How Far Is the Monarchy an Outdated Institution Essay Example

How Far Is the Monarchy an Outdated Institution Essay The question of as to how important the monarchy stands today in todays society is one of considerable importance of more recent times. Although recent polls suggest that around 70% of Britons want to keep the monarchy we can see a huge drop in the amount of 18- to 24-year-olds who say they do not want a monarch. This essay will try to consider both pro monarchy and pro republican arguments in analysing as to just how outdated the monarchy is as an intuition. To have a greatest understanding of the question we must first understand the what the monarchy is and the alternatives to it. A republic, unlike a monarchy is a polity in which governmental power devolves by popular election, and not by heredity. In Monarchy to Republic by Winterton (1986 p2) defines Its older meaning as simply a state or polity, or a state including a monarchical one with a mixed government or balanced constitution. But after 1649 republic was often used to describe a state without a king, or a state in which power was derived from the people, it was often treated in association with democracy or commonwealth. We will write a custom essay sample on How Far Is the Monarchy an Outdated Institution specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How Far Is the Monarchy an Outdated Institution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How Far Is the Monarchy an Outdated Institution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There are four main modern theorys as to how useful the monarchy is today these are: A celebration of shared values (Shils and Young) whereby the monarchy is thought to be a key actor in creating a nation state. The monarchy seemingly has the power to bring people together for the common good of the nation. The pinnacle of the ruling class (Karl Marx) Marx suggests that the monarchy is the is the largest symbol of the bourgeoisie and is just another institution trying to control the proletariat. An outdated irrelevance (Birnbaum) this theory is that the monarchy is insignificant in todays society and even though they may well have absolute power in it would never be used to any importance. The mainstay of an archaic state system (Nairn), this suggests that the monarchy is just the foundation of whats wrong with are state system at the moment due to conservative minds unwilling to change things. The first theory has very little evidence to support itself, in fact according to the recent Guardian/ICM poll and the Independent on Sunday MORI poll. Under half those surveyed in a recent poll considered the royal family to be important to Britain. One in three believed the royals were out of touch. Less than one in four thought they were hard working. Just one in 10 thought the royal family were good value for money. I believe this do be undeniable evidence that the monarchy does not bring people together with shared values for how can we identify with someone that has nothing in common we the people they govern. It all sounds like hypocrisy to me why are the royals held up as an example for people to follow. They must be one of the worlds most famous dysfunctional families. They are ashamed of divorcees, alcoholics and possible homosexuals in their midst. Their values are completely corrupt. Marxs theory on class war is very popular with leftist theorists. He suggests that were ever there is capitalism and the need to make money they will be institutions attempting to control others for there own personal gain. A relevant quote would be that of Keir Hardie on the 1897 Jubilee: The cheering millions would be there and cheer just as lustily if the occasion were the installation of the first President of the British Republic; the soldiers are there because they are paid for coming;the statesmen are there because Empire means trade and trade means profit.In this country loyalty to the Queen is used by the profit mongers to blind the eyes of the people; in America loyalty to the flag serves the same purpose.. Birnbaums theory is one of complacency in my eyes. I agree he is right that the monarchy is irrelevant in todays society but they still cost the taxpayer money. The taxpayer spends over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½60 million per year on services related to the monarchy. This money could be spent on hospitals or schools and until recently, the Queen paid no tax whatsoever on her property or income. Everyone should have the same rights. People who didnt pay the poll tax are still being hunted down and locked up. Nairns theory on outdated state system is most relavant to todays monarchy. The theory explains as to has outdated and undemocratic the monarchical system is. The Queen can veto an Act of Parliament, intervene in policy decisions, and even dissolve the government if she wishes. And this isnt just in theory Queen Elisabeth II has even done it in practice. In 1975, she got the Governor-General to dissolve the Labor government in Australia because she found it too left-wing. The monarch can take over the government in circumstances that threaten the state such as a general strike or mass civil unrest and they could even sell the navy and get people put in prison without a jury trial. This is obviously an undemocratic and outdated system. In conclusion the execution of Charles 1st is an inspiration for all fighting to reform the undemocratic British state. After the bloodshed on 30 January 1649, until shortly after Oliver Cromwells death Britain enjoyed a successful 12 year republic, without any Monarchy or House of Lords, a true republic can be achieved. The Monarchy which, with the House of Lords, is supposed to embody our unwritten constitution stands in the way of us having proper rights separate from the state. The creation of a written constitution would help protect those rights that have been increasingly infringed in the recent. With no bill of human rights people of Britain have no statutory line of defence against these oppressive and unrepresentative measures. What is more, it is only through the creation of a social contract can we rebuild a caring civil society, which in my eyes has been lost over the recent decades. Without a shadow of doubt the monarchy is an outdated instition.

Environmentalist Essay

Environmentalist Essay Environmentalist Essay Becerra 1 Victoria Becerra English 091 5/22/2014 Environmentalism In the article â€Å"Is Humanity Suicidal?† E.O. Wilson talks about the dangers in the environment that are posing a threat in the next 60 years. Wilson tries to bring attention to the fact that the ecosystem of the earth is diminishing and human kind plays a large role in the destruction. He explains there are â€Å"two types of viewpoints in the world, exemptionalism and environmentalism† (118). â€Å"An exemptionalist believes that in time the world will save itself and that we are off to a good future† (118). However, an environmentalist believes we are furthering the destruction of our earth and that we need to start saving the world today. Environmentalism has more validity than exemptionalism because we need to preserve the earth for future generations, saving the earth in small amounts can be beneficial to our environment, and the relief felt when knowing that the world is a safer place. To begin, an environmentalist’s main cause i s saving the earth in order for our future generations to live. It is our duty to help this earth since we were born. We have to think about our future children and what they could possibly go through if we do not make change. Our environment is a precious and delicate thing that we must protect and do our best to keep clean and healthy. â€Å" The environment , after all, is where we all meet, where we all have mutual interest.It is one thing that all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves but a focusing lens on what we can become† (Johnson). It is true that we all have one thing in common, the environment, and it should be our responsibility to protect the future human lives and animal Becerra 2 species on this earth. As well as it is in our own best interests to make that the air is clean, the land and water is free of contaminates and toxins and that we strive to maintain environmental conditions that are as close to natural as possible. Often environmentalists are embarrassed and ashamed that there is such a huge mess going on in the ecosystem that humankind has created and that environmentalists feel the need to take initiative and do their part to save the earth. The main concern is to protect the earth and help human beings live in suitable and safe surroundings. Secondly, doing something to help the environment, even if it is small, is better than not doing anything at all. Environmentalists are constantly trying to better the environment and no matter what time of the day they are trying to help. It only makes sense to adopt an attitude such as this one because a polluted and dirty environment can be deadly to humans and present dangers to our human race. For these two reasons alone, the people of the world should work together for a cleaner and healthier planet Earth. After all, by destroying the e nvironment, we destroy ourselves.We can all help with the cause, whether we spend our entire time helping, or start making small changes in our lives to help our earth can make a big difference. â€Å"One individual cannot possibly make a difference it is individual efforts collectively, that makes a noticeable difference- all the difference in the world† (Goodall). Small changes can go a long way if everyone joins in the cause. Also, one thing is certain is that humankind can be selfish at times and believe that in time it will all be fixed. People should discard the attitude that someone else will solve the problem of pollution or leave the problem for the next generation to solve. That way of thinking does more harm

The Origin of Government Involvement in Health Care Delivery in the Un Assignment - 3

The Origin of Government Involvement in Health Care Delivery in the United States - Assignment Example The legislation was passed by the Congress in 1965 that established the Medicare as title 18and Medicaid program as title 19 of the social security act found on page 3. Title 18 that refers to Medicare in the social security act allocated health insurance for the aged and disabled. The social security act amended the Medicare legislation in 1965. It established a health insurance program. It was meant for the aged persons, in order to make up for retirement. It also catered for survivors and covered disability insurance health benefits. This was under title two of the social security act. (pg.6) Another component of the social security act is title 19. This is a federal or a state entitlement program. This one provides financial aid to certain individuals and families who have low income and scarce resources. In 1965 the Medicare program became law. It is regarded as a cooperative venture, whose financial problems are covered for by both federal, and the state government. This includes the District of Columbia and the territories. Their participation was in order to assist the states in providing sensible medical assistance, to particularly needy people. As a result, Medicare became the biggest source of financial support. This covers medical and other health-related services for people who are financially challenged. Title 21 covers the Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP). From March, it is now known as the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. It caters for children from financially challenged families that do not qualify for Medicaid. It was brought into place by the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997. This is found in (Public Law, 105-33) The term â€Å"managed care† refers to the use of financial incentives and the structure of an organization, in order to reach its objectives. Its purpose is to upsurge efficiency and lessen healthcare budget. Benchmark is a term used to refer to something or a method, which can be used as a means to evaluate and assess the level, or quality of things that are related.     

Is Multiculturalism good for Britain OR How important is the UK Essay

Is Multiculturalism good for Britain OR How important is the UK economy in shaping British society - Essay Example It has been hugely appreciated and encouraged for long, however, in today’s scenario of terrorism, especially after 2001 riots and 7 July bombings in Britain, multiculturalism is highly questioned for its reliability and its continuity as policy in future. There are many concerns but most important highlight is the segregation rather than integration of cultures due to multiculturalism. This paper studies the different perspectives about multiculturalism and its background briefly in order to determine whether it is good for Britain or not. For understanding multiculturalism in Britain it is crucial to define multiculturalism in its simple and genuine meaning as Sivanandan (2006) stated: ‘Multiculturalism simply means cultural diversity, and that diversity can either be a good thing, leading to integration, or a bad thing, leading to separatism. It is the socio-economic context and the country’s policies that determine the direction in which multiculturalism develops.’ In order to decide whether Multiculturalism is good or bad for Britain, it is crucial to understand the beginning of multicultural Britain. Despite the classic definition of Roy Jenkins’, ‘Integration is not a flattening process of assimilation but equal opportunity accompanied by cultural diversity in an atmosphere of mutual tolerance’(cited in Sivanandan 2006) racial discrimination continued to flourish in employment, social services and other areas and mutual tolerance was destabilized by self-interest of politicians who used anti-immigration agenda for getting votes. Cultural diversity is not any of the government’s decree but an expression of unified struggle and a joint fight of people from different communities, faiths, religions and locals. They were Asian, Afro-Caribbean and Whites who achieved unity in diversity which led to the government’s initiative of anti-discrimination legislation in Race Relation Acts of 65, 68 and 76.This was the t rue

Self assignment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Self assignment - Term Paper Example result, I like to come up with new ways of solving problems, and this often calls for innovation, as such I would like to think of myself as an innovative individual. However, sometimes I tend to go overboard and end up making matter worse with my â€Å"innovation† this is because I can get distracted and in my attempt to use new ways ignore old ones which may be better and more convenient. As I grew up, I was an avid reader of books and I often tried to practice some of the ideas I learnt in real life or to improve on them. For example, in junior high school, I along with 3 of my classmates won the annual science prize for coming up with a homemade solar powered lamp and water heater made from locally available materials including old disused solar panels. This attributes can be explained by my IEI, emotional intelligence test which were rated ENTP, this means I am a creative resourceful and broad minded individual quick on his feet and I can think about a wide range of issues objectively. New ideas exited me and I do not shy away from debating on any issue, since I have no inhibitions about offering my opinion accepting criticism or even giving some. In the IIC5 test, it emerged that I am a patient and strategic individual; I can spend hours on end mulling on a problem until I come up with a solution, as a result, I believe in looking for easier ways of carrying out tasks, but I do not cut corners or ignore protocol in for the sake of quick results. This is because to me it was worth taking time and effort to get good final result than to rush over cutting corners only to come up with substandard answers. This is an approach I have tried and tested over the years more so in my studies where I prefer to strategize patiently and always have a contingency plan in case the original one does not work. Despite this, I sometimes procrastinate and self-deceive that I am being patient while in reality am just avoiding to tackle a problem head on especially when I feel

Concepts in Disaster Management

Concepts in Disaster Management CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Broader Views on Disaster Management 2.1.1 Definition of Disaster Disaster has been defined in some different ways. Indeed, there is no precise definition for a disaster (Eshghi Larson, 2008). In complete form, Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) defines disasters as â€Å"A situation or event which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to the national or international level for external assistance, or is recognized as such by a multilateral agency or by at least two sources, such as national, regional or international assistance groups and the media† (Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), 2004). Below et al. (2007) propose â€Å"an accumulation of widespread losses over multiple economic sectors, associated with a natural hazard event, that overwhelms the ability of the affected population to cope† as a definition of a disaster. International Federation on Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) defines a disaster as â€Å"a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the communitys or societys ability to c ope using its own resources†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (IFRC, 2008). van Wassenhove (2006) proposes â€Å"a disruption that physically affects a system as a whole and threatens its priorities and goals† as a definition of disaster, while Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC, 2008) defines disaster as â€Å"a serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human, material or environmental losses which exceed the ability of affected society to cope using only its own resources†, which is similar with Reliefwebs (2008) definition. Emergency Management Australia (EMA, 2008) defines disaster as â€Å"a serious disruption to community life which threatens or causes death or injury in that community and/or damage to property which is beyond the day-today capacity of the prescribed statutory authorities and which requires special mobilization and organization of resources other than those normally available to those authorities†, while emergency is defined as à ¢â‚¬ËœAn event, actual or imminent, which endangers or threatens to endanger life, property or the environment, and which requires a significant and coordinated response. (EMA, 2008). 2.1.2 Disaster Types With a wide variability of disaster definition, it is understandable to have different initial classifications for disasters (Eshghi Larson, 2008; Shaluf 2007a, b). Canadian Disaster Database (2008) categorises disasters into five different types as summarized in Table 1. Table 1. Disaster types (Source: Canadian Disaster Database, 2008) Disaster types Encompasses Biological Epidemic, infestation Geological Earthquake, landslide, tsunami Meteorological and hydrological Cold wave, drought, flood, hail/ thunderstorm, heat wave, hurricane/ typhoon, snow avalanche, storm surges, storm-freezing rain, storm-unspecified/ other, storm-winter, tornado, wildfire Conflict Terrorism, civil unrest Technological Accident-industrial, accident-other, accident-transport, fire, hazardous chemicals van Wassenhove (2006) proposes a metrics (see Table 2) to understand disasters. Table 2. Categorization of disasters based on van Wassenhove (2006) Natural Man-made Sudden-onset Earthquake, hurricane, tornado Terrorist attack, coup detat, chemical leak Slow-onset Famine, drought, poverty Political crisis, refugee crisis In general, Shaluf (2007a, b) categorises disasters into three types: Natural disasters, which are catastrophic events resulting from natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. Man made disasters, which are those catastrophic events that result from human decisions. Hybrid disasters are those disasters that result from both human error and natural forces. In further detail, Shaluf (2007b) breaks down each type of disasters and gives examples and characteristics, as can be seen in Table 3. Table 3. Disaster types, taken from Shaluf (2007b) Disaster type Characteristics Sub-disaster Name of disasters Natural A natural disaster is a natural phenomenon; A natural disaster is an unplanned and socially disruptive event with a sudden and severe disruptive effect; A natural disaster is single event over which no human has control; The impact of natural disaster is localized to a geographical region and specific time period; The consequences of a natural disaster are felt at the place and time of its occurrence; The disaster can be a high-impact disaster (e.g. a flood) that has a greater direct effect on the community over a longer period; Rapid onset disasters include earthquakes, flash floods, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, tsunamis, slow onset disasters, droughts, floods, and epidemics Natural phenomena beneath the earths surface Earthquakes Tsunamis Volcanic eruptions Topographical phenomena Landslides Avalanches Meteorological/ hydrological phenomena Windstorms (Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes) Tornadoes Hailstorms and snowstorms Sea surges Floods Droughts Heat waves/ could waves Biological phenomena Infestations (locust swarms, mealy bug) Epidemics (cholera, dengue, ebola, malaria, measles, meningitis, yellow fever, HIV/ AIDS, tuberculosis) Man-made Characteristics of socio-technical disasters: A socio-technical disaster is a man-made event; A socio-technical disaster occurs in an organisation due to the interaction between internal factors and external factors; It arises suddenly: when the disaster occurs it does so as a shock; A socio-technical disaster is a complex system of interdependence; The impact of a socio-technical disaster sometimes transcends geographical boundaries and can even have trans-generational effects (e.g. Three Mile Island, Bhopal, Chernobyl); Socio-technical disasters do not always have their worst consequences at the point of occurrence; the worst effects can occur long after the event; Socio-technical disasters are characterized by a low probability/ high consequences event; Sudden-impact disasters (e.g. air/road/rail accident) are usually of short duration and have a limited direct effect on the local community; Socio-technical disasters arise not because of a single factor but of accumulated unnoticed events; Disaster involves management procedures which must be maintained, and management problems must be coped with under the conditions of a major technical emergency involving threats of injury and loss of life; Rapid onset disasters include fires, technological disasters, industrial accidents, and transportation accidents; An inquiry report is required Socio-technical Technological disasters Fire Explotions (munitions explosions, chemical explosions, nuclear explosions, mine explosions) Leakage Toxic release Pollutions (pollution, acid rain, chemical pollution, atmospheric pollution) Structural collapse of physical assets Transportation disasters Air disasters Land disasters Sea disasters Stadia or other public places failures Fire Structural collapse Crowd stampede Production failure Computer system breakdown Distribution of defective products Warfare National Civil war between armed groups in the same country Civil strikes Civil disorder Bomb threats/ terrorist attack Inter-national Conventional war War between two armies from different countries Sieges Blockades Non-conventional war Nuclear Chemical Biological Hybrid The characteristics of a hybrid disaster can be the characteristics of both man-made and natural disasters Natural and man-made events Floods ravage community built on known floodplain Location of residential premises, factories, etc., at the foot of an active volcano, or in an avalanche area Landslides Slightly different from those, EM-DAT (2008a) classifies disasters into three groups: Natural disasters Technological disasters Complex emergencies Regarding its scope in terms of sufferer number and/ or geographic areas affected, Gad-el-Hak (2008) distinguishes disasters into five categories as can be seen in Table 4. Table 4. Disaster scope in terms of number of victims and/ or geographic area affected (Source: Gad-el-Hak, 2008) Scope Category No. of sufferers Geographic areas affected Scope I Small disaster Or Scope II Medium disaster 10-100 persons or 1-10 km2 Scope III Large disaster 100-1,000 persons Or 10-100 km2 Scope IV Enormous disaster 1,000-104 persons Or 100-1,000 km2 Scope V Gargantuan disaster > 104 persons Or > 1,000 km2 While the definition of natural disasters and technological disasters are principally the same as those proposed by Shaluf (2007a, b), complex emergencies need a further exploration. Alballa-Bertrand (see Alballa-Bertrand, 2000) proposes the following definition for a complex humanitarian emergency or, in short, complex emergency: ‘A purposeful and unlikely neutral response, intended mostly to counteract the worse effects of the massive human destitution that derive from an overt political phenomenon, which takes the form of a violent, entrenched and long-lasting factionalist conflict or imposition with ultimate institutional aims. On the other hand, ReliefWeb (2008) defines a complex emergency as â€Å"A multifaceted humanitarian crisis in a country, region or society where there is a total or considerable breakdown of authority resulting from internal or external conflict and which requires a multi-sectoral, international response that goes beyond the mandate or capacity of any single agency and/or the ongoing UN country program. Such emergencies have, in particular, a devastating effect on children and women, and call for a complex range of responses.† While Complex Emergency Database (CE-DAT) (2008) defines complex emergency as all crises characterized by extreme vulnerability that display the following features: There exist the unwillingness or incapability of the government to give effective response, leading call for external assistance; Political oppression or armed conflict; Displacement; Increased mortality. 2.1.3 The Increasing Trend of Disaster Occurrences Lichterman (1999) predicts that the frequency of disasters and their effects seem to be increasing. By reviewing various related published sources from 1900-2005, Eshghi and Larson (2008) confirm Lichtermans prediction. A disaster leads to a severe trouble of society, including extensive human misery and physical loss or damage (Davis Lambert, 2002). Both natural and man-made disasters are likely to raise another five-fold over the next fifty years (from the year 2005) due to environmental degradation, rapid urbanization and the spread of HIV/AIDS in less developed world (Thomas Kopczak, 2005). More than 250 million people in the world are affected by disasters every year (IFRC, 2008). In the sense of natural disasters which are then divided into biological, geophysical, climatological, hydrological, and meteorological disasters -, CRED (see Scheuren et al., 2008) reports that there were 414 natural disaster occurrences (excluding biological disasters) in year 2007 which killed 16 847 persons, affected more than 211 million others and caused over 74.9 US$ billion in economic damages. Until year 2004, over 90 percent of natural disasters occurred in developing countries (United Nations ISDR, 2004). By including biological disasters and regrouping natural disasters into three different categories, as follows: Hydro-meteorological disasters: comprising floods and wave surges, storms, droughts and related disasters (extreme temperatures and forest/scrub fires), and landslides avalanches; Geophysical disasters: earthquakes tsunamis and volcanic eruptions fall into this category; Biological disasters: consisting of epidemics and insect infestations; International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) (2008) provides data which shows that there is an increasing trend on the occurrences of natural disasters from 1900 to 2005, as can be seen in Table 5. Table 5. Distribution of natural disasters: by origin (1900-2005, by decades*) *) 2000-2005, six year period The increasing trends of the occurrences of natural disasters between 1900-June 2008 is also documented in EM-DAT (2008b). Regarding the victims, there were 3,470,162,961 people affected by natural disasters for the period of 1991-2005 with a total of 960,502 deaths. Most of the victims (98.1% of people affected and 92.1% of people killed) were located in developing countries and least-developed countries (IFRC, 2008). 2.1.4 Disaster Management Disaster management also known as emergency management (Reliefweb, 2008) is defined as comprehensive approach and activities to reduce the adverse impacts of disasters (Reliefweb, 2008), while disaster operations could be considered as the set of activities that are performed before, during, and after a disaster which are aimed at preventing loss of human life, reducing its impact on the economy, and returning to a normal situation (Altay Green III, 2006). Using the terminology of disaster relief operations (DRO) as substitute to disaster operations, Pujawan et al. (2009) state that DRO consists of a variety of activities such as assessing demands, acquiring commodities, finding out priorities as well as receiving, classifying, storing, tracing and tracking deliveries. Regarding its phases, disaster management could be divided into four phases (Altay Green III, 2006): disaster mitigation, disaster preparedness, disaster response, and disaster recovery. 2.1.5 The Importance of Logistics in Disaster Management Logistics could be defined as follows (see Sheu, 2007a: 655): â€Å"Logistics is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services and related information from the point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of conforming to customers[] requirements at the lowest total cost.† Its system operation consists of network design, information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging (see Wu Huang, 2007: 429). There are several Operational Research (OR) techniques utilised in logistics context, including the use of transportation model to determine the location of warehouses and the use of assignment/ allocation model to locate production facilities (Slats et al., 1995: 12), to name a few. In particular, humanitarian logistics could be defined as â€Å"the process of planning, implementing and control ­ling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of goods and materials, as well as related information, from point of origin to point of consump ­tion for the purpose of meeting the end beneficiarys requirements† (Thomas Mizushima, January 2005). Similarly, Thomas and Kopczak (2005) define it as â€Å"the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of goods and materials, as well as related information, from the point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of alleviating the suffering of vulnerable people†. Whereas Sheu (2007a) proposes ‘‘a process of planning, managing and controlling the efficient flows of relief, information, and services from the points of origin to the points of destination to meet the urgent needs of the affected people under emergency conditions as a definition of emergency logistics. Moreover, disaster relief is usually put aside for sudden upheavals such as natural disasters (earthquakes, avalanches, hurricanes, floods, fires, volcano eruptions, etc.) and very few man-made disasters such as terrorist acts or nuclear disasters (Kovà ¡cs Spens, 2007). Relief itself could be understood as â€Å"assistance and/or intervention during or after disaster to meet the life preservation and basic subsistence needs. It can be of emergency or protracted duration† (Reliefweb, 2008). It has been already generally well-known that logistics play a vital role in emergency management. Sheu (2007a) declares that, due to the possibility of disasters occurrences anytime around the world with huge effects, emergency logistics management had appeared as a worldwide-noticeable subject matter. People which are affected by disasters and are uprooted from their rights for food, housing, livelihood and other means of supporting themselves need the delivery of food, medicine, tents, sanitation equipment, tools and other necessities (Whybark, 2007). The science of logistics and supply chain management is becoming more vital for humanitarians (van Wassenhove, 2006), and â€Å"the subject of disaster management is an absolutely fascinating one that is growing in importance† (van Wassenhove, 2003: 19). Oloruntoba (2005) states that, regarding the Indian Ocean tsunami context, the scale of damage and subsequent response lead to problems of coordination, transportation and dis tribution among responding groups. In other affected areas of the Indian Ocean tsunami, Thomas (summer/fall 2006) reports that, at the 60-day point, regardless of the enormous relief efforts, only 60% of the families reported receiving well-timed and sufficient aid. It is therefore acceptable to conclude that good logistics planning plays an important role to the success of an emergency program (Davis Lambert, 2002: 109). Humanitarian logistics is essential to disaster relief for some reasons (Thomas Kopczak, 2005): It is crucial to the effectiveness and speed of response for main humanitarian programs, such as health, food, shelter, water, and sanitation; It can be one of the most expensive elements of a relief effort as it includes procurement and transportation; Since the logistics department handles tracking of commodities through the supply chain, it is often the repository of data that can be analyzed to offer post-event knowledge. In his paper, McEntire (1999) states that the disaster studies must discover ways to improve the provision of relief after certain catastrophe hits. This statement is in line with Perrys (2007) finding which accentuates the availability of logistician cadres as a key element of disaster response, as part of needs assessment and for procuring, transporting, and distributing the relief provisions. Regarding the relief of the Indian Ocean tsunami, the humanitarian organizations providing those relieves acknowledged that relief can and needs to be faster and more efficient (Thomas, 2005). Together with hurricane â€Å"Katrina† disaster, the Indian Ocean tsunami lead to the gap of â€Å"the inability to connect the aid provided with the aid received† (Thomas, 2005) in spite of the unprecedented giving during those two misfortunes. It is also pointed out by Tolentino Jr. (2007) that the Indian Ocean tsunami has provided the will to radically improve disaster management and pl anning, an issue Trims (2004: 224) research agrees with, in a broader disaster relief context. Furthermore, the development of new technology for track/trace and disaster relief supply chains is proposed as one of ways to improve the delivery of humanitarian relief (Baluch, 2007). In the context of the participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in worldwide emergencies (e.g. volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, war), Beamon and Kotleba (2006) point out that the capability of an NGOs supply chain and logistics operations directly influences the success of a relief effort. Whereas Pujawan et al. (2009) propose information visibility, coordination, accountability, and professionalism as successful requirements of logistics for DRO. 2.2 Some Previous Works in Logistics Management The following paragraphs will give a short overview on several aspects in logistics management, especially those which are perceived as having relevance with the current research. They include distribution network design problem, location-allocation problem (LAP), vehicle routing problem (VRP), and location-routing problem (LRP), respectively. 2.2.1 Distribution Network Design Problem Citing Chopra (2003), distribution can be seen as â€Å"the steps taken to move and store a product from the supplier stage to a customer stage in the supply chain†. While distribution networks can be defined as â€Å"networks that carry the flow of some commodity or entity, using a routing rule that is intended to be effective and even optimal† (Whittle, 2007), and distribution network itself could be viewed as similar with the terminology producer network (Ambrosino Scutellà  , 2005: 611). Distribution network design problem tackles the issues of optimizing the flows of commodities through an existing distribution network as well as improving the performance of the existing network by selecting the most appropriate setting of the facilities in the network aimed at satisfying the companys goal at one hand and minimising the overall costs at the other hand (Ambrosino Scutellà  , 2005: 611). It involves facility location, transportation and inventory decisions (Ambrosino Scutellà  , 2005: 611). In other words, the aim of distribution network design problem is on deciding the best way of moving goods or products from resource/ supply points to destination/ demand points which is performed by determining the structure of the network, in a such a way that the customer demands are satisfied and the total distribution costs are minimized (Ambrosino et al., 2009: 442). In Amiris (2006: 567-568) paper, distribution network design is stated as involving the simultaneous decis ions on the best settings of both plants and warehouses and on the best strategy in the sense of product distribution from the plants to the warehouses and from the warehouses to the customers, respectively. Meanwhile, the term â€Å"distribution system design† refers to â€Å"the strategic design of the logistics infrastructure and logistics strategy to deliver products from one or more sources to the customers† (Goetschalckx, 2008: 13-1) and similar to Ambrosino et al.s (2009) statement on distribution network design problem focuses on five phases of interconnected decisions, as follows (Goetschalckx, 2008: 13-2): Establishing the appropriate quantity of distribution centers (DCs); Setting up the location of each DC; Allocating customers to each DC; Allocating appropriate commodities to each DC; and Determining the throughput and storage capacity of each DC. Various models and approaches that have been built for designing distribution system or distribution network, to name a few, are (Goetschalckx, 2008: 13-8-13-15; Lapierre et al., 2004): K-median model, location-allocation model, warehouse location model, Geoffrion and Graves distribution system design model, models that focus on mathematical description of cost functions on each route in order to incorporate returns to scale, models of which concentration are in shipments on hub-to-hub routes regarding discounts, and models that aim at solving the freight transportation problem precisely. 2.2.2 Location-Allocation Problem (LAP) As previously stated in Goetschalckx (2008), LAP could be seen as part of distribution network design problems. Given the place of a set of customers with different demands, LAP is concerned with the selection of supply centres positions dedicated for serving the customers as well as the decision of the allocation of the customers to supply centres, with both of them are aimed at optimizing a given criterion (Hsieh Tien, 2004: 1017). It is also assumed that there is no interaction among supply centres. The criterion could be single such as transportation costs (see, for example, Goetschalckx, 2008; Zhou Liu, 2003; Manzini Gebennini, 2008) or it may comprises several aspects (see, for example, Mitropoulos et al., 2006). The following paragraphs provide some previous researches on LAP. The un-capacitated-type LAP with rectilinear distances could be found in Hsieh and Tien (2004). In this paper, the authors propose a heuristic method which is based on Kohonen self-organising feature maps (SOFMs). Sometimes distribution networks are built in hierarchies, where high-level distribution channels are constructed in straight lines from which low-level channels stem. Furthermore, destinations are allocated to branching facilities in high-level channels through low-level channels. Due to cost considerations, the number and locations of branching facilities as well as the allocation of the destinations to the aforementioned branching facilities need to be determined correctly. Eben-Chaime et al.s (2002) paper addresses this type of problem by formulating appropriate mathematical optimisation models and subsequently proposing heuristic solution methods. Capacitated LAP with stochastic demands is addressed by Zhou and Liu (2003). More specifically, they propose three types of stochastic programming models: (1) expected value model (EVM), (2) chance-constrained programming (CCP), and (3) dependent-chance programming (DCP). To solve these models efficiently, the authors develop a hybrid intelligent algorithm within which three type stochastic simulations are used. The proposed algorithm integrates the network simplex algorithm, stochastic simulation and genetic algorithm. In more recent paper, Zhou and Liu (2007) address the LAP with fuzzy demands by developing three types of fuzzy programming models fuzzy expected cost minimisation model, fuzzy -cost minimisation model, and credibility maximisation model with respect to different decision criterion. To solve these models, the authors apply a hybrid intelligent algorithm developed previously (see Zhou and Liu, 2003). Nonetheless, instead of using stochastic simulations, they are developing and employing fuzzy simulations. Similar with the abovementioned paper, Wen and Imamura (2008) also address LAP with fuzzy demands. For this type of problem, they build a fuzzy -cost model under the Hurwicz criterion. The problem is subsequently solved using the same algorithm as in Zhou and Liu (2007). The establishment of mixed integer programming optimisation models for multi-period, multi-stage LAPs could be found in Manzini and Gebennini (2008). In their paper, the authors develop optimisation models each for the following classes of multi-period, multi-stage LAPs: (1) single-commodity, multi-period, two-stage LAPs, (2) multi-commodity, multi-period, two-stage LAPs, (3) single-commodity, multi-period, two-stage open/ closed LAPs, and single-commodity, multi-period, three-stage LAPs. The application of various search methods to a generalised class of LAPs known as multi-facility location problem with generalised objects (MFLPO) is presented by Bischoff and Dà ¤chert (2009). The end of the paper gives comparison of the involved search methods for various sizes of test problem. Research on LAP in health service context could be found in Harper et al. (2005) and Mitropoulos et al. (2006). The former addresses the need to plan health services which takes geographical aspects into consideration. The problem is formulated as a stochastic LAP. The latter paper, on the other hand, develops a bi-objective model to solve the LAP arise in determining the location of hospitals and health centres and the allocation of the patients to those facilities. 2.2.3 Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) In its most basic form (e.g. Bulbul et al., 2008; Laporte, 2007), VRP is concerned with the optimal delivery or collection routes for a limited number of identical vehicles with limited capacities from a central depot/ warehouse to a set of geographically scattered customers. It assumes that the vehicles are at the central depot/ warehouse initially. It also requires the existence of the routes that connect the central depot/ warehouse to customers and customers to customers as well. In this type of VRP, a route must start and finish at the depot and a customer is visited by exactly one vehicle. The total demand of customers served by one vehicle could not exceed the vehicles capacity, and the ultimate goal is to minimise the total routing costs. Since its introduction by Dantzig and Ramser in 1959 (Bulbul et al., 2008), it has given rise to a rich body of works (Laporte, 2007). In 2008, searching the words vehicle routing problem by using Google scholar search results more than 21,700 entries (Golden et al. (eds), 2008). Laportes (1992) paper provides various exact methods and heuristics developed to solve the VRP. Several meta-heuristics intended to solve the classical VRP could be traced from his more recent paper (2007), while Toth and Vigos (2002) paper presents various existing exact algorithms for the solution of classical VRP. The comparison of descent heuristics, simulated annealing, and tabu search in solving VRP is addressed by Van Breedam (2001). Jozefowiez et al. (2008), on the other hand, give a survey on works that have been carried out on multi-objective VRP. A range of VRP variants can be seen in Crainic and Laporte (eds., 1998), Bulbul et al. (2008), and Golden et al. (eds., 2008). Other variants also exist: VRP with stochastic demands and VRP with backhaul. Different classification of VRP could be found in Pisinger and Ropkes (2007) paper. The following sub-sections mention examples of works on some of them, while new directions in modelling and algorithms for various types of LRP could be found in Part II of Golden et al.s (eds., 2008) edited book. 2.2.3.1 VRP with Time Windows In this type of VRP, customer i may only be visited within a time window [ai, bi] (see, e.g., Kontoravdis Bard, 1995; Badeau et al., 1997; Bouthillier Crainic, 2005; Fà ¼genschuh, 2006; Hsu et al., 2007; Kim, et al., 2006; Dondo Cerdà ¡, 2007; Kallehauge et al., 2007). 2.2.3.2 VRP with Pickup and Delivery When the vehicles need to deliver commodities to customers and collect items for example, defective products from them as well, then this is called a VRP with pickup and deliveries. Research papers by Nagy Salhi (2005), Wassan et al. (2008), Wassan et al. (2008), Gribkovskaia et al. (2008), Hoff et al. (2009), and Ai Kachitvichyanukul (2009) are several examples on it. 2.2.3.3 VRP with Backhaul In this type of VRP, the customers are separated into two mutually exclusive subsets so that the first subset of customers receives commodities whereas the second one sends back the products. Additionally, the second subset of customers are only served after the first one. The first subset is called line-haul customers and the second one is named backhaul customers. The f

welfare :: essays research papers

Images of Welfare   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands: one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These words are uttered in elementary schools, high schools, and various events and meetings throughout the nation everyday. We usually do not associate the image of welfare with the American flag or think about it as we recite the allegiance. We, however, associate it with images of prosperity and freedom. As I look closely at the last words of this allegiance: â€Å"†¦with liberty and justice for all.† I remember the number of homeless who beg in the streets, those who for one reason or another await assistance in the social services office, and those who because of the color of their skin or gender association have yet to receive their share of benefits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Webster’s dictionary, welfare means â€Å"Well-doing or well-being in any respect; the enjoyment of health and the common blessings of life; exemption from any evil or calamity; prosperity; happiness.† Before taking classes such as this, my connotation of welfare was totally opposite. Welfare always meant something bad. When I heard the word ‘welfare’ I pictured a homeless person or an immigrant who’s only dream was a better life, but found it was not as easy as it seemed. When I heard about someone on welfare I was quick to jump to conclusions. I’d assume he or she was lazy and just didn’t want to work or that he or she was in some sort of trouble. Looking at Webster’s meaning I notice the words â€Å"respect† and â€Å"the common blessing of life.† I have come to realize those on welfare are people too and deserve the respect everybody else does. They may have come upon hard times or made a mistake or two, but because of the prejudice and stereotypes of others, find themselves stuck in a position where all they have is their â€Å"common blessing of life.