The Subprime Meltdown Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Subprime Meltdown - Essay Example (Gordon, 2008). The less stringent regulations for financial sector encouraged banks and other financial institutions to go on lending spree by defying prudent lending practices and lend into those areas which were historically considered as bad credit areas. Subprime mortgages is also the part of same sequences under which banks financed mortgages of those borrowers who had the histories of default. Based on the concept of high risk-high reward, banks and financial institutions devised products which catered the needs of subprime borrowers which ultimately resulted into the crisis as subprime borrowers started to default on their payments. The problem emerged when, through financial innovation, banks and financial institutions securitized those mortgages and issued fixed income securities whose payments were tied with the repayments received from subprime mortgage repayments. The process of securitization thus created essentially the mismatch between cash flows which finally culmina ted into the crises. This research paper will attempt to analyse and understand how and why crisis emerged, where the crisis emerged and the possible role of hedge funds into crises besides discussing its impact on world financial markets in general and Australian Financial Markets specially. "Sub-Prime lendSubprime lending "Sub-Prime lending typically has been characterized as lending at relatively costly interest rates and fees to credit impaired or otherwise high risk borrowers." (Lax, Manti, Raca, & Zorn, 2004). Sub prime lending is relatively a new and a popular especially for mortgage loans like interest loans. These types of loans are typically targeted to first time buyers of homes or borrowers with restricted capacity to finance new home purchase. Most of the homeowners tend to use this class of borrowing in order to consolidate their debts or when their credit ratings fall to a level where they can be declared as bankrupts mainly due to the fact that their available funds are utilized in some other resourcess such as high medical bills etc. (Blanton, 2005). Subprime lending became famous for many reasons. On one hand it not catered the needs of low quality customers but also provided an opportunity to the financial institutions to charge high amount of interest rates and other fees therefore b anks, spotting the opportunity to earn high started to lend extensively in this area. Due to this perceived high reward, financial institutions take the risk because it is compensated through better returns. Subprime lending- a problem Most of the subprime lending has been made in mortgage markets. It was because of this reason that homeownership increased tremendously over the period of time besides being favorite of the persons with loose credit ratings and a history of defaults. With the advent of financial innovation which took place especially after 1970s saw the emergence of financial derivatives as one of the most important financial instruments for banks to use in different situations. Banks, in order to regain the lost liquidity used in subprime lending started to securitize their mortgage portfolios by issuing mortgaged backed securities. However,

Globalisation in Kenya Essay Example for Free

Globalisation in Kenya Essay Globalisation is the process of integrating the world community into a common system,on the economical and social grounds. The economic integration is the initial phase globalization,which ensures reduction of geographical inequalities by first creating jobs and business opportunities all over the world. This is then followed by social integration which is the second phase of globalization. (www. worldbank. org/kenya ) Globalisation involves the opening up local standards to measure with the international standards. Globalisation in this context implies the process of transforming a country to a higher level in terms of economic and social development. United Nations Development Program is a global Development Network,that purports to create change and connect countries to knowledge,exposure and resources that enable their citizens lead a better life. It was established in Kenya in the the year 1964,by then known as Technical Assistance board. It was a a kind of agreement with the Kenyan Government. This program operates on attaining the following objectives;creating job opportunities,empowerment of the community,assist in enhancing security, Sustainability and Strategic Outreach. ( http://www. ke. undp. org/index. htm ). UNDP-Kenya involve itself actively in poverty reduction through improved groups which create employment and continuous income generation made possible. It ensure community empowerment by advocating the human rights,gender,judicial reforms and police. Security is enhanced through peace and security projects, without forgetting its role fighting out the spread of HIV/AIDS among the Kenyan sustainability projects address the preservation and conservation of Kenyan natural resources for the future generations,where strategic Outreach involves in creating an environment for in promoting partnerships for Aid and donor coordination and advocating initiatives related to sustainable human Development and mainstreaming of Kenyas policy,planning and visioning frameworks. The UNDP-Kenya also gives intelligence on socio-economic trends ,resulting from periodic analysis. Kenya is in East Africa and it was initially called Kirinyaga and later named Kenya,a name derived from the second highest Mountain in Africa. It is a country composed of people from different ethnic groups ranging over forty two tribes,with diverse cultures, making a total population of over thirty millions people. Statistics show that 80% percent of the Kenyan population are mostly farmers(www. worldbank. org/kenya ),and they live in dispersed rural settlements. The remaining 20% of the population lives in concentrated urban areas of Nairobi and Mombasa. The country is faced by problems like ethical divisions,drought,poverty and and the HIV/AIDS Epidemics,(http://www. fh. org/cdi_kenya ). Kenya is among the countries with highest population growth in the world,and it frequently experiences droughts,implying that it is unable to sustain its growing population . Poverty in Kenya can be seen evaluated from various angles ranging from increased dependency,inability to participate in development activities,high level of unemployment,inability to feed its population,lack of proper housing ,inappropriate and poor health facilities,inability to educate the young ones and in meeting their basic needs. The country is lacked as being the 30th most unequal societies globally in terms of resource distribution and gender biasness,where the top 10% of the of the population controls the Kenyas wealth. The group of people that is adversely affected by abject poverty includes the pastorals communities,agricultural laborers,unprofessional workers,female headed households,orphans and street families. (World bank website). Poverty reduction. Kenya is characterized by a high level of poverty like most developing countries of Africa,which a huge percentage of its population leaving below the the poverty line. This calls for intervention in attaining economic globalisation. UNDP-Kenya actively involves itself in poverty reduction throughout creating a favorable environment for trade,investment expansion and creation of employment among the Kenyan population. The enhancement of a favorable environment for trade automatically encourages both local and foreign direct investments which later leads to more employment opportunities hence income for the Kenyan population which increases their level of income,that adversely reduce poverty and increase the national output. At the executing level in attaining these goals,UNDP undertakes projects that involve improved groups ,which generate income and create employment. The projects are carried out in conjunction with the Government of Kenya ministries mostly the ministry planning and the ministry of youth affairs,and Non Governmental organizations at the community level. UNDP ensures the achievement of the above objectives in reducing poverty by the observation of the following practices; Resource development for Kenyan Capital market Authority,direct support to the Agricultural sector it being the backbone of the Countrys economy specifically in the tractor project,the development of bee and Honey products export processing related industries,provide professional and expert support to the Kenya Private sector Alliance,support the youth Employment scheme and the small enterprises Program,growing sustainable Business program,women empowerment in the â€Å"fanikisha† project,creating a link between the informal sector and trade opportunities, and last the enhancement of foreign direct Investments in commissioning the United National Conference on trade and Development(UNCTAD) to review the Countrys Investment laws and policies. UNDP gives an hand to exporters , small scale producers , manufactures and service industry a link to export marketers, and provides technical assistance to targeted products and developing their markets. This adds value to the Kenyas exports and thus a common good to the countrys economy and its people welfare. Democracy and good governance are the basis for the social Globalisation and it involves the respect of human rights,observation of just and the rule of law. This ensures smooth running of the government and the efficient allocation of resources , without forgetting accountancy in the use of public services. UNDP ensures Democracy and good governance is exercised in the country in Major national and local level institutions. It acts as a watchdog for the Kenyan people in ensuring efficiency,effectiveness,transparency,accountability and equality in the provision of public services and perpetuating the public confidence in ht e governments financial management system. UNDP ensures this by giving a hand in budgeting,planning and economic management process. The practices of UNDP that guarantees the achievement of Democracy and governance include the following; Engineering the formation and capacity building of Public Reform and Development Secretariat which design development priorities,improve the development partner relations and approving public money spending. UNDP also ensures democracy through community empowerment through active participation in ensuring that humanity and human rights are observed like in support of Women Advocacy through federation of women lawyers in Kenya who solely specialize in ensuring that women rights are not violated,establishing organizations taking care of needs of persons with disabilities,empowering of youth through the ministry of youth affairs,providing elections assistance programs and giving a hand in the implementation Human Rights in attaining a sustainable human Development. UNDP-Kenya supports the attainment of the the countrys new constitution and its willingness are assessed in its participation in support for the referendum, co-financed by Department of Finance and International Development, Swedish International Development Agency, Norway and Netherlands. UNDP-Kenya supports the public sector reforms,enables parliamentary participation,supports anti-corruption efforts, and also gives an hand in Kenya restoring the rule of law and observation of justice through creating awareness about the human rights,in an attempt to assist Kenya attain millennium development goals. Ensuring that there exists security is wide sphere among the Kenya communities,ranging from physical security to the provision of basic needs like food and health. Kenya is characterized with poor disaster management and preparedness which lead to massive destruction on a calamity striking,leading to a bigger loss than when measure we to me taken on either disaster management or preparedness. Calamities strike from natural to human initiated. UNDP-Kenya actively participates in ensuring food security,safety from physical harm and conflict, and healthy security. It tries to reduce the danger and the vulnerability of the population to natural catastrophes like drought and flood,and the man made catastrophes like war,in working closely with the Kenyan government,civil society and other United Nations agencies. It achieves its purported objectives by building disaster capacity management,mitigation,prevention and preparedness. Kenya is prone to inter-ethical wars because of its many different ethical communities, and UNDP ensures the formulation of policies that and programs that prevent conflict ,and rather promote peace and co-existence among the Kenyan communities. Health issues are addressed through the Programs HIV/AIDS prevention policies. Environmental management and conservation. Kenya is characterized by environmental abuse in terms of pollution , the inappropriate way of disposing refuse and depletion of indigenous species. This call for an intervention so as to conserve the environment and its constitutes for the coming generations and better stay of the current generation,in either protecting the species or avoiding the break up of health complications. UNDP actively involves itself in the environmental conservation and management and poverty into Kenyas National policies,planning process and strategies,reinforce community environment and natural resources governance,and ensure the development of sustainable energy sources and distribution of the energy in meeting the household needs,that generate income by creating employment opportunities and in meeting the energy requirements in other sectors of the Kenyan economy. Reaching out to donors and Consultants, and the provision of advocacy. There is normally a gap between the potential donors and the governments that need aid,and this is due to lack of negotiation ground and lack of trust. This requires an Intermediary in joining the to ends,which is in this case UNDP in Kenya,which also provide the advocacy. UNDP-Kenya provides an avenue for the Kenyan population to get assistance from within and outside the country. This is through its intensified network in Africa and all over the world given that its a global organization t helps in promoting partnership for both foreign and domestic aids and donor coordination and advocacy initiatives intended for sustainable Human development and its coming going into the Kenyas policy,planning and focusing framework. It also gives the Kenyan government an underground hand in preparing papers and reports for presentation in consulting Group meeting. Conclusion. Globalisation is seen as an integration of the world on either economically or socially in meeting the international standards. Economics integration involve the opening up of trade channels,investing all over the world and most importantly meeting the international standards. Social integration normally come after economic integration and it involves improving the peoples welfare in terms of their living standards,life style and respect human right through an informed judicial system that respects law and justice. United Nations development is an international network that solely aims at improving humanity by connecting countries to knowledge,exposure and resources that enable their citizens lead a better life. It is a vehicle to globalisation in the countries where it is established are mostly in the Developing countries like Kenya. Kenya like any other developing countries faces problems that need to be solved by reorganizing themselves and setting out solutions through a third party assistance. UNDP is among the third party participants in ensuring globalisation in Kenya and it intervenes through small improved groups,and in giving the government of the day technical advice and at times given responsibility to act on behalf of the government,given its expertise in analysis and implementation in attaining globalisation. It intervenes through its specialized programs in ensuring security in terms of food,health and physical security,it provided outreach services to the country in acting an advocacy role between donors and government,it directly involves it self in projects that reduce poverty by reaching the affected groups directly,it provides the government of the day with professional issues like budgeting and related economic issues like strategic planning. References Food for the child website: http://www. fh. org/cdi_kenya Tripod Website: http://lautbry. tripod. com/cpce/globalization/index. htm United Nations Website: http://www. ke. undp. org/index. htm

Theatre Essay: Site Specific Performance

Theatre Essay: Site Specific Performance Site Specific Performance: How has the nature of site-specific performance as a hybrid art-form influenced approaches tosite-specific work in Britain over the last decade? SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION Site-specific performance emerged out of the radicalartistic milieu of the late 1960s and early 1970s that also gave birth tosite-specific work generally. It represents perhaps the most ambitious andrevolutionary re-interpretation of theatre and performance devised in thetwenty-first century. Site-specific performance has influenced site-specificwork in Britain in the past ten years in many ways. This dissertation examinesthree especially strong influences: (1) site-specific performance and its useof audience (2) site-specific performance and its internal debate as to whethersite-specific art is site-exclusive or site generic, and (3) site-specific practitionerstheory of the selection of sites. Before these three principal investigations arediscussed the dissertation briefly reviews the history and origins ofsite-specific performance and its key practitioners. The first major section of this dissertation investigatesand analyses the relationship between site-specific performance and itsaudience. The questions and debates that have arisen from the novel andintimate participation between site-specific performers and their audienceshave had considerable influence upon site-specific work as a whole. Site-specificperformance understands the audience as a vital element of the total productionand not merely as paying members of the public who are isolated from thecreative process. Many performances depend intimately upon the energy andmutual fascination of the subject that exists between performers and audience.Often the audience are part of the performance itself. This intimacy points toa basic philosophical and professional principle of site-specific performancethat reacts against the perceived coldness, frigidity and eliteness oftraditional theatre buildings and instead maintains that theatre andperformance ought to be a socially-levelling ent erprise. The dissertation thereforeasks the prominent questions: Can audience self-identity be altered by aperformance? And: Can original and multiple spectator identities be created bysite-specific performances? The answers to these questions have beeninfluential throughout the whole of the site-specific world. The second-subsection of this section explores therelationship between site-specific performance and the community from which itsaudience is drawn. The success of site-specific performance theorists andpractitioners in showing the great extent to which the community in which aperformance is situated affects the ambiance and attitude of the audienceechoes throughout the site-specific world and informs it of vital lessons. Thisinvestigation of community and audience also highlights how site-specific performancecan work to bring theatre to the masses in an inclusive format that protestsagainst the elitist forms of the past. The final sub-section of this sectionreviews some of the problems variability and limitations of audience forinstance experienced by site-specific performers with respect to audienceand then suggests how these may teach valuable lessons to the rest of thesite-specific world. The second major section of the dissertation examines thekey debate in the literature of site-specific performance as to whether suchperformances should be site-specific or site-generic. That is, whether suchperformances should be free to tour and travel or not? The answers anddiscoveries furnished for this question by site-specific performers arerelevant and influential upon this same debate which penetrates the whole ofthe site-specific community. This debate reaches to the philosophical centre ofsite-specific performance and threatens to bring about a fundamental changewithin the genre. At the heart of the issue is the question of whether aparticular performance, conditioned as it is by the particular environment inwhich it is created, can be moved either physically or spiritually to anothersite. Vehement arguments have been made on both sides of the debate, with manypro-tour performers refuting Richard Serras famous dictum that to removethe work is to destroy it.The dissertation considers as one solution the theoretical postulate of apure model of site-specific performance from which various performancesdeviate in healthily diverse ways. The dissertation then considers in depth theproposal of Wrights Sites whether that the solution to this dilemma mightdepend upon a change in terminology and vocabulary of site-specificperformance. Such a shift of terminology provides site-specific performancewith a greater subtlety of definition and self-identity and therefore overcomesthe apparent impasse suggested by the site-specific site-generic dispute. The final major sub-section of the dissertation considersthe use of space by recent site-specific performers and the influences ofthis use upon site-specific work as a whole. The space within which atheatrical performance may take place was given its most radical revision andprogressive drive in the twentieth- century by the practitioners ofsite-specific performance. Space, in terms of performance, had before theadvent of site-specific theatre been confined near exclusively to traditionaltheatre buildings and to their conventional shapes. The outstanding achievementof site-specific performance has been to vastly extend the range and types of spaceand venue in which a theatrical performance can take place. The dissertationconsiders the implications for performance of such a radical break with thepast, as well as looking at the notions of uninhabitable space and culturalspace. The discoveries made about space by site-specific performers arerelevant for the whole of site-specific work i n Britain. The dissertation concludes with an evaluation and summing-upof all the previous discussion and with an analysis of the future influence ofsite-specific performance upon site-specific work as a whole. SECTION 2: SITE-SPECIFICPERFORMANCE HISTORY It is important to know something of the history ofsite-specific performance when seeking to determine its influence uponsite-specific work in the past decade in Britain. Such a glance at the historyilluminates the evolution of ideas within the genre and shows how they came totake their present form in the twenty-first century. Site-specific performance originated as an outgrowth ofsite-specific artwork movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s.Site-specific artwork was a form of art that was created to exist in a certainspace and was conditioned in form by the environment and space of that place.At the centre of the site-specific artwork movement was an attempt to take artout of what was perceived to be the affected and pretentious atmospheres of thegalleries and theatre buildings and to transpose them upon a wider variety ofoutdoor and indoor venues. One useful definition of site-specific performanceis that of the Dictionary of Video Art which states Locations andenvironments may have some kind of drama or meaning for ordinary people butthis has no significance for the bourgeoisie until interpreted by theheightened sensibilities of the director.In other words, the purpose of site-specific performance and its reason forexistence is to make the public aware of the artistic merits of ordinarybuil dings and spaces that have always been of interest to ordinary men butpassed over by the elitist and institutionalised artists of the past. Site-specificperformance often involves a (more or less) political decision to workagainst the dominant discourse of London, its theatre buildings, and itstheatre tradition.Site-specific performance is about a fundamental reorientation of space awayfrom its traditional understanding in British theatre. Site-specific performance has emerged out of this generalartistic milieu in the works of artists and directors such as Peter Brook,Ariane Mnouchkine, Deborah Warner, Gof Brith, Janet Cardiff and in festivals orproduction companies such as Grid Iron, Wrights Sites and the EdinburghFestival. Other recent practitioners include Mac Wellman, Meredith Monk andAnne Hamburger. From the first list two names in particular have been pivotalto the development of site-specific theatre: Peter Brook and Deborah Warner. PeterBrook was one of Britains greatest theatre directors and much of thisgreatness came from his radical style and use of stage both of which are seenas pre-cursors of modern site-specific performance. Brook was deeply influencedby the Theatre of Cruelty by Antonin Artaud and this lead to dramaticproductions such as Jean Genets The Screens in 1964 and Peter Weisss Marat/Sadein 1964 a huge success after its sharp and revolutionary break withtheatre style to that time. Brook brough t a new philosophy to the theatre thatimbued it with a new sense of potential and manipulation of space andenvironment shown well in his productions of Senecas Oedipus and TheEmpty Space. More recently, Deborah Warner has made further developed theseearly origins of site-specific performance with radically different productionssuch as Titus Andronicus (1987), Richard II (1995) and JuliusCaesar (2005). SECTION 3: SITE-SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE: AUDIENCE (A) Audience: General Perhaps the singlegreatest contribution of site-specific performance as a hybrid art-form tosite-specific work as a whole has been the radical transformation andre-constitution of the concept of audience and of how audiences experience liveperformance. When site-specific art first emerged in the late 1960s it appealedto audiences primarily because of the novelty of the form and the novelty ofthe viewing experience. Nonetheless, site-specific art, whilst novel in itself,did not go make any profoundly novel contributions to the nature, identity andconstitution of its audiences. Site-specific work had no yet developed asite-specific critique or paradigm, and this was left in large measure to thepioneers of site-specific performance. The great advantage and breakthroughachieved by modern site-specific performance is that it draws the audience ofinto an intimate participation with that performance; the audience become anessential part of the performance itself. Notable historical examples haveincluded Sirens Crossings Trace and Flight (2000), Wrights SitesThe Quay Thing (1998), Anne Marie Culhanes Night Sky (1997) and TheWhalley Range All Stars Day of the Dummy (1999). Consequently, withsite-specific performance, both performers and spectators reach a profounderdepth of empathy and understanding with the performance that they havewitnessed, than with traditional theatre and even from site-specific work as awhole. In this sense, site-specific performance represents an evolution of thegeneral site-specific art-form towards a level of greater spectator-involvementand identity.The philosophy and theory that underpins this evolution has much to do with areaction against the perceived coldness and unnaturalness of the traditionaltheatre (where the audience are always separated from the performers) and itstendency to promote the values and aims of elite members of society above theaspirations of the ordinary citizen. Site-specific performance however can besaid to be an equalizing art-form: it holds as a basic philosophicalprinciple the belief that the members of the audience are of equal importanceand significance for the meaning and successful execution of a particularperformance as the performers themselves. As such, site-specific theatre andperformance have taught and continue to teach practitioners of site-specificwork generally be it site-specific conceptual art, community art,installation art, public art etc., that the greater the participation andsense of involvement of the audience, the greater will be the efficacy of thatperformance upon both performer and viewer. Site-specific work therefore hasmuch to learn from the techniques, literary interpretations, scene-designs andso on of site-specific performers. This use of audienceby site-specific performers has achieved for the first time, according to FionaWilkie, the sense of a collective audience identity, a knowing audiencethat constructs itself appropriately as an interpretative body via a cumulativeframework of contemporary framework experiences.Thus, site-specific performance asks of the audience members themselves certainbasic existential and artistic questions. For instance: how is an audiencessense of self forged? How and in what ways is an audiences purpose decided?The extent to which site-specific performance achieves this intensive audienceself-interrogation is perhaps unrivalled in all twentieth-century performance art-formsand promises to be one of the few genuinely unique artistic discoveries ofrecent years. Traditional theatremaintains a clear space between audience and performer no matter how elatedor ecstatic a spectator may feel during a traditional performance he is alwaysnonetheless still a mere spectator with no direct influence upon the directionor outcome of the performance. Site-specific performance radically reverses theaudience situation and role and instead makes them central actors in theperformance itself. Site-specific performance also raises the questions of: Canaudience self-identity be altered by a performance? And: Can original andmultiple spectator identities be created by site-specific performances?On the first question it is noted by authors such as Williams and Kwon that theunique process of audience participation in site-specific performance oftenleaves the audience with changed perceptions of identity once the performanceis completed. On the second question, it is also clear from the growingliterature that now surrounds site-specific performance that the form ha s thepotential to create new audience identities as well as to leave differentgroups of the audience with different identity perceptions at the end.From these various observations of audience participation in site-specificperformance it is evident that site-specific work has benefited and learnt anenormous amount about the role of audience and its possible stages oftransformation. Moreover, the far more diverse nature of members ofsite-specific performances alters the mood and atmosphere and perceptions ofthat audience. Rather than being an elite experience attended by only one classof people with, broadly speaking, a single artistic attitude and expectation,the audience is instead a diverse melting-pot of different classes andprofessions of people. (B) Audience Community Site-specificperformance has also raised for general site-specific art the notion of theimportance of the community in which a particular performance or art exhibittakes place. One particular site-specific performance company, The Olimpias,base their work upon questions of site ownership and in line with the theme ofdisability. According to Petra Kuppers, company director, site-specificperformance ought to be attentive to the local community and its ways of inhabitingits environment the company (The Olimpias) work with the community to takenew forms of site, re-interpret the site, keep its history and presence alive.Community then is a crucial extension of the audience and the site factorsinvolved in a site-specific performance. It is the community about a specificwork that is most intimately affected by a performance since that performancethrows new light on and reinterprets that communitys existence in a particularway. Site-specific performance can help to re-invigorate and breathe life intoa community by making it more aware and perceptive of the sites that itoccupies. So too the site-specific performances of Wrights Sitesis interested in the place and in the people who meet us in this place. Thecompany Welfare State International have also expressed a commitment todrawing in local energies and leaving behind a residue of skills and confidenceafter the companys withdrawal .For many companies then site-specific theatre is a performance that takes placein the living space of a particular community and is enacted alongside andwithin the working life of the community. Thus there is an experientialauthenticity that is unique to site-specific theatre. (C) Issues WithAudience Nonetheless, somewriters such as Jan Cohen-Cruzhave argued that taking theatre from established buildings in specific placesto a specific-site does not necessarily create a more intimate audienceenvironment or sense of identity or multiple identities. On this Cohen-Cruzstates: Space is always controlled by someone and exists somewhere, so itis inevitably marked by a particular class or race and not equally accessibleto everyone. one must question whether access to a broader audience really isa difference between performance site-specific and in theatre buildings.Cohen-Cruzs quotation is useful because it sounds a note of caution tosite-specific performers who automatically assume that by merely creatingsite-specific performance of any sort they will immediately achieve a deeper ormore profound sense of audience participation and diversity than would be foundin a traditional theatre. Site-specific performance is a relatively newart-form that is treading into new territory especially with respect to theunderstanding of audience participation and identity. It is therefore to beexpected that a certain exuberance and robust enthusiasm amongst its performersmay sometimes lead to idealizations of the potential of the art-form; that is,a tendency to assume that site-specific performance is a panacea for all limitationsexperienced by traditional-theatre audiences in past centuries. It is prudenttherefore to agree with writers such as Fiona Wilkie that the potentialaudience range and diversity of a site-specific performance is decided not byonly by the nature of the genre itself but by the particular features of thesite itself. Access to such site-specific performances depends nearly entirelyupon the location and type of site chosen for a particular performance.If, for instance, the site chosen for a particular performance is an abandonedwarehouse or factory floor close to several housing estates or residentialareas then it is likely that that performance will be accessible to many peoplewho would be traditionally excluded from a theatre experience. If, however, asite-specific performance is held in a country-estate or at the top of acommercial tower-block then it is far less likely that the audience thatattends will be as diverse and kaleidoscopic as at the performance of in theabandoned factory or warehouse. For instance, the site-specific performancecompany K neehigh Theatrehave reflected how their performance of Hells Mouth in the ClayDistrict of Cornwall a poor and dilapidated area encouraged a far broadersection of the community to attend than would have done the traditionaltheatre. In Kneehighs words: In Hells Mouth last summer, bikers from thearea performed the English/Cornish skirmishes in the Mad Max style Cornwall ofthe future. This theme and reasonable ticket prices, encouraged a stronglocal percentage of audience, who would not normally see the companys work ortheatre of any sort.So too the breadth of the audience of any site-specific work will be determinedalso by the theme and nature of the performance. A site-specific performancethat deals with an esoteric or abstruse subject will not guarantee for itself abroad audience simply by virtue of the fact that it is a site-specific performance. Several site-specificperformance companies have sought to maintain the diversity of their audiencesin the following ways. The Lions Part company, for instance, seek to escapethe bureaucracy of the theatre buildingby providing free access to all performances and free financially also. InFiona Wilkies eloquent phrase: The notion of the performance moves away from thehigh-brow associations of the theatre and closer to reaching a publicwell-versed in the popular culture of gigs, festivals and celebrations. Itemphasizes the significance of the spatial encounter and is conceived as awhole experience for the spectator Wilkie here identifiesa key strength of site-specific performance: its ability and capacity tosynthesize myriad different forms of contemporary art, culture and society andto fuse them into a relevant and meaningful whole. Moreover, site-specificperformance has the unique advantage of being able to manipulate space inwhatever way it likes. A traditional theatre is severely limited in the sensethat its performance can only take place within the predetermined and setdimensions of the theatre building; these dimensions remain the same for everynew production no matter how different such productions might be from eachother. The space and dimensions of a site-specific performance are howeverdetermined and limited only by the space and dimensions of the site itself andthey therefore have a far greater range and flexibility than traditionaltheatre. For instance: a windmill, an abandoned factory, a coffee shop, adoctors surgery, a former nuclear silo all offer different and uniqueexperiences of space for the audience. So too, a site-specific performance mayeven have two separate audiences: one that pays admission and is conscious ofthe performance and another that attends the event for free and is an integralpart of the performance itself. To take an example: when Grid Iron held thesite-specific performance Decky Does a Broncoin numerous childrens playgrounds some audience members bought tickets whilstthe children (attending free) that played in the playground were urged tocontinue their activities and so became part of the setting and the performanceitself. Ben Harrison, director of Decky Does a Bronco, recalls howchildren came to and fro different parts of the performance depending upon thelevel of excitement raised for them by a particular moment or scene from thatperformance; when bored the children would retire to the quieter parts of thepark. In Harrisons useful phrase, this double audience adds to thecomplexity of the event. SECTION 4: SITE-SPECIFICPERFORMANCE: SITE-SPECIFIC ORSITE-GENERIC? Site-specificperformance has contributed significantly to the site-specific as a whole onthe pressing question of whether site specific art should be site-specific or sitegeneric. That is, whether site-specific work should remain rooted in at theexact site of its creation or whether the idea created in a particular site maybe transferred to other similar sites. This question is perhaps the mostvociferously argued debate in site-specific work at present. At stake is thephilosophical and intellectual basis of the movement itself. Site-specific workemerged in the late 1960s as an art-form that made a unique use of site andsite features to influence the shape and form of the design: these sites wereusually highly different or unique from all others and so each sculpture,art-work or performance had its own unique characteristics. Traditionalsite-specific artists of this old-school therefore refute the idea that theidiosyncratic features of a particular site can simply be uprooted andtrans ferred to another site no matter how similar to the original. In RichardSerras famous phrase to remove the work is to destroy the work.In other words: once a site-specific art-piece has been torn from its originalcontext it loses the one thing that made it powerful and unique. Nonetheless,in recent decades such notions of the immovability from and inseparability of asite-specific work from its original setting have been assailed by artistsdriven by market forces and institutional changes in attitude. In one criticswords: Site specificity has become a complex cipher of unstablerelationships between locations an identities in the era of late capitalism.Miwon Kwons work One Place After Another: Site-Specific Art and LocationIdentityis of enormous importance in elucidating the contours and features of thisshift in the direction of site-specific art. The internal movementsof site-specific performance have done much to inform and influence the widersite-specific art of the last decade. In site-specific performance the keyquestion of recent years has been: Can site-specific performance travel? Or:Does Site-specificity mean site-exclusivity? Within the site-specificperformance community this debate as to exclusivity of site has been arguedwith near equal tenacity by both opponents and supporters. Thus, in many ways,the debate appeared recently to have come to a standstill. One way found by site-specificperformers to step beyond this impasse has been to define levels ofsite-specificity. For instance the company Red Earthhas stated: Someprojects are completely site-specific, i.e., they could not take place anywhereelse without losing a strong thread of meaning and connection; while other moreflexible projects may work around a certain sense of place, i.e., the spirit orconcept at the heart of the project would work in several but not all -locations. This quotation then suggests that the term site-specifichas a degree of inherent relativity and flexibility. At one end of thespectrum, the term stands for certain performances that are absolutely rootedin the exact and unique site and community features in which they are set; forsuch performances there is no possibility of moving their ideas to differentsites. At the other end of the spectrum, certain performances can be moved fromsite to site if they preserve or enhance the spirit or primary idea thatbegan the original performance. Between these two poles are various types ofsite-specific performance whose transferability rests upon ambiguous or dubiousprinciples. Justin McKeown of the Whalley Range All Stars suggests that thisrelativity should be defined in terms of site-specific performances that are directlyderived from a chosen siteand therefore have to remain at that site indefinitely, and on the other handbetween performances that can be transferred since they acknowledge and expandupon the inherent meanings within a site. Paul Pinson, of Boilerhouse,has argued further that the relativity of site-specific performance isconditioned by the way that the company engages with the space that it occupiesat a particular site. Pinson suggests further that a performance can bepartially site-specific and partially of another genre and that this hybridity thereforejustifies a company to tour its performances. Pinson states: You canrecreate a work in response to a number of different sites, which is totallyvalid in itself and is an element of site-specificity but is different frommaking a piece of work in response to one specific site. The site-specific or site-generic debate and is plethora ofinterpretations have raised questions about the present purity ofsite-specific performance. Above all: is it possible for theoreticians andpractitioners of site-specific performance to find or derive a pure model ofsite-specific performance, against which hybrid forms of this model might becompared? That is: can one set up construct an ideal paradigm of site-specificperformance and then show how variations of this paradigm are beneficial intheir individual ways? Miwon Kwon has suggested that one definition of thispure model might be To make a truly site-specific piece means it sitswholly in that site in both its content and form, otherwise if moveable, itbecomes more about the site as a vehicle.Variations from this pure model are healthy natural growths from themother-model; the work of site-specific theoreticians is to define thesevariations and to ascribe to each of them independent areas of operation. An alternative to this model of deriving variations ofsite-specific art from a pure or perfect model is to invent a new terminologyfor the art-form. Wrights Siteshave suggested that the terms In theatre building, Outside theatre,Site-Sympathetic, Site-Generic and Site-Specific beused to describe the various degrees of theatre performance. The first two ofthese are clearly beyond the pale of any generally accepted definition ofsite-specific performance. Interestingly however Wrights Sites propose athree-fold division of the genre of site-specific performance. The advantage ofsuch a hierarchy is that it allows greater freedom and subtlety of descriptionwhen deciding to which exact genre a performance of site-specific work belongs.The term site-specific is accordingly reserved for performances that have aprofound and absolute relationship with the specific site in which theperformance is prepared and enacted. Such performances work only at one site,never tour or travel, and do not use pre-existing props or scripts.Nonetheless, one major problem of such a terminology is the difficulty ofassigning the large number of performances that seem to fall between thecategories of site-generic and site-specific. These disputes about definitions and terminology that havearisen in the particular field of site-specific performance are or considerablerelevance and have been of considerable influence upon similar disputes insite-specific work generally. The central question of the debate cansite-specific performance tour is equally relevant to all others types ofsite-specific work, be it sculpture, community art, painting and so on. Byadopting a similar terminology to that of site-specific performancesite-specific work generally might clear up many of its own internal disputes. SECTION 5: SITE-SPECIFIC:TYPES OF SITE Internal debates within the literature of site-specificperformance as to what kind of site to select for its performances hashad considerable influence over similar decisions within site-specific workgenerally. What then can site-specific work generally learn fromsite-specific performance? Above all, perhaps, is the extensive andcomprehensive analysis and exploration of the medium of space undertaken byleading site-specific performers. Richard Schechnerhas stated that theatre places are maps of the cultures where they existand Hetheringtonthat Certain spaces act as sites for the performance of identity. Artisticmanipulation of space is vital to successful site-specific performance, and theunique development in this quest has been the exploration of alternatives typesof space and site in which to perform site-specific theatre. Theatre had forcenturies been largely confined to theatre buildings of one sort or another;the advent of site-specific theatre saw the use of a plethora of differentvenues for performance from coal mines, to hospital wards, to libraries, tocoffee shops and so on ad infinitum. These ventures into alternativesites for performance raised amongst scholars of site-specific performance thekey questions: What are the consequences of such diverse selection of sites?What association will each site bring to the site-specific genre? What are thecommon themes that bind such eclectic choices of venue? On the last question,some attempts have been made by figures such as Hetheringtonto classify these venues in groups: for instance, parks and childrens playareas can be classed with beaches as public spaces. Cohen-Cruzhas argued that such spaces allow site-specific performers to use space that isnormally thought of as publicly inhabitable to entice passers-by to attendthe performance therefore symbolising for the performers the theme of makingperformance accessible. The spaces found in venues such as museums, churchesand galleries are used somewhat differently however. In contrast to p

The Wealth Effect Essay -- Wealth Effect Stock Market Economy Essays

The Wealth Effect The "Wealth Effect" refers to the propensity of people to spend more if they have more assets. The premise is that when the value of equities rises so does our wealth and disposable income, thus we feel more comfortable about spending. The wealth effect has helped power the US economy over 1999 and part of 2000, but what happens to the economy if the market tanks? The Federal Reserve has reported that for every $1 billion in increase in the value of equities, Americans will spend an additional $40 million a year. The wealth effect has become a growing concern because more and more people are investing; furthermore the Federal Reserve has very little direct control over stock prices. The numbers are staggering. Since the end of 1995, household stock holdings have doubled to more than $12 trillion dollars. And, for the first time, equities are the most valuable asset of the typical American household, not the home. When it comes to spending money, consumers take all their financial resources into consideration, from their income to their home. When an asset surges in value for a sustained period of time, such as the stock market in the 1990s, people feel flush and are willing to spend some additional money, perhaps b y buying a fancy car or by taking a more expensive vacation. A good number of Wall Street analysts blame the wealth effect for today's negative savings rate. Declining stock prices affect firms in several ways. First, lower stock prices, especially induced by profit warnings, increase shareholder pressure on managers to cut costs by laying off workers and scaling back investment. Second, the recent correction has put many stock options underwater, and it is unclear to what extent workers will bargain for more cash in place of options and how this might affect payroll costs and inflation. Third, the factors dragging down stock prices typically spur investors to demand higher risk premiums, which boosts the cost of financing business investment. This takes the form of increased spreads of corporate bond and commercial paper interest rates relative to Treasury yields and lower prices for any new stock that any firm dares to offer. Aside from raising the going price of new finance, the increased uncertainty associated with lower stock prices can spook investors so much, that the availability of finance is reduced. Since the... ...bear market if we remain at war for a long time in the future. We have seen in the past month, steady gains in the major stock indices. Some are stating that the bull market may be back with the war on terrorism going well, and others are insisting that the gains are only short term and that the market will retest the lows hit in mid-September. Only time will tell on how long it will take for our market to completely rebound into a bull market like we saw in the 90’s. Sources 1.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Balke, Nathan. â€Å"The Economy in Action†. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. 2.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Angeletos, George , David Laibson, Andrea Repetto, Jeremy Tobacman, and Stephen Weinberg. The Hyperbolic Buffer Stock Model. 3 March 2001. 3.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clarke, Grahm and Steven Caldwell. â€Å"Wealth in America†. Ohio State 1998. 4.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fidelity Investments. 2001 Estimated Stock Wealth Effects on Consumption. 5.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American Express Company. 2001 American Express â€Å"ever day spending† survey. 6.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Khoury. Yahoo Finance: http://finance.yahoo.com. 7.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  U.S. Census Bureau. www.census.gov/. 2001. 8.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Swanson, KC. Is the â€Å"negative wealth† effect all its cracked up to be. The Street.com 29 March 2001.

Describe the Terms and Conditions of Own Contract of Employment Essay

My contract of employment covers Job Location, as regards to where I am based in my employment. A job description, which describes the duties and responsibilities of my post. Continuous service, this is my start date for the company even if in a different role. Criminal records bureau checks, this just states that the post is subject to a CRB check. Probationary period, this confirms length of probationary period , what is expected of you within that period and also what happens at the end of the probationary period. Pay, This describes how much I will be paid, any enhancements, pay scale and possible pay rises dependant on gaining certain qualifications. Payroll procedures, this describes how I will be paid, how often and when i will be paid, pay slip information, about the company’s rights to make deductions if over paid or if you left and owed holiday/money for training or crb and about advising the company of any change in personal details. Hours, this is brief information on hours I am expected to do and break entitlements. Holidays, describes my holiday entitlement, how to book it and when the leave year commences and ends. Notice period, information on length of notice needed to terminate employment by myself or company. Training, states that you are required to attend mandatory training and about the possibilities of further training. Sickness arrangements, details the procedure to follow if you are ill and statutory sick pay entitlements. Confidentiality, explain the need for confidentiality due to sensitive nature of the business whilst in service and after leaving. Data protection, informs of the need for the company to hold personal information on you.

Critique of Centesimus Annus

I. Synopsis of the Pope's Encyclical Centesimus Annus, written by Pope John Paul II, commemorates and praises Pope Leo XIII's â€Å"Of New Things† (Rerum Novarum) written in 1891. Even after a hundred years, it still hasn't lost its vital influence. It is meant to honor the Church's â€Å"social doctrine† which had come from it. We should go through it once more so as to rediscover the wisdom behind the basic principles on how we should deal with the workers' condition. We should also look into the future to reawaken our responsibility, to proclaim the truth, and to communicate the life which is Christ. We should look at our own â€Å"new things† to bring forth in the Church's tradition, both â€Å"new† and â€Å"old† from the Lord's treasure. â€Å"Old† refers to defending the human person, protecting human dignity, building a more just society, and fighting injustice. â€Å"New† is analyzing recent history in order to understand the new requirements of evangelization. Chapter I – Characteristics of â€Å"Rerum Novarum† Towards the end of the last century, a new form of property had emerged – capital; and a new form of labor – labor for wages. Labor for wages was mainly profit- and efficiency-driven, rather giving high regard to the workers' sex, age or family situation. Human labor had become a commodity which could be freely bought and sold in the market, in accordance with the law of supply and demand. Workers were threatened by unemployment and lack of society security — leading to their starvation. Society has been divided into two classes. One promotes total economic freedom by appropriate laws while the other leans toward an organized and violent form of political and social structure. When people started to realize the injustice of the situation and a socialist revolution threatened to break out, Pope Leo XIII intervened by writing a document dealing with the systematic approach on the â€Å"condition of the workers†. Society was torn by the conflict between capital and labor — the worker question. The Pope wanted to restore peace, so he condemned class struggle. He formulated a doctrine regarding the Church's stand on specific human situations — both individual and communal, national and international. However, not all readily accepted the Church's right and duty in doing so. Many still believe that the Church should restrict itself to otherworldly salvation. The Pope's letter put the Church in a â€Å"citizenship status† amidst the changing realities of public life. The Church's social teaching is an essential part of the Christian message and there can be no genuine solution to the â€Å"social question† apart from the Gospel. Pope Leo XIII affirmed the dignity of work and the rights and dignity of workers, who work hard for self-preservation and for attaining their various needs. Work belongs to the vocation of every person by which one can realize oneself. Pope Leo XIII also stressed the right to â€Å"private property† — land ownership. Everyone has the right to possess things necessary for his and his family's development. Pope Leo XIII's letter affirms other undeniable rights such as the â€Å"natural human right† to form private or professional associations like trade unions. The Pope also acknowledges the limit on working hours, the right to legitimate rest, and the right of children and women to be treated differently with regard to the type and duration of work. He wrote of the right to a just wage that would be sufficient to support the worker and his family. This right cannot be left to the free consent of the parties. The Pope spoke of â€Å"distribute justice† whereby the public authority has the â€Å"strict duty† of providing for the workers' welfare, especially that of the poor because they have no other means apart from what they earn. He also affirms the right of the working class to fulfill their religious duties freely and avail of Sunday rest. Pope Leo XIII criticizes â€Å"socialism† and â€Å"liberalism.† Against socialism, he reaffirms the right to private property. As for liberalism, he states that the State should neither favor the rich nor neglect the poor. The defenseless and the poor have a claim to special consideration. The richer class can help itself while the poor have no resources of their own to do so and depend heavily on the State's assistance. This still applies today, with the new forms of poverty in the world. It does not depend on any ideology or political theory, but on the principle of solidarity, valid in the national and international order. Leo XIII calls it â€Å"friendship†, Pius XI calls it â€Å"social charity†; Paul VI, extending it even further, speaks of a â€Å"civilization of love.† In line with the Church's â€Å"preferential option for the poor,† Pope Leo XIII calls upon the State to intervene and remedy the condition of the poor. Though he does not expect the State to solve every social problem. The individual, family, and society should be protected by it and not be repressed by it. The point highlighted by Pope Leo XIII's encyclical and the Church's social doctrine is a correct view of the human person. God has imprinted man in his own image and likeness. Man's rights come from his dignity as a person, and not from the work he performs. Chapter II – Towards the â€Å"New Things† of Today The events of 1989 and 1990 proved that Pope Leo XIII's perception on the consequences of â€Å"real socialism† are accurate — that the worker would be the first to suffer, that it would distort the role of the state and create utter confusion in the community. Socialism considers the individual person as a mere molecule within the social organism to which he is completely subordinated. Man is no longer free to make a moral decision independently. This makes it difficult to realize his personal dignity and build a human community. The Christian vision is different: the social nature of a person is not totally fulfilled in the State, but is realized in various intermediary groups, beginning with the family and expands to include economic, social, political and cultural groups. Denial of God would mean complete disrespect for human dignity. The Pope does not intend to condemn every possible form of social conflict since such conflict is inevitable. However, Christians must take a stand in the â€Å"struggle for social justice.† He condemns â€Å"total war† — which has no respect for the dignity of others and of oneself. It attempts to dominate one's own side using any (and often reasonable) means to destroy the other side. Thus, class struggle in the Marxist sense and militarism have atheism and contempt for the human being as their common root. Rerum Novarum is against any form of State control that would reduce the citizen into a mere â€Å"cog† in the State machine. It is also opposed to a state that is not interested in the economic sector. The State has to determine the judicial framework to conduct economic affairs, so that the interests of one group do not overrule another. Society and the State should take the responsibility in protecting the workers against unemployment by establishing policies that would ensure the workers' balanced growth and full employment. They must protect the vulnerable immigrants and the marginalized from exploitation. â€Å"Humane† working hours and adequate leisure need to be guaranteed, along with the right to express one's own personality without sacrificing one's conscience or personal dignity. The State must try to achieve these goals in accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity. Indirectly by subsidiarity — by creating favorable conditions for the free exercise of economic activity; directly by solidarity — by defending the weakest and ensuring the necessary minimum support for the unemployed. The encyclical and the subsequent social teaching of the Church influenced numerous reforms in the years bridging the 19th and 20th centuries. Reforms were carried out partly by States and achieved through workers' movements which include Christians who established the producers', consumers', and credit cooperatives and promoted general education, professional training, and new forms of participation in the life of the workplace and society. Lack of respect for human dignity led to the tragic wars which ravaged Europe and the world between 1914 and 1945. Hatred and resentment built on injustices on the international level made these cruel wars possible. Though weapons have remained silent in Europe since 1945, true peace, which entails the removal of the causes of war and genuine reconciliation between people, has not yet been achieved. Half of Europe fell under a Communist dictatorship, while the other half is trying to defend itself. They use science and technology for creating instruments of war. Power alliances fought and caused enormous bloodshed in different places. Extremist groups got themselves armed; those in favor of peaceful solutions remained isolated or fell as victims. Following World War II, Third World countries became militarized. Terrorism spread and the whole world was threatened by an atomic war. Though new ideas about peace and war started to stir people's consciences, the threat of Communist totalitarianism distracted people's attention and provoked different responses. Some countries made a positive effort to rebuild a democratic society inspired by social justice. Others set up systems of â€Å"national security† opposing Marxism, but risked destroying the very freedom and values of the person for which they are defending. Another response came from the affluent/consumer society, which seeks to defeat Marxism by showing how a free market society can achieve a greater satisfaction of material human needs than Communism, while equally overlooking spiritual values. â€Å"Decolonization† became widespread. These countries, however remained in the hands of large foreign companies which are not committed to the development of the host country. They lack competent leadership that would be able to successfully integrate all tribal groups into genuine national communities. The horrors of the WWII and a lively sense of human rights led to the formation of the United Nations Organization. Deeper awareness on the rights of individuals and the rights of nations shifted the focus of the social question from the national to the international level. But UN has yet to establish effective means for resolving international conflicts. Chapter III – The Year 1989 In the 1980's, oppressive regimes fell in Latin America, Africa, and Asia mainly due to the violation of workers' rights — the oppressed working people recovered and rediscovered the principles of the Church's social teaching. A second factor in this crisis was due to the technical inefficiency of the economic system which spans violation in both cultural and national dimension. We can understand a human being more completely when we place him within the cultural context — through language, history, and the position he takes towards the fundamental life events. When these differences are overlooked, the culture and moral life of nations deteriorate. The main cause of this collapse was the reaction of the younger generations to the spiritual void brought by atheism. The youth did not find any sense of direction until they rediscovered the roots of their national culture and the person of Christ. Marxism promised to uproot the need for God from the human heart, throwing the heart into confusion. The struggle which led to the changes of 1989 were born of prayer. Humankind, created for freedom, bears the wound of original sin, which draws persons to evil and puts them in constant need of redemption. This shows that the human person tends towards good but is also capable of evil. We must not confuse political society with the Kingdom of God. It is only God who will do the Final Judgment. The Kingdom of God, being â€Å"in† the world without being â€Å"of† the world, throws a light on society, calling everyone, especially the laity, to infuse human reality with the Gospel. The Church encountered a workers' movement that had been partly under the dominance of Marxism for almost a century. Workers found their consciences, in their demand for justice and recognition of the dignity of work, in conformance to the Church's social teaching. The crisis of Marxism does not rid the world of the injustices on which it thrived. To those looking for a new theory, the Church offers her teaching, as well as her concrete commitment and material assistance in the struggle against marginalization and suffering. Beyond an impossible compromise between Marxism and Christianity, the Church reaffirms integral human liberation with consequences important for the countries of the Third World, searching for their own path to development. The second consequence concerns the European people. Many individual, social, regional and national injustices were committed during the Communism years; thus there is great risk that such conflicts would re-occur. We need to unite international structures that would mediate the conflicts between nations and reach for a peaceful settlement. A patient material and moral reconstruction is necessary. The fall of Marxism and the end of the world's division highlight our interdependence. Peace and prosperity belong to the whole human race and cannot be achieved if attained at the cost of other people and nations. The real post-war period had just begun in some countries in Europe. Their predicament was brought about by the tragic situation imposed upon them. The countries responsible for that situation owe them a debt in justice. This need should not diminish the willingness to sustain and assist the countries of the Third World, which often suffer even more. Priorities have to be redefined. Enormous resources could be mobilized by disarming the huge military machines built by East and West for conflict. These resources could become even more abundant if we found a way of resolving conflicts peacefully. A change of mentality is necessary — wherein the poor is no longer seen as a burden but instead as people seeking to share the right in enjoying material goods and make good use of their capacity for work so that we can create a just and prosperous world for all. Development must be understood as something fully human, not as something merely material. Its main purpose is the enhancement of everyone's capacity to respond to God's call. Recognition of the rights of the human conscience serves as the foundation of truly free political order. We must reaffirm this principle for the following reasons: some dictatorships have not yet been overcome; in the developed countries, the promotion of and demand for instant gratification devalue respect for human rights and values; and in some countries, new forms of religious fundamentalism deny minority groups their rights to know and live the truth. Chapter IV – Private Property and the Universal Destination of Material Goods The Church teaches that the possession of material goods is not an absolute right, and that there are certain limits to that right. Man should not consider material possessions as his own but as common to all. Private property also has a social function based on the law of the common purpose of goods. Access to work and land serves as the basis of every human society. In the past, the earth was the primary factor of wealth; today, the role of human work has become an important factor for producing nonmaterial and material wealth. Work â€Å"with† and â€Å"for† others depends largely on insight into the productivity of the earth and knowledge of our human needs. Today, the possession of know-how, technology, and skill have become as important as land. The wealth of industrialized nations is based more on the ownership of technology than on possession of natural resources. Another important source of wealth is the ability to foresee the needs of others and satisfy those needs. This often requires the cooperation of many people working towards a common goal. Skills in organizing, planning, timing, and management are also sources of wealth. The role of discipline, creativity, initiative, and entrepreneurial ability, is evident. This process reaffirms the stand of Christianity: next to the earth, humanity's principal resource is the person himself. Once the decisive factor of production was land; then it was capital; now it is the human being. Many are faced with the impossibility of acquiring the needed knowledge to take their place in the working world. They are exploited or marginalized and they cannot keep up with new forms of production and organization. In their quest for wealth, they flock towards Third World cities only to find that there is no room for them. Sometimes, there are even attempts to eliminate them through population control. Many others struggle to earn a bare minimum in inhumane conditions. Those cultivating land are excluded from land ownership and are practically slaves with no land, no material goods, no knowledge, no training. Some development programs have been set up, and the countries that managed to gain access to the international market in this way have suffered less from stagnation and recession than those who isolated themselves. Those who fail to keep up with the times — such as the elderly, the women, and the youth – are often marginalized. They are incapable of finding their place in society and are classified as part of the so-called Fourth World. The free market appears to be the most efficient tool for utilizing resources and responding to needs. But this holds true only for those who have the purchasing power and who those whose resources are marketable. Justice and truth demand that basic human needs should be met and that none should be left to die. The possibility of surviving and making a contribution to the common good is something which is due to the person as a person. In the Third World context, Pope Leo XIII's objectives are yet to be met. Trade unions and other worker's organizations find here a wide range of opportunities for commitment and effort for the sake of justice. It is right to speak of a struggle against an unjust economic system that does not uphold the priority of the human being over capital and land. The alternative to it is not a socialist system that leads to state capitalism, but a society with free work, enterprise, and participation that is in favor of a market which guarantees the basic needs of the whole society. Profit is a regulator of the life of a business but is not the sole indicator of a firm's condition. There are other equally important factors to be considered — such as human and moral factors. After the fall of â€Å"real socialism†, capitalism is not the only economic alternative left. Individuals and nations need the basic things to enable them to share in development. Stronger nations must assist weaker ones, weaker nations must use the opportunities offered. Foreign debts affect these efforts. The principle that debts should be paid remains, but should not be asked for at the cost of the hunger and at the price of unbearable sacrifice of the people. There is the need to lighten, defer, or even cancel the debts, to let people subsist and progress. In advanced economics, quality is more important than quantity — the quality of the goods to be produced and consumed, the quality of the services to be enjoyed, the quality of the environment and of life in general. Hence the phenomenon of consumerism arises. Appealing to human instinct only may create lifestyles and consumer attitudes that are damaging to spiritual and physical health. The educational and cultural formation of consumers and producers and of the mass media are urgently needed, as well as the intervention of public authority. An example of false consumption is drug abuse. This implies a serious malfunction in the social system, a destructive â€Å"reading† of human needs, and the idle filling of a spiritual void. Same is true with that of pornography and other exploitative consumerism. It is not wrong to want to improve our lives; it is wrong to seek a lifestyle which is presumably better when it is directed towards what one â€Å"has,† instead of what one â€Å"is.† Even the decision to invest in one way rather than another is a moral and cultural . Consumerism also raises the ecological issue. Humankind is consuming the resources of the earth and life in an excessive and disordered way, while neglecting the earth's own needs and God-given purpose. Humanity today must be conscious of its duties and obligations towards future generations. Aside from the concern on the destruction of our natural environment and the threat of extinction of our various animal species, we must also safeguard the moral conditions of our â€Å"human ecology†. We must use earth with respect to the original good purpose of which it was given by God. Urbanization and work can give rise to â€Å"structures of sin†. Courage and patience would be needed to destroy such structures and replace them with more authentic forms of community life. The first and fundamental structure for a â€Å"human ecology† is the family, founded on marriage, in which the mutual gift of self as husband and wife creates an environment in which children can be born and develop their potentialities, become aware of their dignity and prepare to face their unique and individual destiny. Too often life is considered to be a series of sensations rather than as something to be accomplished. The result is a lack of freedom to commit oneself to another person and to bring children into this world. This leads people to consider children as one of the many â€Å"things† which an individual can have or not have as they please. The family is sacred; it is the heart of the culture of life. The Church denounces the limitation, suppression or destruction of the sources life — including abortion, systematic anti-child-bearing campaigns, and chemical warfare. The State is responsible for defending and preserving the common goods such as natural and human environments. Relying on market forces alone will not suffice. Such mechanisms carry the risk of an â€Å"idolatry† of the market which ignores the existence of goods which are not just mere commodities. Marxism blamed capitalist societies for commercializing and alienating the human being. This censure is based on misconception of alienation — the remedy of which is collectivism, but this only further aggravated the situation. Alienation is still a reality in the West, because of consumerism, that does not help one appreciate one's authentic personhood and because of work, which shows interest only in profit, and none in the workers, considering them to be mere means. The way out of this deadlock is to reconsider the Christian vision of the human person and its â€Å"capacity for transcendence.† A human society is both alienated and alienating if its organization, production, and consumption make transcendence more difficult. A person who is concerned solely with possessing and enjoying and is no longer able to control his instincts and passions cannot be free, Obedience to the truth about God and humankind is the first condition of freedom. After the failure of Communism, should capitalism be the goal for Eastern Europe and the Third World? The answer is complex. If â€Å"capitalism† meant a market or free economy that recognizes the role of business, the market, private property, the resulting responsibility for the means of production, as well as free human creativity — then the answer is â€Å"yes.† If it meant a system in which economic, religious, and ethical freedom are denied, then the answer is â€Å"no.† Marxism failed, but marginalization and exploitation remain. The collapse of communism is not enough to change these conditions. A radically capitalist system might not even try to solve them. The Church has no models to offer as effective models only develop out of concrete situations. Instead, the Church offers its social teaching as an indispensable and ideal orientation. It insists on the right of workers to be respected and to be involved in the life of industrial enterprises so that, in a certain sense, they â€Å"work for themselves.† The relationship between private property and the universal destination of material wealth has to be reestablished. By means of his work a person commits himself, not only for his own sake but also for others and with others — their families, communities, nations, and, ultimately for all humanity. They collaborate with suppliers and customers in a continuously expanding chain of solidarity. Ownership is just if it serves a useful work; it is unjust when it is used to hinder others, or to break the solidarity among workers to gain profit. The obligation to earn one's bread presumes the right to do so. A society that denies this right cannot be justified, nor can it attain social peace. Chapter V – State and Culture Pope Leo XIII speaks of organizing a society whereby there is a balance of these three powers- legislative, executive, and judicial. Marxist-Leninism contradicted this by saying that people who have more knowledge than others should rule others in an absolute way. Totalitarianism rejected the authority of the Church and attempts to destroy her. By defending its own freedom, the Church also defended the human person. The Church values democracy and cannot encourage the formation of narrow ruling groups that would use the power of the State for their own intentions. Authentic democracy requires a State ruled by law, true education and formation, participation and shared responsibility. Democracy does not mean that there is no ultimate truth. The Church is aware of the danger of fanaticism and fundamentalism. Christian truth is not an ideology; it knows that human life is realized in history, and it always respects human freedom. Freedom attains its full development only by accepting the truth. The democratic ideal prevails today, so does the attention to human rights. That is why, we must stress the importance of these rights: the right to life, that of a child to develop in the mother's womb from the moment of conception, to live in a united family, to education, to work and support oneself and one's dependents, to establish a family freely, to have and to rear children, to live in the truth of one's faith. Not all these rights are being respected though, even in countries practicing democracy. Sometimes certain demands are not met for narrow opportunistic, electoral, or financial reasons. This leads to distrust and apathy and inability to see any issue within the framework of a coherent vision of the common good. Market economy cannot be run in an institutional, juridical, or political vacuum: the State has its role to play, guaranteeing personal freedom, a stable currency, and efficient public services. Lack of stability, corruption, improper ways of growing rich, and speculation hinder development and social order. The State has to intervene when monopolies hinder development; it can substitute its own services when certain sectors of business are too weak to render the services needed for the common good. Those interventions should only be brief so as to avoid removing from society and business tasks that belong to them. The â€Å"principle of subsidiarity† must be respected: â€Å"A community of a higher order should not interfere with the life of a community of a lower order, taking over its functions.† In case of need it should, rather, support the smaller community and help to coordinate its activity with activities in the rest of society for the sake of the common good. Not doing this leads to a loss of human energy, an increase of bureaucratic agencies, and an increase in costs. The Church has always been present and active among the needy, offering them material assistance in ways that neither humiliate nor reduce them to mere objects of assistance. To overcome today's individualistic mentality, a concrete commitment to solidarity and charity is necessary and this should begin in the family. The State should create social policies with family as their main focus — to assist the family with adequate resources for bringing up their children and looking after the elderly, thus strengthening the relations between generations. The culture of a nation is born, generation after generation, from the open search from truth. The heritage of values have always been challenged by the young — not in order to destroy or reject it, but to make it more real, relevant, and personal. When a culture becomes inward-looking, disregarding the truth about man, it is heading for its end. The first and foremost task for the adequate formation of a culture happens within a person's heart. Building one's own future depends on the understanding a person has of himself and of his own destiny. The Church contributes at this level to true culture, promoting peace, preaching how creation is placed in human hands to make it fruitful and more perfect, preaching how the Son of God saved and united us, making us responsible for all of mankind. Pope Benedict XV and his successors recognize the negative impact of war on people's lives and repeated the cry: â€Å"War, never again!†. Just as personal revenge has given way to the rule of law within states, so has the time come for a similar step to be taken at an international level, not forgetting that at the root of war and conflict there are usually serious grievances. Another name for peace is development. Together we are responsible for avoiding war; together we are responsible for promoting development. It should be possible to organize at an international level the kind of solid economy that is possible in an individual society. The poor-whether individuals or nations- need to be provided realistic opportunities. This calls for a concerted worldwide effort to promote development which may mean important changes in established lifestyles, limiting waste of environmental and human resources. It also means utilizing the new and spiritual responses of peoples who today are at the margin of the international community, thus enriching the family of nations. Chapter VI – The Human Being Is the Way of the Church The Church is not interested in imposing her own vision. Her sole purpose has been care and responsibility for the human person who has been entrusted to her by Christ. The human sciences and philosophy are helpful in explaining how this concrete person is involved in a complex network of relationships within modern times. Faith reveals our real identity. That is why the Church concerns itself with the rights of the individual, the working class, the family and education, the duties of the State, the ordering of national and international society, economic life, culture, war and peace, and respect for human life from conception till death. The Church receives â€Å"the meaning of the person† from Divine Revelation. The theological dimension is needed both for interpreting and solving present-day problems in human society. This is in contrast with both the â€Å"atheistic† solution, which deprives humankind of one of its basic dimensions and to permissive and consumerist solutions. In the Church's viewpoint, the social message of the Gospel must not be treated as a â€Å"theory† but rather a basis for action. Through time, this message has gained more credibility because of its logic and consistency. Love for others, and especially for the poor, is made concrete by promoting justice. It is not a matter of giving from one's own surplus, but of helping the entire people. This requires a change of lifestyle, a reorientation of ourselves and our organizations toward the whole of the human family. Today we are facing â€Å"globalization† of the economy which can create unusual opportunities for greater prosperity. It asks for effective international agencies to coordinate the powerful nations and take into account the weaker ones- which even the most powerful state on earth would not be able to do on its own. The gift of grace is needed, a newness that is experience by following Jesus. Faith not only helps people to find solutions; it makes even situations of suffering humanly bearable, so that in these situations people will not become lost or forget their dignity and vocation. The Church's social teaching should begin a practical and scientific dialogue at the crossroads where it meets the world as it is. Solving serious national and international problems in the world calls for specific ethical and religious values. This encyclical, while looking at the past, is directed towards the future. The intention is to prepare us for that moment, with God's help. II. What does the Pope's message mean to me By looking back at history, we can derive lots of valuable lessons and learn from our own mistakes as well as from the mistakes of others. In this new encyclical, the Holy Father provides us with reasons to hope in a modern society which would obey the Church' s social teachings. The Pope also gives us new reasons and motivation to further evangelize the world. In Centesimus Annus, two classes of society have been identified — one of which exercises total economic freedom by appropriate laws, and the other makes use of an organized and violent form of political and social structure. Pope Leo XIII criticizes â€Å"socialism† and â€Å"liberalism.† Against socialism, he reaffirms the right to private property. As for liberalism, he states that the state should neither favor the rich nor neglect the poor. The defenseless and the poor have a claim to special consideration. The State should exercise a â€Å"preferential option for the poor†. I think the best way would be something in between socialism and liberalism. This refers to exercising political intervention in market structures. The framework is such that in a free-market economic system, competition is allowed, but state intervention should come should the control of the market be deemed necessary for the benefit of the common good, i.e. provide the greatest utility for all. I agree with Pope John Paul II that the new source of economic wealth is no longer â€Å"land† nor â€Å"capital†. It is a combination of new skills and talents. These skills include the knowledge of new technologies, entrepreneurship, foreseeing and meeting others' needs, organizing, planning, and management. Such talents need be polished through discipline, creativity, initiative, and courage. With regards to Human Work, it can only be understood from a â€Å"personalist† point of view — through the exercise of man's free will and intellect. This brings dignity to work. Pope Leo XIII writes about the condition of workers: dignity of work, dignity of workers, right to private property, right to form private associations, limit on working hours, right to legitimate rest, right of children and women to fair treatment based on their capabilities, right to a just wage, distributive justice, and the right to fulfill religious duties freely It is true that man's rights come from his dignity as a person, and not from the work he performs. Work belongs to the vocation of every person by which one can realize oneself. It doesn't matter what type of work we perform as long as we do them with pride and conviction. On Family, I agree that it is the heart of the culture of life. The family is the real sanctuary of life. It is the fundamental structure for â€Å"human ecology†. It is from our family that we first learned of ideas about truth and goodness, what it means to love and be loved, and what it means to be a person. On Solidarity, it is a moral expression of our interdependence. It reminds us that we are one family regardless of race, nationality, and economic power. Pope Leo XIII also emphasized the value of quality of quantity. I think this argument is valid. It is of no use for a person to acquire so many goods if he cannot enjoy them for long because of their poor quality. It is of no meaning for a person to live for a very long time if his life is of no quality – he doesn't use it to his fullest to enhance his personal growth and the growth of his neighbors. Indeed, this encyclical has shared to us so many insights which are worth reflecting and applying to our daily lives. We must make the most of the teachings which our Church leaders has diligently compiled through time.

Free Essays on Violence Is Not Innate

Violence has been with us from the dawn of history and only becomes a larger problem. Before newspapers, radios, or TV’s signaled us to the presence of violence and before police and prisons protected us from those who practiced it, violence was around. The first violent act ever committed and reported was that of Cain when he killed his brother Abel. Cain only killed his brother out of jealousy, not because he was born to commit all forms of violence. When we look back at the prehistoric species of man, scientists have proven that primitive men killed their enemies out of rage or for protection. Through his childhood experiences, Geoffrey Canada persuades readers that violence does not come innately. Canada’s earliest memories of learning to use violence taught him that he would only survive if he fought with other children. Through Canada’s experiences, we learn that it is not instinct that drives us to commit atrocities but our culture. Geoffrey Canada illustrates the urban America’s culture of violence by proving that children learn violence because of the environment they grew up in. The economic status that Canada and his family were living in prevented them from living in a safer neighborhood. Canada grew up in various small apartments in the Bronx with his mother and three brothers. Growing up in the urban ghetto, Canada, at such a young age recognized the subterranean evilness that existed when someone robbed his brother’s ten dollars in their new apartment. Geoffrey gained conscious of the possibility that he can be robbed at any given time and learned that no one was going to â€Å"come to a standstill because of our personal loss†. Due to environmental determinism, Canada went through incidences such as these and became psychologically prepared for other possible hostile scenarios. Canada claims that â€Å"violence is a learned response†¦Ã¢â‚¬  because he studied students that were not from the lower class urban... Free Essays on Violence Is Not Innate Free Essays on Violence Is Not Innate Violence has been with us from the dawn of history and only becomes a larger problem. Before newspapers, radios, or TV’s signaled us to the presence of violence and before police and prisons protected us from those who practiced it, violence was around. The first violent act ever committed and reported was that of Cain when he killed his brother Abel. Cain only killed his brother out of jealousy, not because he was born to commit all forms of violence. When we look back at the prehistoric species of man, scientists have proven that primitive men killed their enemies out of rage or for protection. Through his childhood experiences, Geoffrey Canada persuades readers that violence does not come innately. Canada’s earliest memories of learning to use violence taught him that he would only survive if he fought with other children. Through Canada’s experiences, we learn that it is not instinct that drives us to commit atrocities but our culture. Geoffrey Canada illustrates the urban America’s culture of violence by proving that children learn violence because of the environment they grew up in. The economic status that Canada and his family were living in prevented them from living in a safer neighborhood. Canada grew up in various small apartments in the Bronx with his mother and three brothers. Growing up in the urban ghetto, Canada, at such a young age recognized the subterranean evilness that existed when someone robbed his brother’s ten dollars in their new apartment. Geoffrey gained conscious of the possibility that he can be robbed at any given time and learned that no one was going to â€Å"come to a standstill because of our personal loss†. Due to environmental determinism, Canada went through incidences such as these and became psychologically prepared for other possible hostile scenarios. Canada claims that â€Å"violence is a learned response†¦Ã¢â‚¬  because he studied students that were not from the lower class urban...

100 Interesting Persuasive Essay Topics That Worked

100 Interesting Persuasive Essay Topics That Worked Students are used to the fact that their professors give them the assignment’s topic. It minimizes the efforts they spend on the homework tasks as choosing the relevant, interesting persuasive essay topics all alone may be a time-consuming task based on the in-depth research. Many students think it is a waste of time. In fact, they should perceive the ability to select the topic as a wonderful opportunity rather than another academic nightmare. No matter how good persuasive speech topics given by the teacher are, the student is not able to reject them in case he/she does not know much about the problem. If you can pick the issue on your own, it is possible to come up with the problem of interest! GRAB IMMEDIATE HOMEWORK HELP What about taking some time to learn how to pick good persuasive essay topics for high school? This article provides 100 excellent, interesting persuasive essay topics, but you can support the final choice with a reliable, 100% satisfactory academic writing help from the top preferred writers! Difference between Good Persuasive Speech Topics and Argumentative Topics Do not hurry to jump over to the list of 101 good persuasive speech topics without reading the basics. A student is free to compose a paper on any topic in the world, which related to the field of studies. That is wonderful! What is the student understand the subject and has no idea of what an argumentative/ debatable/persuasive writing means? The obvious step to take is to find what the term means. Students use to confuse the two terms, great argumentative writing ideas and interesting persuasive essay topics because these two genres of academic assignment have a lot of nuances in common. It does not matter if the writer finds a list of interesting persuasive essay topics and then prepares an argumentative essay on one of those ideas. The approach to writing should be different. Learn more by attending the academic service’s blog full of useful, time-tested tips on writing. An argumentative paper is a part of the persuasion. It has to state the main point, thesis statement, and defend it throughout the paper while an essay on the good persuasive speech topics must prove the truth of the author to the target audience. The reader should take the author’s side by the end of the reading. That is why choosing only interesting persuasive essay topics is critical. 100 Interesting Persuasive Essay Topics to Cover It is time to have a look at the 100 interesting persuasive essay topics shared by the top writers from different parts of the world! Do not forget to develop an efficient outline to succeed! GET PERSUASIVE ESSAY FROM EXPERT Persuasive Essay Topics for Elementary Students Monkeys would make excellent pets Having siblings or being alone in the family? Will waking up and seeing the dinosaur next to you push you to give the creature away to the zoo? The most effective superpower to possess is the ability to fly The most gorgeous seasons of the year is summer/winter Should a scientist who discovered an invisibility potion share it with other people? A ticket seller at the football stadium is the most boring job in the world Parents must allow their kids to paint on their walls to personalize the bedroom and show their individualities Making friends with everyone around will do a good favor in the future Carrying a brand new iPhone everywhere does not create our image; it points to how much money our parents earn Good Persuasive Essay Topics for High School Children The death penalty is an effective way to scare off the criminals Every person is free to change his/her name without any obstacles at any life stage The moral obligations of the nation’s leaders, including presidents and bosses of huge companies Rich people must be forced to pay higher taxes to support the financial balance What is the effective way to avert the potential mass shootings at the US high schools? Are fashion and one’s personal preferences important? Is there anything older generation can learn from the modern youth? Censorship plays the most significant role in the digital world They should lower the voting age to get more accurate results National security is more important than privacy Persuasive Essay Topics on Education to Support the Academic Improvements Studying the nature of videos/computer games mobile apps may be beneficial for the IT students The existing means of high school discipline are not effective enough to control groups of teens The standardized evaluation is not a precise measure of student learning progress and personal development The children in provisional living conditions with a 4.0 GPA must earn a free university education Is it ethical to place physically or mentally disabled children in the separate school classes? Which type of preventive measure could stop the high school bullying? Are video games capable of stimulating teenagers to use a weapon in the educational institutions? Students performance during the physical education lessons in gym affects their great point average The teachers should wear a special uniform like the professionals from other fields associated with public services Less successful students should not be forced to retake the course until they obtain a passing grade Science Persuasive Essay Topics: Breakthrough in Technologies and More The US Environmental Protection Agency does not use its full capacity to make the environment better The era described in the â€Å"Blade Runner† movie is coming closer to each new day and robot created The alternative source of energy may replace the fossil fuels The human activity has nothing to do with the progress of global warming Modern planes do not fall without a good scientific reason: most of the catastrophes are the outcomes of terrorism People are guilty of the extinction of many rare species of animals plants The genetically modified food is not safe Should there be a restriction on the number of children in every US family like they have in China? Is it ethical to clone animals? Is marijuana good for curing various mental disorders? Persuasive Essay Topics about Animals Plants Hunting is not ethical in any life situation Zoos are not helpful in wildlife conservation London Zoo is the largest zoo in the world offering its animals the luxury conditions People cannot keep rare, exotic animals at home turning them into their pets Is it fine to create mixed hybrids through breeding homeless dogs and cats? Rewards. Vs. Punishment: which is a better measure to train and control pet’s behavior? Vegetarianism does not help the animal world the way some people think Killing animals to get their fur for the fashion industry is immoral unethical Poaching negatively affects the economy, so the responsible faces should do something to improve the situation What led to the extinction of the great mammals like mammoths wooly rhinoceros? Persuasive Essay Topics about Music Artists Pirating music in the digital age is the serious threat to the entire country’s economy Great Britain does not dominate the music world since the 90s and the breakup/separation of â€Å"The Beatles.† The grunge music and gothic rock/post-punk music have fewer differences than they have similarities Music can be a part of the perfect rehabilitation procedure in the local prisons The cost of music, app, game, video downloads on App Store is very high Various significances in songs make people react to the music tracks in different ways Chinese music is an original art form, which has not developed significantly since Ling Lun’s foundation of 60 bells Vietnam War epoch music inspired further discussions on the innovative revolutionary approaches to thinking Music is the top recommended therapy for the cure of mental illnesses Technology has a positive impact on music as there is no need to have humans to create a band and deliver music to public Sports Persuasive Essay Topics Students Young Athletes Will Enjoy Animal sports like horse racing are not ethical or moral There is no way to include tobacco and alcohol beverages advertising during the translated sports events The sportsmen should not drink alcohol by any means It is not safe to take part in the extreme activities for entertainment The Government of Spain must forbid the bullfighting across the country even though it is the face of the national sports In swimming and dancing, women perform better than most of the men The best coaches in the world are under the equal threat of losing their self-control Women team players cannot take part in the mixed-gender sports games The inborn talents of the athletes matter more than the skills experience of their trainers Coaches should punish the sportsmen for taking steroids severer than they do now Complicated Ideas for Debates The oil companies are supposed to be more responsible concerning the oil spills Human behavior a result of nature Sex education classes would make sense to the younger teenagers The modern US legal system exploits the minorities despite the constitution and existing laws The gun control legislation has much more disadvantages than advantages There is no need to van modern television or some of the shows – Interne is a worse threat to society Do famous people make a mockery of the right to privacy? Should the legal drinking/smoking/driving/voting age of the person be brought down to 18 in the United States? Are open borders possible in the foreseeable future? Europeans would lose the World War II without the American intervention and on-time help Moral Issues to Cover in Persuasive Speech Debates Animal testing is necessary for the human kind, so it should not come Hospital patients possess a right to die through the physician-assisted suicide Physician-assisted suicide is not illegal and can be implemented in the corresponding situations They should ban children’s beauty pageants to make the world better The US customers must stop purchasing goods from countries that exploit child labor Atheists are not less moral than theists Should young adolescents be allowed to make cosmetic surgery? Should people start selling beer to college students? Is a camera in public place an invasion of privacy? Dreamers must obtain permission to stay in the US Both educational institutions businesses should provide more incentives to do volunteer work Mixed Argumentative Ideas to Use in School/College Essay Atheists religious people must exercise tolerance with each other Discussing the major problems associated with Iraq Afghanistan continuously evokes irritation and aggression Was the â€Å"sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll† epoch significant in the history of art, or not? Whose side do you support: vegetarians or meat eaters? Should the maniacs who kill people without reason be sentenced to death? Free bagels with sour cream motivate the student to study as they stimulate the brain activity Unpopular opinion: The Black Square by Kazimir Malevich has nothing special about it Talking about cheating is embarrassing while discussing various sex issues is fine The art for masses has nothing to do with the masterpieces created by the elite community Modern women look worse than women of 80s when they were not too thin and looked more natural Interesting is not a single word the student must think about. The chosen issue has to be essential and informative, meaning the writer should check whether there is enough information available on the web/in the college library. Once the student understands it, he/she can move to the process of selecting the topic. There is no need to collect the possible ideas independently – meet out the list of the cool persuasive topics shared by the most successful students and their teachers around the world!