Local and National policies regarding minorities in Japan and China Essay

There is no single community in the world today which does not consist of a minority group. In most cases, the minority ethnic groups and the majority are always in conflict, as the minorities are generally oppressed. This arises mostly as a result of cultural misunderstandings. Cultural misunderstandings have become a widespread problem in the contemporary society. Cultural identity is a broad notion which is composed of demographic components such as nationality and social status (Schwartz 2007, par. 1). However; the various governments of the world have tried to protect the rights of the minorities by ensuring that they are protected in their constitutions. Japan and China have very well stipulated rights of the minority in their constitutions; however, the minorities are still subjected to maltreatment in theses countries. Definition of a minority A minority is commonly described as a group of people in a given society with the following characteristics, â€Å"numerically smaller than the rest of the population of the state or a part of the state, which is not in a dominant position, which has no culture, language, religion, race among others, and is distinct from the rest of the population, whose members have a will to preserve the minorities, whose members are citizens of the state where they have the status of a minority, and have a long-term presence on the territory where they lived† (Smihula 2009, par. 1). China Chinese Cultural Centre (2010) states that, â€Å"From the hinterlands of the north, to the lush jungles in the south, from the mountains of Taiwan in the east, to the top of the world in the west, China serves as home to 56 official ethnic groups. The largest group, the Han, make up over ninety two of China’s vast population, and it is the elements of Han civilization that world considers â€Å"Chinese culture. † Yet, the fifty five ethnic minorities, nestled away on China’s vast frontiers, maintain their own rich traditions and customs, and all are part of Chinese culture†. The ethnic groups in China live together in very vast areas. Others live in small areas, in single concentrated communities which are normally inhabited predominantly by the Han people. This is a distribution which has been there since time immemorial in the history of China, as various ethnic groups mingled and migrated. China’s minority groups are scattered all over the republic. However, their population is small. They are found in every municipality, provinces and autonomous region under the Chinese Central government. In other county-level units, there are more than two ethnic groups which live together. Currently, the Chinese minority groups are concentrated in autonomous regions like Ningxia, Xinjiang, Tibet, Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Sichuan, Liaoning, Hainan, Hunan, Jilin, Gansu, Guizhou, Yunnan and Taiwan (China UN 1999, par. 3). Generally, there are official efforts which have been made so as to cater for the rights of the minorities in China. The most obvious ones are the assistance of the minorities to get their own language, glorify their legendary heroes by compiling the history of the minorities , restore the medical practices of the minority as well as help them develop literature, compose music and opera ( Debra & Jensen 2002, 175). Policies on minorities Prior to the founding of the Chinese Republic in 1949, there was a general imbalance of ethnic minorities. They were denied social and economic development. Most of the minority societies were in the slave system, primitive system and others, in the serf system. Majority of the minority populations in these regions were slaves of feudal lords, temples, nobles and slave owners. The minority groups had no personal freedom, and all people would buy and sell them, and even give them out as gifts at their own will. The reason why there was so much oppression of the minority groups was because of the Sixteen-Point Law and the Thirteenth-Point Laws, which were formulated in the 17th century (China UN 1999, par. 11) The first policy that protects the rights of the minorities in China states that â€Å"All ethnic groups participate in State Affairs Administration on an equal footing† (China UN 1999, par. 14). The Chinese Government has ensures that the Han people and the minority participate in affairs management at local and state governments. More importantly, the government has stated that there is full guarantee of the minority ethnic groups’ rights so that they can effectively take part in state affairs management. For instance, the highest state power organ in China, National Peoples Congress (NPC), has demonstrated a full support of the ethnic minorities’ rights. The Local People’s Congresses (LPC) and NPC have Electoral Law provisions. These provisions state that â€Å"the minority peoples shall have their own deputies to sit in the NPC, and ethnic groups whose population is less than that prescribed for electing one deputy and permitted to elect one deputy† (China UN 1999,par. 14) In concentrated communities comprising of ethnic minorities, each of these communities is allowed to have their own deputy. The deputies elected sit in the LPC. Additionally, those who are scattered on vast areas are also allowed to elect their deputies in their LPC’s. The number of people that are represented by the deputies is less than in the concentrated regions, compared to those who are from concentrated communities (China UN 1999, Par. 15). Great efforts have been made by the state so as to ensure that there is good proportion of people from the minority groups who are trained to be cadres. This enables them to be of help in the government. The national and local state offices are also comprised of very many personnel of the minority proportions. This is in the procuratorial, administrative, judicial and management organs. From year 2000, the percentage of the minorities in the Standing Committee was twenty one percent. This number has been increasing within the years (China UN 1999, Par. 16) Since China became a republic, it has always ensured that â€Å"Identification of Ethnic Minorities† (China UN 1999, par. 17) is another policy which they should continually use. Previously, before independence, there was no figure which revealed the total number of the minority groups in China. It only started this in a bid to implement the equality policy among all ethnic groups. As a result, there were well organized large scale investigations which were meant to identify ethnic groups since 1953. Since then, all ethnic groups, regardless of their social development level and the areas they have inhabited are all regarded as equal. Several minority groups which were not recognized in old China became recognized as a result of the change. They had the privilege of enjoying equal rights with the other ethnic groups in China (China UN 1999, par. 17). Before 1951, there were no proper names given to the minority ethnic communities in China. This was considered as oppression and ethnic discrimination by the Chinese government. In fact, most of the names that were given to the minority groups portrayed implications of high class ethnic discrimination. Therefore, the Central People’s Government promulgated an order, which was meant to promote monuments, inscriptions, place names, tablets and appellations. Additionally, all inscriptions which had discriminative contents were all abolished. Some ethnic appellations which never implied insults were also changed so as to meet the wishes of certain ethnic groups. For example, the Tong ethnic group was converted to Zhuang (China UN1999, par. 18). Acts or words which were aimed at inciting discrimination and hostility against ethnic groups, and those which also aimed at sabotaging unity and equality among the people was regarded as a law violation. All the ethnic groups that were subjected to oppression, insults or discrimination were given rights to complain to their respective judicial institutions. At this point, all the complaints would be dealt with accordingly. China even joined several international conventions which were meant to protect the rights of all racial groups. Some of these include International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. These organizations have helped the republic to continually advocate the national and local policy on equality in the Republic of China (China UN 1999, par. 20). The Chinese constitution also had provisions which enhanced the unity of the ethnic groups. The Chinese constitution has a policy which emphasized on the need to do away with group chauvinism, especially the Han chauvinism, as well as the local ethnic chauvinism. The Government has also worked hard to ensure that the media, literary works and publications groups are prohibited from revealing contents which damage ethnic unity among all Chinese communities (China UN 1999, par. 20). China has a diversity of religion. The main religious groups include Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Taoism. Most of the ethnic groups have religious beliefs. The Chinese government has outlined specific policies which are meant to ensure that the freedom of all ethnic groups is safeguarded, and all the ethnic minorities are guaranteed normal religious activities (China 1999, par. 22). Additionally, they have been given freedom to â€Å"use and develop their own spoken and written languages† (China 1999, par. 23). There are specialists who have been kept aside so as to make investigations of written and spoken languages of the ethnic minorities. Additionally, there are special organizations which have been started so as to help people research in languages and train specialists in the same languages (China UN 1999, par. 23). Culture is a people’s way of life. Killing the culture of a certain ethnic community would mean killing its future generation. In a bid to protect the culture of the ethnic minorities in China, the Chinese government has formulated plans which are meant to collect, edit, translate and publish elements of culture. These studies are of a great help as they give the ethnic minorities the rights to eat the food they prefer, to perform their various rites and rituals without discrimination. Additionally, the ethnic Chinese communities are well known of practicing traditional medicine. The government has built universities and research institutions so as to ensure that the ethnic minority groups that practice traditional medicine continue, at a more advanced level. In regard to art, the Chinese government has come up with a policy which promotes all their music and literature, therefore, binding them together as minority ethnic communities. No discrimination is allowed in the educational circles, as the constitution has stated. All children are entitled to a good education (China UN, par, 40-50). Treatment of the minorities by the Chinese society Regardless of the Chinese constitution which has stated clearly on the treatment of the ethnic minorities, there has been a great amount of discontent among the ethnic minorities. As a result, they have always complained to the local and national state officials in regard to this treatment. Many at times, the law has not been taken seriously. When the officials do not give heed to the cries of the ethnic minorities, they end up protesting. A good example of recent protests which have evoked international concerns, and have actually revealed the treatment of the ethnic minorities in China is the Uighurs protests. The Uighurs are just a representation of the rest of the ethnic minorities, who have been denied their rights despite of them being stated clearly in the Chinese constitution. The Chinese government has not been so keen in the way they handle the East Turkestan and Urumqi, and there has been a general unrest in these regions (Kadeer 2009, par. 1). The number of the Uighurs that died during the protests were over four hundred, and scores of them were seriously injured. As a result, there was a curfew imposed in their dwelling region, Xinjiang province. Additionally, security was beefed up, so much so that every house has two policemen guarding it (Kadeer 2009, par. 5-6). The reason why the protests had occurred was because the Chinese government had gone back to the habits of the days before China became an independent. It has continued ‘encouraging a national streak among the Han Chinese as it seeks to replace the bankrupt communist ideology it used to promote (Kadeer 2009, par. 10). The major reason why the Uighur people demonstrated was because of the destruction of an ancient Uighur cultural problem, ‘The Old City of Kashgar’. Despite of the governments claim to protect the culture of the minorities, they failed to demonstrate this through their action. This old city has served as an example of their civilization for very many years (Times on Line 2009, par. 7). Japan’s National and Local policies on minorities Despite of the fact that both Japan and China are states in East Asia, there are fewer numbers of minorities in Japan as compared to China. The minorities in Japan form four percent of the total population (Faqs 2008, par. 1). The Japanese minorities have for a long time suffered oppression as a result of cultural and psychological factors. The ethnic minorities in Japan consist of the Koreans, Ainu, Burakumin and Okinawans. The numbers of the Burakumin minorities living in Japan are between three to four million. They are of the lower Indian castes, and therefore are generally discriminated. The other major minority group is the Korean group, which mostly inhabits the Kinki region of Japan. The name Burakumin is discriminative, and traces its origin from the early Buddhist teachings prohibiting the killing of animals. All those people who were actively involved in the unrighteous and ignoble task of killing animals were referred to as the Burakumins. This is because they were considered as polluted. All contacts with these people were shunned. As a result they have been a discriminated ethnic minority in Japan even in the current days (Karan 2005, 184). The policies in Japan and China are not different. The Japanese government has tried its best to create the participation of minorities in the region. The attitudes of the Japanese government towards the minorities stem more from social attitudes continuation than the ideologies from official state policy. Japan has a human rights and liberal constitution, which is similar in many ways to the Chinese constitution. The Constitution is keen on the culture and a, its aspects, including religion, literature, art and music. It also advocates for the education of all the children from the minority groups, as well as proper representation of the ethnic minorities is the Japanese government (Faqs 2008, par. 10). Even though Japan is known of having a human rights constitution, it maintains strong and regressive attitudes to several of the minority citizens. This is clearly revealed by the racialist attitudes towards the treatment of Koreans and the other minority groups (Faqs 2008, par. 10). The Japanese constitution stipulates in Article 14 that all people are under the law. Japan is a member of the International Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights (ICESCR), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). These bodies are involved in the prohibition of discrimination on ethnic or racist grounds (HRDC 2002, par. 1). Treatment of minorities by the Japanese society The situation in Japan is no different from that of China as far as the treatment of the ethnic minorities is concerned. The Japanese authorities have always acted against the minority groups since time immemorial, regardless of the policies that the Japanese government has enacted concerning the ethnic minority treatment. A good example of an ethnic society that has been for a long time discriminated is the Koreans. In 2006, dozens of Osaka policemen and women were mobilized so as to search shops which were run by Koreans in Japan. The aim of this activity was to ensure that there was safety in the region. Additionally, the Central Hall, the main hall of the Korean residents in Tokyo, was another bone of contention (Korea 2006, par. 3). This is because unlike what they authorities had promised before, tax had to be paid for the hall (Korea 2006, par. 1). There was also the suppression of the Chongryon movement. This was the opposite of what Japan had been described as, a â€Å"constitutional state† (Korea 2006, par. 3). Chongryon is an organization which was formed by the Korean people, and its role is to defend all the rights of the Koreans as far as democracy is concerned. The authorities claim that they would dissolve the group, as it was meant to attack the Japanese government (Korea 2006, par. 3). Several people have been against the racism and discrimination that has been subjected on the Japanese minorities. Due to this level of discrimination, UN specialists have stated that it is important to introduce new legislations to combat racism, as the situation has gone out of hand. The government has failed totally to consider the seriousness of discrimination and racism in the region. As a result, the minorities have been segregated from the other tribes despite the laws that are present to protect them. These minority groups have been left to wallow in poverty in Japan’s poorest dwelling places like slums. Politicians in Japan have used nationalist or racist themes so as to ‘whip up popular emotions’. The only way that Japan would be able to curb the discrimination problem would be through cooperation of the government, the non-governmental organizations and the people. This would only be possible if the minority groups would be consulted first (BBC 2010). Conclusion The local and national policies regarding the minorities in Japan should be enacted afresh. This is because; a society with a constitution which is not strictly adhered to is the same as having no constitution at all. Japan and China should listen to the cries of the minorities’ so as to advance in all their sectors. References China UN 1999, National minorities’ policies and its practice in China, Information Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, viewed 25 May, 2010 Chinese Culture Center 2010, Ethnic minorities in China, Chinese culture, viewed 25 May, 2010 Chris, Hogg 2010, Japan racism ‘deep and profound’, BBC, viewed 25 May, 2010 Debra, Susan & Jensen, Lionel 2002, China Off Center: Mapping the margins of the middle kingdom, Hawaii, University of Hawaii Press. Faqs 2008, East Asia minorities, Viewed 25 May, 2010 HRDC 2002, Japan minorities yet to find their place in the sun, human rights features, viewed 25th may, 2010 Kadeer, R 2009, The real story of the Uighurs, heavy-handed police tactics by the Chinese turned a peaceful assembly into a bloodbath, Dow Jones & Company, viewed 25 May, 2010 Korea NP 2006, FM Spokesman urges Japan to stop suppression of the Chongryon, viewed 25 May, 2010 Karan, Prasad 2005, Japan in the 21st century: Environment, economy and society, Kentucky, University Press of Kentucky Times on Line 2010, The Uighurs’ cry has echoed round the world. Times Magazine, viewed 25 May, 2010, Schwartz Andrew 2007, Treatment of minorities in contemporary society, Article Base, Viewed 25 May, 2010 Smihula Daniel, Definition of national minorities in International Law, Journal of U. S. -China Public Administration, 6 (5)

Drug Abuse within University Students in Ottawa Essay

The term drug abuse refers to any use of any drug for something else a part from its planned medical or psychiatric purpose. The use of such drugs may involve using prescription drugs for wrong purposes or using illicit drugs. For instance, research has shown that in Ottawa many university students take drugs not for the intended medical use but mainly to get high. Most students from Ottawa who abuse the drugs in most cases obtain the drugs illegally from unlawful sources. This puts their lives in danger as they engage in dangerous methods of use of drugs that swerve from the accepted medical practice or scientific knowledge and they take drugs for reasons that they are not meant for (Weibe, 1994). The Ottawa integrated drugs and addictions strategy community network have been holding several meetings in an attempt to identify the issues related to prevention, treatment, harm reduction and enforcement among the Ottawa university students engaging in substance abuse. In this regard, the community network is therefore preparing to consult the public on related issues. The consultation from the public by the community can only be done conveniently through research, studies and surveys. Thesis statement The abuse of drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, heroin and other illicit drugs has been on the rise among university students in Ottawa. Several attempts have been made by different groups including the Ottawa integrated drugs and addictions strategy community network to come up with preventive measures and health promotion strategies but the drug abuse by these students is still on the rise. The current studies however have raised more concern on the female student abusers since in the recent past, less attention has been given to them and this as a result has exposed them to excessive abuse of these drugs and therefore facing severe suffering as compared to their male counterparts who are abusing the same drugs (Single, Robson, Xie & Rehm, 1996). Research questions Some of the questions prepared for the phenomenological research included; do the university students in Ottawa use or abuse drugs? If they do abuse the drugs then what are the most commonly abused substances among the students? What percentage of female student’s abuse drugs in relation to the percentage of the male students who abuse the same drugs? Is there any difference in the level of consumption between the genders? What effects do the student abusers suffer from the consumption of these drugs? Do the drug abusers suffer the same effects? Interviewing For our interview we are not going to inquire about the name of the student being interviewed but we are rather going to refer to the students as student one up to student six respectively. Our interview questions are going to be based on the research questions mentioned above. This being a phenomenological research whatever is reported in this paper is going to be exactly as it appeared to the observer during the research (Rocheleau, 1995). Student one Researcher: as one of the university students in Ottawa, do you think university students in Ottawa are using drugs or are they abusing the drugs? Student one: the of drugs use by university students in Ottawa is growing at a very high rate and therefore fits to be referred to as drug abuse since in most case are used for purposes other than the intended ones, for instance most students take drugs to get high. Researcher: what are the most commonly abused drugs by the university students within Ottawa? Student one: the most commonly used drugs are cocaine, marijuana and at times heroin and many others. Researcher: how would you approximate the number of female students abusing drugs relative to the number of male students in percentage? Student one: it is a fact that the number of male students abusing the drugs is higher than that of the female students abusing drugs and it can be approximated to about 50% of the female population and 70% of the male population. Researcher: what effects do the drug abusers suffer after consuming the drugs? Student one: most students suffer depressive disorders and mood disorders. Student two Researcher: as one of the university students in Ottawa, do you think university students in Ottawa are using drugs or are they abusing the drugs? Student two: actually the drug consumption by university students in Ottawa only fits to be described as drug abuse. Researcher: Why do you think the description best fits ‘abuse’? Student two: the use of drugs has become too much and also the drugs used by students are addictive and not meant improve health. Researcher: which drugs do the university students in Ottawa used most? Student two: the drugs commonly used are cocaine and marijuana but others like heroin and alcohol are also used. Researcher: which group is most affected by the addiction habits, is it the male students or the female students? Student two: the male students seem to be more affected than the female students since they seem to consume in large numbers compared to the female students. Researcher: what effects do they suffer after consuming the drugs? Student two: the effects mostly suffered include mood disorders and depressive disorders. Researcher: do both the female and the male students suffer the same effects? Student two: other than the already mentioned disorders, female students do suffer a lot of stigma and confrontation from their family members and friends unlike male students who do not experience the same (Pauline, 1997). Student three Researcher: as one of the university students in Ottawa, do you think university students in Ottawa are using drugs or are they abusing the drugs? Student three: the drugs that are consumed and as they are consumed by university students within Ottawa are definitely abuse. Researcher: which drugs do the university students in Ottawa use most? Student three: the drugs commonly used are cocaine, marijuana, heroin and alcohol. Researcher: how would you approximate the number of female students abusing drugs relative to the number of male students in percentage? Student three: the number of female students using the drugs is usually lower than that of the male students abusing the drugs so according to my approximation it is 48% for female and 65% for male. Researcher: what are the effects of drug abuse by the students? Student three: students who abuse the drugs in most cases seem depressed and out of mood and usually fail to perform normally. Researcher: which group do you think is most affected by the drugs? Student three: the female students seem to be more affected since they tend to suffer more long term effects than male students. Student four Researcher: as one of the university students in Ottawa, do you think university students in Ottawa are using drugs or are they abusing the drugs? Student four: the drugs as consumed by the students are more abuse that use. Researcher: why do you say so? Student four: the rate, the purpose and the frequency of drug consumption by university students cannot be termed as usage. Researcher: which drugs do the university students in Ottawa use most? Student four: the drugs commonly consumed are marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, heroin among others. Researcher: how would you approximate the number of female students abusing drugs relative to the number of male students in percentage? Student four: the percentage of male students consuming drugs is usually higher than that of the female students consuming drugs. Researcher: what are the effects of drug abuse by the students? Student four: the effects of drugs includes stigma which is mostly suffered by female students, others effects are mood disorders and depression. Student five Researcher: as one of the university students in Ottawa, do you think university students in Ottawa are using drugs or are they abusing the drugs? Student five: the rate and quantity at which drugs are consumed is said to be abused. Researcher: which drugs do the university students in Ottawa use most? Student five: the drugs commonly used include cocaine and alcohol. Researcher: how would you approximate the number of female students abusing drugs relative to the number of male students in percentage? Student five: the number of female students consuming the drugs when compared to the male students is 45% to 65 %. Researcher: what are the effects of drug abuse by the students? Student five: the effects are hangover, failing to perform properly, dizziness and depression. Researcher: which group do you think is most affected by the drugs? Student five: those who abuse the drugs suffer the same effects. Student six Researcher: as one of the university students in Ottawa, do you think university students in Ottawa are using drugs or are they abusing the drugs? Student six: the students do abuse the drugs. Researcher: which drugs do the university students in Ottawa use most? Student six: mostly they consume cocaine and at times alcohol, marijuana, heroin and many others. Researcher: how would you approximate the number of female students abusing drugs relative to the number of male students in percentage? Student six: the percentage for male students abusing drugs is higher than those of female abusing drugs. Researcher: what are the effects of drug abuse by the students? Student six: drug abuse causes depression, malfunctioning, mood disorders and many others. Purpose of the study The main objective of the study on drug abuse by university students in Ottawa was to find out if the students do use or abuse the drugs, to establish the motivations behind the consumption of these drugs, to clarify the rate of drug abuse by university students in Ottawa, to identify the drugs mainly abused by university students in Ottawa, to verify the relationship between the female students consumption and male students consumption, to identify how the abuse of these drugs affect the lives of the students, to identify some of the measures that can be taken to prevent drug abuse by the students and to treat the already affected students (Pauline, 1997). Delimitations of the study The main advantage enjoyed during the study was that it was easy to find and interview different students on the issue of drug abuse among them since the study was conducted during school session when all students were in their respective learning institutions therefore it involved less cost around looking for students to interview. In addition, enough private rooms for interviews were provided where students felt free to share their ideas on the topic of discussion. Limitations Even though the students were available, most of them proved so unreliable. This is because most of the students were not ready to be interviewed. Those who were ready for the interview however tended to give inadequate information since most of them did not want to disclose full information regarding their drug use status as they considered it something private and therefore wanted to preserve it. In addition, most students who were given capsules to treat their drug abuse related disorders were not willing to take them, which resulted, to a lot of wastage. Consequently, it was not easy to get urine samples for test from drug abusers since most of them could not allow it. (El-Guebaly & Hodgins,1992). Research strategies Having a topic of study, the phenomenological research strategy involved, first developing the topic. â€Å"In case, it is a drug abuse among university students in Ottawa, What effects does the use illicit drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and many others have on the health of students? † needed to be asked before proceeding with the research. The next step involved finding the background information on drug abuse by university students in Ottawa. This was done by looking for the key words of the topic from encyclopedias with the subject. From the encyclopedia, several articles were read which set the context for the research. Additional background information was found from textbooks and other reserved materials, which involved research, conducted on the same topic by different researchers in different years. It also involved finding out for how long this has been going on and what has been done to prevent it (Ogborne, Braun & Schmidt, 1996). The research further involved finding books and articles to find out what other researchers who conducted their study on the same topic found out. It was from here that a comparison was made to find out if the statistics on the drug abuse by university students in Ottawa has changed. The past studies were of great significance since different ideas on what should be done to prevent the practice were suggested without having to repeat the measures that had been implemented and which did not work. In concluding the research, different sources of information were evaluated and cited in relation to how comprehensive the information got from them were. Role of the researcher The main role of the researcher in this study was to interview different students to be able to verify their opinions and perception of the use of illicit drugs within or outside their learning institutions. The researcher was also to find out the major motivations behind the students’ drug abuse behavior and the effects they suffer after consuming the drugs. In addition, the researcher was to administer some drug abuse disorder related capsules to find out how effective they could be in reducing drug samples in blood. Furthermore, the researcher was to carry out some random tests on some of the drug abusers to find out the drug that is most commonly abused by university students in Ottawa (Weibe, 1994). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness During the study, it was not easy to convince the students to reveal information regarding their drug abuse behaviors. This was because the students were more concerned about preserving their privacy, which they were not willing to make known to the institution authorities, their parents and even friends. It was therefore upon the researchers to explore different strategies to convince the students that whatever they were going to discuss was to remain a secret between the student and the interviewer. This was done by ensuring that the involved only two people i. e. the researcher and the student in a private room where no any other party could steal the topic of discussion (Christensen, Jacobson, 1997). Literature review The phenomenological research on drug abuse by university students in Ottawa found out that the drugs possibly abused by these students are mainly prescription drugs. Such drugs are usually opiate based for pain relief, tranquilizers, stimulants and amphetamines. Others also include sedatives and barbiturates. The study however found out that the most seriously abused drugs by the students of Ottawa University are cocaine and marijuana. Most students who abuse drugs such as the barbiturates were found to do so with the intention of getting rid of anxiety and sleep disorders. On the other hand, the abusers of tranquillizers consume them with an intention of reducing stress and panic attacks. Studies on drug abuse by students since 1970s has shown that male students consume more drugs than their female counterparts. The frequency of drug usage was also found to be high in males than in females. For example, a study conducted on Ottawa University students on drug abuse confirmed that about 74% of male students compared to 53% of female students consumed more than one to two standard drinks in the previous year (Corbett, 1994). Very recent studies on drug abuse among university students however showed that there was a smaller gender difference in levels of drug consumption. A recent survey of Ottawa university students showed that 83. 3% of female students and 84. 9% of male students had abused drugs in the past one year. Most Ottawa university male and female students are assumed to consume drugs moderately. Nevertheless, a clear gender difference is confirmed from self-reported by the students of excessive drug consumption. The excessive consumption especially alcohol consumption is defined by four or more drinks by female students on a single occasion and five or more drinks by male students on a single occasion. The rate for harmful consumption for female students is however higher than that of male students. Almost a half of the total female students (42%) who had engaged in drug abuse were reported to have had harmful abuse as compared to 46. 3% of all the male students who had abused drug that year reported to have had harmful abuse (Ogborne, Braun & Schmidt 1996). Harmful consumption of drugs as was identified included those who felt in the wrong after consuming the drug, those who could not remember anything after taking the drug, those who suffered drug abuse related injuries and those whom after consumption of the drugs suggested reduction in drug abuse among students (El-Guebaly, 1990). Other than those who suffered harmful abuse, there are those who were found to be dependent abusers. Dependent abusers involved approximately 28. 6% of female students and 30. 5% of male students. It was noted that the dependent abusers could not stop using the drugs, could not perform expected activities after the consumption of drugs or needed some morning consumption of the drugs. The table below shows the percentage of university students by sex who were reported past year for harmful and dependent drinking. Sex Harmful drinking Dependent drinking Female 42% 28. 6% Male 46. 3% 30. 5% On further survey, 56 percent of all the female abusers were found to be taking at least five drinks on a single occasion in the course of the year. On the other hand, 26. 1% were found to be taking at least eight drinks on one occasion during the same period. In addition to the above surveys, a research conducted indicated that 30. 4% of male students were reported to have taken alcohol beyond the low risk guidelines for alcohol consumption as compared to 15. 2% of the female students (Ogborne, Smart& Rush 1998). According to the research, in a situation where the harm got from drug abuse is as a result of substance abuse, there occurs very small gender difference quoted by male and female students. For instance a study conducted in 2004 confirmed that 6. 9% of female students and 9. 1% of male students reported that there occurred at least harm in their lives during the past year as a result of their drug consumption and 30. 4% of female and 30. 7% of male students reported harm as a result of another person’s consumption(Corbett, 1994) In 1994 a survey recent reports showed an increasing drug abuse for illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin and others by male and female students. Generally, male students were found to be on the front line when it comes to reporting the use of illicit drugs as compared to their female counterparts. Nevertheless, the most recent reports point to an increasing self-reports by both female and male students in the use of cannabis although a significant gender difference remains. On alcohol and other drugs abuse, 10% of male students and 5% of female students were reported to be abusers of cannabis while a same study conducted in 2004 indicated an increment to 18% for male students and 10% for female students. In addition, the same study in the 2004 indicated that 7. 35% of female students and 14. 1% of male students were abusers of cocaine. The study conducted in Ottawa University provided enough evidence that the difference in gender in relation to illicit substance use is getting smaller. Alarm on this situation has attracted international attention especially from Australia, united sates and other European Union countries. In the year 2004, 15. 8% of female students and 18. 1% male students reported harms from their own cannabis consumption. Research has shown that approximately 25% to about 33% of all students using injection drugs in Ottawa University are female students. This has been identified as a major factor for HIV infection in female students. It has been noted that of the entire positive tests of HIV in women from the year 1985 to 2002, between 33% and 48% have been as a result of injection drug use. Reports from the study revealed that there is consumption of the ketom plant leaves by university students in Ottawa as a drug because the leaves of ketom plants contain hallucinogens, which are as intoxicating as marijuana. The increased abuse of drugs in university colleges is blamed on the difficulties in enforcing laws in such institutions, which speeds up the spread of such drugs. (Corbett, 1994). A further research showed that many drug users do suffer mood disorders. For instance among those abusing cocaine, the most commonly detected disorders are depressive disorders. The analysis revealed that the association between mood disorders and drug abuse among the abusers is usually very complicated. Most drug abusers do build up depression that comes as a result of physical and psychological endurance connected with the use of drugs. The study showed that most students who suffered mood disorders after abusing cocaine became drug dependent after making attempts of self-medication. Initially it was not easy to handle the conditions of students who were suffering from both mood disorders and drug abuse but it became possible after a research revealed that a treatment on mood disorders alone could have a positive effect on drug abuse (Boyd, Millard & Webster 1985). A research that was conducted on students involved urine test whereby unsystematic weekly examinations indicated a significant high use of cocaine as compared to marijuana by different students. Most of the students who tested positive for drug abuse however, were found to have come from families with a history of substance abuse, which in most situations reached, back to several generations. All students from such families had started abusing the drugs long before enrolling in the institution. All students who participated in the study and who happened to be drug abusers were given packets of capsules which they were to take two times each day during the four week study. For most of the students, the capsules included lithium prescription that had shown its effectiveness in treating adult bipolar patients. Bipolar disorder in most students was found to have been caused by substance abuse disorder including the use of marijuana, alcohol, cocaine and other multiple drugs. During the study, a number of students were also treated as outpatients and given weekly therapy sessions in addition. In the course of the study, blood vessels of lithium were tested at least twice every week to ensure that the participants were taking the capsules given to them. Samples of urine were also taken on a similar basis to scrutinize the use of drug (Christensen & . Jacobson, 1997). The percentage of the students taking the lithium capsules, the drug positive samples changed from 38% to approximately 8% indicating a significant reduction. Four random tests were conducted during the study and the urine samples that were tested revealed the students self reports. They were definitely a noteworthy reduction in the use of drug. In addition to reduction in drug use, the students receiving lithium capsules progressed in the symptoms of bipolar disorder. The improvement was mainly noted in their ability to function properly in school activities as compared to how they could function before the study. Chronically drug dependent students who were suffering from primary and secondary depression were recognized in the course of the study and treated. Most students who experienced a drop in depressive symptoms and those who noted improvements confessed that they had noted a reduction in their crave and use of drugs mainly cocaine and marijuana. The research that was conducted indicated that there has been almost forty years of trying to prevent drug abuse among university students in Ottawa. This has been done by conducting youth counseling especially to those who have developed drug addiction. In addition to youth counseling a treatment centre for youth who are suffering from drug abuse related disorders have been opened to help treat the youth. In an evaluation of the best measures to put forward in trying to find treatment to substance abuse in Canada, a study showed that female students do suffer a lot of stigma in connection with their substance abuse problem as compared to the male students. In addition, the research has established that the female students do suffer much confrontation from their families and friends and most negative consequences in treatment center (El-Guebaly, 1990). The female students do suffer the negative consequences in treatment centers as a result of problems from family members, neglect by friends, lack of finances to cater for the treatment bill and other unfavorable effects related to the well-being of females. It has been demonstrated in different researches that advertising of drugs has a very strong influence on the way university students in Ottawa perceive some of these drugs and can therefore be a source of motivators to these students to engage in their consumption. Furthermore, female students as compared to male students experience sexual abuse and physical abuse, which in most cases have a strong relationship with substance abuse. Research has demonstrated that female students who had at one time in their lives suffered sexual assault in most cases do use or misuse drugs at early ages and in most cases, they use them in large quantities (El-Guebaly & Hodgins, 1992). For According to the research conducted, the effect of abusing drugs and especially the illicit drugs such as cocaine and marijuana have been found to diverge among female students and also between female and male students depending on the drugs that are on hand for use. The effects of the drugs however do depend on the type of drug consumed, how regular the abuser use the drug, the amount of drug consumed and the general health condition of the person consuming the drug (Smart, 1983). Example a review on the effect between male and female students established that female students are affected very much differently from male students with rapture. The analysis of the study showed that female students with rapture unlike male students do experience more severe sensitive changes and difficulties in making decision. In addition, the female students suffer more long lasting effects such as mood swings, depression, paranoia and anxiety than their male counterparts who engage in the consumption of similar drugs. Consequently, the death rate from substance abuse among university students in Ottawa seems to be high for female students as compared to that of the male students. Findings From the study on the causes of drug abuse by university students in Ottawa its has been found that there is inadequate education and prevention measures that look into the needs of different individuals and especially university students over their life span. It has been pointed out that there is an immense distinction between what is said and what is done as far as prevention of drug abuse among university students in Ottawa is concerned. According to the planners, prevention measures should be long term and lasting, however most prevention measures put across are always short term due to poor funding. In addition to this, there is lack of treatment centers for people suffering from drug related disorders thus causing long waiting lists for university students (El-Guebaly, 1990). The study has also revealed that advertisements of different drugs and lack of implementation of policies regarding drug abuse in the universities in Ottawa are some of the major motivators behind the students’ drug abusing behavior. The drugs found to be more accessible as a result and therefore most commonly abused by the students were the cocaine and marijuana. The findings from the research have also indicated that the female students are the major sufferers from drug abuse and addiction even though the male students seem to consume drugs at higher rate and more frequently than the female students. The death rate from drug abuse of female students has also been found to high as compared to that of male students. Conclusion Despite the fact that drug abuse among university students in Ottawa is still high, research has proved that most of the students involved in the practice are willing to drop the idea and promote their health status when appropriate measures are put in place. It is therefore upon the authorities concerned to take necessary actions to ensure that students are provided with enough information and resources to help them overcome the drug addiction (Ogborne, Smart $ Rush 1998). Significance of the study The study conducted on Ottawa university students has proved to be of great significance since several suggestions on how this problem can be solved have been suggested. The study was also of significance since different students were given an opportunity to express their feelings as far as drug abuse among university students is concerned and from that, it was realized that most students are willing and are ready to abandon the practice. In addition, most students were able to receive different tests on their blood and urine samples to verify the extent of drug level in their blood. Finally, most students were given capsules, which proved to be very effective in treating, and reducing drug abuse related disorders in their blood. Lessons learned From the studies and researches conducted it was clear that until recently very little attention was paid to female abusing drugs as compared to the attention given to male abusers both within the society and within the learning institutions. This is because female’s substance abuse has never been as high as that of male up to the recent past. Nevertheless, we are currently seeing some matching in the levels of drug consumption among female and males. The studies have also revealed that in making efforts to promote drug abuse prevention measures and health of the drug addicts in learning institutions, professionals, addiction system planners and public policy makers have not given any attention to motivations for use of drugs by students and the speeding up consequences of use of drugs by female students in colleges (Boyd & Webster 1985). Future direction From the lessons learnt from the study it was recommended that instead of exploring a system, that involves drug abuse prevention, programs for health promotion that includes males and females, the planners and the programmers should attend to differing needs of different students in relation to their gender, and other problems related to drug abuse. The high rates of heavy drug abuse by female students raised a lot of concern and recommendations such as low risk drinking guidelines for female students were made which required every female student involved in drug abuse to take at most three drinks in a single occasion or less than three in other circumstances depending on the type of drug being used. A further recommendation suggested that male students should limit their drinking to a maximum of fourteen drinks per week and the female students should limit their drinking to a maximum of nine drinks per week. (Abrams, et. al 1993). References Abrams & D. B. et. al. (1993). Integrating Individual and Public Health Perspectives for Treatment Of Tobacco Dependence under Managed Health Care: A Combined Stepped Care and Matching Model. Tobacco Control 2 (supplementary) Boyd, N. , Millard, C. J. & Webster, C. D. (1985). Heroin Treatment in British Columbia. 1976-1984. Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis? Canadian Journal of Criminology 27(2), Christensen, A. , Jacobson, N. S. (1997). HIV, AIDS and Injection Drug Use: A National Action Plan. Ottawa. 5(1, Jan) Corbett, G. (1994). Addiction Education and Training: Bringing the Field Together. Report of the Ontario Addictions Coordinating Group’s Education and Training Working Group. Ontario Ministry of Health, Toronto. El-Guebaly, N. (1990). Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders: The Dual Diagnoses Concept. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry El-Guebaly, N. , Hodgins & DC (1992). Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse: Prevalence Issues. Can

Crime scene in the novel and film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crime scene in the novel and film - Essay Example of the said author that deals with important political and social issues such as terrorism, anarchism and the events that can be related to such issues. The main point of view of the said novel is mainly on the side of the antagonistic character in a society mainly on the basis of the perception that it presents on the people involved with the act of terrorism and other criminal dealings. Based on the experience brought about by the novel, it can be considered that in cases of extreme belief in certain philosophies, people are capable of crimes and actions that the norms can consider as evil. The nature of human being then can be considered highly complex and cannot be boxed through cultural and moral standards. The main character of the story represents a normal person with a family which often has conflicts regarding different aspects of life. Basically, one of the highlight of the character’s life is regarding the peers with similar point of view specifically anarchists who rooted for revolution using unconventional actions. Although this is the case, the wife of the main character depicted the capability if a person to hurt another which can also considered as an act of terrorism and anarchy specifically when she had killed her husband. The representation presented by Conrad reflects the human nature that is outside the stereotypical view. That includes the focus on the irony of perceptions on the weakness of the women in the society; the limitations in the harm one human can do to another regardless of relationship; and that capacity to do crime is not limited to the distraught and the people without morality. Crimes can be committed regardless of culture, norms and character of a person. The novel The Great Gatsby is another notable published work by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is a representation of the American society after the WWI. The novel represents the conflicts occurring in the society due to different factors that are interplaying. One

Museography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Museography - Essay Example he same meaning as globalisation, these terms are far from the present definition of globalisation and far from appropriately expressing the status of contemporary art. Globalisation at present is defined as the growth of the relationship of nations beyond territories (Scholte 42) which in if examined further, means a relationship that is not limited by territorial boundaries of countries. The global relationship that is free from the restrictions of territory gives way to the further exploration of cultures, customs and economic practices of other nations while also providing the chance of explorative collaboration of nations with a common goal of improving bonds and creating innovations among nations. Moreover, globalisation in this sense means crossing even the boundaries set by society on matters that are socially acceptable and those considered taboo by the public. After clearly defining the term globalisation in relation to Hou Hanru’s statement, it is now easy to analyze the effects of the contemporary definition globalisation to the art world relative to Hou Hanru’s statement on promoting different cultures and fusing these cultures through art. Analyzing the effects of globalisation to the art world would mean looking into every perspective of the connection between the concept of globalisation and art. Some angles that would help in better understanding of the interrelation between globalisation and art are the readiness of nations to accept differences in cultures and art ideas; the willingness to fuse art concepts; and the openness to incorporate new ideas and elements into concepts of art. The preparedness of nations in accepting cultures and concepts of other nations taking into consideration that some cultures and ideas may have some conflict points with each other would be an area of concern because this may cause misunderstanding among nations. For instance, an incident in the Interpol art exhibition in Sweden wherein the art event was to

Midterm election in the House of Representatives Essay

Midterm election in the House of Representatives - Essay Example There are two theories that explain the out come of mid term elections. The first one is the theory of rise and fall of a regime and the second is the performance of the regime and the situation at the time of the election. Both the theories provide different analyses but you can also use a combination of the two for analyzing the outcome; this method is supposed to give better reasoning. Analyzing the data for mid term polls in the last hundred years, the ruling party seems to have always lost, except in 1934. After 1940 the loss used to be 30 seats or more than 30 seats. In the midterm elections of 1946 the loss was as high as 46 seats. According to the rise and fall of a regime theory, the strong performance by the presidential party in previous elections may cause a downfall in the midterm election. But this is more statistically correct than logically applicable. Generally the statistical details about the loss of the President's party in elections denote that the extent of the strong performance in the last election will decide the downfall in the present election.1 But the statistical details were the results obtained by applying statistical analysis to available data. Though all the mid term elections are similar to each other, each election will have its own significance. The significant factor changes from term to term. That significant factor will have an important place in analyzing the outcome of the midterm elections along with the standard issues. This year the war on Iraq and the policy of the government regarding it is supposed to be a deciding factor in the elections. According to the rise and fall theory the strong performance by the presidential party in previous elections may cause a downfall in the midterm election. The strong performance of the president's party depends upon the information provided by presidential candidate about his future activities in power. The strong performance indicates the trust of the people in his policies and words. It is clear that two years period is not sufficient to deliver in all the fields. It can be difficult for the party in power to defend the delay. At the same time it is easy for the opposition party to criticize and exploit the situation in the form of votes polled. The performance of George W. Bush in the last election can be termed as strong, because his party withstood an anti - incumbency wave and won a majority. Winning a second time shows greater expectations from the people and the party itself. It takes time to fulfill the promises made during the election campaigns and to materialize the wishes of the people. In the course of these things when the government has to face the midterm polls, generally the electorate compares the performance with the promises before electoral victory. The dissatisfaction due to the non - fulfillment of the promises results in mid term poll losses. A number of reasons for the dissent of the people towards the party in power can be cited. The uproar about the nominal boss of US intelligence Negro Ponte's activities of pleasure, spying and making Iraqis write pro US articles by funding them, can be one of the number of activities which is capable of fixing the regime in trouble.1 The above-mentioned activities may not show direct affect on the people. When the electorate

Biometrics in the Private Sector(472) Research Paper

Biometrics in the Private Sector(472) - Research Paper Example This system offers plenty of benefits if incorporated in hospital administration. Firstly, it helps ease the workload in busy check-in areas where patients are made to provide a lot of information. The beauty of this system is that a simple hand scanning provides the hospital authorities with all the previous medical history of the patient. The BayCare Hospital Group uses the Patient Security Identity System in its all hospitals to identify the patients. In the opinion of Greene (2008), this is much more accurate than using numbers and names to search for patient records. For example, names may have different spellings but this unique system avoids such chances of misidentification. In addition, in some cases of emergency where the patient is unconscious and unable to provide the health care providers enough information about their identity and medical history, this hand reading can offer the history of past medications and health conditions. Thirdly, this is a useful strategy in cut ting down the chances of fraud Greene, 2008). To illustrate, there are cases in which patients use the name and insurance of other people illegally. However, this system prevents them from escaping identification. However, one has to admit the fact that there are serious issues associated with the collection, storage, and use of biometric information. For example, according to Abernathy & Tien (2003), the information collected may be subjected to function creep, which means the data collected is used for purposes other than the ones consented at the time of collection. For example, it is possible to use the medical history of a person to deny future medical insurance coverage, identifying the possible future susceptibility to certain fatal illnesses. Secondly, there are Radio Frequency Identification chips which enable someone to read this information anonymously, even from a distance of 20 meters (Abernathy & Tien, 2003). The risk of

What Do You Think Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What Do You Think - Essay Example First of all, the HR Director of the construction company should organize an interaction session. In this session the director should suggest the major stakeholders of the organization to realize the significance of women employees. Recently it has been seen that women staffs are considered as more effective employees who can mange several conflicts in an effective way. It is true that the managerial capability of women is much higher comparing to the men. In addition to this, the HR Director should motivate its employees to work together with employees. Collaborative work and effective workplace diversity strategy can help the director to hire skilled women employees. The human resource department should develop workplace equity policy in order to take care of the morale rights of women employees. This strategy will help the organization to avoid workplace conflicts and improve its productivity. On the other hand, the goodwill of the organization can get increased among its internal and external stakeholders. It is true that male employees have the ability to do the hard work and avail more physical ability comparing to the women individuals. In terms of managerial skills, organization can get advantages from women leaders. It is important for the organization to motivate the male employees before implementing any employment equity policy. The organization should redefine the reward structure and performance evaluation process to motivate the male employees. In addition to this, the HR department should organize an orientation process in which the director can help them to understand the significance of collaborative work performance and workplace diversity. Skilled Men and women employees in a group can enhance collaborative group work (Poelmans 174). There are several competitive advantages to implement this initiative. Diverse workforce with female staffs can help the organization to bid for several leading private

The sense of taste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The sense of taste - Essay Example Also referred to as gustation the sense of taste involves a complex interaction between receptors on the individual’s tongue and mental perception. As the saliva in one’s mouth breaks down food, the taste sense receptors in the tongue relay messages to the neurological aspects of the nervous system. As one might expect there are a broad array of receptors in this region, which has led some researchers to argue that there is actually more than one sense of taste; instead they contend taste constitutes a variety of distinguishable characteristics. For instance, of the most readily distinguishable receptors function to identify tastes for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter; another receptor, referred to as the umami receptor, detects the amino acid glutamate (‘Umani Taste Receptor’). There are a number of notable elements and features related to one’s sense of taste. One of the most interesting is that while all individuals are born with a sense of taste, l ike fingerprints all individuals taste receptors are slightly different. It’s also true that as individuals age their taste receptors will correspondingly change. At an early age taste buds function around the entire individual’s mouth, but as individuals age these surrounding taste buds shrink so that they are ultimately limited to predominantly the tongue (‘Taste’).

Conflict in Sri lanka Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Conflict in Sri lanka - Essay Example Recent absence of a full scale war and ceasefire had been of great value in this direction resulting in Government's concentrating on welfare measures and popular policies, much needed by the island country. It has also achieved the greatest goal of safeguarding quite a few innocent and misled lives. Unfortunately the violence has increased since then threatening to spread and spill over. When all other countries are marching towards better reforms, Sri Lanka had been languishing in civil war without any end or peace in sight and this aspect has literally put a stop to its further growth as a welfare state. The tropical island considered to be a paradise once is like a death trap today.. There were no doubt other players earlier in the Tamil insurgency and most of them were only demanding a better deal for the Tamilians, for which they were definitely entitled to. Today, Jafna area has only tamilians, while Srilankans avoid the region for fear of LTTE. The entire region is cordoned o ff by LTTE and is literally ruled by them. LTTE is facing the international accusation of recruiting children to its ranks, which is true. It is either feared or loved by local Tamilians and they help LTTE, willingly or under duress, by giving them information, saving them, running errands, keeping them informed of the army movements and thus, protecting them from every disaster. It is not easy to point out an exact date for the commencement of genesis of Tamil militancy. Tamil militancy in Srilanka has taken many forms and hues. Apart from a small minority of local Tamilians, a large number of Tamils migrated from the Southern Indian State of Tamilnadu (erstwhile Madras State) during British rule to work in the tea plantations of Ceylon (now Srilanka) and over the years, there set in a feeling that they had been conveniently and systematically ignored by the Government and rest of Srilankan population, politically and socially. Srilankan population had been predominantly Buddhists, a peace loving, friendly and cooperative lot, not very prone to frequent conflicts. With the tamilian youth being frustrated and disheartened, it was left to a charismatic leader to establish his sway over them and mould them not only into a fanatic fighting group, but also to establish personal supremacy and power and this is exactly what Vellupalli Prabhakaran did. There were cr ies and demands for a separate Eelam and Srilankan Government had put down such demands in a rather clumsy way earlier. When a terrorist movement was launched in 1970s, Srilankan Government was short-sighted enough to inflict loss of life, property, and atrocity on not only fighting Tamilians, but also on the innocent people, who had no aspirations of political supremacy. Tamilians were a minority, asking for their rights from the majority population of the country. Government was a bit undecided on the issue, as till then, Tamilians were seen more as a lower working class, than equal partners. Understandably, their demand for a sovereign region was put down. Tamilians made the mistake of asking for their legitimate demands mixed with a free Eelam. They would have been definitely successful, if they had asked only for the right to be considered and treated in par with the rest of the population. Government, disturbed by the Eelam demand, hesitated to give in, thinking if small deman ds were granted, bigger ones, especially the Eelam demand would follow and this

Education - Teacher Essay Example for Free

Education Teacher Essay Honorable guest of honors, ministers, parents, friends, and students, l would like to welcome you to Borrowdale Brooke Academy Sports day. School sports day is a red letter day on the calendar. It is a day when students are freed from their classrooms to jump and run around, freed from the fetters of learning. It is a day for mothers to wear their summary best and fathers to cheer on their sons. It’s a day when children who may struggle with academic subjects show that they can race faster or jump further than anyone else. It’s a day for red faces and perspiration where t-shirts and shorts are the order of the day. It’s a day for starter guns or teachers with whistles. School sports day is a day for cameras and videos and smiling faces. It’s a day for triumph and disasters, for successes and failures. Speeches are given and medals are presented and, overall, it’s a day for sportsmanship and making memories. This year, I am pleased to see, many are competing encompassing over 50 staff and family members in a wide variety of events. Not least of which is the tug-of-war which I am told will be vigorously contested. As I look around here today I am reminded once again of just how passionate teachers are about sport and what great competitors you all are. One of the consistencies I see when I watch students play at school is the love BBA Students have for sport. And what a great thing sport is on so many levels. Beyond the obvious health and activity benefits, sport can teach us much about life. It teaches us about teamwork, it teaches us how to get along with others, and it teaches us to work together to achieve a common goal. It’s also about trust and responsibility and about dealing with success and failure. Sport also helps us learn about coping with pressure and the need to stick with training in order to improve. As well as the benefits to individuals, sports and physical activity also bring great benefits to communities through such things as improved health and education, rehabilitation, crime prevention, and gender equality. Another important aspect of sports is its ability to make people feel they are part of something. In a survey done on our last sports day, everybody interviewed said that â€Å"the event made them feel a part of Borrowdale Brooke Academy. Borrowdale Brooke Academy recognizes the value of using sport as vehicle for development But while the challenges are great, so is the commitment to find solutions. I want to acknowledge all the good work done by Teachers and also parents. Everybody has a responsibility to work towards making communities safer. To achieve that goal parents and teachers need to work closely together. This sports day is an excellent way to bring people together in a relaxed environment that will build lasting networks and friendships across the sector. I congratulate the organizers and particularly the director of studies Mrs. Henney, the principal Mrs. Rutsito and his deputy Mr. Muridzi, the technical coordinators Mr. Maviki, and other members of the organizing team who have done a great job in putting together today’s program. And now it only leaves me to wish all competitors good luck and to declare the First annual Borrowdale Brooke Academy Sports Day open. Thank you.

Fast Food: Effects and Implications

Fast Food: Effects and Implications Any food that has poor nutritional value is considered unhealthy and may be called Fast Food. A food that is high in fat and sodium is known as fast food. It is easy to carry, purchase and consume. Generally, fast food is given a very attractive appearance by adding colors to enhance flavor, texture and appearance. It has high level of calories. Fast food is also known as junk food, processed food, and ready-meals. They are zero in nutritional value. They have only fats lying in it causing ill effects on the health of the consumer. The taste is the most attractive feature in fast foods. And once children are in a restaurant, unhealthy foods overshadow healthy ones on the menu. In most cases, unhealthy food such as French fries automatically come as sides with a meal, rather than the more healthy options, such as apples, that are shown in commercials. Their contents are rich in sodium salts and fats which provide high calories yet useless in value. A quick look at fast food tells us f ast food and diet does not go hand in hand. Perhaps this is the reason why fast foods are also called as empty calorie foods. Nevertheless, junk foods are popular because of their simplicity to manufacture, consume and of course, their taste. People have their own notions about a certain food being listed as fast food. However, chocolates, burgers, pizzas, potato wafers and fries will surely find their way in to everyones list. The habit of taking in fast food is seen particularly with children, teenage and young adult and in the long run it can tell on their health. The main factor that attracts people to eat fast food is their taste. Their taste must be substituted with food that is cooked well and delicious, but at the same time healthy for the body while intake eating salad and fruits must be taken up and even increased. Remember, fast foods are empty calories. An empty calorie lacks in micro-nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, but has high energy (calories). In order to know the impact of fast food, a simple questionnaire has been prepared. The students-group has selected the respondents of teenagers particularly undergraduates, both male and female. Some of them are habituated, where as some they have suffered a lot. The article is based on, face to face interaction. Thus, in general, it is the study of 1000 respondents and in particular, a sample of a group of 30 respondents and based on both primary and secondary sources of information. Following are the significant observations from the information provided by the respondents. Most of the respondents are aware about the ingredients used in fast food which they purchase from the nearby stalls, hotels, restaurants, canteens tec. The fast food experiences by the respondents include burgers. Respondents prefer burgers over pizza. They opinioned that it is different from daily food, tasty and economical. They said that they are attracted towards fast food through advertisements, convinced by the friend. They experienced that the fast food is harmful for the health of human being. As fast foods dont provide you with essential nutrients, even though they can be very much sufficient, you feel weakened. Children given more fast food meals will grow up to have a lower IQ than those who regularly eat freshly-cooked meals. Parents with a higher status gave their children meals prepared with fresh ingredients more often, which positively affected their IQ. Survey found more than 70% of children take fast food at lunch time. When you have a junk meal rich in oil you feel drowsy and fail to concentrate. Fast food is very tasty and no one goes by not noticing it and wanting to bite into it. Resisting fast food is difficult, but with age, taking in fast food is something to be desisted as they do not have a healthy effect on the body. Human food gets food but not healthy food. Fast food causes weight loss. People who are obesity are those who have a preference for fast food. Fast food actually fastens the effects of aging. People show signs of old age faster because of continuously eating fast food. Fast food and its ill effects on health are plenty. Be it obesity, diabetes, heart problems or any other disorders, it is now a well known fact that regular consumption of fast food can have serious ill effects on a persons health. Do not let children to get habituated to fast foods. Fast food, the name itself is tempting enough. Eliminating the temptation is one way to avoid it. Keeping good food nearby and having meals right on time may help in this direction. Preference should be given to the traditional and home-made food. From the study, it may be concluded that the fast food are not suitable to the health of students. People eat fast food because they dont have time to cook but on the same hand they also thought that no item can replace homemade items. At the end we can say, Fast Food may be making children fatter and unhealthy but they also make them happy.