External environment for banking industry Essay

Standard Chartered is the world’s leading emerging markets bank headquartered in London. Standard Chartered employs 30,000 people in over 500 locations in more than 50 countries in the Asia Pacific Region, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom and the Americas. It is one of the world’s most international banks, with a management team comprising 70 nationalities. Standard Chartered has been committed to Hong Kong and China for nearly 150 years. Standard Chartered Bank opened its first branch in China in 1858 and is the oldest foreign bank in the country. The Bank has operated in Hong Kong since 1859 and has been issuing Hong Kong banknotes since 1862. Standard Chartered PLC listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in 2002. The bank is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and is in the top 25 FTSE-100 companies, by market capitalization. It serves both Consumer and Wholesale Banking customers. Consumer Banking provides credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, deposit taking and wealth management services to individuals and small to medium sized enterprises. Wholesale Banking provides corporate and institutional clients with services in trade finance, cash management, lending, custody, foreign exchange, debt capital markets and corporate finance. Standard Chartered is well-established in growth markets and aims to be the right partner for its customers. The Bank combines deep local knowledge with global capability. The Bank is trusted across its network for its standard of governance and its commitment to making a difference in the communities in which it operates. The new millennium has brought with it two of the largest acquisitions in the history of the bank with the purchase of Grindlays Bank from the ANZ Group and the acquisition of the Chase Consumer Banking operations in Hong Kong in 2000. These acquisitions demonstrate Standard Chartered firm committed to the emerging markets, where it has a strong and established presence and where it foresees future growth. With the acquisition of ANZ Banking Group, StanChart became the largest foreign bank in terms of branch network and profitability in India. The merged entity has a combined network of 61  branches and 74 ATMs across 15 cities of the country. Understanding the global, political, technological and socio-cultural segments of its environment is obviously critical to Stanchart’s success. It has acquired companies in order to consolidate its global operations; operates in 50 countries; seeks to display environmental and social responsibility; and deals with communications technology. It strives to take advantage of opportunities in the dynamic environment, the need to deal innovatively with new acquisitions, the problem of reframing the public’s view of banking and ongoing cut throat competition from other commercial banks and non banking entities. The bank therefore has to make clear the communication challenge and make clear the global nature of its operations to the wider community, governments and the population at large. Research evidence suggests that external environment affects a firm’s growth and profitability over time. Changes in political, regulatory features, the strength of different nations’ economies at different times, and the emergence of new technologies are a few examples of conditions in the external environment that are affecting banks like StanChart and several other firms throughout the world whether in manufacturing or services sector. The companies in attractive environments perform better than the companies that are in less attractive environments. Therefore strategy development is about ‘fit’ i.e. identifying opportunities in the environment and building strategy matching resource capabilities to those opportunities. The resources and competences of organizations also play an important role as they explain the differences between organizations, potential uniqueness and therefore superior performance. The ‘stretch’ view argues that strategies should be built on the unique competences and resources of an organization by seeking out markets in which competences have special value or by trying to create new markets on the basis of such competences Another consideration is the stakeholders of company. Organizations have different stakeholders (shareholders, customers, employees, government) who have expectations of the organizations and may exercise considerable influence and power over the strategy to be followed As said earlier, the external environment plays an important role for banks. Most of the external factors are beyond the control of a bank. The factors such as competition; political, economical, legal, government rules and regulations influence the firm’s choice of direction and action and also affect the internal environment of a bank. The external environment influences a company’s strategic options as well as the decisions made in light of them. The firm’s understanding of the external environment is matched with knowledge about its internal environment. Matching the conditions of the two environments is the foundation the firm needs to form its strategic intent, to develop its strategic mission, and to take strategic actions in the pursuit of strategic competitiveness and above-average returns. The external environment encapsulates many different influences which makes the tasks of CEOs more difficult. Identifying the different environmental influences though makes sense, is not very much useful as the overall picture of these influences does not emerge. The second difficulty is that of the speed of change. The impact of technological changes on businesses is much faster than ever before. Technology has transformed the way in which the banking business is carried out. In addition the competitive pressures are also driving more banks to diversify their product range in response to market demands. We can broadly categorize this environment into two types: remote environment and operating environment. Remote environment: This environment consists of a set of forces that originate beyond a firm’s operating environment. This comprises of political, economic, social, technological and industrial forces which create opportunities, threats and constraints to the firm. For example macroeconomic instability in an economy characterized by chronic inflation, fiscal imbalances and periodic balance-of-payments crises also affect all the banks. Operating environment: The operating environment involves the factors that provide many of the challenges a bank is facing when attempting to attract  or acquire essential resources or when striving to profitably market its goods and services in the immediate competitive position, customer profile, reputation among suppliers and creditors and accessible labor market. The operating environment is also called the competitive or task environment. Hence by considering conditions in the operating environment business can be much more proactively planned. An organization’s external environment is shown in the figure below. The figure depicts the firm’s business area, remote environment and the operating environment cutting into an area of total external environmental impact on the firm. In the banking industry if the Reserve Bank increases the reserve requirements for the commercial banks it would affect all the banking companies in the economy. This is an operational risk. Over the past two decades, commercial banks across the globe have aggressively repositioned themselves to compete under new economic, technological, and regulatory conditions. These institutions are no longer protected by regulatory entry barriers, and are confronted with a marked transformation in telecommunications and computer technology. Banks can no longer rely on traditional banking models and therefore have invested huge amounts of resources in the search for new competitive strategies. While many of these attempts had fruitless results, the most successful strategic innovations have set a new paradigm in banking and have changed the way banks compete. The manner in which commercial banks currently underwrite their loans, finance their activities, grow their franchises, distribute their services and market their images can hardly be compared to ones that bankers adopted in 1970s. Coming to the regulatory environment, banks still do not compete in a completely unregulated environment. Regulations continue to shape banking strategies for example, in US, the federally insured deposits are the basis of community bank business strategy. The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) loans are a mandatory for all banks (in India, priority sector credit is mandatory for all commercial banks, this would be dealt in detail in subsequent pages). Investment decisions of every bank are influenced by capital regulations. The system of multiple regulators can affect the choice  of organizational form of banking companies. While most banks are regulated by the RBI (Reserve Bank of India), some are under dual control of government and RBI. In India, all banks are subject to RBI’s regulation but the framework is not uniform in the sense that public sector banks, cooperative banks, and private banks are governed by significant differences and not all of them have access to the payments system. The Department of Company Affairs (DCA) regulates the deposit taking activities of non-banking non- financial companies and also some activities of Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). SEBI regulates the capital markets and supervises stock exchanges, mutual funds, securities dealers and brokers, merchant bankers, credit rating agencies and venture capital funds. Companies in the insurance sector are regulated by IRDA. Banks are permitted to be involved in insurance activity through joint ventures/equity participation/selling agency type arrangements. Thus, the object of regulation itself is susceptible to some overlap. Several scandals in banks have led regulators to make increased informational demands on banks. As banking markets grow more concentrated, anti-trust laws may increasingly limit the scale and scope of bank mergers. At a minimum, regulation is simply a fixed cost that must be borne by banks, which does not influence a bank’s behavior. At the other extreme, and perhaps in a more realistic situation, regulation can significantly affect banks’ strategic choices and influence competition in financial markets. Innovations introduced in the markets are often driven by, and in some cases succeed exclusively because of the prevailing regulatory environment. Similarly, commercial banks’ competitive strategies are shaped by both new technologies, and the limitations of technology. Retail banking had traditionally been built around the paper-based payments, but IT has created new strategic possibilities for it. Electronic delivery of banking services can reduce a bank’s overhead costs to a great extent. However abandoning bank branches can also give rise to disastrous strategic costs. New technologies have a led to a great transformation in the risk management practices of commercial banks, but application of such techniques may also create some unforeseen new risks. After generations of technological stasis  in the banking industry, the ongoing rapid pace of technological change has made â€Å"strategic innovation† a viable competitive strategy for banks.

Dowry system in India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Essay

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia’s quality standards. The specific problem is: reference formatting. Please help improve this article if you can. (March 2013) In India, dowry (Hindi: , Daheja in Hindi)[1] is the payment in cash or some kind of gifts given to bridegroom’s family along with the bride. Generally they include cash, jewellery,[2] electrical appliances, furniture, bedding, crockery, utensils and other household items that help the newly-wed set up her home. The dowry system is thought to put great financial burden[3] on the bride’s family. It has been one of the reasons for families and women in India resorting to sex selection [4] in favor of sons. [5] This has distorted the sex ratio of India (940 females per thousand males [6])and has given rise to female foeticide. [7] The payment of a dowry has been prohibited under The 1961 Dowry Prohibition Act in Indian civil law and subsequently by Sections 304B and 498a of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Contents [hide] 1 Domestic violence 2 Laws 3 False dowry allegations 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Domestic violence[edit] In 2001 nearly 7,000 dowry deaths[8] were registered in India over inadequate dowry, apart from other mental trauma cases. [9] Bride burning,[10] inducing suicides, physical and mental torture by their husband or in-laws is sometimes found to be done if the bride fails to bring sufficient dowry. [11] There are laws like Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 that help to reduce domestic violence and to protect women’s rights. Laws[edit] See also: Dowry law in India Dowry became prohibited by law in 1961 with the purpose of prohibiting the demanding, giving and taking of dowry. To stop the offences of cruelty by husband or his relatives on the wife, section 498-A was added in Indian Penal Code and section 198-A in the Criminal Procedure Code in the year 1983. False dowry allegations[edit] The dowry law (article 498a) is thought to sometimes have been misused[12] by women to lodge false or exaggerated complaints against husbands and entire extended family accusing them of cruel behavior. As per the data only 2% of the cases registered for dowry demand have led to conviction of the groom or groom’s family. This had raised questions about rampant misuse of dowry laws in India by women to harass husband’s family. According to one survey conducted by reputed Indian news magazine India Today, over 90% of government servants actively seek and get dowry in marriage. It is a common feature for unmarried government servants to seek dowry relevant to the market rates of their post. These rates are sky-high, with an estimate of dowry rates for a bachelor IAS Officer (Indian Administrative Services) being as high as Rs 50 Lac to Rs 5 Crore (up to USD 1 Million). These high rates are one of the primary reasons for corruption as young IAS officers after marriage are forced to take bribes to maintain their new lifestyle and match the financial status of their wealthy in-laws. See also[edit] Dowry law in India Female foeticide in India References[edit] 1. Jump up ^ Godrej ‘Nupur Jagruti’- Dahej Ke Khilaf Ek Awaz 2. Jump up ^ â€Å"Dowry death: Police recovers Payal’s items†. Tribune. 3. Jump up ^ â€Å"Indian Man Accused of Killing Wife Who Refused to Abort Third Daughter†. National Right To Life News Today. May 17, 2011. 4. Jump up ^ â€Å"Govt looks to tighten abortion norms†. The Times Of India. 5. Jump up ^ Son preference attitude among Indian parents – A silent emergency | TwoCircles. net 6. Jump up ^ Census of India – India at a Glance : Sex Ratio 7. Jump up ^ â€Å"Kashmir’s ‘missing girls'†. Agence France-Presse. 2011-05-19. 8. Jump up ^ Ash, Lucy (2003-07-16). â€Å"India’s dowry deaths†. BBC News. 9. Jump up ^ â€Å"Till death do us part†. Deccan Herald. 20 May 2011. 10. Jump up ^ â€Å"School ‘pays dowry’ to save girls from childhood marriage†. CNN. 2011-06-16. 11. Jump up ^ â€Å"Rising dowry cases cast shadow over nuptial knot†. The Times of India. 2013-09-17. 12. Jump up ^ â€Å"Amend dowry law to stop its misuse, SC tells govt†. The Times Of India. 2010-08-17.

Analysis and Problems of Global Communications

Diminishing returns across the entire telecommunications industry have negatively affected the stock and profitability of Global Communications. Excessive amounts of competition from companies worldwide have diluted the market as well as offered a wide range of features that Global Communications does not currently provide. Small providers offer specialized services, and larger multinationals offer lower prices and more competitive service choices. Global Communications has chosen to address this problem by simultaneously attempting to cut costs while expanding internationally; their primary method of achieving these immediate goals is through closing some domestic call centers and opening new centers overseas. The employees’ union has obvious problems with this strategy of layoffs and outsourcing, and has questioned Global Communications’ loyalty to its workers. The company faces significant problems, both fiscally and intangible issues such as employee loyalty. The first of these issues is the declining price of Global Communications stock, presumably due to the increased amount of competition in the field. Such a decline in overall profitability is the most pressing problem facing the company; however, it is also the broadest in that several more specific problems contribute to this overall issue. One of the contributing factors is the need for new services and innovations in research and development. Such innovations require capital and financial resources, which relates to the problem of declining confidence among stockholders, who are wondering if they industry can recover from the competitive situation in which it currently finds itself. The problem of stockholder confidence therefore contributes to the lack of funds available for innovations and research, meaning that the company must find a way to increase profits without depending on stockholder confidence. The initial attempt to address these financial issues, outsourcing many jobs to Ireland and India, has also created more problems for Global. The employee union feels betrayed and is threatening legal action regarding the layoffs. Additionally, the public relations issue regarding this outsourcing is an important one for Global to address in order to prevent a public backlash in response to the outsourcing and union-relations issues. Despite the many problems facing Global, several opportunities exist for the company to grow and become as profitable as it was during the previous era. There is an immediate opportunity available to lower the costs of labor facing the company by utilizing the outsourcing plan and the labor available overseas. Such an action will free up company resources to be spent on research and development of new services and products, which will rebuild the base of Global Communications customers through the many services offered. Additionally, such an expansion in services will increase the market share for Global among small business owners, one of the company’s overall goals, and offer the opportunity to reinforce a public perception of Global as one of the leaders in telecommunications technology. Besides these profitability issues, there is an opportunity to establish new norms regarding the union and employee relations within Global. Perhaps an established plan of communication or route of information dissemination can be created, and career counseling and training could be offered for the employees who were laid off, helping re-establish the public and in-company perception of Global. The most obvious opportunity for Global is also the broadest; the chance for the company to grow and return to previous years’ profitability is one that exists in the current atmosphere of change. Global leaders must take advantage of the many opportunities to change the company, its relationships, and its products and technology as soon as possible. Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas There are several groups of stakeholders in this discussion; from the individual stockholders to the union members to the highest executives, the different groups all have different priorities in the Global restructuring. Stockholders have at heart the long-term profitability and growth of the company, similar to the priority of global executives to see the company grow and profit overall. Other groups, notably the employees and union representatives, have as their first priority the job security and salary of employees as their first priority; the relationship with management and the pending layoffs are more important to these groups than profitability or growth. Finally, the executives in the U. S. ave more concern over these job cuts than do the global executives, since they are the ones who will be most adversely affected by the layoffs and outsourcing. The struggle between these groups to have their own needs prioritized represents an ethical dilemma for Global; the negative affects of the layoffs must be weighed against the overall survival of the company; the detriment to individual employees and public perception must be weighed against continuing Global’s position as an innovator and industry leader. Global Communications and the employees’ union can both benefit from the increased profitability which will happen as a result of the outsourcing and shift in services offered; in the long-term, both groups can work to create benefit and profit for individual stockholders as well as company executives and management. This long-term benefit will additionally give Global employees greater job security. The progress of Global toward the situations possible by the many opportunities available to it can be measured through several objective methods. One that is mentioned in the 3/2/04 memo is a concrete goal of reducing costs by 40%. Such a goal will naturally benefit the company based on the reduction of cost and increase of profits. Additionally, a concrete goal to resolve the issues with the employees’ union without legal or governmental action would be an excellent way to re-establish the relationship between the company and the union. Another measurable goal would be to return the stock price to a certain level, for example, that of the previously profitably $28/share. Global Communications faces some immediate and important problems, such as decreased profitability, decreased stockholder confidence, pending layoffs and the public-relations issues which accompany them, and increased competition within the telecommunications industry which requires new innovations and development. Despite these immediate problems, there are many opportunities for Global to benefit from its current situation; it can take advantage of the chance to reduce costs by outsourcing and then increase research and development with those funds; it can re-negotiate the relationship with its employees’ union to a more beneficial one for both parties; and it can remodel itself as a modern, cutting-edge competitor in the field of telecommunications. Such opportunities can benefit all stakeholders in Global, from the individual stockholders to employees to global executives, by strengthening the financial and community/social situations of the company. Although the implementation of these changes may be uncomfortable at times and even immediately painful for several groups (the employees’ union, for example), the overall benefit for everyone involved must be kept in mind. Long-term goals can be used to track the company’s progress toward achieving its end goal of returning to an innovating, profitable organization Analysis and Problems of Global Communications Diminishing returns across the entire telecommunications industry have negatively affected the stock and profitability of Global Communications. Excessive amounts of competition from companies worldwide have diluted the market as well as offered a wide range of features that Global Communications does not currently provide. Small providers offer specialized services, and larger multinationals offer lower prices and more competitive service choices. Global Communications has chosen to address this problem by simultaneously attempting to cut costs while expanding internationally; their primary method of achieving these immediate goals is through closing some domestic call centers and opening new centers overseas. The employees’ union has obvious problems with this strategy of layoffs and outsourcing, and has questioned Global Communications’ loyalty to its workers. The company faces significant problems, both fiscally and intangible issues such as employee loyalty. The first of these issues is the declining price of Global Communications stock, presumably due to the increased amount of competition in the field. Such a decline in overall profitability is the most pressing problem facing the company; however, it is also the broadest in that several more specific problems contribute to this overall issue. One of the contributing factors is the need for new services and innovations in research and development. Such innovations require capital and financial resources, which relates to the problem of declining confidence among stockholders, who are wondering if they industry can recover from the competitive situation in which it currently finds itself. The problem of stockholder confidence therefore contributes to the lack of funds available for innovations and research, meaning that the company must find a way to increase profits without depending on stockholder confidence. The initial attempt to address these financial issues, outsourcing many jobs to Ireland and India, has also created more problems for Global. The employee union feels betrayed and is threatening legal action regarding the layoffs. Additionally, the public relations issue regarding this outsourcing is an important one for Global to address in order to prevent a public backlash in response to the outsourcing and union-relations issues. Despite the many problems facing Global, several opportunities exist for the company to grow and become as profitable as it was during the previous era. There is an immediate opportunity available to lower the costs of labor facing the company by utilizing the outsourcing plan and the labor available overseas. Such an action will free up company resources to be spent on research and development of new services and products, which will rebuild the base of Global Communications customers through the many services offered. Additionally, such an expansion in services will increase the market share for Global among small business owners, one of the company’s overall goals, and offer the opportunity to reinforce a public perception of Global as one of the leaders in telecommunications technology. Besides these profitability issues, there is an opportunity to establish new norms regarding the union and employee relations within Global. Perhaps an established plan of communication or route of information dissemination can be created, and career counseling and training could be offered for the employees who were laid off, helping re-establish the public and in-company perception of Global. The most obvious opportunity for Global is also the broadest; the chance for the company to grow and return to previous years’ profitability is one that exists in the current atmosphere of change. Global leaders must take advantage of the many opportunities to change the company, its relationships, and its products and technology as soon as possible. Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas There are several groups of stakeholders in this discussion; from the individual stockholders to the union members to the highest executives, the different groups all have different priorities in the Global restructuring. Stockholders have at heart the long-term profitability and growth of the company, similar to the priority of global executives to see the company grow and profit overall. Other groups, notably the employees and union representatives, have as their first priority the job security and salary of employees as their first priority; the relationship with management and the pending layoffs are more important to these groups than profitability or growth. Finally, the executives in the U. S. ave more concern over these job cuts than do the global executives, since they are the ones who will be most adversely affected by the layoffs and outsourcing. The struggle between these groups to have their own needs prioritized represents an ethical dilemma for Global; the negative affects of the layoffs must be weighed against the overall survival of the company; the detriment to individual employees and public perception must be weighed against continuing Global’s position as an innovator and industry leader. Global Communications and the employees’ union can both benefit from the increased profitability which will happen as a result of the outsourcing and shift in services offered; in the long-term, both groups can work to create benefit and profit for individual stockholders as well as company executives and management. This long-term benefit will additionally give Global employees greater job security. The progress of Global toward the situations possible by the many opportunities available to it can be measured through several objective methods. One that is mentioned in the 3/2/04 memo is a concrete goal of reducing costs by 40%. Such a goal will naturally benefit the company based on the reduction of cost and increase of profits. Additionally, a concrete goal to resolve the issues with the employees’ union without legal or governmental action would be an excellent way to re-establish the relationship between the company and the union. Another measurable goal would be to return the stock price to a certain level, for example, that of the previously profitably $28/share. Global Communications faces some immediate and important problems, such as decreased profitability, decreased stockholder confidence, pending layoffs and the public-relations issues which accompany them, and increased competition within the telecommunications industry which requires new innovations and development. Despite these immediate problems, there are many opportunities for Global to benefit from its current situation; it can take advantage of the chance to reduce costs by outsourcing and then increase research and development with those funds; it can re-negotiate the relationship with its employees’ union to a more beneficial one for both parties; and it can remodel itself as a modern, cutting-edge competitor in the field of telecommunications. Such opportunities can benefit all stakeholders in Global, from the individual stockholders to employees to global executives, by strengthening the financial and community/social situations of the company. Although the implementation of these changes may be uncomfortable at times and even immediately painful for several groups (the employees’ union, for example), the overall benefit for everyone involved must be kept in mind. Long-term goals can be used to track the company’s progress toward achieving its end goal of returning to an innovating, profitable organization

International Financial Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Financial Reporting - Essay Example Instead of doing investment, the concept of disinvestment was directly or indirectly supported and applied by many companies. The last quarter of 2008, the entire year of 2009; and to some extent the year of 2010 was only filled with the reports of shaken investor confidence, layoffs and financial defaults and so on. The world economy suffered the burns of financial crisis of the year of 2008. Basically, the centre of this problem was the United States of America where the problem of sub-prime loan was not handled properly; rather, it was mishandled by the related and relevant authorities. Some financial gurus and critics are of the view that the inception of financial crises emerged in the year of 2000-2001 with the sudden and huge debacle of energy giant Enron; subsequent to that, the investigative team brought the huge financial findings in the report of Sarbanes-Oxley, which heavily and greatly emphasised on the further stringent financial measures. Even the findings of the Sarba nes-Oxley were not successful in realising the dangerous financial nightmares are yet to unleash! Had more focus and attention were given to the findings of the Sarbanes-Oxley, we would have not seen the brutal and inhumane face of the financial crisis of the year of 2008. Undoubtedly, a significant and considerable role of creative accounting and window dressing was there in the presentation of financial statements; the shareholders, institutional and small investors were given and shown such financial statements which were not totally representing a ‘true and fair view’; the financial statements either to a minimum extent or to a considerable extent were filled with the help of window dressing and creative accounting. Unfortunately, the role of International Financial Reporting Standards, also known as International Accounting Standards Board, did not come for any help to rescue the international world economy from the threat and force of the 2008 financial crisis. Th e main reason for that, the standards and regulations of this international accounting body are voluntary in nature not compulsory or binding on any small or large financial entity. Now, in order to serve the objectives of this paper, it is vitally important to revisit the basic conceptual framework of the international financial reporting standards; what are its basic components that are highly essential for representing the financial information in a standard format and standard presentation? How this international accounting body serves the interests and objectives of small, medium and large shareholders, investors, and other people who have direct or indirect financial interest in the presentation of the financial statements? History of frameworks for IASB The decade of 1960’s observed many widespread outcry over the absence of uniformed financial standards. Due to this fact, many cases emerged that highly and greatly required a desperate need and requirement of single bu t unified accounting standards. They should be there to provide guidance and provide a framework that guide an entire process of accounting standards and accounting practices. In response to this accounting problem, many accounting bodies gathered and

Different forms of paternalism Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Different forms of paternalism - Coursework Example Paternalism is not a mere construct that was used to subdue the Black race so as the Whites would take advantage of them since they were views as the weaker race. A move by the Blacks to fight for their rights does not justify that Blacks are unruly and must be controlled and supervised by the Whites. (Hopper, 1988). Â  The view on paternalism materializes in Colors in both a positive and a negative way. In the film Colors, the concept of paternalism is well presented by Dennis Hopper. In the film, gang culture is evident. Hopper (1998) presents the Black and Latino youth gangs fighting each other and with the police. The attempts to control the gang problems present a clear evidence of racist and paternalistic assumptions by the Whites. In this context one would argue that paternalism is required so as to control the gang issues. For instance, in the scene where a family is offloading beach stuff, and are suddenly attacked by a gang of people that are shirtless, in bandannas, sungl asses and in the hairnets (Hopper, 1988). Even after the man attempts to protect himself, the gang stabs him. The scene on the White Fence neighborhood explains on the needs for paternalism to control the Blacks and their gang issues as we see a kid spray painted on the face and confrontations begin (Hopper, 1988). It is essential to note, nonetheless, that not all the outbreaks of violence in the film are Black and gang related. In line with this thought, therefore, paternalism is disqualified.

Rehabilitation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rehabilitation - Essay Example This paper also explores the roles that the general environment plays in the success of rehabilitation treatments, including the roles that family, friends and the general society play in rehabilitation. (NIH; Mayo Clinic Staff; McLellan et al.; WebMD; National Library of Medicine; World Health Organization). II. Discussion There is an element to different forms of dependencies and illnesses, such as drug dependence and alcohol dependence, that is chronic and not easily treatable, and this implies that in many cases the focus and commitment of patients undergoing rehabilitation play a role in treatment outcomes. That the dependencies and illnesses are chronic and long-term also implies that those who are being treated must match the interest and the dedication of those offering help. This might be where general society, friends and family may fall short, because of the costs and the emotional and psychological consistency that is required for patients to become better over time. This may also be why treatments sometimes fail, as evidenced by the relapses observed in the medical and academic literature. Some patients become better for a time in relapse cases, but they sooner or later go back to old habits, whether those be dependencies or psychological and emotional dysfunctions. The relapses may be partly due to the lack of dedication on the part of the patients. This is recognized to such an extent that relapses are included as a necessary component of rehabilitation programs, and relapses are considered in all-inclusive treatment protocols that take into consideration the willingness of the patients to be treated. Recognizing that relapses are common and that patient attitudes factor into the success or failure of treatments also is an admission that dependencies, emotional and physical traumas, and other conditions that require rehabilitation are complex, and that many factors need to be considered in devising rehabilitation treatments and protocols that wor k. The reality of relapses point to human factors and patient attitudes and inclinations as outlying factors that affect treatment outcomes (NIH; Mayo Clinic Staff; McLellan et al.; WebMD). To be sure, there are aspects of various illnesses, such as drug dependence and the emotional and psychological traumas experienced by soldiers returning from war, that are physiological, and that in a way those who are seeking rehabilitation are those who admit that they don’t have total control of their will. They easily succumb to the temptations of their addictions, for instance, or that they have no willpower to get out of the psychological and emotional traumas that haunt them in the case of soldiers returning from war. This is recognized, and the literature suggests that science and medicine have progressed over the years to provide medications and other related interventions that treat those physical dependencies and allow patients to get over the physical aspects of their conditio ns. On the other hand, even with some effective drugs and treatments, the literature also suggests that treatment success rates remain inconsistent and varying, again taking us back to discussions on just how much effect the individual will power of the patients have in the success

Airbus-From Challenger to Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Airbus-From Challenger to Leader - Essay Example According to Subhadra (2003), the aerospace industry is broadly divided into three categories: space programs, defense contracts, and commercial aircraft. The main players in the commercial market include Boeing and Airbus Industrie (Airbus). The major threat to aerospace industry in today’s world is terrorism (Wensveen and Wells, 2007). Most airlines went bankrupt and filed for bankruptcy after the September 2001 terrorist attack. This led to decline to the world’s air passenger traffic. Another problem was that Boeing accused Airbus of choosing to use heavy price cutting in order to beat off the competition. The other problem was that they were also accused by rival Boeing of manufacturing aircrafts that it had not received orders for thereby creating a glut in the market. Furthermore, in the early 1980s Airbus was faced with financial hardships for the A-320 project. This was attributed to the fact that the government of Airbus’ partners had not approved the program. Secondly, when Airbus actually wanted to bring in more partners, no new partner was willing to invest money due to uncertain financial health of the consortium (Subhadra, 2003). Thirdly, problem regarding the products already in the market was that the consortium had not yet made money on them. Another negative feature of Airbus was its slow decision-making process and lastly, the global economic crisis, which also affected the aviation industry. To overcome its problems, Airbus uses computer software to develop its products. To alleviate slow decision-making process, the firm encouraged good cooperation among partners with manufacturing plants spread allover Europe. Since the partners were reluctant to invest due to uncertain financial health of the consortium, in early 1998, the Airbus partners re-commenced discussions on revamping the organizational structure of the consortium. Lastly, before initiating the production of a new

Criteria of Nursing as a Profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criteria of Nursing as a Profession - Essay Example This paper illustrates that from the first requirement of a profession, nursing is a specialized body of knowledge which combines sciences and technology, with interpersonal skills such as compassion and communication skills. Nursing is a specialized body of knowledge since nurses are required to know specialized tasks such as cure and coordination of patient safety. The knowledge includes topics such as cell biology and human anatomy. Other specialized courses in knowledge body of nursing include pathology, immunology, reproductive health, medical microbiology, and embryology. Nurses are also supposed to be aware of specialized issues like human nutrition, clinical pharmacology, occupational health and safe motherhood issues. The caring aspect of nursing requires all the professionals in the field to understand a patient’s needs and use clinical nursing knowledge in determining the outcomes of treatments. Nurses are supposed to accurately diagnose the patient illness and resp onse to medication and treatment offered by physicians and medical doctors. The body of knowledge in nursing is constantly increasing. The emergence of new types of diseases and medical treatment discoveries have increased the body of knowledge in the nursing profession. Nurses are expected to participate in ongoing education in order to enhance nursing practice and health issues. Nurses are expected to utilize creativity and innovativeness in delivering quality care to patients. The body of knowledge has increased due to many academic and professional research studies that aim at improving the quality of patient care. Many institutions of higher learning have embarked on finding the most effective means of providing low cost and quality care to patients. New knowledge in nursing is developed to improve education and professional practice. New nursing patient-care models and theories have been developed over the years to enhance learning and nursing practice. For instance, nurses ar e expected to demonstrate their commitment to lifelong learning. Nurses are also supposed to have required experience and skills before they can be allowed to practice privately. As a professional requirement, all the nurses should furnish records of their commitment to lifelong learning and evidence of competency in their areas of practice.

Personnel Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personnel Economics - Essay Example The company has the following operational units: Enterprise Fleet Management, Enterprise Car Sales, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Enterprise Rent-A-Truck. In spite of the fact that a customer within each and every one of these markets is in need of different products, every customer, whether private or business, requires a convenient, speedy and reliable service. Car rental as a business continues to be competitive. Enterprise is continually expanding the range of services it has, in a bid to meet the needs of the consumers (Kazanjian 40). Apart from business rentals at city and airport locations, the company also avails replacement cars for the repair of accidents, holiday rentals at short-term intervals for special occasions or breaks, and courtesy cars to be used in garages. Moreover, the enterprise offers a service of collecting consumers and taking them to their cars for hire. Upholding high customer satisfaction levels is an essential proponent of growth within the company. Enterp rise’s emphasis is delivering high-class customer service. It has on regular occasions won awards to this accord. The small and local office structure of the company and their entrepreneurial teams of employees have the capacity to whip out crucial decisions independently, and are, as such, able to attain their goals. The case study herein examines the manner in which the enterprise is able to screen and recruit the right personnel and skills in order to attain its business objectives and aims (Kazanjian 44). The Human Resource Management’s Role The human resource management’s purpose is to hire, consequently train, and ultimately develop staff. Where necessary, the department disciplines personnel or dismisses them. Though comprehensive training and development, the enterprise’s employees are promoted in the company and attain their full potential. This modus operandi reduces the company’s need for recruiting external personnel by making maximal u se of the existent talent (Compton and William 36). In terms of cost effectiveness, this is an effective way in which a business can manage its personnel. The human resources department not only functions to manage present staff but also plans for approaches of effecting changes bound to affect its staffing needs in the future. This phenomenon is referred to as workforce planning. For instance, the business may accrue growth into emerging markets such as truck rental. It may also adopt the use of new technology that necessitates new skills, such as global positioning. Moreover, personnel can retire or may be promoted, hence leaving gaps that have to be filled (Kazanjian 48). External changes in the labor market may occur, and this means that fewer skills will be available in a particular area, with other areas being inundated with professionals. Human resource management takes charge of planning for all tenets that define the company’s strategy for planning and recruitment. T he human resource management function of the company, therefore, plays a focal role in the business since all the managers make use of their expertise in their quest to acquire staff. The enterprise has an intrinsic policy of manager promotion from within its existent workforce. What this means is that the business has an obligation to recruit individuals who exhibit potential for growth. On an annual basis, an average of 1,000 employees is recruited into the

School and Bi Essay Example for Free

School and Bi Essay This is the town where his father saw the light of day, and where he sent to continue studying the rudiments of Latin, where he started to learn. Early Schooling Teodora Alonza Realonda * Was the first teacher of Rizal, where he learned the Latin alphabet and the Catholic prayer. Maestro Celestino and Maestro Lucas Padua * A private tutors of Rizal. Leon Monroy * Give the first lessons in Latin. Jose goes to Binan June, 1870 -Jose left Calamba for Binan, where he was accompanied by Paciano, who acted as his second father. They rode in a carromata. Leandro -a cousin of Rizal, went for sightseeing in the town. First Day in Binan School Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz -owner of the Binan school -tall, thin, long-neck man, w/ the sharp nose and a body bent slightly forward. Usually wore a sinamay shirt woven by the skillful hands of the Batanguenas. First School Brawl Pedro * The bully classmate of Jose and the son of their teacher Maestro Justiniano. Uncle Manuel * An athlete, the one who taught Jose in arts of wrestling. Andres Lakundanan * Challenged Jose to an arm-wrestling fight. Painting Lesson in Binan Juancho An old painter and the father-in-law of the school teacher. Who freely gave a lessons in drawing and painting. Jose Guevara * A classmate of Rizal, who also loved painting, and became the apprentices of the old painter. Daily Life in Binan Jose led a methodical life in Binan, which strengthened his body and soul. He recorded in his memiors: I heard the four o’clock Mass (in the morning), If there was one; or I studied my lessons in the same hour and heard mass afterward. Upon returning, I looked for mabolo fruit in the grove and I ate it. Afterward I took my breakfast, which consisted usually of a plate of boiled rice, and two fried sardinas. Then I went to class, which was over at ten. I went home immediately. If there was a particularly appetizing fish, Leandro and I were told to take it to the house of my aunt’s sons (a thing which I never did at home, and would never have done). I returned without saying a word, ate with them, and then applied myself to my studies. I went back to school at two, and was out at five. I played for a while with some good cousins before going home. There I studied my lessons, doodled a little, afterward taking my supper of one or two plates of boiled rice and an ayungin. We said our prayers and then, if there was a moon, my friends would call me out to play in the street in company with others. Thanks to God, I never fell sick when away from my parents. Best Students in School Jose beat all Binan boys. He surpassed them all in Spanish, Latin and other subjects. â€Å"in spite of the reputation I had of being a good boy, the day was unusual when I was not laid out on a bench given five to six blows† End of Binan Schooling Maestro Justiniano informed Jose’s parents that their child should be sent in college in manila. December, 1871 * Jose received a letter from his sister Saturnina, to inform him of the arrival of the steamer Talim. Dec. 17, 1871 * Rizal left Binan on Saturday afternoon, he accompanied by Arturo Camps.

An Analysis Of The Asean Regional Forum Politics Essay

An Analysis Of The Asean Regional Forum Politics Essay The end of the Cold War brought a fundamental change of security environment in Asia. As the East-West confrontation ended, US security policies became unclear. A power vacuum had been created in the region after the Soviet armed forces withdrew from Far East and Indochina, and the Chinese political influence was rapidly increasing. A multilateral forum for regional security was therefore ASEANs solution to the challenges that arose. In spite of the end of the Cold War, Asia still had problems such as tension on the Korean Peninsula, territorial disputes over the Spratly Islands, civil war in Cambodia and tension across the Taiwan Straits. These were problems that posed the threat of becoming severely destabilizing factors in the region. Although the United States had become the worlds only military superpower, in terms to burden sharing, its domestic economic problems as well as the global nature of all its affairs placed more demand on Asian countries. Therefore, Asian nations were preoccupied with this new set of circumstances in terms of security and how to get through the post-Cold War transitional period, while maintaining stability in Asia and ensuring its further development. The fundamental views of that emerged in the context of the above security threat were: In an uncertain post-Cold War era, promotion of confidence-building measures among Asian countries will be increasingly necessary. The Asia Pacific region will soon be facing new global issues such as the environment, terrorism, and drug trafficking. In order to address such issues, a regional cooperative framework is crucial and should be enhanced. The late 1980s and early 1990s marked a period of strategic shifts and uncertainty for Southeast Asia. Incorporating China and Japan into the web of interdependence with the rest of the region became imperative. It was recognised that United States engagement in the Asia Pacific region is indispensable for the stability and prosperity of the region. Thus, the ARF emerged. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is the principal forum for security dialogue in Asia, complementing the various bilateral alliances and dialogues. It provides a setting in which members can discuss current regional security issues and develop cooperative measures to enhance peace and security in the region. It draws together 27 countries which that include the 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam). To begin with, it is not hard to miss that the ARFs scope in terms of its member states goes far beyond South East Asia such that it includes a large number the developed and emerging powers of the world. In my view, this is an important characteristic of the ARF, which makes it unique compared to other security forums around the world. The reason behind this could be the idea of collective security. Most conflicts tend to involve national interests of major powers of the world. Therefore, their inclusion in the forum in a way ensures their consent or commitment towards peace and stability in the region. Formation of the ARF The ASEAN Regional Forum was primarily the outcome of states response to regional security problems that emerged post Cold War. The reasons for its formation can be looked via the two contrasting lenses of Realism and Idealism in order to grasp a wider interpretation. According to Realism, state action is a result of it national interests and a constant security dilemma that it faces. The concern for security motivates states to behave in a certain way, which in this case, was to come together and form a multilateral institution. Post-Cold War, there was a concern about changing strategic situation of South East Asia, wherein there was the fear that the attention and aid that the United States had showered during and before the Cold War would wane away. Moreover, the rapidly rising power of China was extremely worrisome and there was still a trust deficit that existed among the ASEAN countries and Japan- a hangover of Second World War ASEAN saw the ARF as a way to keep the US in, and China and Japan down. Moreover, the ARF could be seen as ASEANs way to maintain a balance of Power among the South East Asian Nations themselves. However, the realist interpretation of ARFs formation has a serious limitation. While it explains why the ARF was formed, it fails to explain why the forum was formed in spite of different interests that persisted among the ASEAN nations. What motivates countries to come together and trust each other, in spite of having varying goals and the constant security dilemma that was mentioned above. This limitation in explaining ARFs formation can be overcome by the explanation provided by the Idealist School of Thought. Idealists hold the view that shared norms and principals, as well as shared security concerns is what brought the ASEAN countries together to conjure up the idea of this forum. In an uncertain post-Cold War era, promotion of confidence-building measures among Asian countries became increasingly necessary. A serious threat was perceived to be posed by new global issues such as the environment, terrorism, and drug trafficking. In order to address such issues, a regional coope rative framework is crucial and should be enhanced. However, it is important to note that these nations didnt come together based on the above realization by themselves. Important track 2 level actors were involved to bring about this realisation about these shared norms, mutual benefits of forming ARF such as ASEAN-ISIS (Institutes of Strategic International Studies). Even so, besides the above reasons behind ARFs formation, what was it that motivated the major powers to join this forum? The consensus of the US is believed to be a result of US strategic reorientation post Cold War. The United States viewed ARF as a useful device to rein in China. Also, it saw the forum as an alternative way to deal with Asia-Pacific regional security without invoking bilateral ties which may have provoked China. Chinas joining is attributed to the fact that Beijing no longer saw multilateralism as a noose around its neck, but as an opportunity to make itself heard and understood by its neighbors on security and economic matters. This was a major change from Chinas view in the early 1990s. It is important to look deeply into the intricacies involved in the formation of the ARF because it gives us a deeper insight in the organizations role in Conflict Prevention and Confidence Building, which are important elements of Peacebuilding. The idea of forming a policy-oriented, security related dialogue with ASEAN at the centre- first proposed at ASEAN-Post Minstrel Conference (PMC) in Kuala Lumpur in July 1991. In January, 1992, an agreement was reached to strengthen political and security dialogue with non-ASEAN countries. In July, 1993, an agreement was reached to establish ARF, to include China and Russia. Finally, in July, 1994, 1st ASEAN Regional Forum was held in Bangkok. The Deepening of the ARF- Guiding Principles At the inaugural ARF in 1994, eighteen foreign ministers conducted a free discussion, without a prepared agenda or speech text. It served well to increase mutual understanding among the participants. Russia was unexpectedly active, while the Chinese attitude was cautious. China negatively reacted to the idea of using ARF to deal with specific security issues such as North Korean nuclear capability. After the discussion, though, all involved shared the view that the time was ripe to have security talks at the government level. They agreed to adopt the following as guiding principles for future dialogue. The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia: It was signed in Bali Summit of 1976, responsible for changing ASEANs vision and future course. The United Nations Charter The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which are as follows: Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity of all participating nations;  · The right of every state to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion;  · Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;  · Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful means;  · Renunciation of the threat or use of force. The Zone Of Peace, Freedom And Neutrality (ZOPFAN) in Southeast Asia: This Declaration committed all ASEAN members to exert efforts to secure the recognition of and respect for South East Asia as a Zone of Peace, free from any manner of interference by outside powers. The Declaration called upon all members to broaden the areas of cooperation which would contribute to their strength, solidarity and closer relationships. The concept of the South East Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ): At the Bangkok Summit (1994), the ASEAN leaders signed the Treaty on the South East Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone, stressing its determination to contribute towards general and complete disarmament and the promotion of international peace and security. The Treaty also aimed at protecting the region from environmental pollution and the hazards caused by radioactive waste and other toxic materials. In its first sixteen years, the ARF has focused on confidence building measures and has made modest gains in building a sense of strategic community. But efforts to develop tools of preventive diplomacy and conflict management are still at an early stage. At the ARF Ministerial Meeting in July 2009, a Vision Statement was endorsed providing a roadmap to guide the direction of the ARF to 2020.   The Statement includes an undertaking to develop an ARF preventive diplomacy capacity.   In order to achieve this, ARF Ministers agreed that a Work Plan for Preventive Diplomacy be developed in the 2009-10 ARF cycle. ARF meetings and processes The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has responsibility for ARF policy, in consultation with the Department of Defence. ARF meetings are held at Foreign Minister level, annually in July/August in conjunction with the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC). The chair of ASEAN, which rotates on annual basis, is also the chair of the ARF. The principal formal ARF document is the ARF chairs statement issued after every ARF Ministerial meeting. The ARF is supported by the ARF Senior Officials Meeting which meets annually in May or June. Two ARF Intersessional Support Group (ISG) meetings on Confidence Building Measures and Preventive Diplomacy are also held at officials level each year, co-chaired by one ASEAN and one non-ASEAN member. Recommendations and outcomes of these ISG meetings feed into the ARF Senior Officials Meeting. The ARF conducts four Inter-Sessional Meetings (ISM) annually that represent focus areas of the forum. These are ISMs on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime, Disaster Relief, Maritime Security, and Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. Second-track (non-official) institutions, such as the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) and the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN ISIS), have been instrumental in generating ideas and inputs for ARF (first track) consideration. The second-track institutions and networks conduct a number of seminars and working groups on regional security issues, involving academics, security specialists and officials participating in a personal capacity. Through its discretionary grants program, the Department supports the activities of AUS-CSCAP (the Australian Member Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific). The merit of track two level institutions is that they manage to deal with sensitive issues without creating tensions among states. This leads to fresh approaches, early warning mechanisms, etc. The inclusion of Track 2 level diplomacy is a unique feature of the ARF as a security forum. No other major security forum in the world employs this approach. ARFs Role in Conflict Resolution In ARFs 1995 concept paper it was recognized that the forum is relatively new and would take a gradual evolutionary approach towards building a conflict resolution capacity, rather than trying to tackle security challenges without having the appropriate capability to engage itself in the same. A consensus was reached on how this evolution can take place in three stages: Stage I : Promotion of Confidence-Building Measures Stage II: Development of Preventive Diplomacy Mechanisms Stage III: Development of Conflict-Resolution Mechanisms In the first 16 years since its inception, the ARFs activities have mainly revolved around building trust and confidence in the region, a practice whose basis lies in ASEANs well established practices of consultation and consensus (musyawarah and mufakat) The participants of the first ARF Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok in July 1994 agreed on the need to develop a more predictable and constructive pattern of relations for the Asia-Pacific region. In its initial phase, the ARF committed itself to therefore concentrate on enhancing, the trust and confidence amongst participants and thereby foster a regional environment conducive to maintaining the peace and prosperity of the region. In promoting confidence-building measures, the ARF adopted two complementary approaches. The first approach derives from ASEANs experience, which provides a valuable and proven guide for the ARF. ASEAN has succeeded in reducing, tensions among, its member states, promoting region cooperation and creating a regional climate conducive to peace and prosperity without the implementation of explicit confidence-building measures. ASEANs well established practices of consultation and consensus (musyawarah and mufakat) have been significantly enhanced by the regular exchanges of high-level visits among ASEAN countries. This pattern of regular visits has effectively developed into a preventive diplomacy channel. The second approach was the implementation of concrete confidence-building measures. The first ARF meeting, in Bangkok entrusted the next Chairman of the ARF, Brunei Darussalam, to study all the ideas presented by ARF participants and to also study other relevant internationally recognised norms, principles and practices. After extensive consultations, the ASEAN countries have prepared two lists of confidence-building measures. The first list spells out measures which can be explored and implemented by ARF participants in the immediate future. The second list is an indicative list of other proposals which can be explored over the medium and long-term by ARF participants and also considered in the immediate future by the Track Two process. These lists include possible preventive diplomacy and other measures. It was decided that given the delicate nature of many of the subjects being considered by the ARF, there was merit in moving the ARF process along two tracks. Track One activities will be carried out by governments. Track Two activities will be carried out by strategic institutes and non-government organisations in the region, such as ASEAN-ISIS and CSCAP. To be meaningful and relevant, the Track Two activities focus, as much as possible, on the current concerns of the ARF. The synergy between the two tracks would contribute greatly to confidence-building measures in the region. Over time, these Track Two activities should result in the creation of a sense of community among participants of those activities. This is another unique strategy adopted by the security forum in addition to its controversial strategy of non-interference. There remains a residue of unresolved territorial and other disputes that could be sources of tension or conflict. If the ARF is to become, over time, a meaningful vehicle to enhance the peace and prosperity of the region, it will have to demonstrate that it is a relevant instrument to be used in the event that a crisis or problem emerges. The ARF meeting in Bangkok demonstrated this by taking a stand on the Korean issue at the very first meeting. This was a signal that the ARF is ready to address any challenge to the peace and security of the region. Over time, the ARF must develop its own mechanisms to carry preventive diplomacy and conflict-resolution. In doing so, the ARF will face unique challenges. There are no established roads or procedures for it to follow. Without a high degree of confidence among ARF participants, it is unlikely that they will agree to the establishment of mechanisms which are perceived to be intrusive and/or autonomous. This is a political reality the ARF recognises. Conclusion It is clear from the above analysis that the ARF must be accepted as a sui generis Organisation. It has had no established precedents to follow and has carved out a unique path for itself as a security organisation. A great deal of innovation and ingenuity will be required to keep the ARF moving forward while at the same time ensure that it enjoys the support of its diverse participants. This is a major challenge both for the ASEAN countries and other ARF participants. The UN Secretary-Generals Agenda for Peace has recognised that just as no two regions or situations are the same, so the design of cooperative work and its division of labour must adjust to the realities of each case with flexibility and creativity. It has been 16 years in the formation of the ARF and in its first fifteen years, the ARF has focused on confidence building measures and has made modest gains in building a sense of strategic community and having achieved the status of being one of the most peaceful regions of the world. But efforts to develop tools of preventive diplomacy and conflict management are still at an early stage. And one can only wait and watch how the vision 2020 moves towards the 3rd stage of Conflict Resolution. ARFs approach has of course earned a lot of flak, especially for its policy of non interference. It is often argued and wondered as to how a security organization can ensure security in a region if it does not make efforts to stop internal conflicts. After all, in the present age of globalisation, even conflicts no longer restrict themselves to boundaries and are bound to become transnational sooner or later. The ARF has even earned the nick name of a talk shop in certain critiques. However, it is imperative to recognize that the ARF by running on the basis of ASEAN values has played a much more important role with regard to creating a basis of trust and confidence in order to achieve mutual benefits in the region. In the words of Winston Churchill, To jaw-jaw is better than to war-war. And this is where the ARF has scored. The fact remains that today, the region of South East Asia remains one of the most peaceful and stable regions in the world, and it has managed to do so, on the basis of shared norms and values rather than realpolitik. And the world can learn a lesson from that.

Magical Realism and Fantastic Sublime in Laura Esquivels Like Water fo

Magical Realism and Fantastic Sublime in Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate The different elements of the story Like Water for Chocolate are amazing. The feelings that go through a person upon listening, watching, and tasting events that happen during this story of the Spanish family's lives. The customs of this family were so unorthodox. This story is fantastic sublime and magical realism combined. Laura Esquivel wrote this novel in 1992. The nationality of the people in the novel was Mexican. A person can tell by the way expressions were made and the things that were done in the story. The novel has many fantastic sublime elements as well as magical realism. The elements of the story that stick out in a person's mind are the birth of Tita, the feelings of the love that Tita has in her heart for her sister's husband, Tita's cooking, the shower catching on fire, and Tita's sister riding off on a horse. Upon the birth of Tita, her mother flooded the kitchen table and floor when her water broke. The fluid had turned to salt and had to be swept up off the floor. This type of thing happening in the real world is not going to happen. The fluid turning into the salt was definitely a magical realism element. The fluid from the birth drying up like salt is similar to the sublime. The mysteries of cooking are treated in Like Water for Chocolate. The sublime seems to have a definition of being inhuman, an image that cannot be named. The magical realism has the definition of being magical and unreal. Tita's love she had for her sister's husband upon their marriage and through out the time of their marriage and lives. Tita's love never changed. It was the magical way Tita felt in her heart about the man she loved and the ... ...is really hard to distinguish the difference between the two. The hidden mysteries in the story of Like Water for Chocolate seem to never show the real meanings. The novel is interesting and keeps a person on his or her toes. The main point in the story is the boiling point that a person has inside will eventually boil over, given enough time. Emotions run high through out the story as well as the way each and everyone deal with the way the emotions come out. Works Cited Arensberg, Mary. The American Sublime. Albany: State University of New York Press, Albany 1986. Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. N.Y. Doubleday, 1992. Faris, Wendy. "Scheherazade's Children: Magical Realism and Postmodern Fiction" Magical Realism Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durkham, N.C.: Durham: Duke up, 1995: 163-190.

A Rebel on His Way to Adulthood in The Catcher in the Rye :: The Catcher in the Rye Essays

Ever since I read ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ – I was 17 then – I have tried to explain myself why this book is so significant. Why is it so hated and adored at the same time? I must confess I hadn’t heard anything about Salinger till I watched ‘Conspiracy Theory’. If you don’t remember I’ll tell you that the movie was about this taxi driver Jerry Fletcher who traced conspiracy in everything and all of sudden one of his theories came to be true. Mel Gibson was incredible playing a man who was funny and serious, brilliant and a bid mad. And this queer person couldn’t feel ‘normal’ if he didn’t buy a copy of ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ every day. And that impressed me so much that after that I bought the book myself. I don’t know why I did it. Generally, I hate to be told what to do, less what to read. But at that time perhaps I needed to feel ‘normal’ too. Now, four years later, I read it again. And I was a bit nervous about it. After all there is this disaster called ‘time’ and we are all infected by it but there is no cure. The symptom is that we change but not only physically. Our points of view, ideals and beliefs also change. That is why I was so anxious about reading the book again but at the same time I was curious to find out how much I have changed. Actually, I didn’t remember most of it. I could recall only my feelings. And that is not a recommended approach towards a book. But I don’t consider myself much of a critic but an observer and an interpreter. After all readers, incl. critics who are also readers, respond to a book the way it has affected their inner self. That’s why I would like to trace the difficult path towards adulthood that passes by various social and individual stops. For me, that is what makes the book so significant. Because we all struggled and will continue to struggle such psychological battles on our way towards ‘know thyself’. I would like to begin with the way some critics approached Salinger’s work. Although each of them expressed different points of view which are too extreme I would like to consider them and try to find the truth somewhere in the middle. Ann Goodman commented that ‘Holden was so completely self-centered that any other characters who wandered through the book, with the exception of his sister, Phoebe, had no authenticity at all’.1 Of course, it’s not so surprising for a person that passes such a

Individuation in J.D. Salinger’s Shoeless Joe and Shakespeare’s Hamlet

One could speculate that the human condition is that of fragmentation, a dichotomy of the many aspects of personality that make us who we are. C.G. Jung, the founder of analytical psychology formulated a school of thought called junginism to explain this state of disunity. One theory from the Jungianism school of thought is the process of "individuation.† The process of individuation refers to the course in which an individual unifies and integrates all aspects of his/her personality. Individuation is clear in both the character â€Å"Ray Kinsella† from J.D. Salinger’s â€Å"Shoeless Joe† and the character Hamlet, from Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Tragedy of Hamlet the Prince of Denmark. Unlike Ray Kinsella, Hamlet was not able to reach individuation because of his melancholic depression and the dichotomy of his archetypes. Firstly, Hamlets process of individuation is stunted because of his melancholic depression. Throughout the play there are several moments where the reader becomes aware of the harmful nature of Hamlets melancholic depression has on his process of individuation. One of the most famous soliloquies in history â€Å"too be or not too be† perfectly illustrates how Hamlet’s melancholic depression is to the detriment of his process of individuation. The first portion of the speech is Hamlet contemplating suicide, only to be dissuaded by the fact that it is a sin to end one’s own life â€Å"To be, or not to be? That is the question—Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them? To die†¦ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come† Hamlet is essentially contemplating the morality of suicide, but is worried that h... ...s hinder him for most of the play. Fortinbra like Hamlet is intent on avenging his father, but he is able to integrate all of his archetypes as part of his psyche, and does not lose his voice of reason in the pursuit of violence. Works Cited Maslow, A. H. A Theory of Human Motivation. 1943. http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.htm>. Steel, Piers Ph.D. The Science Of Procrastination. n.d. . 1916, English, Book Edition: Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology / by C. G. Jung ; Authorised Translation Ed. by Dr. Constance E. Long. Jung, C. G. (Carl Gustav), 1875-1961." Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology / by C. G. Jung ; Authorised Translation Ed. by Dr. Constance E. Long. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Dec. 2013.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Eight

IT TURNED OUT I WAS wrong about the local police department comprising of one guy and a dog. When Dimitri and I walked back to the motel, we saw flashing red and blue lights in the parking lot and a few bystanders trying to see what was happening. â€Å"The whole town turned out,' I said. Dimitri sighed. â€Å"You just had to say something to the desk clerk, didn't you?' We'd stopped some distance away, hidden in the shadow of a run-down building. â€Å"I thought it would slow you down.' â€Å"It's going to slow us down now.' His eyes did a sweep of the scene, taking in all the details in the flickering light. â€Å"Sydney's car is gone. That's something, at least.' My earlier cockiness faded. â€Å"Is it? We just lost our ride!' â€Å"She wouldn't leave us, but she was smart enough to get out before the police came knocking on her door.' He turned and surveyed the town's one main road. â€Å"Come on. She has to be close, and there's a good chance the police might actually start searching around if they thought some defenseless girl was being chased down.' The tone he used for â€Å"defenseless' spoke legions. Dimitri made an executive decision to walk back toward the road that had led us into town, assuming Sydney would want to get out of there now that I'd blown our cover. Getting the police involved had created complications, but I felt little regret over what I'd done. I was excited about the plan that had occurred to me in the woods and wanted, as usual, to get moving on it right away. If I'd helped get us out of this hole of a town, so much the better. Dimitri's instincts about Sydney were right. About a half-mile outside of town, we spotted a CR-V pulled off on the road's shoulder. The engine was off, the lights dark, but I could see well enough to identify the Louisiana plates. I walked over to the driver side window and knocked on the glass. Inside, Sydney flinched. She rolled down the window, face incredulous. â€Å"What did you do? Never mind. Don't bother. Just get in.' Dimitri and I complied. I felt like a naughty child under her disapproving glare. She started the car without a word and began driving in the direction we'd originally come from, eventually merging with the small state highway that led back to the interstate. That was promising. Only, once we'd driven a few miles, she pulled off again, this time at a dark exit that didn't seem to have anything at it. She turned off the car and turned to peer at me in the backseat. â€Å"You ran, didn't you?' â€Å"Yeah, but I got this–‘ Sydney held up a hand to silence me. â€Å"No, don't. Not yet. I wish you could have pulled off your daring escape without attracting the authorities.' â€Å"Me too,' said Dimitri. I scowled at them both. â€Å"Hey, I came back, didn't I?' Dimitri arched an eyebrow at that, apparently questioning just how voluntary that had been. â€Å"And now I know what we have to do to help Lissa.' â€Å"What we have to do,' said Sydney, â€Å"is find a safe place to stay.' â€Å"Just go back to civilization and pick a hotel. One with room service. We can make that our base of operation while we work on the next plan.' â€Å"We researched that town specifically!' she said. â€Å"We can't go to some random place–at least not nearby. I doubt they took down my plates, but they could put out a call to look for this kind of car. If they've got that and our descriptions, and it gets to the state police, it'll get to the Alchemists and then it'll–‘ â€Å"Calm down,' said Dimitri, touching her arm. There was nothing intimate about that, but I still felt a spark of envy, particularly after the tough love I'd just had being nearly dragged through the woods. â€Å"We don't know that any of that's going to happen. Why don't you just call Abe?' â€Å"Yeah,' she said glumly. â€Å"That's exactly what I want. To tell him I messed up the plan in less than twenty-four hours.' â€Å"Well,' I said, â€Å"if it makes you feel better, the plan's about to change anyway–‘ â€Å"Be quiet,' she snapped. â€Å"Both of you. I need to think.' Dimitri and I exchanged glances, but stayed silent. When I'd told him I knew a way to seriously help Lissa, he'd been intrigued. I knew he wanted details now, but we both had to wait for Sydney. She flipped on the dome light and produced a paper map of the state. After studying it for a minute, she folded it back up and simply stared ahead. I couldn't see her face but suspected she was frowning. Finally, she sighed in that woeful way of hers, turned off the light, and started the car. I watched as she punched in Altswood, West Virginia into her GPS. â€Å"What's in Altswood?' I asked, disappointed she hadn't entered something like Atlantic City. â€Å"Nothing,' she said, pulling back onto the road. â€Å"But it's the closest place to where we're going that the GPS can find.' A passing car's headlights briefly illuminated Dimitri's profile, and I saw curiosity on his face too. So. I wasn't the only one out of the loop anymore. The GPS read almost an hour and a half to our destination. He didn't question her choice, though, and turned back to me. â€Å"So what's going on with Lissa? What's this great plan of yours?' He glanced at Sydney. â€Å"Rose says there's something important we have to do.' â€Å"So I gathered,' said Sydney dryly. Dimitri looked back at me expectantly. I took a deep breath. It was time to reveal the secret I'd been holding since my hearing. â€Å"So, it, um, turns out Lissa has a brother or sister. And I think we should find them.' I managed to sound cool and casual as I spoke. Inside me, my heart lurched. Even though I'd had plenty of time to process Tatiana's note, saying the words out loud made them real in a way they hadn't been before. It shocked me, hitting me with the full impact of what this information truly meant and how it changed everything we'd all come to believe. Of course, my shock was nothing compared to the others'. Score one for Rose and the element of surprise. Sydney made no attempt to hide her astonishment and gasped. Even Dimitri seemed a little taken aback. Once they recovered, I could see them preparing their protests. They would either demand evidence or simply dismiss the idea as ridiculous. I immediately jumped into action before the arguments could start. I produced Tatiana's note, reading it aloud and then letting Dimitri look at it. I told them about my ghostly encounter, where the queen's troubled spirit made me believe there was truth to this. Nonetheless, my companions were skeptical. â€Å"You have no proof Tatiana wrote the note,' said Dimitri. â€Å"The Alchemists have no records of another Dragomir,' said Sydney. They each said exactly what I thought they would. Dimitri was the kind of guy always ready for a trick or trap. He suspected anything without hard proof. Sydney lived in a world of facts and data and had total faith in the Alchemists and their information. If the Alchemists didn't believe it, neither did she. Ghostly evidence didn't convince either of them. â€Å"I don't really see why Tatiana's spirit would want to deceive me,' I argued. â€Å"And the Alchemists aren't all-knowing. The note says this is a pretty heavily guarded secret from Moroi–it makes sense it would be secret from the Alchemists too.' Sydney scoffed, not liking my â€Å"all-knowing' comment, but otherwise remained silent. It was Dimitri who pushed forward, refusing to take anything on faith without more evidence. â€Å"You've said before that it's not always clear what the ghosts are trying to say,' he pointed out. â€Å"Maybe you misread her.' â€Å"I don't know †¦' I thought again about her solemn, translucent face. â€Å"I think she did write this note. My gut says she did.' I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"You know it's been right before. Can you trust me on this?' He stared at me for several moments, and I held that gaze steadily. In that uncanny way of ours, I could guess what was going on. The whole situation was far-fetched, but he knew I was right about my instincts. They'd proven true in the past. No matter what he'd been through, no matter the current antagonism between us, he still knew me enough to trust in this. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he nodded. â€Å"But if we decided to search for this alleged sibling, we'd be going against Lissa's instructions to stay put.' â€Å"You believe that note?' exclaimed Sydney. â€Å"You're considering listening to it?' A flash of anger lit up within me, one I worked to hide. Of course. Of course this would be the next obstacle: Dimitri's inability to disobey Lissa. Sydney feared Abe, which I could kind of understand, but Dimitri's concern was still the lofty vow of chivalry he'd made to Lissa. I took a deep breath. Telling him how ridiculous I thought he was behaving wouldn't accomplish what I needed. â€Å"Technically, yes. But if we could actually prove she wasn't the last in her family, it would help her a lot. We can't ignore the chance, and if you manage to keep me out of trouble while we do it'–I tried not to grimace at that–‘then there shouldn't be a problem.' Dimitri considered this. He knew me. He also knew I would use roundabout logic if need be to get my way. â€Å"Okay,' he said at last. I saw the shift in his features. The decision was made, and he'd stick to it now. â€Å"But where do we start? You have no other clues, aside from a mysterious note.' It was deja vu and reminded me of Lissa and Christian's earlier conversation with Abe when they were figuring out where to start their investigation. She and I lived parallel lives, it seemed, both pursuing an impossible puzzle with a sketchy trail. As I replayed their discussion, I attempted the same reasoning Abe had used: without clues, start working through obvious conclusions. â€Å"Obviously, this is a secret,' I said. â€Å"A big one. One people have apparently wanted to cover up–enough that they'd try to steal records about it and keep the Dragomirs out of power.' Someone had broken into an Alchemist building and taken papers indicating Eric Dragomir had indeed been funding a mystery woman. I pointed out to my companions that it seemed very likely to me this woman was the mother of his love child. â€Å"You could look into that case some more.' Those last words were spoken toward Sydney. Maybe she didn't care about another Dragomir, but the Alchemists still wanted to know who had stolen from them. â€Å"Whoa, hey. How was I not even part of this decision process? † She still hadn't recovered from our conversation suddenly running away without her. After the way our night had gone so far, she didn't look too pleased about being sucked into another of my rogue schemes. â€Å"Maybe breaking Lissa's orders is no big deal for you two, but I'd be going against Abe. He might not be so lenient.' It was a fair point. â€Å"I'll pull in a daughterly favor,' I assured her. â€Å"Besides, the old man loves secrets. He'd be into this, believe me. And you've already found the biggest clue of all. I mean, if Eric was giving money to some anonymous woman, then why wouldn't it be for his secret mistress and child?' â€Å"Anonymous is the key word,' Sydney said, still clearly skeptical of Zmey's â€Å"leniency.' â€Å"If your theory's right–and it's kind of a leap–we still have no idea who this mistress is. The stolen documents didn't say.' â€Å"Are there other records that tie into the stolen ones? Or could you investigate the bank he was sending money to?' The Alchemists' initial concern had simply been that someone had stolen hard copies of their records. Her colleagues had discovered which items were taken but hadn't given much thought to the content. I was willing to bet they hadn't searched for any other documents related to the same topic. She affirmed as much. â€Å"You really have no idea how â€Å"researching records' works, do you? It's not that easy,' she said. â€Å"It could take a while.' â€Å"Well †¦ I guess that's why it's good we're going somewhere, um, secure, right?' I asked. Struck with the realization that we might need time to put our next step together, I could kind of see the disadvantage of having lost our out-of-the-way hideout. â€Å"Secure †¦' She shook her head. â€Å"Well, we'll see. I hope I'm not doing something stupid.' With those ominous words, silence fell. I wanted to know more about where we were going but felt I shouldn't push the small victory I'd made. The victory I thought I'd made, at least. I wasn't entirely sure Sydney was 100 percent on board but felt certain Dimitri had been convinced. Best not to agitate her right now. I looked at the GPS. Almost an hour. Enough time to check back on Lissa. It took me a minute to recognize where Lissa was, probably because I'd been expecting her to return to her room. But no, she was in a location I'd only been once: Adrian's parents' home. Surprising. In a few moments, though, I read the reasoning from her mind. Her current suite was in guest housing, and in the ensuing panic over my escape, her building was swarming with visitors now trying to leave. The Ivashkov townhouse, situated in a permanent residential area, was a bit quieter–not that there weren't a few fleeing neighbors there too. Adrian sat back in an armchair, feet carelessly resting on an expensive coffee table that some interior designer had probably helped his mother choose. Lissa and Christian had just arrived, and she caught a whiff of smoke in the air that made her think Adrian had been sneaking in some bad behavior beforehand. â€Å"If we're lucky,' he was telling Lissa and Christian, â€Å"the parental units will be tied up for a while and give us some peace and quiet. How rough was your questioning?' Lissa and Christian sat on a couch that was prettier than it was comfortable. She leaned into him and sighed. â€Å"Not so bad. I don't know if they're fully convinced we had nothing to do with Rose's escape †¦ but they definitely don't have any proof.' â€Å"I think we got in more trouble with Aunt Tasha,' said Christian. â€Å"She was kind of pissed off that we didn't tell her what was going on. I think she probably wanted to blow up the statues herself.'IT â€Å"I think she's more upset that we got Dimitri involved' pointed out Lissa. â€Å"She thinks we screwed up his chances of ever being accepted again.' â€Å"Shes right,' said Adrian. He picked up a remote control and turned on a large, plasma screen TV. He muted the sound and flipped randomly through channels. â€Å"But no one forced him.' Lissa nodded but secretly wondered if she had forced Dimitri inadvertently. His dedicated vow to protect her was no secret. Christian seemed to pick up on her worry. â€Å"Hey, for all we know, he never would have–‘ A knock interrupted him. â€Å"Damn,' said Adrian, standing up. â€Å"So much for peace and quiet.' â€Å"Your parents wouldn't knock,' said Christian. â€Å"True, but it's probably one of their friends wanting to sip port and gossip about the terrible state of today's murderous youth,' Adrian called back. Lissa heard the door open and a muffled conversation. A few moments later, Adrian returned with a young Moroi guy that Lissa didn't recognize. â€Å"Look,' the guy was saying, glancing around uneasily, â€Å"I can come back.' He caught sight of Lissa and Christian and froze. â€Å"No, no,' said Adrian. His transformation from grumpy to cordial had happened as quickly as a light switch being flipped. â€Å"I'm sure she'll be back any minute. Do you guys all know each other?' The guy nodded, eyes darting from face to face. â€Å"Of course.' Lissa frowned. â€Å"I don't know you.' The smile never left Adrian's face, but Lissa picked up quickly that something important was going on. â€Å"This is Joe. Joe's the janitor who helped me out by testifying that I wasn't with Rose when Aunt Tatiana was murdered. The one who was working in Rose's building.' Both Lissa and Christian straightened up. â€Å"It was a lucky thing you turned up before the hearing,' said Christian carefully. For a while, there'd been panic that Adrian might be implicated with me, but Joe had come forward just in time to testify about when he'd seen both me and Adrian in my building. Joe took a few steps back toward the foyer. â€Å"I really should go. Just tell Lady Ivashkov that I came by–and that I'm leaving Court. But that everything's set.' â€Å"What's set?' asked Lissa, slowly standing up. â€Å"She–she'll know.' Lissa, I knew, didn't look intimidating. She was cute and slim and pretty, but from the fear on Joe's face–well. She must have been giving him a scary look. It reminded me of the earlier encounter with Abe. â€Å"Really,' he added. â€Å"I need to go.' He started to move again, but suddenly, I felt a surge of spirit burn through Lissa. Joe came to a halt, and she strode toward him. â€Å"What did you need to talk to Lady Ivashkov about?' demanded Lissa. â€Å"Easy, cousin,' murmured Adrian. â€Å"You don't need that much spirit to get answers.' Lissa was using compulsion on Joe, so much that he might as well have been a puppet on strings. â€Å"The money,' Joe gasped, eyes wide. â€Å"The money's set.' â€Å"What money?' she asked. Joe hesitated, as though he might resist, but soon gave in. He couldn't fight that much compulsion, not from a spirit user. â€Å"The money †¦ the money to testify †¦ about where he was.' Joe jerked his head toward Adrian. Adrian's cool expression faltered a little. â€Å"What do you mean where I was? The night my aunt died? Are you saying †¦' Christian picked up where Adrian couldn't. â€Å"Is Lady Ivashkov paying you off to say you saw Adrian?' â€Å"I did see him,' cried Joe. He was visibly sweating. Adrian had been right: Lissa was using too much spirit. It was physically hurting Joe. â€Å"I just †¦ I just †¦ I don't remember the time †¦ I don't remember any of the times. That's what I told the other guy, too. She paid me to put a time on when you were there.' Adrian didn't like that, not at all. To his credit, he remained calm. â€Å"What do you mean you told â€Å"the other guy'?' â€Å"Who else?' repeated Lissa. â€Å"Who else was with her?' â€Å"No one! Lady Ivashkov just wanted to make sure her son was clear. I fudged the details for her. It was the guy †¦ the other guy who came later †¦ who wanted to know when Hathaway was around.' There was a click from the foyer, the sound of the front door opening. Lissa leaned forward, cranking up the compulsion. â€Å"Who? Who was he? What did he want?' Joe looked like he was in serious pain now. He swallowed. â€Å"I don't know who he was! No one I'd seen. Some Moroi. Just wanted me to testify about when I'd seen Hathaway. Paid me more than Lady Ivashkov. No harm †¦' He looked at Lissa desperately. â€Å"No harm in helping them both †¦ especially since Hathaway did it †¦' â€Å"Adrian?' Daniella's voice rang down the hall. â€Å"Are you here?' â€Å"Back off,' Adrian warned Lissa in a low voice. There was no joking in it. Her voice was just as soft, her attention still on Joe. â€Å"What did he look like? The Moroi? Describe him.' The sound of high heels clicked on the hall's wooden floor. â€Å"Like no one!' said Joe. â€Å"I swear! Plain. Ordinary. Except the hand †¦ please let me go †¦' Adrian shoved Lissa aside, breaking the contact between her and Joe. Joe nearly sagged to the ground and then went rigid as he locked gazes with Adrian. More compulsion–but much less than Lissa had used. â€Å"Forget this,' hissed Adrian. â€Å"We never had this conversation.' â€Å"Adrian, what are you–‘ Daniella stopped in the living room's doorway, taking in the strange sights. Christian was still on the couch, but Adrian and Lissa were inches from Joe, whose shirt was soaked with sweat. â€Å"What's going on?' Daniella exclaimed. Adrian stepped back and gave his mother one of those charming smiles that captivated so many women. â€Å"This guy came by to see you, Mom. We told him we'd wait until you got back. We're going to head out now.' Daniella glanced between her son and Joe. She was clearly uneasy about the scenario and also confused. Lissa was surprised at the â€Å"heading out' comment but followed Adrian's lead. Christian did too. â€Å"It was nice seeing you,' said Lissa, attempting a smile to match Adrian's. Joe looked totally dazed. After Adrian's last command, the poor janitor had also probably forgotten how he'd ended up at the Ivashkov home. Lissa and Christian hastily followed Adrian out before Daniella could say much more. â€Å"What the hell was that?' asked Christian, once they were outside. I wasn't sure if he meant Lissa's scary compulsion or what Joe had revealed. â€Å"Not sure,' said Adrian, expression dark. No more cheery smile. â€Å"But we should talk to Mikhail.' â€Å"Rose.' Dimitri's voice was gentle, bringing me back to him, Sydney, and the car. He'd undoubtedly recognized the expression on my face and knew where I'd been. â€Å"Everything okay back there?' he asked. I knew â€Å"back there' meant Court and not the backseat. I nodded, though â€Å"okay' wasn't quite the right word for what I'd just witnessed. What had I just witnessed? An admission of false testimony. An admission that contradicted some of the evidence against me. I didn't care so much that Joe had lied to keep Adrian safe. Adrian hadn't been involved with Tatiana's murder. I wanted him free and clear. But what about the other part? Some â€Å"ordinary' Moroi who'd paid Joe to lie about when I'd been around, leaving me without an alibi during the murder window? Before I could fully process the implications, I noticed the car had stopped. Forcing the Joe-info to the back of my mind, I tried to take stock of our new situation. Sydney's laptop glowed in the front seat as she scrolled through something. â€Å"Where are we?' I peered out the window. In the headlights, I saw a sad, closed gas station. â€Å"Altswood,' said Dimitri. By my estimation, there was nothing else but the gas station. â€Å"Makes our last town look like New York.' Sydney shut her laptop. She handed it back, and I set it on the seat beside me, near the backpacks she'd miraculously grabbed when leaving the motel. She shifted the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. Not too far away, I could see the highway and expected her to turn toward it. Instead, she drove past the gas station, deeper into darkness. Like the last place, we were surrounded by mountains and forests. We crept along at a snail's pace until Sydney spotted a tiny gravel road disappearing into the woods. It was only big enough for one car to go down, but somehow, I didn't expect we'd run into much traffic out here. A similar road took us in deeper and deeper, and although I couldn't see her face, Sydney's anxiety was palpable in the car. Minutes felt like hours until our narrow path opened up into a large, dirt-packed clearing. Other vehicles–pretty oldlooking–were parked there. It was a strange place for a parking lot, considering all I could see around us was dark forest. Sydney shut off the car. â€Å"Are we at a campground?' I asked. She didn't answer. Instead, she looked at Dimitri. â€Å"Are you as good as they say you are?' â€Å"What?' he asked, startled. â€Å"Fighting. Everyone keeps talking about how dangerous you are. Is it true? Are you that good?' Dimitri considered. â€Å"Pretty good.' I scoffed. â€Å"Very good.' â€Å"I hope it's enough,' said Sydney, reaching for the door's handle. I opened my door as well. â€Å"Aren't you going to ask about me?' â€Å"I already know you're dangerous,' she said. â€Å"I've seen it.' Her compliment offered little comfort as we walked out across the rural parking lot. â€Å"Why'd we stop?' â€Å"Because we have to go on foot now.' She turned on a flashlight and shone it along the lot's perimeter. At last, it flickered across a footpath snaking through the trees. The path was small and easy to miss because weeds and other plants were encroaching on it. â€Å"There.' She began to move toward it. â€Å"Wait,' said Dimitri. He moved in front of her, leading the way, and I immediately took up the back position in our group. It was a standard guardian formation. We were flanking her the way we would a Moroi. All earlier thoughts of Lissa flitted from my mind. My attention was totally on the situation at hand, all my senses alert to the potential danger. I could see Dimitri was in the same mode, both of us holding our stakes. â€Å"Where are we going?' I asked as we carefully avoided roots and holes along the path. Branches scraped along my arms. â€Å"To people I guarantee won't turn you in,' she said, voice grim. More questions were on my lips when brilliant light suddenly blinded me. My eyes had grown attuned to the darkness, and the unexpected brightness was too abrupt a change. There was a rustling in the trees, a sense of many bodies around us, and as my vision returned, I saw vampire faces everywhere.