Racism - 1051 Words

The first topic that is going to be addressed is stereotypes and dating. I am more familiar with this topic then the other two topics because I was the once who did the research for our group presentation about this. I came across numerous articles that were very eye opening to me. The first article I will talk about is called, Is Love Becoming Color Blind?. I really enjoyed reading through this article because it had personal examples from three different interracial couples. The first couple was Kristina Adamski and John Phillips, who were both in their early thirties. In the article it stated that being an interracial couple has been less of a challenge because the two communicate their feelings, and they have a large supportive†¦show more content†¦Least to say, black and white raters have higher ratings to members of their own race. Many racial problems are brought about because of racial stereotypes and prejudice. There was a women by the name of Yolanda Spivey and she was a victim of employment discrimination. Yolanda was unemployed for two years after working ten years in the insurance industry. Yolanda was struggling to find a job. She applied to a website that helps with job placing, and Yolanda was asked to take a diversity questionnaire. She was not having any luck with that site so she decided to go back and act like a white women, and the results were that the white women got more emails and calls for jobs then Yolanda did. If we could slowly start to improve our countries thoughts when it comes to race and employment, we could be more balanced and successful. In a color blind society we would have equal opportunity employment. The next topic to be discussed is stereotypes and media. Stereotypes in the media are very common. Media stereotypes of angry black women have become more noticeable in recent years, and this stereotype is effecting how people see race. Black women in the media are more than often portrayed as dark skin, loud ghetto acting women. There have been television shows that have tried to help with different races such as the Jeffersons and The Cosby Show. Those shows were still criticized for their use of stereotyped black characters.Show MoreRelatedRacism : Racism And Racism1544 Words   |  7 PagesTo understand whether or not racism is learnt, we first have to divulge into the nature of racism. It is usually assumed that racism has been a part of civilisation since civilisation started, that it is embedded into how people work and that no matter what, it will always exist. Another assumption is that racism derives from the capitalism of the slave trade by white elitist men seeking to dehumanize people for economic gain, and used racism as a way to mask their financial motives to justify enslavementRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1003 Words   |  5 Pagesracism: Racism-â€Å"the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.† Imagine, 5 black men. Singing a church song still faithful for hope. Chained and cuffed together. Flies follow them as they walk by in the dry hot desert. With the white oppressor behind them yelling nasty words that poison their brain. Yet they still sing and wait and keep faith. In some statesRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism953 Words   |  4 PagesRacism in America â€Å"Racism is a refuge for the ignorant. It seeks to destroy. It is the enemy of freedom, and it deserves to be met head-on and stamped out.† - Pierre Berton Racism is the unjust hate for any people who are simply different for a various array of reasons. It is all around us and always will be, but that does not give us the right to be passive on the subject. This discrimination against culturally diverse people is hurting our â€Å" land of the free†, one racist remark at a time.Read MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1181 Words   |  5 PagesThis issue of racism is popular by name but tends to be sugar coated by the way people see it. In order to truly understand racism you need to take a bite into the topic in order to get a taste of what it is really like. Racism comes in many different forms and can be seen many different ways. But why even care about racism at all? Why does it even matter? One would think that with such a harsh background regarding racism in America it would no longer exist in society today. But sadly that is notRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism989 Words   |  4 PagesRacism in America Racism discrimination has been one of our society’s most horrible social problems. In the words of the famous Martin Luther King judging an individual by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character can be a very dehumanizing experience that can have lasting effects on an individual life. Racism in America has not come to a cease. Racism promotes negative personal relations between people of different cultures. I believe slavery started around the 1500sRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism996 Words   |  4 PagesCovert Racism Introduction Racism; ‘the belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others’ (Collins English Dictionary 2012) and thus leading to ‘abusive or aggressive behaviour towards members of another race on the basis of such a belief’ (Collins English Dictionary 2012). Over time, racism has transformed from a blatant and overt form into a passive style of prejudice and discriminationRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1094 Words   |  5 PagesRacism has been an issue that has caused controversial debates for years. It is a topic that stirs up lots of emotions within people and continues to be an argument for all. When there has been a shooting between a white and a colored or a cop and a colored person, people blame it on racism. They state that since the white cop shot the black man it simply means the cop was racist. Then the people want to speak that justice needs to be served and the cop needs to be put in prison or released fromRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1751 Words   |  8 PagesRacism Social Justice Topic Issue Corbin Metz H R – 3013 University of Oklahoma Racism Social Justice Topic Issue Today in our society, racism is a very popular social justice topic issue, which affects many of the lives of those around us on a daily basis. Individuals as well as organizations and institutions widely commit the act of racism and these issues are embedded in their policies, procedures, and practices (Calgary). The first signs of racism beginning to arise in the worldRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1971 Words   |  8 PagesRacism has come to be a very important topic in today’s society. Many are talking about the injustices when it comes mostly when it comes to African-Americans and Caucasians in authority. Many have deemed the incidents of Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Walter Scott, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, the Spring Valley High School video, and even the Charleston Shooting to name a few as reactions to racism. Out of the people talking about these events, only a few really know the meaning of racismRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism2243 Words   |  9 PagesRacism, a topic which has become especially touchy in modern times. It is quite clear that racism is alive not only in the United States, but across the globe. Though the topic is widely talked about, nobody really does anything to stop it. People will be quick to elaborate on the fact that it should be stopped, then make no changes themselves. Yet do they truly understand the concepts of racism and what it really means to be racist? Granted everybody understands that it is racist to hate a group

Entrepreneurship As An Entrepreneur, Real World Experience...

Entrepreneurship is a topic that is heavily debated in regards to if it can be taught or not. The word Entrepreneurship originates from a French word that means to undertake. In the business sense, it is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise. Since entrepreneurship is an appealing career path, people want to know if they can be taught it or if it is something they have intrinsically. The objective of this essay is to discuss that entrepreneurship is something that cannot be taught as some individuals believe, as one needs to have the drive to be an entrepreneur, real world experience is necessary to succeed as an entrepreneur and the economy is highly fluid and hard to keep up with. In order to even have a chance at being a successful entrepreneur, one must have the drive to succeed which appears to be unteachable. In order to master anything in life, an individual needs to be invested in what they are doing and persevere even when they feel like giving up. This is backed up by (Hegarty 322-335) â€Å"entrepreneurial education and skills training can improve success but it is doubtful if it will contribute significantly if a natural entrepreneurial flair does not exist† (pg 323). In (Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught?, 2016) it states that Failures and mistakes are an inevitable—and, indeed, valuable—part of an entrepreneur s education. The same is in entrepreneurship, not all those that setShow MoreRelatedEntrpreneurs Who are Born or Made1049 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Entrepreneurs are born. This statement by Professor James V. Koch from Old Dominion University, Virginia, USA reflects that entrepreneurs have entrepreneurship skills that are part of a person’s innate traits one must be born with (Kuratko 2014). Entrepreneur who is born is the entrepreneur that has a family business. The entrepreneur inherits their parent’s business. Inheritance can make a person to be an entrepreneur. Matter of fact, heredity affects personality and behavior (DaleyRead MoreEntrepreneurship Is A Good For The Organization, Community, Or Country?1250 Words   |  5 Pages Entrepreneurship is a term that has reentered the public vernacular over the last few years, many times in reference to what is wrong with America but what it means is rarely defined. Furthermore, it is generally agreed that more Entrepreneurship is a desirable trait but how to go about encouraging it is again a point of contention. This paper will address a specific facet of entrepreneurship and attempt to discover what are the key drivers to foster an entrepreneurial spirit from childhood. Read MoreEntrepreneurship : An Organization, Community, Or Country?1253 Words   |  6 PagesLDR 280 Introduction Entrepreneurship is a term that has reentered the public vernacular over the last few years, many times in reference to what is wrong with America but what it means is rarely defined. Furthermore, it is generally agreed that more Entrepreneurship is a desirable trait but how to go about encouraging it is again a point of contention. This paper will address a specific facet of entrepreneurship and attempt to discover what are the key drivers to foster an entrepreneurial spiritRead MoreThe Teachability Dilemma of Entrepreneurship1296 Words   |  6 PagesEntrepreneurs are a very, or perhaps the most, important boost in our economy. They do not only take the risk for the sake of a business, but also they provide our economy with employment opportunities and culture. A society can only be prosperous only when it rewards and encourages entrepreneurial activity because in fact, it is the entrepreneurs and their activities that are the critical factor for success, prosperity, growth and opportunity in any given economy. Entrepreneurship is not easy andRead MoreThe Awesome World of Entrepreneurship Essay1218 Words   |  5 PagesThe history of entrepreneurship has been existing in the United States for decades. During the 1607 during the 19th century, the first Virginia Company sent three ships across the Atlantic and unloaded 109 passengers in Jamestown, Virginia (Gordon 1). They were embarked on a new business enterprise that they hoped would be profitable (Gordon 1). Their business was known as a joint-stock company that allowed people to invest in enterprises without running into the risk of losing everything if thereRead MoreIs It Worth The Time And Money?1162 Words   |  5 Pagesyear. Entrepreneurship, a new field of study and increasingly growing more and more popular, individuals are starting to look into becoming entrepreneurs. This essay will be addressing three main topics; ‘Is it worth the time and money to major in Entrepreneurship?’, à ¢â‚¬ËœDo you need to be born and entrepreneur?’ As well as, ‘Are entrepreneurs and small business owners the same thing?’ Since entrepreneurship is a new field of study and growing, the question on many peoples (future entrepreneurs) mindsRead MoreSmall Business Management Essays1535 Words   |  7 Pagessmall businesses can bring beneficial to transforming the economy (EiM, 1994).The concept of entrepreneurship is often considered with new venture creation and small enterprise management, and the terms of owner-manager and self-employment (Gibb, 1996). While Kirby (2003) has argued that entrepreneurship is far broader than these concepts mentioned above. Not all owner-managers can be considered as entrepreneurs, nor are all small business entrepreneurial (Carland et al., 1984). Carland also has arguedRead MoreEntrepreneurial Behavior and Perspective1553 Words   |  7 PagesBehavior and Perspective Material Title: Defining and Measuring Entrepreneurship Summary The reading focuses on the definition of entrepreneurship in different contexts and on measuring the level of entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurship has been defined differently through neo-classical and economic literatures. Theoretical definitions of entrepreneurship reflect a diverse set of ideas about the role of entrepreneurship in the economy, involving aspects such as innovation, uncertainty-bearingRead MoreOpportunities And Threats Of Entrepreneurship1483 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"technological disruption, fluctuating economies or demographical changes† (Toma et al., 2014). Entrepreneurship has gradually gone into the view of the public, as well as scholars, in order to tackle the changing forces (Castaà ±o et al., 2015; Toma et al., 2014). It may positively influence on economic growth due to the entrepreneurial activities it causes. Thus, scholars have shown increasing interest in entrepreneurship (à cset al., 2013; Audretsch et al. 2006; Caree et al., 2010; Harper, 2003; Naudà ©, 2011;Read MoreCan Entrepreneurship Be Taught1355 Words   |  6 Pages†¢ Can we teach entrepreneurship and bring some entrepreneurial awareness and changes among individuals. Give evidence Approach in answering the Question †¢ Definition of Entrepreneurship †¢ Entrepreneurship education †¢ Approaches to teach entrepreneurship †¢ Conclusion The concept of entrepreneurship There is no universal agreed definition of entrepreneurship. However, Entrepreneurship is defined differently by different scholars. Schumpeter (1934) defines Entrepreneurship as a person’s ability

Human Anatomy and Physiology Assignment

Questions: 1) A 68-year-old male is admitted to the hospital for emphysema. He is hypoxic and his labs reveal low oxygen levels. His hematocrit is 65%. The physician has told him that he has a type of polycythemia in which he has an increased number of erythrocytes circulating in his bloodstream. The patient tells the nurse that he does not understand what that means. How would the nurse explain this in terms the patient would understand?2) A 52-year-old woman was diagnosed with leukemia and has been receiving chemotherapy as an outpatient. She tells the RN that she hasn't been feeling well. The patient's skin is warm to touch and she has a low-grade fever of 100.2 F. The neutrophil blood count is less than 1000/ul. The nurse is concerned about the possibility of infection because of the neutrapenia and low-grade fever. Explain why.3) A man of Mediterranean ancestry goes to his doctor with the following symptoms. He is very tired all of the time. He has difficulty catching his breath after even mild exercise. His doctor orders the following tests: complete blood count (CBC), hematocrit, differential WBC count. The tests show immature erythrocytes, fragile erythrocytes, and less than 2 million RBCs per cubic millimeter. What would be a tentative diagnosis and suggested treatment?4) Mariam, a blood type Rh' is married to an Rh F" husband. She was pregnant for the first time and their child has been determined to be Rh' The first pregnancy does not usually cause any problems, but the child was born blue and cyanotic.a) What is the Rh incompatibility called?b) Why is the baby cyanotic?c) Since this was Mariam's first pregnancy, how can you explain for the baby's problem?5) A 17-year-old black male is admitted to the hospital in sickle-cell crisis. Pain management is a top priority for clients in sickle-cell crisis. Explain why. Answers: 1. The nurse should tell the patient that as he has a reduced level of oxygen within the blood, his system has responded by generating more red blood cells and this caused polycythemia (Ä oga). Reduced oxygen level fuels the production of erythropoietin within the kidneys to produce more RBCs. 2. Low grade fever along with neutropenia represents a major concern for a patients survival. It is an important matter of concern because neutrophils function in phagocytosis (Wolach, Shpilberg and Lahav). This patient suffers from decreased capacity to fight against infection. 3. The tentative diagnosis would be Thalassemia and suggested treatment would be blood transfusion (Aydinok). 4. a) The Rh incompatibility is said to be a condition which develops when a pregnant female has Rh negative blood but her baby has Rh positive blood inside her womb. b) The baby is cyanotic may be because the blood inside the babys system is not bearing adequate oxygen. c) The mother needs to be informed about the babys complication, which means during pregnancy Mariam should get a RHO GAM shot and as her baby is Rh positive she should be administered with another shot. This helps the mother for further births and manages post padrum delivery complications. 5. Red blood cells with sickle shape live almost 10-12days where normal red blood cells can survive for almost 120days within the system. The destroyed sickle shaped red blood cells clump together and fasten to the blood vessel walls, which blocks the flow of the blood. This incident can cause pain and permanent harm to the organs like liver, kidneys, heart, brain, lungs, spleen and bones. Therefore, pain management is a top priority for clients with sickle cell crisis. References Aydinok,. 'Thalassemia'.Hematology(2012): n. pag. Web. Ä oga, Zoran. 'Sensomotor Axonal Peripheral Neuropathy As A First Complication Of Polycythemia Rubra Vera: A Report Of 3 Cases'.American Journal of Case Reports14 (2013): 385-387. Web. Wolach, Ofir, Ofer Shpilberg, and Meir Lahav. 'Neutropenia After Rituximab Treatment'.Current Opinion in Hematology19.1 (2012): 32-38. Web.

Total Quality Management Implementation

A Framework for TQM to Achieve Business Excellence Total Quality Management (TQM) is a set of quality and management tools employed in order to increase the performance of a business by reducing losses and increasing turnover. It aims at continually improving the quality of delivery of goods, services and all the functions of a business venture. This includes the interaction between all the sections of a firm as well as the individual sections themselves.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Total Quality Management Implementation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Generally, the objective of TQM is to achieve an overall efficiency that is higher than the individual productivity from the components, such as design, planning, production, customer service approaches, and staff participation. Customer satisfaction and incessant improvement are the fundamental beliefs of the TQM strategy. TQM cannot function effectively wit hout the necessary changes being taken on the structure and functioning of the organization by its top management. Such changes include adherence to quality in planning, control and improvement, these can be achieved through numerous channels, for example, continuous improvement can be achieved by undertaking work-based training on a regular basis. Quality management is involved with the prevention of problems happening by putting in place attitudes and controls that may make such prevention a success. The core aspect of quality is to get it right the first time, and to meet the needs of the customer every time, by engaging everyone in the firm. TQM is therefore a conception of management that utilizes the resources and opportunities in an organization in the way possible through continuous improvement. Elements of TQM The implementation of a TQM is influenced by a range of indicators, both financial and non-financial. These affect the various aspects of TQM such as a reduction in d efect frequencies, increased client satisfaction, increased output, and reduced order cycle time. Fiscal indicators of a TQM include market share, profits, defect percentage, performance and stock turnover etc, while the non-fiscal indicators are customer satisfaction, innovation, skill improvement, reliability, and talent development, among others.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These parameters are vital to adjust the infrastructure, (firm and systems), reward and acknowledgment system or hygiene aspects (human components) in place to set up and nourish the TQM characteristics. TQM elements are grouped into three main categories: Technologies (tools), Organization (systems), and People, these affect the financial and non-financial performance of the organization. Technologies and Tools Measures of technology and tools include benchmarking, data management, continuous impr ovement, problem solving, and continuous improvement, among others. Of these, TQM studies suggest that the most important is continuous improvement. Organization (systems) Organizational aspects of a TQM strategy include culture, organizational structure, communication, shared vision, and performance management. Again, TQM studies suggest that culture is the most important factor in achieving a TQM. People Factors relating to people include leadership, management responsibility, empowerment, training and education, and team learning. Team learning is the most vital TQM element among these. An efficient application of the TQM elements results into increased productivity of the organization indicated by financial performances such as increased stock turnover, increased market share and profits, and a reduction in defect rates and non-financial performances. Non-financial performances include customer satisfaction, delivery reliability, innovation, reduced order cycle time, and workflo w improvement as some of the non-financial performances.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Total Quality Management Implementation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The mentioned elements of TQM have been successfully by Apple, the company has encouraged innovation and continues to a market leader in the smartphone and PC market. Apart from technology, Apple has a clear sense of the customer needs and continues to ensure that customer satisfaction is its core aim. This has enabled it to attain the position of the world’s second largest company despite being in danger going out of business a few years ago. Total quality management from theory to practice: a case study Manufacturing firms across the world are currently spending a substantial amount of time and money to improve the quality of their products, this has been brought by an increase in the expectation of consumers and has led to an increase in the q uality of goods supplied in domestic markets. A number of manufacturers have acted on these challenges by trying to employ some approaches of quality improvement procedure on a systems-wide basis. These approaches differ to some level but they share a fundamental set of features that represent the core of any quality improvement method. The process of ‘total quality’ commonly includes: Plainly defining the notion of quality and coming up with its measurement standards; Carrying out quality training for the whole organization; Coming up with meaningful parameters of quality for both the work processes and for each employee; Coming up with a system to take corrective measures whenever there are problems with product quality; Implementing efficient management practices to increase employee participation; and Establishing an organizational culture and reward scheme that enforces the principle that quality should be everyone’s core concern. When a firm implements a quality improvement process, it commonly does so with the help of an external party. The first part of this process involves quality training, explaining the standards and expectations, establishing parameters for quality improvement, and establishing procedures to do away with threats to quality after their identification. The second part is the implementation phase since the organization starts the use of training, standards, taking corrective measures and management practices to continuing daily processes. To achieve success in a quality improvement process, an organization needs to institutionalize the process into the firm’s practice, many organizations struggle or fail to realize their goals in this area, hence failure in quality improvement.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In order to improve a firm’s products, it must require, motivate, and effect change in all of its sectors. For management to start a TQM, the procedure is comparatively straightforward. The first step is for the organization to underline the reason for quality improvement; the second stage is to come up with a strategy for the quality improvement. Thirdly-, management needs to employ a quality improvement process that is in tow with the firm’s needs. The quality improvement process can be developed internally or contracted from external sources and in order to ensure that the plan is successful, the management must note the following Leadership must lead by example; The more rapid and complicated the changes are, the greater the help needed; Managers must give continuous feedback to their seniors; Messages given to staff must be devoid of any ambiguities; The management and workers must show openness when handling problems; and Meetings and paperwork must be minimized so that management has ample time to exhibit quality conduct to their workforce. Failure to implement sound TQM policies can lead to a decline in performance by an organization, this has been proved by a number of companies. For example, Enron, a US energy company that was a market leader and was named ‘America’s Most Innovative Company’ for six years and with revenues of more than $100 billion in 2001, however, the company wound up operations in 2006 as a result of accounting frauds that were planned and executed by its managers, a fraud that became to be known as the Enron scandal. Critical implementation issues in total quality management The main idea of the article under consideration is whether the Total Quality Management (TQM) is an opportunity to improve business or it is a strategy which provides only theoretical knowledge and may never be use in practice. TQM key principles may be failing only in case when the company managers failed to apply those i n complex or did not understand the main idea of those. The main points which each company should remember if it wants to apply TQM principles are the lessons. In order to achieve the results promised by the proponents of the TQM approach, it is important to have knowledge of the key TQM principles, these are: efficient top management and commitment, client satisfaction, staff participation and motivation, continuous improvement, collaboration with suppliers, and recognition of the importance of quality in realizing TQM goals. For a successful implementation of TQM, the organization needs to have the following lessons: It is important that organizations clearly understand the meaning and implications of TQM before implementing it. Before implementing a TQM, the management needs to identify its targets and the mode of implementation; Establish a culture that can sustain and support the implementation of a TQM. Many firms succeed in committing to total quality by employing the princi ples mentioned earlier, but fail in cultivating a culture that promotes quality improvement; TQM implementation should be matched with the firm’s strategic priorities, competitiveness, and objectives; Take note of the most important things- time and effort. Management should target achievable, practical, and real goals instead of trying to cover many elements at a time; TQM implementation should be aligned to the needs of the individual organizations and these are normally unique to each organization; Take a holistic approach as TQM is a complex process that requires an effective strategy to succeed. TQM is so wide and incorporates many disciplines and an approach that encourages interaction between these disciplines must be adopted; Remember that the term ‘Total Quality Management’ communicates the concept of quality improvement activities with stress on the word ‘total’ and a wide definition of ‘quality’; There is need to understand th at TQM is not a solution for all aspects of quality, the organization must understand the extent to which this strategy will improve quality and improve productivity. The TQM strategy is a good advisor in the company management. A manager should just correctly understand TQM principles and properly apply those. It is also important to remember that the principles should be integratable. Those who fail to understand the main principles of the TQM framework and the lessons are unable to use this strategy. Even if they try, they are not sure to succeed with it. There are a lot of examples when a company managed to succeed with the help of the TQM and its principles. For example, the Coca Cola Company strongly commits leadership, focuses on customers, involves and empowers employees, provides continuous improvements in different spheres, increases and supports partnerships, and considers quality as a strategic point in planning business. With the help of the TQM use the company is a le ader in the beverage drinks production all over the world. Achieving the organizational change necessary for successful TQM Implementation of a TQM is one of the most challenging tasks in an organization. It is not rare to find organizations failing in their attempts to improve the quality of goods and services, these failed companies are being pushed out of the market. Companies are using quality to gain a competitive advantage over the others. Often, the reason for the failure of implementation of TQM is in the fact that their approach bears little similarity to the conventions. An example of such cause of failure is in the development of standards, standards are usually control-oriented methods controlled by the top-level management with little involvement of the employees. The management uses these standards to control their staff. Training changes to a corrective activity whenever the set standards are not followed. Conceptual weakness is one of the main mistakes provided by th e companies which want to apply TQM principles. The failure to understand properly control-oriented methods, training and motivation results in bad consequences for the company implementation. Another type for failure is s design failure, this occurs when the TQM concept is convincing but the plan and/or implementation is not carried out in the right manner. When TQM systems are not designed with the organizational needs in mind, chances of failure are higher. Design failures are an earlier warning that the implementation will fail too. The third form of failure is an implementation failure. This occurs when the concept and design are convincing, but the change agent and/or the top-level management do not comprehend the intricacy of organizational change and innovation required. Similarly, it may be caused by the failure to allocate funds for supporting the realization of the TQM strategy. The main failures mentioned above should be considered by any company which desires to apply T QM principles in practice. Before considering TQM principles the managers of the company should check the most commonly occurred mistakes. It is obvious that it is impossible to run a successful business without standards and control. Furthermore, motivation should be properly stated. Employees should be encouraged to do something new. The communication should not be organized from top to bottom only. One of the most frequently occurred failures connected with the TQM applying is an implementation failure. The main reason is when conceptual and design elements are correct, but the organizational and cultural change is not understood in a proper way. One of the best examples of failure to understand the implantation of the TQM principles and the organizational change may be considered via the Boeing Company. It failed to provide the organizational change properly which made it possible for the Airbus Company come to the fore. This company lost its market share in 2006 because the org anizational and cultural changes were not properly considered and the company had to review its positions to return to the previous positions. The TQM Approach of Asset Management This approach recognizes that apart buildings, land, machines or funds in the bank, an organization’s assets include its workforce, customers, community, corporate culture, etc. A sound management of these assets will increase the productivity. An example is Delta Airline’s that supports its employees to give satisfactory services to customers and this has led to an excellent financial record. This essay on Total Quality Management Implementation was written and submitted by user Tessa Mercer to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

buy custom Analyzing an e-Business essay

buy custom Analyzing an e-Business essay PepsiCo is an American multinational corporation that formed in 1965 with the merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay, Inc. and deals with production, marketing, and distribution of beverages and grain based snack foods. PepsiCo has its headquarters in Harrison, New York with its presence in four major divisions. In 2009, PepsiCo Americas Foods, which deals in foods and snacks in North and South America, contributed 43% of the total PepsiCo net profit. There is also PepsiCo America Beverages, a division that markets both carbonated and non-carbonated beverages in North and South America. Other divisions include PepsiCo Europe and PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa. Globally, the company is the second largest food and beverages company and it operates in more than 200 countries In 2009, PepsiCo collected total revenue of $43.3 billion, and was rated the largest food and beverages company in North America. Pepsi Corporation distributes a number of brands, the key ones being those that generate annual sales of more than $1 billion each. These brands include Pepsi-Cola, 7Up, Fritos Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Doritos, Pepsi Max, Quaker Foods, Tropicana Cheetos, Miranda, Ruffles, Aquafina, Tostitos, Sierra Mist, Walkers, and Lays Lipton. Amid distribution of the brands, PepsiCo engages in charitable activities and environmental conservation programs like water usage in U.S, India and U.K, packaging and recycling, energy usage as well as pesticide regulation in India to ensure that the environment and the available resources are utilized properly. PepsiCos advancement in ecommerce has been evident, and that is the focus of this report. Project and Its Place within the Organization Changing to ecommerce involves fully understanding the normal offline transactions and applying the principals of electronic funds transfer and electronic data interchange. Ecommerce also includes Internet marketing and inventory management systems through the World Wide Web, especially for virtual items. Changing to ecommerce entails complete overhaul of marketing techniques to accommodate new internet marketing strategies, electronic payments and training of employees to match the new electronic commerce and business. PepsiCos adoption of ecommerce led to the collaboration with Yahoo. In the deal, PepsiCo would promote Yahoo on 1.5 billion soft drinks bottles displayed in 50,000 stores. In return, Yahoo would promote PepsiCo products on Yahoo cobranded site called Pepsistuff.com. This promotion started in August 2000 and has since led to advertisement cost minimization due to its ability to reach more people at ago through the website. What does not work, according to Burwick, PepsiCos former marketing manager, is an advertising approach on television that in his view only entertains and moves. However, Burwick notes that internet advertisement on the website provides a platform for interaction, which is a more active experience that is likely to have a more positive impact on sales. This web advertisement that included music sites, banner advertisement and internet sweepstakes and barter arrangement with Yahoo, helped PepsiCo establish loyalty among its customers, greater brand exposure among its consumers under 25 years old and at the same time obtained relevant data that enabled the company respond to customer demands. Pepsi also uses the extranet strategy where customers flash their names and continue the marketing efforts of tweaking websites. Other than its websites, PepsiCo has currently upheld its ecommerce strategy on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, which are social sites that provide interaction opportunities for millions of potential customers around the world. This has helped improve popularity of the corporations 19 major brands in all the four regions, and contributed to the revenue collected in 2009. Marketing the products plays a very important role in the consumer goods companies that consume $40 billion annually on non-internet advertising. Ecommerce in this regard plays a vital role in marketing, distribution, supply chain management, ordering and delivering of the products to the clients in all the four major regions. This strategy helps PepsiCo eliminate intermediaries in its business since consumers can order products directly. The company can also use banners on top of web pages to convey the information about its products. However, this has been eliciting responses that banners are too small and limit th e amount of information that can be conveyed through them. Besides Pepsistuff.com, PepsiCo also uses its website in providing information to all its customers and potential customers on the available products and the ordering and purchasing procedures as well as the charges involved for deliveries. The strategy of e-business is multifarious, is more focused on these internal processes. Its objective is to reduce costs while improving efficiency, as well as reducing costs while improving productivity. E-business includes ecommerce, and both address internal processes and technological infrastructure like application servers, security, databases, and legacy systems. E-commerce and e-business involve generating new value chains amid stakeholders, such as a company like PepsiCo and its clients. Original Business Model Employed By PepsiCo PepsiCo initially used non-internet advertisement that included high impact television spots that were prepared to evoke emotional reaction among its customers, appealing to woe customers to purchase. The company also minimally used PowerPoint presentations of its products to that are flashed on the websites. According to Hill Jones , PepsiCo changed its business model and the manner in which it differentiated its product. Before adoption of the ecommerce initiative, PepsiCo fully depended on five regions that include North America, South America, Europe, and Asia regions (including India) in manufacturing, marketing, and delivering. These activities constituted manual offline transactions. Any changes to the business model were necessitated by introduction of the e-Business initiative. The marketing, ordering, inventory management strategies, and the payment methods changed to adopt ecommerce methods. These necessitated change in PepsiCos organization structure and reduction of marketing staff and the cost of advertisement reduced by nearly 20% in 2010. Through e-business, PepsiCo was able to effectively cut human errors and evade uneconomical duplications of duties that add little or no value to the business. Consequently, this saved the company business time, colossal amounts of resources. The introduction of ecommerce into PepsiCo also improved the speed, accuracy, and efficiency in which processes are carried out in the corporation, leading to increased productivity. E-business guarantees proficiency in communication within PepsiCo and reduces turnaround time in ordering, delivery, and payment of products, as well as fostering faster decision-making process. The networking brought about by the use of Internet services gave PepsiCo an opportunity to easily compare and rate its products against those from its competitors in terms of quality, availability, and pricing. Strategic Components of E-business Planning for the changeover to e-business from the offline business is a strategic component that determines the success of the ecommerce strategy. It involves action plans that include making available the amount of capital required, trained human resource, information technology skills, technology hardware, such as computers and internet connections. This component of e-business dictates the decision on implementation methods and tools used in the changeover, depending on strengths and weaknesses of the business and the opportunities presented by ecommerce according to the vision and mission of the PepsiCo. Ecommerce business is an area faced with several risks. Therefore, companies need to understand it well to ensure that they are protected against such risks. PepsiCo faces such risks as well. Some of these risks include loss of merchandise as a result of fraud, misrouting during distribution process to wrong destinations (majorly when the merchants are untrustworthy and untraceable), leading to loss of both goods and money. Any businesses adopting ecommerce should ensure that third party merchants are well known, registered, and traceable to curb the loss of customers merchandise and money to potential fraudsters. This is also applicable to the risks of customers disputes of the delivered goods leading to loss of payments. PepsiCo needs to ensure that during ordering, customers provide adequate information to be able to distinguish genuine customers from fraudulent orders. This will reduce the loss money through credit card payments, which poses impacts both on the company and mercha nts who are forced to pay the bank charges to compensate the losses. Accuracy in processing the transactions remain key to efficient deals to avoid experiencing chargeback costs that also occur when customers dispute the transactions sometimes due to inaccuracy in the amount involved, errors in processing, authorization errors and fraudulent issues. These costs can be avoided if transactions are accurately and efficiently processed. Therefore, this means that the new ecommerce technology should be well understood before the implementation stage takes effect, to be able to seal all the possible loopholes that are likely to give way to losses. Provision of adequate infrastructure system that warns new clients who are not conversant with purchasing on the Internet is important in proving authenticity of the company. These systems should be in a position of protecting clients passwords to sensitive personal information like credit cards to avoid exposure to fraudsters and at the same time authenticate transactions when dealing with fresh clients before cl osing the purchase orders and delivering the products to the customers. Technological components must also be put in place for a company that needs to grow in the modern business environment that is full of competition through the use of high technology machines. The technological platform where e-Business is carried out involves of technologies that have to be tailor-made, tested out and integrated into the business. This component is one of the essential e-business components that include widely approved technological standards and requirements that generate technical procedures and platforms than computers, but can be used to pass information. Technology infrastructure involves reliable Internet connections and adequate machinery, such as computers and browser connections. Technological constituents, such as middleware, are important since they help build broad and complex e-commerce systems. Employee development is strategy that works well for many companies, including PepsiCo. Employees first need to be prepared for the change to avoid unnecessary resistance during the implementation stage. Employee development also involves training workers to be technology compliant and improve their IT skills, which are mandatory in ecommerce having in mind that technology innovation and improvement takes place every time. PepsiCo needs to train its clients on how to access information from the companys websites without risking exposing their information to non-deserving people, such as credit card fraudsters. This training can be done through seminars and online information that can be accessed by all existing and potential customers. Many clients are very skeptical when it comes to online purchases due to the widespread Internet fraud and may only be willing to do business with very organized and secure sites. PepsiCo also needs to segment its market during marketing and advertisement of the products. This segmentation can be done in terms of age, social class to provide products that all social groups can afford, and ensuring availability of these products from the distribution stores for the retail customers at all times. Reasons for Success and Of Pepsi Product Differentiation and positioning One reason that has led to the success of Pepsi products is the differentiation of its brands that have been established and have built customer loyalty in those regions. Product positioning remains vital in building customer loyalty. This can quickly be done through internet marketing, which reaches more people at ago all over the world. Planning and New Technology The companys first strategy involving agreements with Yahoo picked up well and were very successful because of adequate planning, as well as embracing of the new digital technology. Other reasons include adequate planning, employee development, good management kills, infrastructure, and risk management systems. Reasons for Lack of Success and Of Pepsi Fraudulent transactions Fraudulent transactions that have always mired online transactions that make the merchants and clients lose both merchandise and money are the loopholes that have hampered Pepsis success. Thus, they need to be sealed in order to drive businesses to higher levels. Analysis of the PepsiCo Initiative PepsiCo being the second largest food and Beverage Company has very strong financial base, which is enough to implement the ecommerce strategy. Training of employees on the new internet marketing skills, supply chain management, inventory management. Implementation of the ecommerce Technology in PepsiCo involved provision of the computer gadgets and internet connection that to provide necessary platform for the change to e-Business. PepsiCo also offered in-house trainings to the staff to be technology compliant ready to execute the ecommerce operations. The major stakeholders of the PepsiCo are the suppliers, customers, government, employees, and the management. The companys consumers need to utilize the ecommerce platform to order and pay for products conveniently, while maintaining and managing internet security risks. The internal control systems that are used to authenticate transactions need to be fully outlined with clear chain of command. The improvement of the technology has also provided good business growth opportunity enhancing PepsiCos strength in the market. The involvement of the society, production of healthy products with low sugar levels favorable for children, guarding them against health and lifestyle related diseases like obesity, diabetes, and the environmental protection projects, gave PepsiCo business advantage over its competitors, such as the Coca-Cola company. PepsiCo does this by converting its product portfolio, forming global initiatives like calorie labeling to increase nutrition education, and backup up programs that promote physical fitness centers. Responsible Electronic Marketing In the ecommerce, PepsiCo has adopted a responsible electronic marketing strategy that teaches children that good eating habits at an earlier age contribute to their future health. PepsiCo adopted a policy in 2009 not to advertise and sell certain products that do not meet specific nutrition level to children under age 12. The policy took effect in 2009 for beverages globally and all snacks and food in the whole world on January 1, 2011. Pepsi plans to stop selling full sugar soft drinks directly to primary and secondary schools across the world by 2012. This policy is to help schools to provide a wider range of low-calorie and nutritious beverages to their students in primary and secondary schools. PepsiCo plans to implement this policy fully by January 1, 2012 and it has announced this interest on the Internet. PepsiCo does not currently sell directly to primary and secondary schools full calorie drinks in Europe, Canada, and a number of countries in the Arabian Peninsula. Currently the use of iPhone has spread to users many including school going children who can easily access the information. For this reason, PepsiCo implements the responsible e-marketing strategy to ensure that information reaches the only relevant people. Reasons for Not Adopting the Ecommerce In as much as technology is acceptable, many online clients have since withdrawn from transacting businesses over the internet due to the widespread internet crimes committed by fraudsters. Many clients have expressed reservations and they prefer offline business transactions to e-business. Bad experience of wrong delivery and erroneous processing of transactions has also contributed to the failure of ecommerce initiative. Pepsi should not just adopt Ecommerce marketing coverage strategy since it focuses on differentiated marketing, they should also consider other aspects that accompany the marketing strategy. Many clients do not have sufficient IT skills that are required in carrying out e-business. This gave the changeover a slow start in some regions, including India, with many insisting on continued offline transaction. Conclusion Ecommerce and e-business have become the order of modern business. Many companies than need to compete have adapted the two innovations. Ecommerce and e-business involve the use of the Internet in the transaction of goods and services from production, order, delivery, marketing, and payment for the purchased goods and services. PepsiCo is one of the companies that have adopted ecommerce for about ten years and have used the new technology in inventory management, supply chain management, Internet marketing and electronic funds transfer. PepsiCo is an international company that deals in beverages and foods snacks in four major regions in North America, South America, Europe and Asia and African markets with a number of products like Pepsi-Cola, 7Up, Fritos Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Doritos, Pepsi Max, Quaker Foods, Tropicana Cheetos, Miranda, Ruffles, Aquafina, Tostitos, Sierra Mist, Walker's and Lay's Lipton. The company uses the Internet to market and sell these brands. Several strategies ensure all the stakeholders are successfully navigated through the navigation period. These include adequate planning, employee development, good management kills, infrastructure, and risk management systems. Buy custom Analyzing an e-Business essay

Oswald Boelcke - World War I Ace

Oswald Boelcke - World War I Ace Oswald Boelcke - Childhood: The fourth child of a schoolteacher, Oswald Boelcke was born May 19, 1891, in Halle, Germany. A rabid nationalist and militarist, Boelckes father instilled these viewpoints in his sons. The family moved to Dessau when Boelcke was a young boy and he soon suffered from a severe case of whooping cough. Encouraged to participate in sports as part of his recovery, he proved a gifted athlete taking part in swimming, gymnastics, rowing, and tennis. Upon turning thirteen, he desired to pursue a military career. Oswald Boelcke -Getting His Wings: Lacking political connections, the family took the audacious step of writing directly to Kaiser Wilhelm II with the goal of seeking a military appointment for Oswald. This gamble paid dividends and he was admitted to the Cadets School. Graduating, he was assigned to Koblenz as a cadet officer in March 1911, with his full commission arriving a year later. Boelcke was first exposed to aviation while at Darmstadt and soon applied for a transfer to the Fliegertruppe. Granted, he took flight training during the summer of 1914, passing his final exam on August 15, just days after the beginning of World War I. Oswald Boelcke -Breaking New Ground: Immediately sent to the front, his older brother, Hauptmann Wilhelm Boelcke, secured him a position in Fliegerabteilung 13 (Aviation Section 13) so that they could serve together. A gifted observer, Wilhelm routinely flew with his younger brother. Forming a strong team, the younger Boelcke soon won an Iron Cross, Second Class for completing fifty missions. Though effective, the brothers relationship caused issues within the section and Oswald was transferred out. After recovering from a bronchial illness, he was assigned to Fliegerabteilung 62 in April 1915. Flying from Douai, Boelckes new unit operated two-seat observation aircraft and was tasked with artillery spotting and reconnaissance. At the beginning of July, Boelcke was selected as one of five pilots to receive a prototype of the new Fokker E.I fighter. A revolutionary aircraft, the E.I featured a fixed Parabellum machine gun which fired through the propeller with the use of an interrupter gear. With the new aircraft entering service, Boelcke scored his first victory in a two-seater when his observer downed a British plane on July 4. Switching to the E.I, Boelcke and Max Immelmann began attacking Allied bombers and observation aircraft. While Immelmann opened his score sheet on August 1, Boelcke had to wait until August 19 for his first individual kill. On August 28, Boelcke distinguished himself on the ground when he rescued a French boy, Albert DePlace, from drowning in a canal. Though DePlaces parents recommended him for the French Legion dHonneur, Boelcke instead received the German life-saving badge. Returning to the skies, Boelcke and Immelmann began a scoring competition which saw them both tied with six kills by the end of the year. Downing three more in January 1916, Boelcke was awarded Germanys highest military honor, the Pour le MÃ ©rite. Given command of Fliegerabteilung Sivery, Boelcke led the unit in combat over Verdun. By this time, the Fokker Scourge that had begun with the arrival of the E.I was coming to a close as new Allied fighters such as the Nieuport 11 and Airco DH.2 were reaching the front. To combat these new aircraft, Boelckes men received new aircraft while their leader stressed team tactics and accurate gunnery. Passing Immelmann by May 1, Boelcke became Germanys preeminent ace after the formers death in June 1916. A hero to the public, Boelcke was withdrawn from the front for a month on the Kaisers orders. While on the ground, he was detailed to share his experiences with German leaders and aid in the reorganization of the Luftstreitkrfte (German Air Force). An avid student of tactics, he codified his rules of aerial combat, the Dicta Boelcke, and shared them with other pilots. Approaching the Aviation Chief of Staff, Oberstleutnant Hermann von der Lieth-Thomsen, Boelcke was given permission to form his own unit. Oswald Boelcke -The Final Months: With his request granted, Boelcke began a tour of the Balkans, Turkey, and the Eastern Front recruiting pilots. Among his recruits was the young Manfred von Richthofen who would later become the famed Red Baron. Dubbed Jagdstaffel 2 (Jasta 2), Boelcke took command of his new unit on August 30. Relentlessly drilling Jasta 2 in his dicta, Boelcke downed ten enemy aircraft in September. Though achieving great personal success, he continued to advocate for tight formations and a team approach to aerial combat. Understanding the importance of Boelckes methods, he was permitted to travel to other airfields to discuss tactics and share his approaches with German fliers. By the end of October, Boelcke had run his total to 40 kills. On October 28, Boelcke took off on his sixth sortie of the day with Richthofen, Erwin BÃ ¶hme, and three others. Attacking a formation of DH.2s, the landing gear of BÃ ¶hmes aircraft scraped along the upper wing of Boelckes Albatros D.II severing the struts. This led the upper wing to detach and Boelcke fell from the sky. Though able to make a relatively controlled landing, Boelckes lap belt failed and he was killed by the impact. Suicidal as a result of his role in Boelckes death, BÃ ¶hme was prevented from killing himself and went on to become an ace before his death in 1917. Revered by his men for his understanding of aerial combat, Richthofen later said of Boelcke, I am after all only a combat pilot, but Boelcke, he was a hero. Dicta Boelcke Try to secure the upper hand before attacking. If possible, keep the sun behind you.Always continue with an attack you have begun.Only fire at close range, and then only when the opponent is properly in your sights.You should always try to keep your eye on your opponent, and never let yourself be deceived by ruses.In any type of attack, it is essential to assail your opponent from behind.If your opponent dives on you, do not try to get around his attack, but fly to meet it.When over the enemys lines, never forget your own line of retreat.Tip for Squadrons: In principle, it is better to attack in groups of four or six. Avoid two aircraft attacking the same opponent. Selected Sources Ace Pilots: Oswald BoelckeFirst World War: Oswald Boelcke

The Role of NGO in Defining Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

The Role of NGO in Defining Human Rights - Essay Example Since they have come from other nations, they might be naive to the language, rules, and observances, and less capable to claim their civil liberties. This causes them to face prejudice and makes them vulnerable to uneven treatment and uneven prospects at employment and also in their day to day affairs.   The Amnesty International has made efforts to promote and safeguard the liberties of those segments of the society including the immigrants and refugee workers. Amnesty international held that because of the nature of humanity immigrants are at liberty to be safeguarded of their civil liberties. This right comprises of the securing and safeguarding of their liberties during the whole period of migration in nations of origin, travel, and destination.   After the cold war, the NGO segment related to the migrant security has developed to a very large extent. The people have become more conscious and anxious with respect to the cruel laws, regulations, and procedures which affect the migrants. In the present day, there are hardly a few nations in the world that haven’t been concerned by the migrants’ problem and therefore the NGO’S are engaged with the refugee protection rights.† A migrant's human rights are largely defined by the migration "category" to which he or she belongs, and by the reasons underlying that migration. At one end of the human rights/migration spectrum are voluntary migrants, including migrant workers and other economic migrants. At the other end, more than 10 million refugees are forced to leave their countries to escape persecution.† (Grant 2005).   Immigrants activists argue that inequity, poverty, armed clashes, racial discrimination, fanaticism etc in the home country are the core reasons for immigration along with other exterior reasons like globalization.

Describe the butterfly effect and evaluate its implications for Essay

Describe the butterfly effect and evaluate its implications for theology - Essay Example Poincare, in early twentieth century found that even the slightest error in the measurement resulted in enormous unpredictability in the behavior of astronomical system (Poincare, internet). Repeated experiments by him reaffirmed his earlier results that changes in the measurement did not follow Newtonian laws of producing identical behavior but produced outcomes which were vastly different and unpredictable. In 1963, Edwards Lorenz, a meteorologist, discovered that while predicting weather forecast, slight changes in the values in the equations for the theoretical model of prediction of the weather, produced hugely different outcome. When he used .506 instead of .506127, a slightly lesser precise measurement, the results were radically different as opposed to very little variation that should have happened as per the Newton’s laws. The continued erratic outcomes of the computerized model of prediction, with slight variation in the values, emphatically disproved the earlier Newtonian theory. Lorenz became the first scientist to prove it wrong. In 1972, while talking in a seminar on "Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterflys Wings in Brazil set off a Tornado in Texas?" (AAAS, 1972), he successfully illustrated that the behavior of complex system is impossible to predict even when the conditions or factors influencing its outcomes are known mainly because of the fact that those precise conditions cannot be foretold or predicted and therefore the unpredictability of the outcome. Therefore it is impossible to predict the weather accurately. The unpredictable behavior of a physical system came to be known as ‘butterfly effect’ because of the slight difference in the starting point of the curves which can be compared to the flapping of a butterfly’s wings. As Stewart says ‘The flapping of a single butterflys

How Ian Mcmillan Conveys His Attitudes Towards the Death of His Mother Essay Example for Free

How Ian Mcmillan Conveys His Attitudes Towards the Death of His Mother Essay McMillan uses harsh words throughout the poem to show his grief and remorse at his mothers death. Words like â€Å"shatters† link with how he is feeling, like everything is broken and cannot be repaired. This word makes us imagine something broken into lots of tiny pieces which cant be put back together again, and it helps us to understand how broken and jumbled up he is feeling. The word â€Å"slap† when talking about â€Å"the tears (that) slap my torn face† insinuates the idea that he is in physical pain, that the emotional pain he feels is is so strong that he physically hurts. In the first stanza, we find out about his mothers death. Enjambment is used to speed up the pace of the poem, and show how quickly someones whole live can change, like in the phraseâ€Å"In the moment it takes a life to pass/ from waking to sleeping† The phrase â€Å"from waking to sleeping† highlights the opposites in what he and his mother are doing, as she passes from life to death. The word sleeping creates quiet a gentle image, and suggests that her death was not unexpected, and perhaps was drawn out and painful. Sleep is a very relaxed and calm time, the only time when the human mind can escape from problems in the day, so perhaps the idea of his mother falling asleep is comforting, like she has now stopped suffering and can rest happy. The second stanza uses a lot of words relating to the senses, to help us understand how McMillan is feeling. The sentence â€Å"outside a milk float chinks and shines† shows that the world is carrying on as normal, despite the fact that McMillans world has personally just stopped. The rhyming pattern throughout this poem is abab, but in this stanza the words â€Å"mine† and â€Å"shines† are meant to rhyme, but the fact that they don;t fully rhyme represents the disorientation he is feeling upon finding out about his mothers death, and perhaps also shows how nothing is quite right any more. Also, the word drones when describing a plane has been used to represent the deep grief he is feeling, and makes us feel like he has completely given up. In the third stanza McMillan seems to be describing a state of shock that he has fallen in to, which is quite a normal reaction when a loved one dies. McMillan describes his tears to slap his torn face; as well as slap being a raw and aggressive word, the way he describes his face as torn perhaps suggests that it was his mother who held him together, and now, without her, he is broken. This helps us to realise how important his mother was to him, which makes us sympathise for him a lot and evokes a feeling of empathy when we put ourselves in his position. McMillan says he feels trapped, like he is trapped by his own emotion and although its up to him to find a way out of this dark place, he cant see an escape. This shows how alone and scared he is feeling knowing his motherr is no longer around and also makes us think how panicked he must be feeling, as we would be if we were trapped somewhere. The word float makes us think that McMillan is no longer in control of his emotions, that what he is feeling is unstoppable, but also it instigates the sense that nothing seems quite normal around him, and that he is detached from reality. The final stanza is a rhyming couplet that summarises the grief and emptiness and the lack of will to go on without his mother. â€Å"Feeling that the story ends just here† conveys the idea that there isnt a story to continue without his mother, showing how depressed McMillan is feeling, like he has reached a dead end in his life.

Riot Grrrl: Empowering Women and Changing the World Essay -- Feminism

Take a moment and envision yourself accompanying your significant other at a highly anticipated punk rock concert. Upon arrival, he immediately insists that you play the role of a â€Å"good girlfriend† by holding his jacket while he and the rest of the male audience move up towards the mosh pit. You soon find yourself pushed and shoved to the back of the room, the farthest distance away from the stage as possible, along with hundreds of other â€Å"good girlfriends† as personified coat hangers. This was an issue faced by many women in the early 90’s who were interested in the punk rock scene, yet were unable to have their voices be heard, until now. Riot grrrl, a radical feminist movement that thrived in the underground punk scene has challenged the media to take a step back and recognize the women involved to be able to portray and express themselves without the need of society’s written standards of how or what the ideal woman should be. In Kevin Dunn a nd May Farnsworth’s article, â€Å"We ARE The Revolution†: Riot Grrrl Press, Girl Empowerment, and DIY Self-Publishing, the authors mention how riot grrrl members took matters into their own hands by establishing their own interpersonal sources of positive and influential media through utilization of radio shows, fanzines, television programs, and creative outlets to promote self expression and awareness. They had every good intention to carry these opportunities out since the media has long been known for deliberately distorting every ounce of truth they are given. Misconceptions of feminism have especially emerged through the deceitful tactics of the media and have managed to successfully establish a negative connotation with the movement of feminism. When questioned on the topic of feminism,... ... permanent mark on today’s world. It may be considered a man’s world for now, but with the efforts of millions who support the same values that riot grrrl enforces, it will soon it will be a world of equality where both men and women have equal opportunities to have their voices be heard. Works Cited Downes, Julia. Women Make Noise: Girl Bands from Motown to the Modern. Twickenham: Supernova, 2012. Print. Dunn, Kevin, and May Summer Farnsworth. "â€Å"We ARE The Revolution†: Riot Grrrl Press, Girl Empowerment, And DIY Self-Publishing." Women's Studies 41.2 (2012): 136-157. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Dec. 2015. Leonard, Marion. Gender in the Music Industry: Rock, Discourse, and Girl Power. Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Ashgate, 2007. Print. Meltzer, Marisa. Girl Power: The Nineties Revolution in Music. New York: Faber and Faber, 2010. Print.

Presence of Exim Bank in Saarc Region

History of SAARC The concept of setting up a regional co-operational in the South Asian Region was first mooted by the late President of Bangladesh, Ziaur-Rahman on May 2, 1980. Before this, the idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was discussed in conferences of Asian Regional conference, New Delhi in April 1947, the Baguio Conference in Philippines in May 1950, and the Colombo Power Conference in April 1954. urther in the late 70s, SAARC nations agreed to create a trade bloc consisting of South Asian countries. The idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was again mooted in May 1980as a result, the foreign secretaries of the seven countries met for the first time in Colombo in April 1981. The Committee of the Whole, which met in Colombo in August 1985, identified five broad areas for regional cooperation.New areas of cooperation were added in the following years. Hence the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was created in 1985 with eight member countri es in SAARC namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It also has nine observers, namely China, EU, Iran, Republic of Korea, Australia, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar and USA.The objectives of the Association as defined in the Charter are: * to promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to improve their quality of life; * to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potential; * to promote and strengthen selective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia; * to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another's problems; * to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields; * to strengthen cooperation with other developing countries; * to strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interest; and * to cooperate with international and regional organisations with similar aims and purposes. The principles of SAARC are: * Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, political equality and independence of all members states * Non-interference in the internal matters is one of its objectives * Cooperation for mutual benefit * All decisions to be taken unanimously and need a quorum of all eight members * All bilateral issues to be kept aside and only multilateral(involving many countries) issues to be discussed without being prejudiced by bilateral issues Economic Agenda of SAARC The main economic agenda of SAARC include: ) SAARC Preferential Trading Agreement (SAPTA) The Agreement on SAPTA was signed on 11 April 1993 and entered into force on 7 December 1995. The Agreement envisaged promoting and sustaining mutual trade and economic cooperation within the SAARC region through exchange of concessions. b) South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) The Ag reement on SAFTA was signed on 6 January 2004 during the Twelfth SAARC Summit in Islamabad. The Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2006. c) South Asian Economic Union The Eleventh Summit (Kathmandu, 4-6 January 2002) provided further impetus to the regional economic cooperation to give effect to the shared aspirations for a more prosperous South Asia.At the Summit, the leaders agreed to accelerate cooperation in the core areas of trade, finance and investment to realise the goal of an integrated South Asian economy in a step-by-step manner. They also agreed to the vision of a phased and planned process eventually leading to a South Asian Economic Union. Economic Profile of the SAARC Member Countries In Afghanistan, real domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have reached 13. 9% in FY2007, owing to a strong recovery in agricultural production. Industry and services recorded dynamic growth of 13. 3% and 12. 4%, respectively. Construction was the main driver of industrial growth . In Bangladesh, GDP growth in FY2007 (ended June 2007) stood at 6. % underpinned by steady expansion in manufacturing and continued buoyancy in services, on the base of rising domestic and external demand. Secretariat of SAARC The Secretariat of SAARC is located in Kathmandu has been established on 16 January 1987 inaugurated by Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal headed by a Secretary General. The Secretary General is appointed by the Council of Ministers from Member Countries in alphabetical order for a term of three-years assisted by the Professional and the General Services Staff, and also an appropriate number of functional units called Divisions assigned to Directors on deputation from Member States.The Secretariat has been entrusted with the function of coordination and monitoring the implementation of activities, arranging for meetings, and serveing as a channel of communication between the Association and its Member States as well as other regional organizations. T he setting up of SAARC Secretariat involved inking a Memorandum of Understanding between the Foreign Ministers of member countries on 17 November 1986 at Bangalore, India which contained various clauses concerning the role, structure and administration of the SAARC Secretariat as well as the powers of the Secretary-General. Regional Centres of SAARC There are various regional centres established by SAARC Secretariat in member states so as to ensure smooth working of the SAARC functions.The regional Centres covering Agriculture, Tuberculosis, Documentation, Meteorological research, and Human Resource Development have been established in different SAARC capitals: SAIC (Dhaka, 1998) STC (Kathmandu, 1992) SDC (New Delhi, 1994) SMRC (Dhaka, 1995) SHRDC (Islamabad, 1999) SCC (Kandy, 2004) SCZMC (Male, 2004) and SIC (Kathmandu, 2004). In addition, three new regional centres covering Culture, Coastal Zones Management, and Information are being established. India- SAARC Relationship The coun tries of South Asia were compelled to forge a regional grouping due to universal realization among the third world countries. – india with her experience of initial efforts to organize the Asian community ; the conflicts in the region welcomed the initiative of Bangladesh in 1980. for an association of south Asian namely India, Pakistan, Sri lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives. SAARC provides a platform for the peoples of south asia to work together in a spirit of friendship , trust ; understanding . – it aims to accelerated the process of economic ; social development in member states. – the initial years of SAARC were marked by significant political developments in the world culminating in the demise of cold war ; the disremberment of the soviet union. – therefore, when the proposal for the regional co-operation was made by bangladesh india could not reject the proposal. – as this regional cooperation could play a useful role in india's ow n regional policy. – india is the biggest with sharing the borders with all 6 countries of the region. – from politicla to economic level, india & its neighbors have many disputes. inida is also having the stable democracy, has a strong military machine, a large scientific & technical manpower & a vast industries infrastructure makes it different from other countries. – the end of cold war has provided greater leeway to india to promote her perception of south Africa regionalism through SAARC. – india has become the heart of saarc & in fact constitutes the major source of both GDP, trade & capital flows within saarc/region. – the reluctance of india & other south asian countries to turn saarc into forum for resolving major regional disputes hampers saarc ability to deal with many of the south asia's economic ; political problems. Mekong-Ganga Cooperation : it was established on nov 10 2000 at vientiane in the 1st MGC ministerial-meeting. – i t comprises of 6 members countries namely, thailand, myanmar,cambodia, lao PDR, vietnam ; india. – they emphses on 4 areas of cooperation , which are : tourism, culture, education , transportation linkages in order to be solid foundation for future trade ; investment cooperation in the region. Cooperation Mechanisms : – the working mechanism for MGC consists of the annual ministrial meeting, the senior official's meeting, 5 working group namely : * working group on tourism (thailand) * working group on education , HRD (india) * working group on culture (cambodia) working group on communication & transportation (lao PDR) * working group on paln of actions (vietnam). – with his cooperation india has extended its footprints in asean region under the geostartegic back drop. – india has added powerful cultural dimension to its economic diplomacy by encouraging business contacts between the people residing on the banks Summits Summits which are the highest auth ority in SAARC, are supposed to be held annually. The country hosting the Summit also holds the Chair of the Association. Bangladesh hosted the Thirteenth Summit in November 2005 at Dhaka as the Chairperson of the Association. India will host the Fourteenth SAARC Summit in 2007 as its Chairman.South Asia’s regional cooperation, international political and economic environment, poverty alleviation, advancing economic cooperation, funding mechanisms, security of small states, combating, terrorism, social, natural disasters and environmental challenges as an agenda for third decade of SAARC was also discussed in the Thirteenth Summit. Enhancing people-to-people contact and cultural cooperation, political cooperation and external linkages of SAARC was also discussed. SAARC member states welcomed the request by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for membership and invited Afghanistan as a member, subject to the completion of formalities.SAARC member states also agreed in principl e with the desire of the People’s Republic of China and Japan to be associated as observers. The Agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters Establishment of SAARC Arbitration Council, and the Limited 136 Pakistan Journal of History & Culture, Vol. XXVII/2 (2006) Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters were signed during the thirteenth SAARC Summit The Council of Ministers comprising Foreign Ministers, meets at least twice a year. Its functions include formulating policy, reviewing progress of regional cooperation, identifying new areas of cooperation and establishing additional mechanisms that may be necessary.The Standing Committee comprising Foreign Secretaries, monitors and coordinates SAARC programmes of cooperation, approves projects including their financing and mobilizes regional and external resources. It meets as often as necessary and reports to the Council of Ministers. The Association also convenes meetings at Ministerial Level on specialized themes. The Committee on Economic Cooperation consisting of Secretaries of Commerce oversees regional cooperation in the economic field. During the Twelfth Summit in Islamabad, the SAARC Social Charter was signed in order to address social issues such as population stabilization, empowerment of women, youth mobilization, human resource development, promotion of health and nutrition, and protection of children, which are keys to the welfare and well-being of all South Asians.South Asian States have adopted Conventions on the Suppression of Terrorism (including Additional Protocol signed in January 2004 in Islamabad), Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, Trafficking in Women and Children, and Child Welfare in South Asia. An Agreement on Food Security Reserve is also in place. During the 12th SAARC summit held in Islamabad the leaders of South Asia reiterated their commitment to form South Asian Economic Union (SAEU). If for med, it will pave the way for more ambitious — but entirely achievable — goals such as a Free Trade Area, an Economic Union, open borders, and a common currency for the region. As President Pervez Musharraf said, â€Å"we must expand SAARC charter to discuss bilateral issues at the regional level. There can be no development in the absence of peace.There can be no peace, so long as political issues and disputes continue to fester. †The Twelfth Summit renewed the urgency to deal with poverty in the region. For this purpose, the Summit directed the Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation (ISACPA) to submit to the next Summit a comprehensive and realistic blueprint setting out SAARC 14 President Pervez Musharraf’s statement reported by M. Aftab, â€Å"Can Safta lead to South Asian Economic Union? † The News, 19 January, 2004. SAARC: Origin, Growth, Potential and Achievements 137 Development Goals for the next five years in the areas of poverty alleviation, education, health and environment.The Governors of the Central Banks of member states under the auspices of SAARCFINANCE meet regularly to consider cooperation in financial matters. For strengthening cooperation in information and media related activities of the Association, the Heads of National Television and Radio Organizations of member countries meet annually. Similarly, the SAARC Audio-Visual Exchange (SAVE) Committee disseminates information both on SAARC and its Member States through regular Radio and TV Programmes. In the field of education, the Member States cooperate through the forums of SACODiL (SAARC Consortium on Open and Distance Learning) and Heads of Universities Grants Commission/Equivalent Bodies.Memoranda of Understanding have been signed to promotecollaboration with UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), UNESCAP (United Nati ons Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific), UNDCP (United Nations Drug Control Programme), ITU (International Telecommunications Union), APT (Asia Pacific Telecommunity), WHO (World Health Organization), UNIFEM (Untied Nations Fund for Women), CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency), EC (European Commission), PTB (German Metrology Institute), WB (World Bank), ADB (Asian Development Bank), UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) and SACEP (South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme). Regular dialogues with other Regional Organizations such as ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations), ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) and PIFS (Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat) are held with a view to promoting cooperation among sub-regional organizations.The Association promotes interaction on multilateral issues of common concern to its members and has identified areas in which collective positions could be projected at international forums. These i nclude trade, finance, environment, agriculture, women and children, information and telecommunications. Beyond official linkages, SAARC also encourages and facilitates cooperation in private sector through the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), which is a SAARC Apex Body. Other such bodies are SAARCLAW and South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA). In addition, the status of SAARC Recognized Bodies has been accorded to professional groups in South Asia including Architects, Management 138 http://www. nihcr. edu. pk Pakistan Journal of History & Culture, Vol.XXVII/2 (2006) Development Institutions, University Women, Town Planners, Cardiologists, Dermatologists, Teachers, Writers, Insurance Organizations, Diploma Engineers, Radiological and Surgical Care Societies. The Association of Speakers and Parliamentarians enjoy special recognition by the Heads of State or Government. Achievements Several factors such as political, economic, security and potentiality of mutual e conomic benefit through regionalism seem to have influenced President Ziaur Rahman’s thinking about establishing a regional organization in South Asia. 15 SAARC’s existence, however, has enabled South Asian political leaders to meet regularly and carry on informal discussions to address their mutual problems.This is no mean achievement given South Asia’s past history and low level of interaction among South Asian countries since their independence. Informal talks among the leaders at regularly held SAARC meetings have led to inter-elite reconciliation on many sensitive issues, producing some noteworthy results in South Asia. The informal talks between the Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers at the second SAARC Summit meeting at Bangalore in November 1986 led to the diffusion of tension between the two countries on the issue of India’s military exercise, Operation Brasstacks, on the Indo-Pakistan border, and the India-Sri Lanka talks at the 1987 SAARC for eign ministers’ meeting led to their accord on the Tamil problem.As a result of an informal meeting and discussion between Prime Minister of India and Pakistan, Narasimha Rao and Nawaz Sharif, at Davos (Switzerland), in 1992, the Pakistani government took action to prevent the move of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) to cross the ceasefire line in Kashmir later that year. The Davos meeting was possible because of an earlier informal agreement between the two leaders at the sixth SAARC Summit meeting at Colombo in December 1991. Given this utility of SAARC, can the organization grow or expand its role in the coming decades? The Heads of State or Government during the Ninth SAARC Summit agreed for the first time that a process of informal political consultations would prove useful in promoting peace, stability, amity and accelerated socio-economic cooperation in the region. The leaders reiterated this intent during their Tenth and Eleventh Summits in Colombo and Ka thmandu respectively also.The Agreement on SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) was signed in 1993 and four rounds of trade negotiations have been concluded. With the objective of moving towards a South Asian Economic Union (SAEU), the Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) was signed during the Twelfth Summit in Islamabad in January 2004. SAFTA may enter into force by the end of the year 2006. The Association has carried out Regional Studies on trade, manufactures and services, environment and poverty alleviation, SAFTA and Customs matters. Since its inception in 1984 there have also been serious differences among member countries over the aims and functioning of SAARC. 6 Such differences have been pronounced in verbal bickerings in several SAARC meetings. This is in the face of the fact that closer social, economic and cultural ties (the espoused ideals of SAARC) are considered the one and only hope for building regional cooperation efforts in South Asia in the coming years. Indeed, increasing rationalization of world trade and the fluidity of the emerging global system has increased trade within each trade bloc and those countries that do not belong to any trade blocs are likely to be the losers. 17 This also provides a strong rationale for sustaining the SAARC vis-a-vis future trade prospects of South Asia.The assumption that peace can be achieved through SAARC without addressing the political problems of the region has neither een able to cultivate peace nor to invigorate the SAARC process successfully. Though since its very inception it has been regularly able to hold Summit meetings yet there have been interruptions in 16 The main point of debate hinges on the Charter of SAARC which does not allow bilateral issues to be discussed at the regional level summit diplomacy. 17 B. S. Shreekantaradhya, â€Å"Globalisation of Indian Economy: Strategies and Constraints,† S. Murty, The Changing Indian Economic Order (New Delhi: Indus Ec onomic Profile of the SAARC Member Countries In Afghanistan, real domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have reached 13. % in FY2007, owing to a strong recovery in agricultural production. Industry and services recorded dynamic growth of 13. 3% and 12. 4%, respectively. Construction was the main driver of industrial growth. In Bangladesh, GDP growth in FY2007 (ended June 2007) stood at 6. 5% underpinned by steady expansion in manufacturing and continued buoyancy in services, on the base of rising domestic and external demand (Figure 1). Figure 1: Economic Growth in SAARC Region – 2007 (percent) Source: Asian Development Outlook 2008, ADB Source: Direction of Trade Statistics Year Book 2007, IMF. Bhutan’s real GDP in FY2007 (ended June 2007) is estimated to have grown by 17. %. This was driven by growth in power sector (with a GDP share of 11. 3% in FY2006) resulting from the commissioning of the 1,020 megawatt (MW) Tala hydropower station, which has been phased in sin ce July 2006. In India, the impressive economic performance of the past few years continued with real GDP growth at 9. 0% in 2007-08, as compared to 9. 6% in the previous year. The real GDP of Maldives grew by 6. 6% in 2007, reverting to its historical growth path after the post-tsunami contraction in 2005. Tourism, the leading sector with around one-third share of GDP, grew by 10. 0%. Real GDP growth of Nepal moderated to 2. 3% in FY2007 (endedmidJuly 2007) from 3. 1% in FY2006, resulting from subdued performances of agriculture and industry. Real GDP growth of Pakistan continued to remain strong for the fourth consecutive year registering a growth of 7. 0% in FY2007 (ended June 2007). During 2007, Sri Lanka continued to register strong real GDP growth of 6. 7%, as compared to 7. 7% in 2006. Trend in Foreign Trade and Trade Policies SAARC’s Global Trade During the year 2000 to 2006, the total exports of SAARC countries have increased from US$ 63. 5 billion to US$ 161. 4 bill ion. The total imports of SAARC countries also have increased from US$ 79. 5 billion in 2000 to US$ 255. 3 billion in 2006.Among the SAARC countries, India led both in terms of exports and imports, followed by Pakistan and Bangladesh. Intra-SAARC Trade Total intra-SAARC exports have increased from US$ 2. 8 billion in 2000 to US$ 10. 8 billion in 2006, registering nearly a four-fold rise during the period. As a result, intra-SAARC exports, as a proportion of SAARC global exports, have risen from 4. 5% in 2000 to 6. 7% in 2006. Intra-exports of the SAARC countries were dominated by India, followed by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The total intra-SAARC imports have also increased more than three-fold from US$ 3. 0 billion in 2000 to US$ 9. 6 billion in 2006. Intra-SAARC imports ere dominated by Sri Lanka, followed by India. Figure 2 depicts the trend in intra-SAARC trade (exports plus imports) vis-a-vis trend in SAARC’s global trade. A comparison of the trends would highlight the buoy ancy in intra- SAARC trade especially after 2003, as compared to SAARC’s global trade. Trade Policies Trade liberalisation in South Asia started with a series of sweeping reforms in Sri Lanka in 1977/78. For the rest of South Asia, the 1980s and 1990s saw substantial reductions of tariffs and phasing out of quantitative restrictions (QRs), along with liberalisation of the exchange regimes. Developments in SAARC Trade Integration SAARC Preferential Trade Agreement SAPTA) was signed at the seventh SAARC summit in 1993, in Dhaka. The agreement provides a framework and institutional base for trade liberalisation and economic cooperation between the seven SAARC member countries. The agreement provides for the exchange of concessions between SAPTA members on tariffs, para-tariff and non-tariff barriers. It envisages four basic approaches to the exchange of trade preferences: (1) product-by-product; (2) across- the-board; (3) sectoral; and (4) â€Å"direct trade† measures. So uth Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) extends the scope of SAPTA to include trade facilitation elements and switches the tariff liberalisation rocess from a positive to a negative list approach. Foreign Direct Investment in the SAARC Region Private capital flows to South Asia was largely driven by India, which received the majority of capital flows to the region. The total FDI inflows into the SAARC region have increased from US$ 5. 6 billion in 2000 to US$ 22. 3 billion in 2006. FDI outflows from the SAARC region have increased from US$ 350 mn in 2000 to US$ 9. 8 billion in 2006. India’s Trade and Investment Relations with SAARC Trade Relations India’s exports to the SAARC region increased from US$ 2. 8 billion in 2002-03 to US$ 6. 5 billion in 2006-07 (Figure 3). Amongst the SAARC members, Sri Lanka is the largest arket, accounting for 35% of India’s Blue Magenta Black Blue Magenta Black Brief on New Publications SAARC: An Emerging Trade Bloc Exim Bank : Rese arch Brief No. 38, June 2008 3 Figure 3: Trend in India’s Trade in SAARC Region (US$ mn) Source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GOI total exports in the SAARC region during 2006-07, followed by Bangladesh (25%), Pakistan (21%) and Nepal (14%). An analysis of the trend in India’s exports to the SAARC region during the period 2002-03 to 2006-07 reveals that, while exports to all the SAARC members have registered a rise, India’s exports to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal have exhibited distinct buoyancy. While India’s exports toPakistan registered a six-fold rise during the five-year period, exports to Afghanistan and to Nepal also rose three-fold and two and half-fold, respectively, during the period. India’s imports from the SAARC region have also risen from US$ 531. 5 mn in 2002-03 to US$ 1. 5 billion in 2006-07, depicting almost a three-fold rise during the period. Sri Lanka is again the leading partner, accounting for 31% of India’s to tal imports from the region during 2006-07, followed by Pakistan (21%), Nepal (20%), Bangladesh (15%) and Bhutan (9%). The robust rise in India’s total imports from the SAARC during the period 2002-03 to 2006-07 has been underpinned by the sharp ncrease in imports from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Bangladesh. India generally maintains a positive trade balance with the other SAARC member countries, and the trade surplus have risen from US$ 2. 3 billion in 2002-03 to US$ 5. 0 billion in 2006-07. Investment Relations The total foreign direct investments (approved) from India to other SAARC countries amounted to US$ 312. 8 mn during April 1996 to December 2007. Among the SAARC countries, Sri Lanka (US$ 153. 1 mn) was the major destination of Indian investment followed by Nepal (US$ 87. 2 mn). During January 2005 to December 2007, 33 joint ventures (JVs) and 42 wholly owned subsidiaries (WOSs) have been pproved in the SAARC countries. Out of this, 1 JV was approved in Afghanist an, 7 JVs and 8 WOSs were approved in Bangladesh, 2 JVs in Maldives, 2 JVs and 6 WOSs in Nepal, 1 JV in Bhutan, and 20 JVs and 28 WOSs in Sri Lanka. Areas of investment approved include engineering goods, electrical equipments, pesticides, readymade garments, cables and wires, plastic & plastic products, rubber products and textiles. Total investments of SAARC countries to India have amounted to US$ 11. 7 mn during April 2000 to February 2008. Among all the SAARC countries, Sri Lanka was the largest source of FDI with US$ 8. 5 mn during the period, followed by Maldives (US$ 3. 1 mn).The investment flows between India and Sri Lanka have increased mainly after the implementation of India Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISLFTA). Exim Bank in the SAARC Region Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) operates a comprehensive range of financing, advisory and support programmes to promote and facilitate India’s trade and investment relations with the SAARC region. In the SAARC region , the Bank has supported several Indian project exporters to execute contracts in countries such as: _ Hydroelectric project (Tala project), tunnel house, and dam construction in Bhutan; _ Road improvement projects, railway construction and maintenance, gas turbine power plant project, lectrical substations, cement plant project, transmission line project, and conveyor belt project in Bangladesh; _ Steel, local telephone network, transmission lines, sub-stations, out door LED video system for cricket matches, and diesel fired power project in Sri Lanka; _ Transmission lines and substations, optic fibre cable project, hydro electric projects, and irrigation projects in Nepal, and _ Air-conditioning & electro mechanical work at Male Airport in Maldives. The Bank, in order to help Indian companies in their internationalisation efforts, provides term loans to them, both for equity investment in their ventures overseas. Besides, Exim Bank lso undertakes direct equity stake in Indian vent ures abroad, to enable Indian companies to supplement their equity with Exim Bank’s contribution. To facilitate Indian presence in the SAARC region, the Bank has supported joint ventures by Indian companies in several sectors, including: _ Pharmaceuticals, steel and glass sectors in Sri Lanka; _ Electrical sector in Bangladesh, and _ Engineering goods and textile sectors in Nepal. Exim Bank extends Lines of Credit (LOCs) to overseas financial institutions, foreign governments and their agencies, enabling them to finance EXIM BANK ORGANISES SEMINAR ON REGIONAL ECONOMIC & FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN ASIAExim Bank of India organised a Seminar on ‘Regional Economic and Financial Cooperation in Asia' on October 5, 2005 as a curtain raiser for the 11th Annual Meeting of Asian Exim Banks being held from October 5-7, 2005 in Goa. The Forum of Asian Exim Banks comprises 9 Asian countries, viz. India, Japan, China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Australia with Asian Development Bank, Manila, the multilateral financing institution as a permanent invitee. The Forum has an Annual Meeting hosted by a member country by rotation. The Forum was conceived and initiated by Exim Bank of India in 1996. After a decade, Exim Banks of India is again hosting the Annual Meeting. Hon'ble Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Pratapsingh Raoji Rane was the Chief Guest and inaugurated the Seminar. Other dignitaries who spoke at the Seminar included Mr. T. C.Venkat Subramanian, Chairman ; Managing Director, Exim Bank of India, Dr. Ashok Lahiri, Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Director General, Research and Information System, New Delhi, Mr. Werner Liepach, Principal Director, Asian Development Bank, Manila and Mr. Lamon Rutten, Chief, Commodity Finance ; Risk Management, UNCTAD Geneva. The seminar was attended by the members of the Asian Exim Banks Forum at the highest level, special invitees, a cross-section of the industry and the academia. In his welcome address, Mr. Subramanian highlighted the growing importance of the Asian region in global trade and investment with Asia accounting for 27% of world trade.He, observed that intra-Asian trade at US$ 625 bn (42% of total exports of Asian countries) was not commensurate with the potential that exists for trade flows among the Asian economies and is much lower than intra-EU and intra-NAFTA trade. Mr. Subramanian also highlighted the sharp rise in Indo-China trade in the past few years catapulting China to become India's largest source of imports and 3rd largest export destination. Giving the theme address, Dr. Nagesh Kumar underscored the significance of regional cooperation among the economies of Asia, particularly considering that the region is home to the fastest emerging economies of the world. Besides sub-regional initiatives in the framework of ASEAN, SAARC and others, broader economic integration initiatives are under way.He argued that there is a strong case for ASEAN, Japan, China, India and Korea working together to realise the Asian dream. Congratulating Exim Bank of India for initiating a decade back, a Forum of Asian Exim Banks to forge stronger regional economic cooperation among the Asian countries, Dr. Ashok Lahiri in his keynote address noted with interest the wide range of issues to be covered at the 11th Annual Asian Exim Banks meeting. While underlining the importance of regional cooperation, Dr. Lahiri cited the example of ADB's initiative of the Greater Mekong Subregion in which six countries entered into a programme of subregional economic cooperation to enhance economic relations among themselves. Dr.Lahiri also explained the Government of India's initiatives, particularly the ‘Look East' policy, to forge stronger ties with the Asian economies for promoting trade and investment. Commending the Asian Exim Banks community for creating a forum for economic cooperation and sharing of knowledge, S hri Pratapsingh Rane, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Goa hoped that the Forum would suggest policies that would provide fillip to states/regional level, economic growth in the larger context of intra-Asian economic cooperation. Highlighting the investor-friendly economic environment of Goa, Mr. Rane emphasised the emergence of the state as a major destination for foreign investment and outlined the various measures taken by his Government.