing line is one’s loyalty to Assad’s government. However, some religious communities tend to be more supportive of the regime than others, fueling mutual suspicion and religious intolerance in many parts of the country. Syria is an Arab country with a Kurdish and Armenian minority. In term of religious identity, most of the Arab majority belong to the Sunni branch of Islam, with several Muslim minority groups associated with Shiite Islam. Christians from different denominations represent a smaller percentage of the population. The emergence among anti-government rebels of hard-line Sunni Islamist militias fighting for an Islamic state has alienated the minorities. Outside interference from  Shiite Iran, Islamic State militants who seek to include  Syria as part of their widespread caliphate and Sunni Saudi Arabia  makes matters worse, feeding into the wider Sunni-Shiite tension in the Middle East. Alawites   President Assad belongs to the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shiite Islam that is specific to Syria (with small population pockets in Lebanon). The Assad family has been in power since 1970 (Bashar al-Assads father, Hafez al-Assad, served as president from 1971 until his death in 2000), and although it presided over a secular regime, many Syrians think Alawites have enjoyed privileged access to top government jobs and business opportunities. After the outbreak of the anti-government uprising in 2011, the vast majority of Alawites rallied behind the Assad regime, fearful of discrimination if the Sunni majority came to power. Most of the top rank in Assads army and intelligence services are Alawites, making the Alawite community as a whole closely identified with the government camp in the civil war. However, a group of religious Alawite leaders claimed independence from Assad recently, begging the question of whether the Alawite community is itself splintering in its support of Assad. Sunni Muslim Arabs A majority of Syrians are Sunni Arabs, but they are politically divided. True, most of the fighters in rebel opposition groups under the  Free Syrian Army  umbrella come from the Sunni provincial heartlands, and many Sunni Islamists don’t consider Alawites to be real Muslims. The armed confrontation between largely Sunni rebels and the Alawite-led government troops at one point led some observers to see Syria’s civil war as a conflict between Sunnis and Alawites. But, it’s not that simple. Most of the regular government soldiers fighting the rebels are Sunni recruits (though thousands have defected to various opposition groups), and Sunnis hold leading positions in the government, the bureaucracy, the ruling Baath Party and the business community. Some businessmen and middle-class Sunnis support the regime because they want to protect their material interests. Many others are simply scared by Islamist groups within the rebel movements and don’t trust the opposition. In any case, the bedrock of support from sections of the Sunni community has been key to Assad’s survival. Christians The Arab Christian minority in Syria at one time enjoyed relative security under Assad, integrated by the regime’s secular nationalist ideology. Many Christians fear that this politically repressive but religiously tolerant dictatorship will be replaced by a Sunni Islamist regime that will discriminate against minorities, pointing to the prosecution of Iraqi Christians by Islamist extremists after the fall of Saddam Hussein. This led to the Christian establishment: the merchants, top bureaucrats, and religious leaders, to support the government or at least distance themselves from what they saw as a Sunni uprising in 2011. And although there are many Christians in the ranks of the political opposition, such as the Syrian National Coalition, and among the pro-democracy youth activists, some rebel groups now consider all Christians to be collaborators with the regime. Christian leaders, meanwhile, are now faced with the moral obligation to speak out against Assads extreme violence and atrocities against all Syrian citizens regardless of their faith. The Druze Ismailis The Druze and the Ismailis are two distinct Muslim minorities believed to have developed out of the Shiite branch of Islam. Not unlike other minorities, The Druze and Ismailis fear that the regime’s potential downfall will give way to chaos and religious persecution. The reluctance of their leaders to join the opposition has often been interpreted as tacit support for Assad, but that isnt the case. These minorities are caught between extremist groups like the Islamic State, Assads military and opposition forces in what one Middle East analyst, Karim Bitar, from the think tank IRIS calls the tragic dilemma of religious minorities. Twelver Shiites While most Shiites in Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon belong to the mainstream Twelver branch, this principal form of Shiite Islam is only a tiny minority in Syria, concentrated in parts of the capital city of Damascus. However, their numbers swelled after 2003 with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees during the Sunni-Shiite civil war in that country. Twelver Shiites fear a radical Islamist takeover of Syria and largely support the Assad regime. With Syria’s ongoing descent into conflict, some Shiites moved back to Iraq. Others organized militias to defend their neighborhoods from Sunni rebels, adding yet another layer to the fragmentation of Syria’s religious society.

Organisational logistics and organizational management Essay

Organisational logistics and organizational management - Essay Example Low-cost philosophy and family culture are two major shared values of the organization and these values are reflected in all the processes and systems of the organization. The company has a flat structure which allows job sharing, high employee motivation and low labor costs. The company’s adherence to low-cost carrier model appears to be a distinctive organization skill which allows the company to focus on its future growth strategies. PESTLE framework has been used to analyze the external business environment of AirAsia including the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that influence the business. The analysis shows that political factors like increased government investments and supportive regulatory environment are favorable for the company whereas, increasing foreign government restrictions hinder future growth strategy of AirAsia. The current economic downturn, increasing fuel costs and volatile exchange rates are creating challeng es for the company however, the increasing trade within and into Asia creates opportunities for company. Social factors including population growth, customers’ willingness to accept low-cost air travel and increasing tourism positively influence the operations of AirAsia. The technological developments allow AirAsia to improve its services by providing more convenience to customers. Although AirAsia faces strong environment challenges however, adherence of company to legal requirements allows company to meet all these challenges. Following this a SWOT analysis has been done to analyze the current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of AirAsia. The successful implementation of low-cost business model, specific growth strategies, government support and skilled staff are few major strengths of AirAsia whereas, increased operational complexity, poor decision-making and cost-focused human resource management system are major weaknesses of the company. It has been iden tified that increasing travel demand as a result of increasing population growth and tourism, Open Skies Agreement and influence of social media in industry are major opportunities for AirAsia. Nevertheless, new entrants, over capacity, price war, fuel prices volatility and environmental concerns pose major threats for the company. Following SOWT analysis, four solutions have been identified for AirAsia including fuel hedging, new and standardized aircraft fleet, airport ownership and long-haul travel. Finally recommendations relevant to employee management and motivation and customer relationship management have been provided to AairAsia. Introduction AirAsia is a Malaysian low-cost airline which offers low cost travel to its customers. The company has adopted a low-cost business model and it is the Asia’s largest airline which offers no-frill services (Kurlantzick, 2007). The company was established with an aim to make flying affordable for everyone and today its network co vers more than 20 countries. The company has been able to achieve success in the highly competitive low cost aviation industry through efficient procedures and systems, innovative solutions and passionate approach towards business processes (AirAsia.com). AirAsia Group consists of associated companies which have same strategies and approach. These associated companies include AirAsia X, Indonesia AirAsia and Thai AirAsia. By

Essay about the arguments made by Charles Krauthammer

About the arguments made by Charles Krauthammer - Essay Example Eventually, whether or not the student agree with Krauthammer’s argument will be explained. With regards to the issue on ‘torture’, Charles Krauthammer argues that utilitarianism behind torturing a person highly depends on the situation. For instance, torturing a person for no reason at all can be considered as something that is wrong or immoral. However, given that the situation is to choose between torturing a terrorist person who intentionally implanted a bomb with the purpose of killing thousands of people, Krauthammer argued that torturing the terrorist is the best thing to do in order to save the lives of the majority who are innocent individuals. For this reason, he concludes that â€Å"torture is not always impermissible† (Shelly). Upon evaluating and equally judging the overall welfare of the people who are directly involved or affected with the action of whether or not to legally accept the act of torturing a terrorist person who has implanted a bomb, I agree with Krauthammer’s argument on the issue of torture in the sense that it would be best to torture one person who has a negative intention to hurt thousands of people by implanting a bomb than to let go of the bad person in exchange of losing thousands of life. Upon weighing pleasure and pain of allowing the implanted bomb to explode and kill thousands of people with the pleasure and pain of torturing the terrorist who implanted the bomb, the amount of pain will be so much greater than the pain that will result out of torturing the terrorist man who implanted the bomb. When we talk about utility, we are actually referring to an act which could result to ‘greatest happiness’. Based on the greatest happiness principle, it is right to do action that will promote happiness as a consequence of the act and wrong if the action could cause unhappiness (The University of Adelaide Library). Happiness means people should enjoy the benefit of having