Kumbh Mela

The sea of humanity that the mela resembles is surreal and spiritual. When friends and well-wishers learnt that my wife and I were going to the Mahakumbh mela for Mauni Amavasya, they were aghast. Some shuddered at the prospect of rubbing shoulders with 30 million of the great unwashed. Others warned of how polluted and carcinogenic the once-pristine Ganga has become. A few were mortified that we would be staying in tents on the riverbank with no access to room service or a flat-screen TV. Some wondered why I, as a non-Hindu, wanted to visit the Mahakumbh at all.Everyone wished us well but confessed to being glad they weren't undertaking the expedition to Allahabad. I, too, was initially apprehensive about embarking on this mega pilgrimage, afraid, perhaps, of the unknown. The logistics of getting to Prayag were daunting. The trains were overflowing and the nearest airports were located several hours away. We decided to fly into Lucknow and then drove a harrowing six-and-a-half hours through â€Å"rururban† UP to finally reach the Sangam around midnight. Our tent, with an adjacent toilet, was basic but comfortable. An unseasonal downpour had, however, turned the chalky riverbank into a slushy mess.Mauni Amavasya is considered the most auspicious day during the Mahakumbh to undertake the Shahi Snan. Pilgrims were converging by the tens of thousands and the state administration had locked down vehicular entry into the city. Our neighbours, city slickers like us, had to walk 13 kilometres from the outskirts of Allahabad to reach the tent complex as their car wasn't allowed to proceed. At night, the temperature plummets and in the absence of heaters, we snuggled in a sleeping bag and used a blanket overlay to keep warm in our flimsy tent. The next morning, we were woken up at 4 am by a cacophony of loudspeakers, competing to be heard.Bhajans and pravachans from rival akhadas blared at full volume. Shouting above this din was a public announcement for family members who had been separated at the Kumbh. A female voice, mimicking a cow, lowed â€Å"Maa† instead of a moo, and exhorted pilgrims to join the campaign to end cow slaughter. A medicine man on a megaphone advertised a book for a hundred rupees that provides a remedy for all ailments known to mankind. Forget about doctors, he shrieked at the top of his voice, simply sit at home and cure yourself of either insomnia or impotence.We groggily stepped out and were stunned by the sight of an entire township of tents that stretched endlessly along both banks of the mighty Ganga. This was the proverbial sea of humanity one had heard about, and it was staggering to witness the sheer scale of this congregation. Walking with millions of believers chanting har har Gange to the Sangam at 4. 30 am was both a surreal and spiritual experience. Naked Naga babas, brandishing swords and trishuls, charged into the river exalting Lord Shiva, who had tamed his wilful daughter by trapping her in his matted locks.Men, women and children were unmindful of stripping before strangers as they undertook the sacred dip in freezing waters. The entire ritual was conducted without any jostling, shoving or disturbance. The faithful converged with reverence and behaved impeccably. Any fear of crowds and claustrophobia melted away and all you felt was oneness with your fellow man. It was, therefore, ironic and all the more tragic that the same evening the stampede at the Allahabad Railway Station left 36 people dead. Today is the last day of the Shahi Snans and we should all perhaps whisper a prayer that it passes without incident.

Functions of Police Essay

Federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) not only operate across the entire nation, but the agency also has agents serving abroad. In addition to this, the FBI is not a police agency, but an agency with jurisdiction to investigate any and all matters in which the United States is, or maybe an interested party (The Scope of Present Federal Activity, 1968). The Federal Bureau of Investigation limits its jurisdiction to laws pertaining to federal statues, including all federal statues not primarily assigned to other agencies. These include statues dealing with espionage, sabotage, treason, civil rights violation, the assault and murder of federal law enforcement officers, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, mail fraud, federally insured banks, and interstate transportation of stolen vehicles, and property (Hill, 1999). In addition to these laws, some federal agencies offer helpful services to other local police agencies, including use of its vast fingerprint file, and a sophisticated crime laboratory that aids local police in testing and identifying evidence, such as hair, fiber, drugs, blood, and tire tracks. The FBI’s National Crime Information Center is a computerized network linked to local police departments by terminals. Through it, information vehicles reported stolen, wanted persons, guns reported stolen, and so on are made readily available to local law enforcement agencies (The Scope of Federal Activity,1968). The following agencies are also part of federal law enforcement: 1. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Investigates illegal drug use and carries out independent surveillance and enforcement activities to control the importation of narcotics (Hill, 2009). 2. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Has jurisdiction over the sales and distribution of firearm, explosives, alcohol, and tobacco products (Hill, 2009). 3. U.S. Marshalls. Court officers who help implement federal court rulings, transport rulings, transport prisoners, and enforce court orders (Hill, 2009). 4. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Enforces violations of income, exise, stamp, and other tax laws. Its intelligence division actively pursues gamblers, narcotic dealers, and other violators who do not report their illegal financial gains as taxable income (Hill, 2009). Federal police agencies do not have the order maintenance or peacekeeping duties typical of a local police department, which oftentimes causes controversy and sometimes civil disturbances. Last, the jurisdictions of some federal law enforcement agencies are extremely narrow. The United States Supreme Court Police for example provide protective and investigative services for the Supreme Court only (Framework for Assessing the Acquisition Function at Federal Agencies, 2006). State police provide traffic and criminal law enforcement, as well as other services that are particular to the needs of that state government. Some of the functions of state police includes controlling traffic on the highway system, tracing stolen automobiles, and aiding in disturbances and crowd control (Pavone,1942). In states with large, powerful county sheriff’s departments, the state police functions are usually restricted to highway patrol. In others, where the county sheriff’s law enforcement role is limited, state police usually maintain a more active investigative and enforcement role and aid city and town police departments in criminal investigations Misner, 1960). The local police are the workhorses of the law enforcement system in America. They perform many functions and tasks including, but not limited to: (1) Law enforcement-examples include burglary investigations, apprehending criminal perpetrators, serving warrants, or giving court testimonies, (2) Peacekeeping and order maintenance-examples include preventing fights or disturbances between individuals, or peacefully resolving domestic disputes before they spiral out of control, (3) Service- examples include hospital and funeral processions escorts, or delivering mail for city officials (4) Information gathering-examples include determining neighborhood reactions to a proposed liquor license in the community, investigating cases of missing children, or investigating and reporting dangerous road conditions (Mathis & Zech, 1985). Other duties and responsibilities of the local police include protecting life and property- patrolling a particular jurisdiction at night, keeping citizens from a fire scene, or recovering and returning stolen items or lost property. Enforcing the law-ensuring traffic laws are adhered to, filing police reports and complaints, or seizing illegal weapons. Preventing criminal activity-patrolling high crime areas. Maintaining the peace- showing high police visibility and presence, or intervening in neighbor disturbances. Arresting violators-apprehending fleeing suspects, or giving citations to alcohol permit holders who sell to minors. Serve the public trust- giving directions to travelers, delivering emergency messages, administering first aid ((Mathis & Zech, 1985). County law enforcement as it relates to police functions involves the sheriff’s department. These individuals perform various functions ranging from investigations to supervision of sentenced offenders. Furthermore, they provide courtroom security as well as confining and transporting prisoners, serve summons, and warrants, enforce traffic, and criminal laws. Sheriff’s departments frequently operate the county jail, which houses hundreds and even thousands of prisoners, depending on the particular county. In certain counties, the sheriff’s department shares law enforcement duties with a separate police department. Furthermore, the sheriff’s law enforcement functions today are carried out only in unincorporated areas within a county or in response to city departments’ request for aid in such matters as patrol or investigations (Misner, 1960). Sheriffs generally have more leniency over police chiefs when it comes to running their own agencies. The local police, in many counties, operate the sheriffs department. In many counties, local police governs the operations of the sheriff’s department, and the sheriff must operate as a partisan politician to remain in office. The authority to appoint special duties and to award patronage jobs contributes to the sheriff’s power and influence in a county (Misner, 1960). Identify and address possible future changes in laws and the overall impact these changes will have on the field of policing. The Governor of Georgia, Nathan Deal signed the new Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011 into law May 13. Legal challenges facing the Atlanta Police Department are expected and might delay implementation, but it is scheduled otherwise to take effect July 1st. Possible changes to the new law, the Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011, will have a significant and chilling effect on the Atlanta Police Department. One of the challenges presented is that crime reporting will go unnoticed and unreported in communities and jurisdictions where immigrants are predominant (Moya & Shedlin, 2008). Fear of deportation and arrest would give illegal immigrants an even greater incentive to stay â€Å"under the radar† and avoid drawing attention to themselves. Doing this would undercut and undermine the Atlanta police department’s overall crime-fighting efforts which will ultimately impact unreported crime for their police officers. The greatest impact these new changes in the Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act will have on the Atlanta police department is that in the absence of federal policy, the Atlanta police department will be forced to take a very active role in dealing with issues pertaining to immigration, although they don’t have the authority and resources to tackle immigration issues. Furthermore, their authority still hasn’t been made clear as of yet and federal resources are not sufficient to support them (Moya & Shedlin, 2008).

Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Political science - Essay Example As Hoffman and William say. A further reason why the Middle East is becoming more important is high oil prices. Although oil prices are far below their 2008 peak of US$147/bbl, they are expected to remain high due to rising demand from China, India, and other emerging markets. Despite efforts by international oil companies to tap into new sources, such as the Caspian Sea, West Africa, and Brazil’s offshore deposits, and despite moves to develop alternative energy sources, oil is likely to remain paramount. Meanwhile, the windfall of high oil prices should continue to boost investment in the Middle East, making it an important economic region. Apart from Israel, Lebanon and Turkey, no Middle Eastern state has an entirely democratic political system. Iran has competitive elections, but ultimate power rests with the ruling clerics. The other countries are all absolute monarchies or led by authoritarian presidents, although there are varying degrees of parliamentary representation. As a result, most leaders have questionable legitimacy. Opposition groups tend to be suppressed, and governments maintain powerful security services to keep their populations in line. This system of government has fostered patronage and corruption, in turn adding to public dissatisfaction. Arguably, the biggest question for the Middle East is whether it can continue to be an exception to the spread of democracy worldwide or whether democracy will eventually take hold. As per Wunderle openion. Over the coming decade, we expect several Middle Eastern states – notably Egypt and Saudi Arabia – to face succession issues, as incumbent heads of state pass from the scene. In Egypt, the outlook is highly uncertain, amid signs that President Hosni Mubarak is grooming his son Gamal to succeed him and opposition to this. In Saudi Arabia, the succession procedure is clearer cut, but a power

The Global Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Global Business Environment - Essay Example The environment in which Toyota operates is becoming extremely tough every day. All businesses are facing problems today due to increasing costs, cultural diversity, globalization and decrease in global demand. The world has seen a great financial crisis in recent years and economies are still to recover from it fully. In such environment companies are finding it hard to produce and sell its product to customers. The external environment is also affecting organizations in new ways because media and communication technology has developed so much and any ethical issue can seriously hurt the reputation of the company. Competition is also increasing in business environment as companies are trying to innovate and market their products in better ways. In this report we will conduct an external environmental analysis for Toyota. We will talk about markets, competition and regulations that can have an impact on the company. The ethical issues, corporate social responsibility and environmenta l policy and its affect on Toyota will also be discussed. This paper will deal with the external environment and not with the strategy of Toyota. Markets, Competition and Regulation Markets are evolving at a great pace in today’s fast moving world and it is important to keep in mind the changing demand of target market. Competition is also increasing as companies are trying to increase efficiency by decreasing costs and improving quality of their products. Regulations are also getting stern everyday and automobile companies have to keep in mind the safety standards set by the companies. This means increase in testing of cars which will lead to greater costs. In this section the impact of markets, competition and regulation on Toyota will be discussed. Markets and its Impact of Toyota The main target market of Toyota is the middle class income group of the world. These are the people who cannot afford luxurious cars but want vehicles that are cheap but durable vehicles. Toyota provides cars to middle income people of the world and prices are also lower in comparison to BMW and Mercedes. Over the years this target market has been consisted as they cannot switch to expensive cars and they also don’t switch to cheaper manufacturers. This is why this market of Toyota was considered relative safe and loyal to Toyota. But this is changing because now the target market of Toyota is also evolving. The target market is demanding innovation in designs and specifications. The medium income group target market has become more aware of the different brands in the market. They have also become more design oriented and are demanding newer and better designs. Car movies and games have informed the market about fast cars and sleek designs therefore they want these things in their cars. This problem is staring Toyota in the face because design was never a strong point of the company and its focus was on durability and prices. Evolving markets are in this way impact ing the business strategy of Toyota. The main strategy of Toyota is that of reducing service costs by giving customers quality and durability (Harrup & Janssens, 2008). This is causing problems because the markets of Toyota are evolving and they are demanding better designs from the company. The external environment is therefore impacting the strategy of Toyota. The increasing focus on design and specification of the market can decrease the demand of Toyota cars. Customers will look for new car manufacturers

Architect And Engineer Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Architect And Engineer - Term Paper Example Leonardo da Vinci bore the official title of Ingegnere Generale. His notebooks reveal that some Renaissance engineers began to ask systematically what works and why. (â€Å"History of engineering†). An architect is an individual who designs a structure whereas an engineer is an individual who designs as well as constructs a structure. Although both the architect and engineer design a structure, yet their designs are entirely different for the same structure. While designing a structure, an architect takes into consideration such factors as space utilization, geometry, integration, matching and contrast and orientation of the structure whereas an engineer takes care of the composition of elements, selection of materials of construction, choice of the steel ratio and the water/cement (w/c) ratio, and the strength of materials. In addition to that, the engineer also constructs the structure. Construction involves planning, scheduling, executing and supervising the project. An arc hitect and an engineer differ in their job responsibilities. An architect is responsible to decide the look of the structure whereas an engineer actually brings that look from the architect’s imagination to the ground in the form of the structure. Thus, architects are basically designers and engineers are basically constructors, though they also design the structure. â€Å""Engineering is the application of mathematics and science to create something of value from natural resources."† (Abrol). In order to be an architect, one needs to graduate in architecture whereas to be an engineer, a Bachelor’s degree of engineering is required. Both are licensed and registered by their respective councils. An architect may specialize in such fields as space management, vertical construction or horizontal construction whereas an engineer specializes in the fields of management, structures, geology and transportation etc. Sir Marc Isambard Brunel was a famous French engineer. Brunel was born on 25 April 1769 and lived up to 12 December 1849 (â€Å"Marc Brunel†). Brunel was born in France and later settled in UK. Brunel became the chief engineer of NY in 1793. He is particularly known for devising the technique of manufacturing the rigging blocks for navy. The Thames foot tunnel is one of Brunel’s biggest achievements. It was originally constructed for the horsedrawn traffic, though pedestrians used it first because of bankruptcy. Currently, it carries the â€Å"East London Line of the London Underground† (â€Å"Marc Brunel†). Brunel used the tunneling shield for making this tunnel. This shield was a mobile framework meant to protect the laborers from the collapses while they worked on the water-bearing ground. Engineer Marc Brunel (â€Å"Marc Brunel†). A very famous railway engineer in UK in the Victorian age was Sir Thomas Bouch. Bouch was born on 25 February 1822 and lived up to 30 October 1880. Bouch has invented â €Å"the caisson and the train ferry (roll-on roll-off)† (â€Å"Thomas Bouch†). Bouch was the designer of the first Tay Rail Bridge. To appreciate his endeavors, Queen Victoria traveled over the Tay Rail Bridge upon its official opening. She also awarded Bouch a knighthood. Engineer Thomas Bouch (â€Å"Thomas Bouch†). In order to reduce the cost, the railway company had compromised upon the safety and

Bills of Exchange's Rules In Saudi Arabia Essay

Bills of Exchange's Rules In Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The first law is referred to as the Commercial Court Law, which is popularly referred to as Commercial Court Law. The other law is referred to as Commercial Court Law while the other is the Negotiable Instrument Law. It is worth noting that majority of the provision inherent in these regulations are heavily inspired by sharia laws. The commercial law has a defines critical elements that a document must contain in order to qualify as a bill of exchange. According to Article 1 of the commercial paper law, a bill of exchange must have the word bill written on the face value of the document. The other critical element that must be present in the document, according to Commercial Papers Law is an unconditional order that requires payment of a specific amount. Middle East Economic Digest Conferences (2004) says that the document should also contain the name of the drawer and the drawer. More importantly, it is critical that, there is also place and date creating the bill of payment. Finall y, the drawer must also append his/her signature to the bill to make it valid. Article 2 of the Commercial Papers law further reiterates that when any of the elements in Article are missing then the document seizes to be a bill. The Commercial Papers Law is very comprehensive in that it leaves no hitch that fraudster can capitalize on. Fraudsters are very smart, and they are always on the lookout for gaps that they can use to defraud unsuspecting people. Article 5 of the law is very effective in blocking out potential fraudsters from conducting fraud on transactions involving the bill of exchange. This article expressly states that whenever there is a discrepancy between the amount written in words and the amount written in figures, the amount written in word prevails. The justification of such a move is that amounts written in words are not easy to alter as compared to that mount written in word 12 (Middle East Economic Digest Conferences, 2004).  

Provide Information about Shadowing Experience of a Nurse Practitioner Essay

Provide Information about Shadowing Experience of a Nurse Practitioner in a Primary Care Physician Office - Essay Example This paper will explain the shadowing experience of a nurse practitioner in a primary care physician’s office. The care provided by nurse practitioners significantly varies from one country to another. The Pearson Report contains all the duties that are supposed to be performed by nurse practitioners. Further analysis also proves that nurse practitioners can perform several duties in different institutions including health centers, nursing homes, unique clinics and learning institutions (Buppert, 2003). Furthermore, nurse practitioners are licensed after completing the practitioner’s program. Advancements in the discipline of nursing began in the mid-20th century. Research asserts that most of the changes in the field of nursing were implemented in this era. The office of primary care was set up in order to improve the accessibility, availability and value of care to individuals of a certain area. The primary care offices are liable for supplying primary care providers in various countries. In most states, the primary care unit has established a work plan that is designed to augment the supply of primary care physicians in order to meet the health care requirements. This work plan also entails the training programs which are employed in primary care, the primary care shadowing program and elective chances in primary care. The work plan also deals with the development of incentives for primary care. Such incentives include increasing the salaries of the primary care specialists and loan repayment factors (Buppert, 2003). Most health care companies prefer nurse practitioners who have significant physician assistant shadowing. Most health care experts usually undergo a shadowing experience which involves primary care. According to statistics in different countries, majority of patients originate from low and middle income populations. For example, in South Africa, most of the patients originate from the middle-class individuals; therefore, the primar y care centers in such regions employ many health care professionals (Buppert, 2003). In the past, health care students mostly participated in various projects, which were considered as voluntary actions (Buppert, 2003). These projects were executed because the profession of nursing practitioners is regulated by the country. In the recent past, it was reported that there is a shortage of primary care physicians in most of the health centers globally. In fact, most individuals developed the idea of substituting the primary care providers with nurse practitioners. To some extent, the nurses are able to act as substitutes for primary care providers since, they are quite learned. The primary care givers are responsible for the provision of several functions in health care. Some of the tasks performed by the primary care givers include; accessing the medical needs of the patients and comprehensive care of patients. Primary care physicians account to around 50% of the annual office visits that are made by physicians (Wexler, 2010). In fact, the primary care physicians are the only individuals who are able to provide proper health care that addresses a majority of the patients. This form of care has substantially yielded sustained partnership within community members and patients. Utilization of the primary care services has also reduced mortality and morbidity rates. These factors prove that primary care serv

Personal Environmental History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Personal Environmental History - Essay Example ‘The great outdoors’ was definitely not a part of my world. It was only when I went to High School that I began to be aware that our way of life and our economy was all part of larger world picture, which has its effect on the earth. My friendship with an Indian student was the main cause of my ‘wake-up’ call. His stories of life back home, including accounts of his trips to forest reserves and his photographs of lush paddy fields in the villages, made me realize that the same earth, with many different faces, is shared by all mankind. He told me how lucky I was to have unlimited power and water, when many parts of his country were plagued by chronic power shortage and lack of water. This made me do some reading and I realized that Qatar has the highest per-capita carbon-dioxide emissions in the world, and our economic prosperity has a cost in terms of environment. My move to the USA has further strengthened my environmental consciousness. The beauty of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado has made me fall in love with the earth! I am now more conscious of the beauty of our sand dunes back home. I must confess that Americans are closer to nature than my countrymen. Being an avid soccer fan, my hobbies have not taken me close to the earth. Here, I find that fishing and trekking are very much a part of weekend life. The care taken of the National Parks makes me envy the close relationship many people have with the earth. I continue to be proud of Qatar’s place in the world economy. However, I am now conscious that it is possible to maintain this place without harming the earth. Oil is an essential resource to sustain human activity. But this can be produced in ecologically friendly ways. I am aware that energy has a price, and to exceed these limits will do irreparable harm to the earth. I intend to be involved in any efforts of my country to conserve the environment, and am

A comparison of Francis Bacon and Mary Shelley's views of science as Essay

A comparison of Francis Bacon and Mary Shelley's views of science as expressed in The Sphinx and Frankenstein, respectively - Essay Example Bacon theorized that science is a means to solving two riddles, one being the nature of things and the other the nature of man. His ideas for a way to solve these riddles are very similar to the widely utilized scientific method, believing that matter can be studied and understood by observation, trial, and error (Bacon). Bacon manifests his vision of science in the mythical Sphinx. The Sphinx is a monster with the head and voice of a young woman, the feet of the griffin, and wings of a bird. The creature and her riddles represent the riddles of science and how searching for the answers can either tear apart a man or cause a break through by answering the riddle and subduing the Sphinx, or quenching the man’s immediate thirst for knowledge. The man who finally defeats the Sphinx, a man with high intelligence and clubbed feet, demonstrates the need for patience and taking things slowly when confronting the riddles of science. If a man showed ignorance in the face of science, if he failed to answer the riddle correctly, the Sphinx would rip him apart. The griffin claws of the Sphinx represent the way that the pursuit of answers can take sharp hold in the human mind, effectively ripping it apart if the answers are not found. In the same vein, the face and voice represent the beauty of science and the wings are indicative of how the answers of science spread and fly quickly to the far reaches of the Earth (Bacon). Her riddles originate from the Muses, where the questions are ambiguous and have no emotional subtext. Once the riddles reach the Sphinx, they contain the unbiased cruelty of the pursuits of science, where the questions themselves do not care regarding the havoc they can wreak on those who dare to try to solve them. Bacon has taken an ancient myth and applied it to the mysteries of the universe. Mary Shelley’s view of science relates to Bacon’s in that she also viewed

Cis 331 discussion wwek 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cis 331 discussion wwek 2 - Essay Example This week I would like you to choose a problem (make it simple) and discuss how you would go through the problem solving process to solve this problem. Be sure to discuss whether you would use convergent or divergent thinking. In the IT world we come up against the outsourcing problem on a regular basis.   For me it happened when we had some network security hardware that was coming to the end of its life and we had to decide whether to replace the existing hardware or to outsource the function that the security hardware was performing.   For us, this was more of a convergent discussion than a divergent discussion.   We could have brainstormed different ways to accomplish the security function that the hardware was providing but we didnt have the resources to implement any of the ideas that would have been discussed.   With that out of the way, we decided to work towards finding a solution. After discussing the problem,  we thought it would really come down to a financial decision of whether or not outsourcing the function was more cost effective than purchasing new hardware.   The first step in the process was to gather the facts.   We got quotes for the new hardware and defined what the resource costs were to implement and maintain that hardware.   Then we obtained a list of vendors that provided outsourcing solutions.   We documented everything that we use the current solution for and identified a list of requirements that would be used to evaluate each vendor.   For those vendors that met the list of requirements, we obtained quotes for what it would cost to outsource the security function. Once we had the tangible costs identified  someone suggested that we then make a list of the intangible costs related to both keeping the security function in house vs. outsourcing.   That is one area that I think sometimes gets overlooked in these types of problem solving initiatives.   Because so much focus is put on hard and fast

Constructivism Approach Essay Example for Free

Constructivism Approach Essay For purposes of discussion the Constructivism Approach is chosen to further dissect the importance of communication in law enforcement. There are various communication strategies around however, Constructivism seems most ideal for the communication requirements of highly stressful situations present in law enforcement. The Constructivism Approach to communication was first introduced by Jesse Delia in 1982 (Bentley). The approach is based on the 1967 Jean Piaget’s learning theory of constructivism. The learning theory proposes that people are able to form meaning in situations by applying known information structures stored through past experiences. In other words, this theory proposes that a person, through influences of culture, experiences, beliefs and background form information structures that serve as the framework for responding to situations. Additional information may be acquired but this frame of thought usually remains constant. Using this as basis for his approach, Delia describes Constructivism in communication as being rooted individually and constructed socially. This approach poses that a person makes sense of the world though systems of personal constructs (Constructivism). It is the ability of one to align culture, cognition and communication in responding to situations. Constructivism of Delia is essentially concerned with the cognitive processes that precede the actual communication (Delia, O’Keefe and O’Keefe). The approach looks into the exchange of information between the communicator and the receiver and the multiple truths that go along with it. A healthy exchange therefore depends greatly on the ability of the communicator to send information that a receiver can creatively interpret and understand with consideration to complexities of messages (Delia, O’Keefe, and O’Keefe). Constructivism further poses that meanings evolve and change (Bentley). Through social interactions, constructs are created and impressions and interpretations are learned. Meaning in this instance is socially shared. Both communicator and receiver are influenced by a small portion of their personal constructs in interpreting events. The constructivist believes that the complexities in interpersonal cognitive exchange is highly dependent on how advanced a person’s social-cognitive functioning is. Essentially this proposes that the more a person develops sophistication in cognitive functioning, the more likely this person will be able to stir the flow of communication towards a more substantial route. The constructivist also believes that the construct system of a person generates â€Å"communication-and goal-oriented beliefs† (Delia, O’Keefe and O’Keefe). These beliefs provide a guided discernment of situations to form a strategic behavior towards them. And since communication is basically a field that is founded on persuasion, acquiring a sophisticated construct system is imperative. At the same time a person possessing complex cognitive functioning is most likely to produce person-centered messages that create a more engaging exchange between two people. This is beneficial when applied to situations that prove to be tense or at the least taxing. The precept of Constructivism as an approach to communication is that it is socially developed however individually founded. People develop their set of constructs based on their exposure to culture, beliefs, experiences and background. These constructs are relative to the person and are as diverse as the general population. Having said that, how then would Constructivism help in law enforcement? In the previous paragraphs several examples of recent documentation of police brutality were sited. There are several common threads in these examples. However, three of the most common of these threads will be discussed for this paper. First is race. Many of these recorded incidents involve racial minorities. The United States plays host to many adult immigrants, often who are unable to speak English. Moreover, usually immigrants build their own communities wherein the use of their mother tongue is prevalent. Therefore, older immigrants have a more difficult time adapting to the new language. Interaction with other races becomes an ordeal.

Molson Canadian Beer to China Essay Example for Free

Molson Canadian Beer to China Essay This paper will analyze a products potential to enter a foreign market. The product, Molson Canadian, is a well known and reputable Canadian beer with a rich history. For our purposes, we have attempted to formulate a plan for Molson Canadian to enter the Chinese beer market. Utilizing empirical data, statistics and research on the Chinese beer market, we have gathered significant information regarding entry into this market. After analyzing China as a country, their beer market and relevant business information, we developed an effective way for Molson Canadian to be introduced into the Chinese market. In addition, we have highlighted some potential opportunities and threats associated with this plan, thereby rationalizing the entry mode we have chosen. After all the information was presented, we concluded that the most effective way to introduce Molson Canadian to the Chinese market was to export the product, utilizing distributor and import contacts to have the beer sold at on-trade sites such as upscale bars and eateries. The following information provided explains our direction and reinforces our decision to enter the market in this fashion. Introduction. The beer brand Molson is one of Canada’s oldest consumer brand names and one of North America’s oldest brands. John Molson established Canada’s oldest brewery in 1786 near the St. Lawrence River in Montreal, Quebec. The Molson company has a range of beer selection including: Molson Canadian, a lager beer containing 5% of alcohol per volume, Molson Canadian Light contains about 2% of alc/vol, Molson Canadian 6. 0 Cold Shots (6% of alc/vol), Molson Canadian Sub Zero (it can served at temperatures below freezing through innovative technology) and its new Molson Canadian 67 (contains only 67 calories). Along with the Molson brand of beverages, Molson also owns the rights to other brands such as the various Rickards brands as well as distribution rights of popular imports such as Heineken from Holland. Molson Canadian is the company’s signature beer, using freshwater from Canadian lakes and the best quality barley in the recipe. Molson’s brewing methods do not utilize preservatives in order to maintain crisp, clean and fresh taste. Instead, they use traditional best methods along with skilled brew masters to ensure best quality from suppliers to retailers. As a result, Molson has received numerous awards in the past, including the gold for â€Å"North American Style Lager† in 2008. In 2005 Molson Brewery merged in equal parts with American brewing company Coors, forming the Molson Coors Brewing Company. The purpose of this report is to introduce a marketing plan for Molson to enter the Chinese consumer market. The main objective is to analyze and determine possible ways to successfully distribute Molson’s signature beer (Molson Canadian) to the Chinese consumer market. The next sections provide country and business analysis as well as the marketing mix in order to construct an effective and efficient marketing plan. Also, an action plan will be prepared to consider implementation of strategies and their associated budgets. Country Analysis China is located in eastern Asia and is the fourth largest country in the world. It borders a number of countries including Vietnam, North Korea, India and Pakistan. China also has the largest population in the world with more than 1. 3 billion (1,338,612,968) people. China also has several languages and dialects spoken throughout the country, but the major ones are mandarin and Cantonese. (CIA Fact book 2010) China is a communist state, however in the last 30 years the nation has gradually changed from a centrally planned economy to a more market oriented economy. This transition has benefited China because it opened its’ boarders to international trade, increasing the countries import/export figures dramatically over the years. In addition, the more open economic system allowed for an influx of foreign direct investment into the country. China’s rampant growth in the past 30 years is evident in the country’s economic statistics. 2009 country GDP numbers place China as 3rd overall worldwide in total GDP with $8. 791 Trillion (US$), only second to the European Union and the United States. (CIA Fact book 2010) This figure can be put into perspective however when analyzing GDP per capita where China places 128th worldwide with only $6,500 (US$), a figure which has been improving throughout the years. Although china is one of the fastest developing countries in the world, its’ government still faces several challenges including reducing corruption, sustaining adequate job growth rates and environmental concerns such as pollution. In addition, China has long been perceived by other nations as a country not up code regarding certain policies such as human rights and intellectual property rights. However, their inclusion into the World Trade Organization in 2001 has vastly improved their global standing and many joint and domestic initiatives have been undertaken to improve the perception of China globally. Rationale for Choosing China There were several key reasons for choosing China as our target market. China’s vast population was an influence because it provided a large potential consumer base. Another reason is the large demand for beer which continues to grow as middle and upper class income levels continue to rise in the country (Datamonitor 2004). In addition, several international beer brands have not managed to effectively penetrate the Chinese market. Therefore, if an international beer company in china survives an initial tough few years, it has the potential to make significant profits going forward. The beer industry in China will be analyzed in more detail in the following sections. Other important reasons for the selection of China was that its’ healthy trade relations with Canada throughout the years. China is Canada’s 2nd largest trading partner, only second to the United States of America with bilateral trade between China and Canada reaching over $50 billion(CAN) in 2009 (Statscan, 2010). Finally, notion that China is the fastest growing nation in the world and is predicted to be the world’s largest economy by 2025 had a significant impact on our selection. (Foreign affairs and international trade Canada, 2005) (See Appendix A) Environment of the Beer Industry in China â€Å"China is one of the world’s largest alcohol producers in the world and in the next few years it is expected to go surpass the United States as the largest alcohol producer in the world† (Newman, Ian 2006). China has a very large beer market worth around $6. 154 billion (USD$) and produced more than 26,244 million litres in 2004 (Datamonitor 2004). Both of these figures are significant increases from the previous year 2003. For the majority of brewers around the world, the Chinese beer market is too large to ignore and at times, too hard to grasp because of its complicity. China is viewed as the next big opportunity in the beer industry because its large population and its high economic growth is unmatchable elsewhere. However, many international brewers have failed to penetrate the Chinese beer market. This could be due to unfamiliar market dynamics and the presence of too many domestic beer brands in the Chinese market. Although many international brands have failed, some like SAB Miller have succeeded. It is believed that focus on quality brands and long term entry plans were contributors to the success companies like SAB Miller have had in the Chinese market. Some of the leading brewers in China include Tsingato brewery, SAB Miller, Fosters Group Limited and Noble China Inc. (Datamonitor 2004) Threats and Opportunities Having looked at the general environment of the beer industry in China, our focus will now shift to the threats and opportunities in the market. First, one of the main threats is the other large beer companies and breweries that we are going to be competing with, both domestic and international. Chinese domestic beer accounts for a large percentage of consumption in the country, and as an international product, we will be facing stiff competition from other international companies already present in the market. A less concerning threat is that the older demographics in China prefer to drink more wine than they do beer. This however is contrasted by the increasing popularity of beer in the nation. The biggest opportunity is the fact that the China has largest population in the world and also that it is the world’s fastest growing country. Another opportunity is that there is steady growth rate predicted in the next few years for the beer industry (Datamonitor 2004). Another key opportunity is that Chinese consumer’s value taste and reputation in their beverage products, we believe that Molson Canadian can cater to this need with our product implementation. (Industry Digest, 2005) On the technological side, the Chinese market has several domestic brewing companies in the nation. This could be very useful because the technology to produce beer in China is readily available. On the negative side, China incorporates strict restrictions on content through various media. For example, internet censorship is common in the nation, leaving marketers with limited when choosing which type of media to use for marketing purposes (Human Rights Watch, 2006). Socially, alcohol plays an important role in Chinese tradition and Chinese society as a whole. Alcohol is used in a lot of Chinese traditional festivals and celebrations, as well as it is also a very important part of Chinese religions. Alcohol can also be found in traditional Chinese medication and also used for cooking (Newman, Ian 2006). Market Buyer Characteristics Many of the beer buyer characteristics in the Chinese market are similar to those of Canada. First, gender plays a large role in that the majority of beer consumers are males. However, the female segment of the market has steadily continued to increase as china develops further, mainly due to increased spending power of Chinese women. However, this gender bias cannot be overlooked as the female segment of the buyers is very important because in some major cities like Beijing, women make up to around 30% of beer drinkers in the city. Most of the buyers of beer in china are between the age groups of 25 to 44, similar to the demographics found in Canada (Industry Digest, 2005). Another important aspect about buyer behaviour in China is that it varies according to the region or province. The same applies for the beer market in China, for example people from the southern regions of China drink more beer at bars an pubs and banquets whereas people in the northern regions are more likely to drink beer while dining because they believe that it ads flavour to their dining. Also in the south of China the climate is very hot so casual drinking as a means to cool down is common similar to Canada in the summer months. (Industry Digest, 2005) Furthermore, reasons why people buy beer in China are important aspect for marketers. For consumers in China, value and good taste are important characteristics that consumers tend to look for. These qualities of beer products precede the importance of other factors such as price and brand reputation. Brand loyalty to domestic brands is more common in certain locations such as Beijing, but brand loyalty overall in general is not a decisive factor for many consumers in the Chinese beer industry. â€Å"People between the ages of 16 to 44 who live in Guangzhou and shanghai, switch brands on a regular basis† (Industry Digest, 2005). Selection of and Rationale for Chosen Mode of Entry into the Target Country The entry mode that we have chosen for entering into China will be exporting through an import contact that will then use local distributors to sell our product. The reason that we have selected this option is that although there is a huge potential for companies to succeed in the Chinese beer market, there are still many risks of doing business in China. By choosing exporting as our first step, it allows us to reduce financial and investment risks. Many studies have shown that having a good relationship with the Chinese government and business owners is a significantly important factor for foreign companies to success in China (Owen, 2010). Therefore, before moving into further actions such as partnerships and joint ventures, we want to have Molson establish a good working relationship with the Chinese government. At the same time, this entry mode will also give Molson ample time to develop the relationship with potential Chinese partners, as well as get better understanding about the government regulations for foreign ownership of land building resources. Last but not least, comparing this mode of entry to partnerships and joint ventures, exporting requires less finical investment. For example, Molson does not need to build factories or set up mass manufacturing operations right away which will save a significant amount of money right from the get go. In addition, if anything goes wrong initially, this entry mode allows us to withdraw the business from China much easier than if we had already established manufacturing operations in the country. Objectives. Due to the risks that beer companies are facing in expanding into the Chinese market, Molson Canadian wants to move slowly into the Chinese market. In other words, the company wants to test the environment first and then take the necessary steps to further the expansion process. First of all, Molson Canadian will establish the mode of entry which is the exporting strategy, and then the company will choose a well known Chinese beer company such as Tsingtao as our distributor, because this will reduce the uncertainties. While working with Tsingtao, Molson Canadian wants to ensure distribution networks are reaching desired locations for sale of product and look for other possible distributors and partners as well in order to get it prepared for our future development purposes such as joint ventures or partnerships. The next objective that we suggest is gathering forecasting information for potential future margin and feedback from consumers. This step will help us to make sure if the Chinese market is really worth to investing in and develop strong indicators to our customers’ preferences, in order to better serve our customers. During this stage, Molson Canadian will also be able to get more familiarized about the Chinese regulations related to the beer companies, especially for foreign companies. After the completion of this stage, the company will be able to develop plans for future operations based on the information that it has collected from before. If the information does not support the expansion, then Molson Canadian should stop developing, and possibly withdraw the business from China. If everything goes well, the company will pick the right distributors and partners that have been evaluated before to start the joint ventures or partnerships with local Chinese companies. The reason that we decided to do joint ventures or partnership eventually is that based on information from the Euromonitor International, which states by doing a joint venture it will allow foreign companies to gain local market knowledge â€Å"These joint ventures should provide foreign companies with a necessary foothold in the market which can, in the future, be exploited by their own products† (Euromonitor International, 2004). The last objective is to work towards generating steadily increasing profits in the future, which will be in more details in our action plan. Limitations There are also limitations that could affect Molson Canadians entry into the Chinese market. As we mentioned before, the uncertainty of the Chinese market is a huge concern. First of all, the government regulations and standards are different from what we have seen in the North American market. Based on the article written by Owen, issues included the â€Å" Chinese top-down approach to standards and conformance, Openness and transparency, Low confidence in private-sector standards setting and conformity assessment, and Inconsistent implementation creates uncertainty†(Owen, 2010) are all the concerns that Molson needs to pay attention. The second uncertainty is that the intense competition will be created by both local and foreign beers companies in the crowded industry. As represented by Euromonitor International, there are several foreign breweries doing business in this market now. Many of which have found that the market is more difficult to operate than they expected before entering the Chinese market. Problems included comparatively high production costs and a fragmented market, combined with oversupply, has caused a market slowdown which led many companies to cut their prices. Many of the companies have already chosen to exit the market and cut their losses (Euromonitor International, 2004). Criteria In terms of the time frame, we estimated that will take one year to complete the objectives from 1 to 3, which is also considered to be our primary expansion. As mentioned above this includes the establishment of the entry mode- exporting, develop appropriate distribution networks, and collecting forecasting information and feedback from consumers. The secondary expansion includes the envelopment future operating plans such as joint ventures or partnerships; after everything has been created our final goal will be work towards generating steadily increasing profits in the future. We estimated that will take 1 or 2 years to finish framing the joint venture or partnership structure. Segmentation For our segmentation we decided to focus on 5 main demographic criteria’s. We obtained basic secondary data based on the past buying patterns of Chinese and other Asian consumers. From that data, we sorted and decided upon with segments of the market we would test for. We based the selection of the criteria on hypothesis testing and concluded that only traits that that appeared consistently within two standard deviations (95%) of each segment’s sample would be counted; these demographics being on age, region, ethnicity, financial capacity and lifestyle within the 18 – 45 age range. For this analysis we have ranked them in order of popularity and difference in cost relative to other premium beers; from this analysis we have distilled this ranking system. * Molson Canadian Subzero is loved for its flash and fancy appeal * Molson Canadian Lager is popular for its strong distinct flavour * Molson Canadian Light beer is popular for its smoother taste and lack of a strong after taste * Lastly Molson Canadian ‘67 is the least preferred. This is due to the misconception that diet beers are more diluted than regular beers and that consumers are getting less for their money. From our demographic analysis of Chinese consumers of a certain demographic tend to prefer certain tastes to be present in their alcohol and while these preferences are not as potent in affecting purchase decisions as they would be in north America, never the less they are significant to warrant analysis and attention. Characteristic| Characteristic Related| Price| Westernized | Stronger Alcohol| More expensive| Traditional| Smoother Alcohol| Less Expensive| Sichuan | Stronger Alcohol| Less expensive| Han| Smoother Alcohol| Less expensive|. Tibetan| Stronger Alcohol| Less expensive| Southern| Smoother Alcohol| Less expensive| Northern| Stronger Alcohol| More expensive| Old | Stronger Alcohol| average| Young| Smoother Alcohol| Less expensive| (Data Extrapolated from Chinas beer consumption and Barley imports) From our analysis we can conclude that as you move up north and become more westernized the taste for alcohol becomes steadily stronger and that people value alcohol more. We have found that there are many cultural factors that the affect the purchasing characteristics of each segment. Age: Age is a significant factor when incorporating this model, with younger generations preferring relatively cheaper products than the older generation. As China’s socialistic society progress, legislation has greatly altered the spending habits of consumers. Such like the 1 child policy has left a significantly smaller working force to support the country. With most average working couples supporting 3 generations simultaneously (Adams, 2008), this can impact greatly on the decisions regarding the purchase of the luxury items such as premium foreign beer. Region: In regards to region, there are smaller difference in the tastes and spending habits of northerners vs. southerners. While the South has a higher pay-grade than those of the north, historically the south has always been a more crowded and competitive place (Trent, 2009). Thus those living there adapt to have a more conservative outlook in regards to consumption and purchases. Contrary, while the average northerner earns significantly less money they are more likely to spend extra for what they want (Trent, 2009). Also cities along the coast tend to adopt more western ideals than those located on the interior of China. Ethnicity: While china’s population is 87% Han (Doan, 2008) there is a small population of minorities that also live in china. Though living in the same country this minority have significantly different tastes from your average Chinese. These Minorities include Tibetans, Wiggers and Manchus. Lifestyle: Since China has opened its doors to international products and cultures, there have been many Chinese that have adopted a more western-lifestyle. With Western styles often come more western tastes (Qingbin et at, 1998), in contrast to the smoother taste western-styled Chinese prefer a stronger tasting alcohol. Marketing Mix This section presents strategic alternatives that Molson Canadian should take into consideration, recommendation of the suitable alternative and implementation of marketing plan through the use of the controllable elements of marketing mix. Strategic Alternatives There are two strategic alternatives that Molson Canadian can use to expand its beer brand to Chinese consumer market. Molson Canadian can expand its beer brand to Chinese consumer market by exporting its product line on trade or off trade. Alternative 1: The first alternative for Molson Canadian is to export its product line on trade, meaning that their target locations for sale are establishments which serve alcohol. For our product, we want to target specifically high end restaurants, pubs and bars. High end restaurants, pubs and bars would offer high quality products; therefore the best quality beer would also be expected from customers. One of the main strengths of Molson Canadian is that they utilize high quality ingredients as well as a team of brew masters that make sure the beer follows the high quality standards, qualities that Chinese consumers would be drawn to. Additional strengths of Molson Canadian is that it offers product differentiation such as best quality barley and no use of preservatives for its production. Also, the products country image is perceived as good quality product since it is North American which means that the products symbolize Western civilization, status and modernity (Zhou Hui, 2003). A weakness that should be taken into account is that Molson Canadian is not well known in the Chinese market, so it may be difficult to find consumers initially. However, opportunities in Chinese alcohol industry should be considered regarding this matter. For instance, an opportunity encountered is that there is an increasing demand for better tasting and premium products, meaning that premium beer sales will be more likely to increase in upcoming years (Euromonitor International, 2010). Also, another significant opportunity is that as consumers’ disposable incomes increase, consumers will be able to spend on leisure time such as going out to pubs and bars. In fact, there is a strong development of the consumer foodservice market, as well as, an increase of premium beer in forecasted years which accounts for 70% of total value growth from 2008 to 2013 in local currency (Euromonitor International, 2009). In addition to the above points, Chinese consumers are not price sensitive regarding on-trade places, indicating that premium and standard beer will become popular among the consumers (Euromonitor International, 2009). Lastly, a major threat towards this alternative is that the rise of prices for materials such as oil and energy can affect transportation cost. The National Development and Reform Commission (NRDC) had reported a price increase of RMB 1,000 per tonne for oil which is approximately equivalent to US$ 170 in 2008 (Euromonitor International, 2009). This means that there will be a need for adjustments in terms of price of beer to circumvent export costs to China. Alternative 2: The second alternative for Molson Canadian to export in China is to sell its product off trade. For this alternative, Molson Canadian beer should be sold in small grocery stores and/or hypermarkets. In order to better analyze this alternative for better profitability of the company, a mini SWOT analysis should be established. A major strength for this company is that the beer could be sold as standard lager beer to Chinese market with product differentiation. For example, the beer could be differentiated towards its high quality ingredients used in the production such as barley and hops and its high quality control standards. A weakness encountered in this option is that Molson Canadian is not a well known beer brand among Chinese market. An opportunity for selling Molson Canadian beer off trade is that this is main channel of sales accounting for 68% of volume sales in 2008 (Euromonitor International, 2009). Also, small independent grocery stores in rural areas account for 66% of total volume sales in 2008 (Euromonitor International, 2009). However, threats should also be taken into account for this alternative. A major threat there is high competitive market between domestic and foreign beer brands. In fact, the three top companies China Resources Enterprise Co Ltd, Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd and Beijing Yanjing Brewing Corp accounted for 41% of total volume sales in 2007 (Euromonitor International, 2009). There are also two leading international companies participating in Chinese beer market which are InBev and Anheuser-Busch. Another threat encountered is that consumers are price sensitive towards beer in off trade channels as they have a range of beer selection as well as prices that differ from different brands issues (Euromonitor International, 2009). Recommendation. The best alternative for Molson Canadian is to target on-trade businesses, especially high end restaurants, pubs and bars. The main criterion for choosing this alternative was based on willingness to pay for high priced product. Also, Molson Canadian should consider the high competition with domestic and foreign beer brands in off-trade markets. In order to reach Chinese consumers, we have weighed the pros and cons of this alternative and believe that Molson Canadian would have the best chance for success by initially focusing on selling to high end restaurants, pubs, bars and so on. The first reason for this chosen alternative is that customers will pay for high quality at any price. The customers will pay for a product that provides better taste, healthier and premium packaged products (Euromonitor International, 2010) since their disposable income allows buying better quality products. In fact, according to China Alcoholic Association, beer volume production has increased 6 % in the first half of 2009 (Euromonitor International, 2010). Also, when beer is sold in high end restaurants, its price will be set much higher price than at grocery stores, so Molson Canadian can generate profit using this method. According to Euromonitor International (2010), standard and premium beer account for only 10% of total sales volume, but generate around 50% of total profits in China’s beer sector. One of downsides towards marketing on-trade is that it may be difficult to break into the market since Molson Canadian is not recognized publicly in China. Also, Molson Canadian may face fierce competition in Chinese on-trade markets. For example, Budweiser, Heineken, Tiger, and Carlsberg are the main multinationals that have majority of the premium beer sales on trade. This alternative is preferable to the other option since it provides the means to generate long term profit and on-trade customers will favour buying high quality product as their preferences change. Another reason for choosing this alternative other than off-trade is that grocery stores will offer a variety of beer brands that are cheaper and domestic Chinese brands, therefore consumers will have more general knowledge of the products available to them. Once the strategic alternative is implemented, there will be opportunities and challenges that should be relevant to Molson Canadian. A potential opportunity for Molson Canadian is to introduce Molson Canadian 67 which is a type of beer that contains only 67 calories. This is a significant advantage for this company since Chinese people are becoming more concerned about their health and wellness. In terms of challenges that Molson Canadian may face is that there will be competition within foreign beer brands such as Heineken that could affect Molson Canadian’s profitability. Implementation In order to execute the marketing strategy of exporting Molson Canadian beer to Chinese market in high end restaurants, pubs and bars, the company should consider the 4P’s of the marketing mix. First, the product provided is Molson Canadian lager beer by Molson Coors Brewing Company which is a high quality Canadian brand which Molson Coors will be able to sell its beer as premium brand because of it offers clean, crisp and fresh taste as well as the no use of preservatives. The price for Molson Canadian beer lager is planned to be high since most of target market in China is represented by medium to high income consumers. Consumers in high end restaurants, pubs and bars will able to buy a bottle of Molson Canadian lager beer for more than 20RMB or $3US(Eumonitor International, 2009) since high end restaurants will place their price three times its market price. For the promotional aspect of our product, Molson Canadian attempt to use practices similar to those found in the North American markets. The use of commercials and posters display the refreshing qualities of a Canadian lager beer will be a major focus of the promotional ads. However, unlike the Canadian and American markets where beer commercials incorporate sexual messages to sell their products, ads in China will mirror those of beverage companies already operating in the country. To do this, the sexual appeal found in North American type commercials will be replaced with the quintessential Chinese humor found very often in Chinese advertisements. In addition, another promotional campaign will be launched in China based on the current public relations department knowledge of Molson Coors regarding drinking and driving programs. This program will be shared with the government of China to increase awareness since drink driving is one of major factor causing traffic accidents. In fact,† according to the Ministry of Public Security, the number of road traffic accidents reached 107,193 during the first half of 2009, with the number of fatalities and injuries reaching 29,866 and 128,336 respectively† (Euromonitor International, 2010). This promotional tool will be helpful to reduce barriers that the government may place for Molson Canadian. Finally, another way to promote the beer brand is to provide an event marketing strategy since ‘international sporting, economic and cultural events are strong drivers for beer consumption† (All China Marketing research, 2008). For instance, Molson Canadian can potentially sponsor the 16th Asian Games in China which is taking place from November 12th to 27th, 2010 (Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee ,2010). Therefore, this sponsorship will bring brand awareness. Molson Canadian may have a backup plan if the sponsorship does not work out through donating a certain amount of money to the Asian Games event so then there will be also the brand name out there for consumers. A last marketing mix factor is place which could be achieved by utilizing the same distributors of Coors Light to d.

Formations And Techniques In Soccer Physical Education Essay

Formations And Techniques In Soccer Physical Education Essay Different type of formations may be used depending on the skill of the opposite team but also whether the team is playing more attacking or defending. A 4-2-4-1 formation is a soccer formation with only one striker upfront. The striker is the player located highest up the field, his main task is to score goals for the team. Before we could analysis the 2 players in the case, we would like to look at some of the tips to be a good striker. A good striker must be able: Kick the ball in the goal (good at striking). A striker who can score goals on a regular basis will become important to his team. As a striker, he needs to learn to score with all different parts of the body. Shot on Site (aiming). In today game, scoring opportunities are so rare as compared to last time, so when the striker has the chances to shot, dont wait. In addition, good strikers must constantly running (good agility and speed), trying to create spaces and taking risks. It only takes one. Many strikers will beat players and create space for themselves, but yet hesitate to shoot in front of goal. Figure 1 below shows the no of times both the player score a goal, saved with 2 hands and blocked. Preliminary analyses from Figure 1, revealed that player B tends to score more goals (13) than player A (8), since the coach are looking for a striker, the ability to saved with 2 hands and blocked are not so important as compared to the ability to score. Figure 2 shows the no of chances both player A and B missed by shooting the ball wide away from the goal post, shooting the ball too high in front of goal post and missed a goal even in front of the goal post. As observed, player A tends to have higher misses (12) than player B (2), in terms of shooting the ball wide. The different of shooting the ball too high is not too great among the 2 players. In summary, as compared to player A, player B is a key returning scorer, who averaged a healthy 13 goals in the last season. His expertises on attack puts extreme stress on opposing defenses. He is sharp on the goal, seldom placed the ball wide. However, he tends to have some misses when he is near the goal post. The final choice: Player B to be selected. Figure 1 Players able to score Figure 2 Players not able to score Part B What is periodization? Periodization is defined as a process to structure the training program into phases, where athletes will train progressively and with variety. In general, a standard periodization plan consists of macro cycle (2-4 months), meso cycle (2-6 weeks) and micro cycle (5-7 days) which last for at least 12 months. Tudo Bompa is the man who improved the training system invented by the USSR, the improved periodization system stressed the importance of having different training stress throughout the year rather than to maintain a constant training plan. Using this method, Tudo Bopma has produced 11 medalists in various Olympics including 2 gold medals and 2 World championships for: track and field and rowing (Wikipedia, 2010). The importance and relevance of periodization in sports Many times, athletes are no longer motivated to train because they realized that their sport performance have not improved, no matter how hard they train hard. Having periodization is the way to change the athletes training program at regular intervals so that the athletes can work harder. Periodization can be applied to many various sport ranging from cycling, marathon, rowing and it can be used it on both male and female. Periodization training, in particular includes 7 different major components, they are technical, strength, power, speed, anaerobic, aerobic and mental. A study conducted for 34 women at the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University has proved that a periodized strength-training program can give better results than a non-periodized program The women in the periodized group have gained more in lean muscle, greater reductions in body fat and more strength gains than the non-periodized group after 12 weeks (Marx, J.O, 2001). Factors that affect periodization Periodization plan can be affected by several factors, these includes training stress and non training stress. Athletes undergo training or competition too intensively will usually become fatigue after sometimes. Fatigue is one of the factors that affect the athletics sport performance; hence coaches developing the periodization plan must includes management of fatigue also. Athletes are human after all, they will get sick and injured sometimes, when athletes are sick they are no longer able to continue and follow the periodization plan. Other non training stresses are: Lack of financial support from family or association, Lack of motivation from the athletes themselves, Social environment like countries at war, unrest, Too much travelling that causes sickness among some athletes. Description of the success of the periodization plan The success of the periodization plan is when all the athletes are able to complete all the competition that the coaches have planned, with no injuries and sickness, they are able to achieve their peak sport performance and win medals for the countries, clubs etc. Training plan for Mark Figure 1 Macro Cycle for 12 months for Mark in 2010 2011 Observations in relation to the skills, motor abilities and types of training in a training plan for Mark. According to Dr Ivan Astori (Dr Ivan Astori, 2010), a full knee reconstruction surgery is a major operation. Patients like Mark will experience high degree of pain after the operation and pain medication will be needed for the first 1 to 3 days. He will be able to sit in a chair and walk with crutches within 1 to 5 days. Mark will then undergo rehabilitation and physiotherapy till he is able to straighten out, flex and bend his knee. Next, he will be able to swim after 2 weeks of the surgery. After 2 to 3 months, the patient will be walking, biking and golfing, although running and jumping are discouraged. A full recovery to full strength is expected to take up 6 months. A successful soccer player like Mark, he needs to rely on the precise coordination of stability, agility and power production, hence during the periodization cycle, needs such as proprioceptive and kinesthetic awareness components must be heavily trained so to put him back into competitive level. In addition, footwork drills are also important for him because of the numerous quick and rapid changes in direction and speed that occur during the match. With all these in mind, a periodization plan that includes different frequency, different intensity, time of training and type of training like aerobic, anaerobic, speed, power, strength, technique, tactics, will need to plan for him. Specific objectives on the various phases of training/cycles in his training plan. A typical English Premier League season will start in Aug and ends in May next year, hence the periodization plan has to start in Sep and end til Jul when the new season starts in Aug. The periodization plan for Mark were broken into different meso level like General Preparation, Specific Preparation, Pre Competition, Competition, Recovery cycles as shown in figure 1 and also the different volume and intensity level. First, in the general preparation cycle which last for 5 months, since Mark is still recovering from his knee surgery, all the training will be concentrating on building his overall strength, improve his mental skill and aerobic level, but the level of intensity and volume must be maintained at low level (e.g. range 1 to 2, as shown in figure 2). The types of training could include swimming, cycling, weight training and slow jogging. All the training will be increased progressively from 1st to the 5th month without the comprised of the players injury. Second, in the specific preparation cycle which last for the next 5 months, Marks training will be concentrating on Speed, Power and Mental skill, however as compared to the previous 5 months, the intensity and volume will have to slightly increase by 1 tick. The job of training speed in soccer can be very complex and it must be planned properly. Here are some of the attributes that will make a better player: Speeding quickly off the mark Accelerating quickly over 10-15 yards Good speed endurance Fast possession of the ball Fastness of feet or agility Able to change direction quickly The ability to execute skills quickly Fast in thinking (Sporting Excellence Ltd, 2010) The types of training are as follow: At the start of a training session, speed training like speed drills that completed over short distances with rests can be conducted, e.g. 6 X 25 meters each (500 meters total) with 2.5 minutes rest between each rep. Soccer players must have the ability to maintain high levels of speed, even when tired, speed endurance e.g. run a long distance 150 yards at full intensity (90% 100%) with full recovery 15 minutes between each repetition. The types of Power training for Mark are weight training that includes high intensity, high weights and fast moving reps. The weight training will accomplish two of the main goals for the players; they are injury prevention and improved performance. Third, in the pre-competition and competition cycle which last for 1 month and 8 months respectively, emphasis should be given to technique, tactical, mental skill and anaerobic training. Technical training should include improving the skill of kicking, dribbling, passing, shooting, throw in and heading. The 2 major components of soccer tactics are how to attack and defend. Tactical drills are executed in training sessions to develop an understanding of the tactics to be used in the next games against the weaknesses of the opposition team. The most popular type of anaerobic training for soccer players is interval training. This helps the soccer players to develop strength through short bursts of speed in a variety of actions such as stopping, turning, and directional changes. Lastly, in the recovery cycle which last for at least 1 month, there are several methods can be apply to the players such as complete rest, like taking a 1 week break without any soccer training, go for massage, there are some positive effects of massage, these include relief of muscle fatigue and reduction of excessive swelling. Relaxation techniques can also improve the players ability to focus. Also, go to see a doctor for any physical damages to the players body. Figure 2 Volume Vs Intensity for the Macro Cycle Tapering Tapering is defined as the practice of reducing exercise in the days just before an important competition, tapering is used in many endurance sports, such as the marathon, athletics and swimming. A significant period of tapering like a week or more is essential for optimal performance. During tapering, volume, intensity, load of the training should be reduce so that the players can achieve peak performance during the game. Specific intervention strategies to improve Marks movement skills and fitness. The following are some of the strategies help to improve Marks movement skill and fitness: To build up the strength and endurance of his leg muscles, in particular doing weight training for quadriceps and hamstrings. The type of weight training for quadriceps are squats (3 sets of 15 reps), lunges (3 sets of 15 reps), leg extension, leg lifts , leg press and for hamstrings are leg curls, leg dead lift, lunges. To improve his cardiovascular conditioning, Marks need to move his body with his large muscle groups over a sustained period of time. these exercise can be cycling, swimming, jogging, circuit weight training.

Essay example --

Symbolism of the Lottery In Shirley Jackson’s short story, â€Å"The Lottery†, she emphasizes on tradition in a small town, which has been drastically lost throughout the years. The community holds on to tradition due to the fear of superstition of the harvesting of the crops. Symbolism is â€Å"the representation of something in symbolic form or the attribution of symbolic meaning or character to something† (Dictionary.com). The villagers show the unwillingness to challenge tradition and superstition. They might mumble about other villages that have done away with lotteries. Their traditional actions include having even the children of the condemned person throw stones; seem to ensure that this tradition of human sacrifice will continue into the foreseeable future. Shirley Jackson uses symbolism throughout the story with the black box, lottery itself and characters names to foreshadow the terrifying outcome of the lottery which is death. The first main symbol in the story is the black box. The black box symbolizes the darkness of ignorance that plagues the villagers of the community. They are reluctant to replace it even though it’s older than the oldest participating member of the lottery. Just as the community is unwilling to give up the ignorance of the old ways for the enlightenment of the new ways like some of the other communities have chosen to do. It also symbolizes the distraught tradition in the town and how it has changed over time. It is the center of the tradition because no matter how old and worn it gets, the villagers refuse to change it due to the tradition that it holds. The box has changed many of the villagers’s view of the lottery but no one can really remember how or why the tradition of the lottery began except to... ...in the story, the reasons for holding the lottery are long forgotten and the rituals connected to it. Other than the making of participant lists, the use of the old black box and the swearing in, have mostly fallen by the waste side. All that really remains is a rigid adherence to the ancient tradition of the town. The black box became the ultimate symbol of death, as it is the messenger that delivers the unfortunate winner’s prize, which is death. The momentum that came from the villagers’ extreme degree of self-interest further propels the storm of immoral and unethical actions. The terrible tradition was carried out once again. Instead of considering the effect that the tradition had on their fellow villager, they were grateful that the little black box had spared them their own lives. As far as they were concerned the sky was blue and the sun was still shining.

The Yellow Wallpaper -- Literary Analysis, Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The psychologically thrilling story of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman explores the dark and twisted aspect of the American society in the nineteenth century. Through the use of theme, Gilman creatively captures the cultural subordination and struggles women faced on a regular basis. The first theme present in the horrific and heart wrenching story is the subordinate position of women within marriage. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† begins with the narrator’s wish that her house were haunted like those in which â€Å"frightened heroines suffer Gothic horrors† (DeLamotte 5). However, this wish is in essence to empower herself. The narrator is already afraid of her husband and is suffering mentally and emotionally. She desperately wishes for an escape â€Å"through fantasy, into a symbolic version of her own plight: a version in which she would have a measure of distance and control† (DeLamotte 6). Throughout the text, Gilman reveals to the reader that during the time in which the story was written, men acquired the working role while women were accustomed to working within the boundaries of their â€Å"woman sphere†. This gender division meritoriously kept women in a childlike state of obliviousness and prevented them from reaching a ny scholastic or professional goals. John, the narrator’s husband, establishes a treatment for his wife through the assumption of his own superior wisdom and maturity. This narrow minded thinking leads him to patronize and control his wife, all in the name of â€Å"helping her†. The narrator soon begins to feel suffocated as she is â€Å"physically and emotionally trapped by her husband† (Korb). The narrator has zero control in the smallest details of her life and is consequently forced to retreat into her fantasies... ...at the narrator will possibly be physically restrained or imprisoned at some point when her husband regains consciousness. At that point, he will have no other choice but to send her back to her doctor or a mental institution. Nevertheless, the narrator’s mind will always remain free, emulating the freedom relished by the woman in the wallpaper. Unfortunately, this escape of reality means that the speaker will never reclaim any sort of rationality. With the deed of freeing the woman in the wallpaper, the narrator unintentionally guarantees the long lasting burden of insanity. All in all, the heart wrenching and goosebump producing story of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman takes the reader on a psychological rollercoaster ride. Through the swift use of theme, Gilman ingeniously illustrates the struggles women faced during the nineteenth century.

Religious Controversy During the Time of Karl Marx Essay -- Karl Marx

Religious Controversy During the Time of Karl Marx Religion in Europe before and during 1848, the year the Communist Manifesto was written, was full of trials and tribulations. This is not a new thing for religion, ever since the creation of religion there has been problems. Religion is the one uncertainty that has caused disputes even wars in the past and in the present. Religion is discussed briefly in the Communist Manifesto. However, There is enough content about religion to see Karl Marx’s views on the matter but he does not go into depth on those views. Religion around the time of the Communist Manifesto was very unstable; two events prior to this time that contributed to this instability are the Separation of Christianity into Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and the Protestant reformations that took place. One of the most significant turning points in the history of European religion was the separation of Christianity into western and eastern religions. The Western Church became the Roman Catholic Church while the Eastern Church became the Eastern Orthodox Church. There was no formal split, the bishops of each church recognize each other as being genuinely Christian just a little odd in their beliefs. The Great Schism shows the difference between the two religions, and they are not all theological. One difference is that Eastern Orthodox priests are allowed to be married. Only monks in the Eastern Orthodox Church must remain celibate. This differs from the Roman Catholic Church where all priest must be single and chaste. [1] A major reason for the Schism was lack of communication. The two Churches grew so far apart in their mindsets and attitudes they could no longer understand each other. They... ...ring the time of the Communist Manifesto. Notes 1. Roger E. Olsen, The Story of Christian Theology, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity press) 290-91. 2. John H. Smith, The Great Schism, (New York: Weybright And Talley) 236-39. 3. Olsen, 291. 4. Alister E. McGrath, Reformation of thought, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Blackwell, 1993) 2-12. 5. McGrath, 2-3. 6. Discovery and Reformation, 1996,

Outline Muslim teachings on wealth and poverty Essay

Poverty: a state of being poor the status of having no money to take care of yourself and the basic needs of life such as, food, clothing and housing. Muslims believes poverty to be as a test to mankind form god. There are different types of evil and suffering which cause poverty such as: ? Moral evil ? actions done by humans which cause suffering. ?Natural evil ? things which cause suffering but have nothing to do with humans e.g. earthquakes. (I will explain it in the following paragraphs) When god created the earth he also made a being called Adam (pbuh) to take care of it, Allah order the angles to bow down to Adam (pbuh) (humans are superior to the angles as they have free will-which is why they can be vice-regents- but they are inferior because their free will means they can sin) means they can sin) all Angels except one ignorant Satan (iblis) refused to follow Allah’s commands to bow down to Adam so Allah rejected him and throw him out of the heavens. However Allah allowed Satan to do mischief and disrupt mankind form worshiping Allah until the last day then Satan shall be sent to hell and those who were tempted by his evil shall follow him into the fire. Muslims believe that suffering is a test from god. But if there faith stays strong and they lead a good and devote themselves to Allah they shall rewarded with eternity paradise. â€Å"be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits of your toil, but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere calamity, ‘to god we belong and to him shall we return† Muslims believe that the way to succeed and pass the test is to help those who suffer such as the floods in Bangladesh through Muslim charities such as Muslim hands, Islamic relief e.c.t. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has said: ‘Poverty can lead to Kuffar (ungratefulness)’. This is because a deprived human being may feel that his Lord is being unjust on him, but a human being cannot understand that this life is a test from Allah and the real life is the life hereafter. What does Islam say about Zakat & Charity Wealth in the English dictionary is defined as, having huge sum of money or possession, riches, state of being well off. In Islam whatever wealth you posses is regarded as a trust from Allah (God). You are not free to do what you want with your wealth, as you will be accounted for how you release it. Islam teaches that wealth is something given by god for the benefit of humanity and there for it should be shared. ‘Then (on the day of judgement) you will certainly be questioned about all the favours you enjoyed.’ (102:8) According to Islam, the wealth you posses does not show your superiority, neither or nor does it give you distinction or make you a part of honoured class. The one who posses the riches of Faith is the one who is wealthiest in the sight of Allah, not the one who posses material riches. Islam says that there is nothing wrong to posses wealth, as long as you earn it in the right (halal/lawful) way and discharge it in the right (halal/lawful) way. Islam has given guideline for the ways of life which mainly concentrates on the earning and use of wealth. Earning and spending is essential for living, but we do not live only for this. We have a greater purpose in life. Everything in Islam is for the benefit of mankind. The main principle of Islam aim to establishing a just society wherein everybody will behave responsibly and honestly, and not as cunning people who fight for as big share of something as possible without regard for honesty, truth and responsibility. Islam has given rules for earning wealth which all Muslims should abide by. Muslims must follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah: 1) Any earnings from the production, sale and distribution of alcoholic drinks are unlawful, as are earnings from gambling, lotteries and from interest (riba) transactions (5:90-91, 2:275). 2) Earning by falsehood, deceit, fraud, theft, robbery and burglary is unlawful. Deceitful acquisition of orphans’ property has been particularly banned ( 2;188, 4:2, 6:152, 7:85, 83:1-5). 3) Smuggling and the artificial creation of shortages are unlawful (3:180, 9:34-35) 4) Earning from brothels and from such other practises which are harmful to society are also unlawful. Islam strikes to the root of evil and wants to establish a just and fair society. A Muslim must earn his living in halal ways and he should always bear in mind that what ever he does, it is known to Allah. He will be accountable for his actions on the day of judgement. He cannot hide anything from Almighty Allah. Unlawful outgoings are also not allowed in Islam. It does not at all benefit a Muslim to spend money irresponsibly. Over-spending and waste are strongly discouraged (7:31, 17:26, 19:27, 25:68) What is Zakat Zakah (welfare contribution) is the third pillar of Islam. The Arabic word Zakah means â€Å"to purify or cleanse†. Zakah is to be paid once a year on savings at the rate of two and a half percent. This rate applies to cash, bank savings, gold and silver and silver jewellery. The rate for cattle and agricultural produce is different. Payment of Zakah is a means of keeping our wealth clear of greed and selfishness. SCHEDULE OF ZAKAH Wealth on which zakah is payable Amount which determines the payment of zakah (nisab) Rate of zakah 1 Agricultural produce 5 Awsuq (653 kg) per harvest * 5 per cent produce in case of irrigated land; 10 per cent of produce from rain-fed land. 2 Gold, silver, ornaments of gold and silver of gold and silver 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver * 2.5 per cent of value 3 Cash in hand or at the Bank Value of 595 grams of silver * 2.5 per cent of amount 4 Trading goods Value of 595 grams of silver * 2.5 per cent value of goods 5 Cows and buffaloes 30 in numbers For every 30, one- year old; for every 40, one 2- year old 6 Goats and sheep 40 in number One for first 40; two for 120; there for 300; one more for every 100 7 Produce of mines Any quantities Per cent of value of produce 8 Camels 5 in number A up to 24, one sheep or goat for each five camels B 25-35, one 1-year-old she-camel C 36-45, one 2-year-oldshe-camel D 46-60, one 3-year-oldshe-camel E 61-75, 4-year-old she-camel F 76-90, two 2-year-old she-camel G 91-120, two 3-year-old she-camel H 121 or more, one 2-year-old she-camel for each additional 40, or one 3-year-old she-camel for each additional 50 * Fiqhuz zakah It also encourages us to be honest in our dealings, earnings and outgoings (spending money). Zakah is a compulsory act in Islam it is not charity or tax. Charity is optional and taxes are used by states for any purpose, but zakah is only allowed to be spent in certain places such as helping the poor, even for needy or travellers in need and for the cause of Allah. Zakah is a form of ibadah. Ibadah (Arabic) the word meaning worship or obedience. It can be done in any activity in life, if they it is done to please Allah and Allah alone. We all so pay zakah to gain Allah’s favour. Zakah is a way of contributing our excess wealth with those who are less fortunate then our selves. Truly we our selves do not own the wealth it belongs to Allah. He is the real owner of the wealth and mankind, we have to fulfil Allah’s commands by paying zakah as an obligatory it is a part of ibadah. Zakah is a basic principle of Islam, based on social welfare and the fair distribution of wealth . In addition to zakah, Muslim are encouraged in the Quran to make voluntary contributions to help the poor and needy, and for other social purposes. These voluntary contributions are called Sadaqa (charity). Through zakah, rich share their wealth with the poor. Zakaah al-Fitr Zakaah al-Fitr is the name given to charity, which is distributed at the end of the fast of Ramadan. Zakaah al-Fitr is a duty, which is Waajib on every Muslim, whether male or female, minor or adult as long as he/she has the means to do so. Ibn `Umar reported, â€Å"that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) made Zakaah al-Fitr compulsory on every slave, freeman, male, female, young and old among the Muslims; one Saa` of dried dates or one Saa` of barely.† The head of the household may pay the required amount for the other members. The significant role played by Zakaah in the circulation of wealth within the Islamic society is also played by the Zakaah al-Fitr. However, in the case of Zakaah al-Fitr, each individual is required to calculate how much charity is due from himself and his dependents and go into the community in order to find those who deserve such charity. Thus, Zakaah al-Fitr plays a very important role in the development of the bonds of community. The rich are obliged to come in direct contact with the poor, and the poor are put in contact with the extremely poor. This contact between the various levels of society helps to build real bonds of brotherhood and love within the Islamic community and trains those who have, to be generous to those who do not have. The main purpose of Zakaah al-Fitr is to provide those who fasted with the means of making up for their errors during the month of fasting. Zakaah al-Fitr also provides the poor with a means with which they can celebrate the festival of breaking the fast (`Eid al-Fitr) along with the rest of the Muslims. Ibn Abbaas reported, â€Å"The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) made Zakaah al-Fitr compulsory so that those who fasted may be purified of their idle deeds and shameful talk (committed during Ramadaan) and so that the poor may be fed. Whoever gives it before Salaah will have it accepted as Zakaah, while he who gives it after the Salaah has given Sadaqah.† The goal of Zakaah al-Fitr is to make Believers more aware of Allah. By making them give up some of their wealth, through this the believers are taught the higher moral characteristics of generosity, compassion (sympathy for the unfortunate), gratitude to God and the righteousness. But, since Islaam does not neglect man’s material need, part of the goal of Zakaah al-Fitr is the economic well-being of the poorer members of society. Zakaah al-Fitr is only Waajib for a particular period of time. If one misses the time period without a good reason, he has sinned and can not make it up. This form of charity becomes obligatory from sunset on the last day of fasting and remains obligatory until the beginning of Salaah al-‘Eid’ (i.e. shortly after sunrise on the following day). However, it can be paid prior to the above mentioned period, as many of the Sahaabah (companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to pay Zakaah al-Fitr a couple days before the `Eid. Naafi reported, â€Å"That the Prophet’s companion Ibn `Umar used to give it to those who would accept it and the people used to give it a day or two before the `Eid.† Ibn `Umar reported, â€Å"that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) order that it (Zakaah al-Fitr) be given before people go to make the Salaah (al-‘Eid).† And Ibn `Abbaas reported, â€Å"That the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, â€Å"Whoever gives it before the Salaah will have it accepted as Zakaah, while he who gives it after the Salaah (will not, for it will only be considered as) ordinary charity.† Therefore, one who forgets to pay this Zakaah al-Fitr on time should do so as soon as possible even though it will not be counted as Zakaah al-Fitr. The amount of Zakaah is the same for everyone regardless of their different income brackets. The minimum amount is one Saa` (two handfuls) of food, grain or dried fruit for each member of the family. This calculation is based on Ibn `Umar’s report, † that the Prophet(sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) made Zakaah al-Fitr compulsory and payable by a Saa` of dried dates or a Saa` of barley.† The Sahaabee, Abu SA`eed al-Khudree said, â€Å"In the Prophet’s time, we used to give it (Zakaah al-Fitr) as a Saa` of food, dried dates, barley, raisins or dried cheese.† Aqiqah The word ‘Aqeeqah’ means the â€Å"the hair of the forehead†. It also means the animal that is sacrificed after the birth of a child. Some people call it â€Å"Nusukiyah or Dhabihah†. The purpose of ‘Aqiqah is to give thanks to Allah, to express happiness on the birth of a child, and to announce the birth so that people know to whom the child belongs. ‘Aqiqah is a highly recommended Sunnah (scholars). According to other scholars it is wajib (mandatory). The proper time for ‘Aqiqah is the 7th day (or after), counting from the day of the birth of the child. Parents or grandparents should perform ‘Aqiqah for their children or grandchildren. In some traditions it is said that one should sacrifice two lambs for a boy and one for a girl. But it is not required. One can sacrifice even one for the boy. Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him – sacrificed one lamb for Hasan and for Husain. The meat of the animal should be divided like the sacrificial meat at Eidul Adha, one third for the poor, one third for friends and one third for the family. One can also give all the meat to the poor and needy people. Children are Allah’s gift. We should be thankful to Him and we should take good care of them. From the beginning we should pay attention to their Islamic upbringing and education. Parents should be a good role model for their children and they should also make sure that their children are learning right values, have right teachers and good friends. Someone rightly said that children are like sponges. They absorb whatever they see. It is very important that we give them the right message. We should also be careful about what they watch on TV and Internet. In Arabic the word â€Å"‘Aqiq† is also used for a precious stone. One can also say that ‘Aqiqah is a ceremony that helps us realize the preciousness of our children. Salman bin ‘AamirAd-Dabbi narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said, â€Å"Aqiqah is to be offered for a newly born boy, so slaughter (an animal) for him, and relieve him of his suffering.† It is Sunnah to slaughter 2 (or 1) animals for a boy, and 1 for a girl. This meat is then to be shared with all the people in the community. At the time of the prophet meat was scarce. So eating and distributing meat became a special way of celebrating the birth of a baby. Giving something of the wealth over which Allah has given us temporary custody is a critical part of our deen. The Prophet (sas) said: â€Å"Man yatasaddaqa bi ‘idli tamratin min kasbin tayyibin – wa laa yaqbalu Allahu illa at-tayyib – fa inna Allaha yaqbaluhaa bi yameenihi thumma yurbeehaa li saahibihaa kamaa yurbiy ahadukum falwahu hattaa takoona mithla al-jabali.† â€Å"Whoever gives in charity the value of a single date from pure earnings – and Allah accepts nothing but the pure – verily Allah receives it with his right hand then he makes it grow like the way one of you causes a dowry to grow until it becomes like a mountain.†(Translation) Muslim & Bukhari Sadaqa The meaning of sadaqa is the giving of wealth to another as an act of worship and seeking to come closer to Allah Most High. It is an effective barrier between the giver and evil. It repels trials and hardships and prevents an awful death. All of this is only by the permission of Allah and the giving of sadaqa is the cause which Allah has attached to these benefits. It is also used allegorically to refer to all acts of â€Å"giving† and kindness other than those involving wealth such as giving the greeting, smiling in your brother’s face, seeking to solve a problem between two others for no gain to yourself, being attentive to your spouse in your bed and other actions. As the hadith says, giving of your wealth to another while physically between you and another human is an action received directly by Allah Most High. This has also been mentioned in the Qur’an: â€Å"A lam ta’lamoo anna Allaha huwa yaqbalu at-taubata ‘an ‘ibaadihi wa ya’khudhu as-sadaqaati wa anna Allaha huwa at-tawaabu ar-raheem.† â€Å"Did you not know that Allah is the One who accepts repentence from his slaves and takes their charities and that Allah is the ever-Forgiving, the Merciful.† (Translation) At-Tauba:104 Generally, the best way to give sadaqa is in secret, although it can also be done publicly. Sometimes it is actually better to give publicly if that will encourage others to follow suit and increase the amount of giving among the Muslims. Because the Prophet (sas) said: â€Å"Whoever starts a good practice will get its reward and the reward of all those who do it after him without that decreasing his reward in the least and whoever starts a bad practice will get its sin and the sin of all those who do it after him without that diminishing their sin in the least.† Allah said: â€Å"In tubdoo as-sadaqaati ta ni’immaa hiya wa in tukhfoohaa wa tu’toohaa al-fuqaraa’a fa huwa khairun lakum wa yukaffiru ‘ankum min sayyi’aatikum wa Allahu bimaa ta’maloona khabeerun.† â€Å"If you show your charitibal giving that is just fine and if you conceal it and give it to the needy that is better for you and it will expiate for you some of your bad deeds and Allah is fully aware of all that you do.† Al-Baqara:271 While giving may seem like a growing of one’s wealth and putting it in a savings account or lending it out for interest may seem like an increase in one’s wealth, the really it is quite the opposite. Allah said: â€Å"Yamhaqu Allahu ar-ribaa wa yurbiy as-sadaqaati wa Allahu laa yuhibbu kulla kaffaarin atheemin.† â€Å"Allah obliterates interest and causes charity to grow and Allah does not love every one of those extreme in disbelief and extreme in sin.† Al-Baqara:276 Sadaqa, to be acceptable must be an act done for the sake of Allah with consciousness that what is being given is not truly â€Å"yours† or something you have earned or deserved. Rather, it is the sustenance (rizq) of Allah and His favor upon you and something which Allah has simply made you the temporary custodian (mustakhlaf) over. It was possessed by others before you and will be possessed by others after you. When one has this consciousness, then they will realize that the receiver is actually giving them a great gift and a great help by allowing them to worship and come close to Allah in this way – and not the other way around. So Muslims of understanding will never humiliate or belittle those to whom they give nor feel that they have done them a favor or that the receivers â€Å"owe† them anything like the ignorant and disbelieving do. If one does these things, it shows that their sadaqa is not genuine and it is invalidated and does them no good with Allah no matter how big and generous it may be. Allah said: â€Å"Yaa ayyuhaa alladhina aamanoo laa tubtiloo sadaqaatikum bi al-manni wa al-adhaa ka alladhiy yunfiqu maalahu ri’aa’a an-naasi wa laa yu’minu bi Allahi wa al-yaumi al-aakhiri.† â€Å"O, you who believe do not invalidate your charities with claims of generosity and harmfulness like the one who spends his wealth for the people to see but doesn’t believe in Allah and in the Last Day.† Al-Baqara:264 Islam encourages the giving of charity, but does not encourage the taking of charity let alone asking for it. Since there are always among us those who need assistance, this means that it is obligatory upon those with the means to look for places to put their sadaqa such those in need never need to ask and seek their help. The Prophet (sas) said: â€Å"Al-yadu al-‘ulyaa khairun min al-yadi as-suflaa wa ibda’ bi man ta’oolu wa khairu as-sadaqa maa kaana ‘an dhahri ghinaa wa man yasta’fif ya’iffuhu Allahu wa man yastighni yughnihi Allahu.† â€Å"The upper hand is superior to the lower hand. Start with those for whom you are responsible. The best charity is the one which leaves you free of need. Whoever abstains, Allah will dignify them and whoever maintains self-sufficiency, Allah will make them self-sufficient.† Al-Bukhari Sadaqa is one of the seven things which will get you shade in the Throne of Allah on the terrifying day of al-mahshar when there is no shade except for the shade of Allah. In the hadith: â€Å"Saba’atun yudhilluhum Allahu fiy dhillihi yauma laa dhilla illa dhilluhu†¦ wa rajulun tasaddaqa bi sadaqatin fa ikhfaahaa hattaa laa ta’lamu shimaaluhu maa tunfiqu yameenuhu† â€Å"Seven who Allahu will shade in His shade on the day when there is no shade except His shade†¦ and a man who gave something in charity secretly such that his left hand did not know what his right hand had given.† Muslim & Bukhari Before you think that your property is little or that you need to receive and not give, remember your standing before Allah. If two Muslims have a little and cling to it thinking â€Å"I have only a little†, then they will get no good deed from their wealth with which to face Allah. If the same two people give something of their minor wealth and, because Muslims are giving they also receive, they may end up with the same or more sustenance but also have a good deed with which to face Allah Most High. Giving is win-win situation! On that day, we will need everything possible to help us. Do not neglect any opportunity to send something forward for that day. Even a tiny act of giving could be the critical item which determines your fate in the eternal hereafter. The Prophet (sas) said: â€Å"Maa minkum min ahadin illa sayukallimuhu Allahu laisa bainahu wa bainahu turjumaan. Fa yandhuru aimana minhu falaa yaraa illa maa qaddama wa yandhuru ash’ama minhu falaa yaraa illa maa qaddam wa yandhuru baina yadaihi falaa yaraa illa an-naara tilqaa’a wajhihi fa ittaqoo an-naara wa lau bi shiqqi tamratin.† â€Å"There is not one single one of you but that Allah will speak to him with no interpreter between them. He will look to his right and see nothing but what he has sent forth. He will look to his left and see nothing but what he has sent forth. He will look in front of him and see nothing but the fire facing him. So beware of the fire – even if with just half a date.† Muslim & Bukhari Sadaqh e jariyah To spend in the path of Allah Ta’ala by way of helping the Deen of Allah is highly creditable and rewarding. Reward gained through sadaqh e jariyah attains continues reward even after our death. Indeed fortunate are those who have gained such tremendous benefits and Insha Allah will succeed in the hereafter. Some of the common contributions made in this respect are: donations towards the Masjid, building of Madrassahs, printing of Namaz, Yaseen Shareef, Durood and Salaam booklets etc. Undoubtedly these projects are required and should be encouraged because it benefits Islam. â€Å"Hazrath Abu Hurairah (RadiAllahAnho) has reported the messenger of Allah has said, â€Å"Among the actions and good deeds for which a believer will continue to receive reward, after his death, are knowledge which he taught and spread, a good son whom he left behind, or a copy of the Qur’an which he left as a legacy, or a mosque which he erected, or a house which he built for the traveller, or a stream which he caused to flow, or a Sadaqah which he gave from his property when he was alive and well, for which he will continue to receive reward after his death.† The above hadith indicates various ways to attain the reward of Sadaqa e Jariyah, and building a House of Allah Ta’ala is indeed one of the best form of Sadaqa-e-Jariyah. Riba/intrest Riba (Usury and Interest): According to Quran and Sunnah Riba (Usury) is of two major kinds: Riba An-Nasia – Interest on lent money Riba Al-Fadl – Taking a superior thing of the same kind of goods by giving more of the same kind of goods of inferior quality, eg, dates of superior quality for dates of inferior quality in great amounts. The definition of Interest, the literal meaning of interest or Al-Riba as it is used in the Arabic language means to excess or increase. In the Islamic terminology interest means effortless profit or that profit which comes free from compensation or that extra earning obtained that is free of exchange. Riba has been described as a loan with the condition that the borrower will return to the lender more than and better than the quantity borrowed. Due to the trend of interest money is going from the poor to the rich, whereas the rich are supposed to give money to the poor. Consequently, the rich are getting richer and the poor are becoming poorer. Islam completely prohibits interest as it clearly states in the Quran: â€Å"O you who believe, do not take interest, doubling and quadrupling, and keep your duty to Allah, so that you may proper.† Conclusion Overall, I feel that it is a fact of life that poverty exists and no being can deny this fact and say that there is no poverty in the world. As Allah has created poverty he has also created enough wealth to support the poor, and needy. Allah has gave wealth to some people and poverty to some both are a test from god, the one who is likely to succeed is the one who gives his extra wealth to the needy if he is wealthy or the one who is patient and keeps faith in god if he is poor. The system of usury has been introduced in to the world but Islam says whoever restrains from usury and earns and spends his wealth loyally to Islam and pays zakah will indeed succeed in the next life.