English Study Topic By The Company He Keeps

A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses. This quote simply tells one that you become who you are around. This means that people who have bad company will become bad company themselves. But interaction with other people is not all bad. Instead of this, looking for company that will improve who a person becomes is the best idea. The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you associate; either for the good, or the bad.Sometimes hanging out less with certain types of people will improve life through decisions made (or not made). Setting the bar high for friends is an important aspect of maturity. An important attribute found in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people. While it is better to be alone than in bad company, good company is even better. Anita Desai has long proved herself one of the most accomplished and admired chroniclers of middl e-class India.Her 1999 novel, Fasting, Feasting, is the tale of plain and lumpish Uma and the cherished, late-born Arun, daughter and son of strict and conventional parents. So united are her parents in Uma's mind that she conflates their names. â€Å"MamaPapa themselves rarely spoke of a time when they were not one. The few anecdotes they related separately acquired great significance because of their rarity, their singularity. † Throughout, Desai perfectly matches form and content: details are few, the focus narrow, emotions and needs given no place.Uma, as daughter and female, expects nothing; Arun, as son and male, is lost under the weight of expectation. Now in her 40s, Uma is at home. Attempts at arranged marriages having ended in humiliation and disaster, and she is at MamaPapa's beck and call, with only her collection of bracelets and old Christmas cards for consolation. Uma flounces off, her grey hair frazzled, her myopic eyes glaring behind her spectacles, muttering under her breath. The parents, momentarily agitated upon their swing by the sudden invasion of ideas–sweets, parcel, letter, sweets–settle back to their slow, rhythmic swinging.They look out upon the shimmering heat of the afternoon as if the tray with tea, with sweets, with fritters, will materialise and come swimming out of it–to their rescue. With increasing impatience, they swing and swing. Arun, in college in Massachusetts, is none too happily spending the summer with the Pattons in the suburbs: their refrigerator and freezer is packed with meat that no one eats, and Mrs. Patton is desperate to be a vegetarian, like Arun. But what he most wants is to be ignored, invisible. â€Å"Her words make Arun wince.Will she never learn to leave well alone? She does not seem to have his mother's well-developed instincts for survival through evasion. After a bit of pushing about slices of tomatoes and leaves of lettuce–in his time in America he has developed a hearty abhorrence for the raw foods everyone here thinks the natural diet of a vegetarian–he dares to glance at Mr. Patton. † Desai's counterpointing of India and America is a little forced, but her focus on the daily round, whether in the Ganges or in New England, finely delineates the unspoken dramas in both cultures.And her characters, capable of their own small rebellions, give Fasting, Feasting its sharp bite. –Ruth Petrie From Publishers Weekly Short-listed for the 1999 Booker Prize, Desai's stunning new novel (after Journey to Ithaca) looks gently but without sentimentality at an Indian family that, despite Western influence, is bound by Eastern traditions. As Desai's title implies, the novel is divided into two parts. At the heart of Part One, set in India, is Uma, the eldest of three children, the overprotected daughter who finds herself starved for a life.Plain, myopic and perhaps dim, Uma gives up school and marriage, finding herself in her 40s looking after her demanding if well-meaning parents. Uma's younger, prettier sister marries quickly to escape the same fate, but seems dissatisfied. Although the family is â€Å"quite capable of putting on a progressive, Westernized front,† it's clear that privileges are still reserved for boys. When her brother, Arun, is born, Uma is expected to abandon her education at the convent school to take care of him.It is Arun, the ostensibly privileged son, smothered by his father's expectations, who is the focus of the second part of the novel. The summer after his freshman year at the University of Massachusetts, Arun stays with the Pattons, an only-too-recognizable American family. While Desai paints a nuanced and delicate portrait of Uma's family, here the writer broadens her brush strokes, starkly contrasting the Pattons' surfeit of food and material comforts with the domestic routine of the Indian household.Indeed, Desai is so adept at portraying Americans through Indian eyes that t he Pattons remain as inscrutable to the reader as they are to Arun. But Arun himself, as he picks his way through a minefield of puzzling American customs, becomes a more sympathetic character, and his final act in the novel suggests both how far he has come and how much he has lost. Although Desai takes a risk in shifting from the endearing Uma to Arun, she has much to say in this graceful, supple novel about the inability of the families in either culture to nurture their children. (Jan. ) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Kitsch Internet Cafe Business Plan

KITSCH INTERNET CAFE Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary5 1. 1 Objectives6 1. 2 Keys to Success6 1. 3 Mission6 1. 4 Risks7 2. Company Description7 2. 1 Company Ownership7 2. 2 Start-up Summary8 2. 3 Company Locations and Facilities10 3. Description of Services11 3. 1 Competitive Comparison11 3. 2 Service Description11 3. 3 Fulfillment12 3. 4 Technology12 3. 5 Future Services12 4. Market Analysis13 4. 1 Target Market Segment Strategy13 4. 1. 1 Market Trends13 4. 1. 2 Market Needs13 4. 2 Market Segmentation14 4. Service Business Analysis15 4. 3. 1 Competition and Buying Patterns16 4. 3. 2 Business Participants16 4. 3. 3 Distributing a Service17 5. Marketing Strategy18 5. 1 Strategy Pyramid18 5. 1. 1 Attract Power Internet Users18 5. 1. 2 Social Hub18 5. 1. 3 Attract Novice Internet Users19 5. 2 SWOT Analysis19 5. 2. 1 Weaknesses20 5. 2. 2 Opportunities20 5. 2. 3 Threats20 5. 2. 4 Strengths21 5. 3 Competitive Edge21 5. 4 Marketing Strategy21 5. 4. 1 Pricing Strategy22 5. 4. 2 Promoti on Strategy22 5. 5 Sales Strategy23 5. 5. 1 Sales Forecast23 . 6 Milestones26 6. Operating Plan27 6. 1 Personnel Plan27 7. Financial Plan29 7. 1 Start-up Funding29 7. 2 Important Assumptions31 7. 3 Key Financial Indicators32 7. 4 Break-even Analysis32 7. 5 Projected Profit and Loss33 7. 6 Projected Cash Flow37 7. 7 Projected Balance Sheet40 7. 8 Business Ratios42 8. Appendix46 Kitsch Internet Cafe Executive Summary Kitsch, unlike a typical cafe, will provide a unique forum for communication and entertainment through the medium of the Internet. Kitsch is the answer to an increasing demand. The public wants: (1) access to the methods of communication and volumes of information now available on the Internet, and (2) access at a cost they can afford and in such a way that they aren't socially, economically, or politically isolated. Kitsch’s goal is to provide the community with a social, educational, entertaining, atmosphere for worldwide communication. Highlights [pic] 1. 1 Objectives Kitsch’s objectives for the first three years of operation include: †¢ The creation of a unique, upscale, innovative environment that will differentiate Kitsch from local coffee houses. Educating the community on what the Internet has to offer. †¢ The formation of an environment that will bring people with diverse interests and backgrounds together in a common forum. †¢ Good coffee and bakery items at a reasonable price. †¢ Affordable access to the resources of the Internet and other online services. 1. 2 Keys to Success The keys to the success for Kitsch a re: †¢ The creation of a unique, innovative, upscale atmosphere that will differentiate Kitsch from other local coffee shops and future Internet cafes. †¢ The establishment of Kitsch as a community hub for socialization and entertainment. The creation of an environment that won't intimidate the novice user. Kitsch will position itself as an educational resource for individuals wishing to learn about the benefits the Internet has to offer. †¢ Great coffee and bakery items. 1. 3 Mission As the popularity of the Internet continues to grow at an exponential rate, easy and affordable access  is quickly becoming a necessity of life. Kitsch provides communities with the ability to access the Internet, enjoy a cup of coffee, and share Internet experiences in a comfortable environment. People of all ages and backgrounds will come to enjoy the unique, upscale, educational, and innovative environment that Kitsch provides. 1. 4 Risks The risks involved with starting Kitsch were: †¢ Will there be a demand for the services offered by Kitsch in Nicosia? †¢ Will the popularity of the Internet continue to grow, or is the Internet a fad? †¢ Will individuals be willing to pay for the service Kitsch offers? †¢ Will the cost of accessing the Internet from home drop so significantly that there will not be a market for Internet Cafes such as Kitsch? Company Description Kitsch, is located at the area of Agioi Omologites at 15 Chiou Street, offering the community easy and affordable access to the Internet. Kitsch is providing full access to email, WWW, FTP, Usenet and other Internet applications such as Telnet and Gopher. Kitsch will also provide customers with a unique and innovative environment for enjoying great coffee, specialty beverages, and bakery items. Kitsch is appealing to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. The instructional Internet classes, and the helpful staff that Kitsch provides, will appeal to the audience that does not associate themselves with the computer age. This educational aspect attracts younger and elderly members of the community who are rapidly gaining interest in the unique resources that online communications have to offer. The downtown location will provide business people with convenient access to their morning coffee and online needs. 2. 1 Company Ownership Kitsch is owned by M & T Corporation with the manager Loizos Loizou to possess the main share (80%). 2. 2 Start-up Summary Kitsch’s start-up costs covered coffee making equipment, site renovation and modification, capital to cover losses in the first year, and the communications equipment necessary to get its customers online. The communications equipment necessary to provide Kitsch’s customers with a high-speed connection to the Internet and the services it has to offer make up a large portion of the start-up costs. These costs included the computer terminals and all costs associated with their set-up. Costs were also designated for the purchase of two laser printers and a scanner. Additional to those, one espresso machine, an automatic coffee grinder, and minor additional equipment will be purchased from Petersons ltd. The building at 15 Chiou Street required funds for renovation and modification. A single estimated figure was allocated for this purpose. The renovation/modification cost estimated included the costs associated with preparing the building for opening business. Start-up Expense Details: †¢ 11 computers = â‚ ¬22,000 †¢ two printers = â‚ ¬1,000 †¢ one scanner = â‚ ¬500 †¢ software = â‚ ¬810 †¢ one espresso machine = â‚ ¬10,700 †¢ one automatic espresso grinder = â‚ ¬795 †¢ other fixtures and remodeling: o two coffee/food preparation counters = â‚ ¬1,000 o one information display counter = â‚ ¬1,000 o one drinking/eating counter = â‚ ¬500 o sixteen stools = â‚ ¬1,600 o six computer desks w/chairs = â‚ ¬2,400 o stationery goods = â‚ ¬500 o two telephones = â‚ ¬200 o decoration expense = â‚ ¬13,000 Start-up | | | | |Requirements | | | | | |Start-up Expenses | | |Legal |â‚ ¬500 | |Stationery etc. â‚ ¬500 | |Brochures |â‚ ¬500 | |Consultants |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Insurance |â‚ ¬700 | |Rent |â‚ ¬1,445 | |4-group Automatic Coffee Machine |â‚ ¬10,700 |Bean Grinder |â‚ ¬795 | |Computer Systems (x11), Software, Printer, Scanner |â‚ ¬24,310 | |Communication Lines |â‚ ¬840 | |Fixtures/Remodel |â‚ ¬20,000 | |Total Start-up Expenses |â‚ ¬62,290 | | | | |Start-up Assets | | |Cash Required |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Start-up Inventory |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 | |Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬26,000 | | | | |Total Requirements |â‚ ¬88,290 | 2. 3 Company Locations and Facilities A site has been chosen at 15 Chiou Street in Agioi Omologites. This site was chosen for various reasons, including: †¢ Proximity to the downtown business community. †¢ Proximity to trendy, upscale restaurants such as Bagatelle, Steak & Co, Paragadi fish restaurant, Aperitivo Jet Set and others †¢ Parking availability. †¢ Low cost rent – â‚ ¬. 85 per square foot for 1700 square feet. †¢ High visibility. All of these qualities are consistent with Kitsch's goal of providing a central hub of communication and socialization for the Eugene community. Description of Services Kitsch is providing full access to email, WWW, FTP, Usenet and other Internet applications such as Telnet and Gopher. Printing, scanning, and introductory courses to the Internet are also available to the customer. Kitsch also provides customers with a unique and innovative environment for enjoying great coffee, specialty beverages, and bakery items. 3. 1 Competitive Comparison Kitsch is the first Internet cafe in Agioi Omologites. Kitsch differentiates itself from the strictly-coffee cafes in Agioi Omologites by providing its customers with Internet and computing services. 3. 2 Service Description Kitsch provides its customers with full access to the Internet and common computer software and hardware. Some of the Internet and computing services available to Kitsch’s customers are listed below: †¢ Access to external POP3 and IMAP email accounts. †¢ Customers can sign up for a Kitsch email account. This account will be managed by Kitsch servers and accessible from computer systems outside the Kitsch network. †¢ FTP, Telnet, Gopher, and other popular Internet utilities will be available. †¢ Access to Netscape, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer browser. †¢ Access to laser and color printing. †¢ Access to popular software applications like Adobe PhotoShop and Microsoft Office. Kitsch also provides its customers with access to introductory Internet and email classes. These classes will be held in the afternoon and late in the evening. By providing these classes, Kitsch builds a client base familiar with its services. The computers, Internet access, and classes wouldn't mean half as much if taken out of the environment Kitsch provides. Good coffee, specialty drinks, bakery goods, and a comfortable environment provide Kitsch customers with a home away from home. Kitsch is a place to enjoy the benefits of computing in a comfortable and well-kept environment. 3. 3 Fulfillment Kitsch obtains computer support and Internet access from Logitech Computers located in Agioi Omologites. CYTA and CYTACOM Solutions provide the Internet connections and network consulting. Petersons ltd will provide Kitsch with coffee equipment, bulk coffee, and paper supplies. A contract for the bakery items has not been yet completed. 3. 4 Technology Kitsch invests in high-speed computers to provide its customers with a fast and efficient connection to the Internet. The computers are reliable and fun to work with. Kitsch will continue to upgrade and modify the systems to stay current with communications technology. One of the main attractions associated with Internet cafes, is the state of the art equipment available for use. Not everyone has a Pentium PC in their home or office. 3. 5 Future Services As Kitsch grows, more communications systems will be added. The possibility of additional units has been accounted for in the current floor plan. As the demand for Internet connectivity increases, along with the increase in competition, Kitsch will continue to add new services to keep its customer base coming back for more. Market Analysis Kitsch is faced with the exciting opportunity of being the first-mover in Nicosia’s cyber-cafe market. The consistent popularity of coffee, combined with the growing interest in the Internet, has been proven to be a winning concept in other markets and will produce the same results in Nicosia. 4. 1 Target Market Segment Strategy Kitsch intends to cater to people who want a guided tour on their first spin around the Internet and to experienced users eager to indulge their passion for computers in a social setting. Furthermore, Kitsch is a magnet for local and professionals who desire to work or check their email messages in a friendly atmosphere. These professionals will either use Kitsch's PCs, or plug their notebooks into Internet connections. Kitsch's target market covers a wide range of ages: from members of Generation X who grew up surrounded by computers, to Baby Boomers who have come to the realization that people today cannot afford to ignore computers. 4. 1. 1 Market Trends A market survey was conducted in the Fall of 2007. Key questions were asked of fifty potential customers. Some key findings include: †¢ 35 subjects said they would be willing to pay for access to the Internet. †¢ One euro per hour was the most popular hourly Internet fee at that time. †¢ 24 subjects use the Internet to communicate with others on a regular basis. 4. 1. 2 Market Needs Factors such as current trends, addiction, and historical sales data ensure that the high demand for coffee will remain constant over the next five years. The rapid growth of the Internet and online services, that has been witnessed worldwide, is only the tip of the iceberg. The potential growth of the Internet is enormous, to the point where one day, a computer terminal with an online connection will be as common and necessary as a telephone. This may be 10 or 20 years down the road, but for the next five years, the online service provider market is sure to experience tremendous growth. Being one of the first’s cyber-cafe in Nicosia, Kitsch will enjoy the first-mover advantages of name recognition and customer loyalty. Initially, Kitsch will hold a 100 percent share of the cyber-cafe market in Nicosia. In the next five years, competitors will enter the market. Kitsch has set a goal to maintain greater than a 50 percent market share. 4. 2 Market Segmentation Kitsch's customers can be divided into two groups. The first group is familiar with the Internet and desires a progressive and inviting atmosphere where they can get out of their offices or bedrooms and enjoy a great cup of coffee. The second group is not familiar with the Internet, yet, and is just waiting for the right opportunity to enter the online community. Kitsch’s target market falls anywhere between the ages of 15 and 50. This extremely wide range of ages is due to the fact that both coffee and the Internet appeal to a variety of people. In addition to these two broad categories, Kitsch's target market can be divided into more specific market segments. The majority of these individuals are students and business people. See the Market Analysis chart and table below for more specifics. [pic] Market Analysis | | | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Unit Sales | | | | |Coffee- average |12,016 |14,068 |15,475 | |Specialty Drinks- average |6,654 |7,913 |8,705 | |Email Memberships |8,703 |10,505 |11,556 | |Hourly Internet Fees | 38,269 |46,365 |51,002 | |Baked Goods- average |32,673 |42,150 |46,365 | |Total Unit Sales |98,315 |121,001 |133,103 | | | | | |Unit Prices |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬1. 00 |â‚ ¬1. 00 |â‚ ¬1. 00 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬2. 00 |â‚ ¬2. 00 |â‚ ¬1. 00 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬10. 00 |â‚ ¬10. 00 |â‚ ¬10. 00 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬1. 25 |â‚ ¬1. 25 |â‚ ¬1. 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Sales | | | | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬12,016 |â‚ ¬14,068 |â‚ ¬15,475 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬13,308 |â‚ ¬15,826 |â‚ ¬8,705 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬87,030 |â‚ ¬105,050 |â‚ ¬115,560 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬95,673 |â‚ ¬115,913 |â‚ ¬127,505 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬40,841 |â‚ ¬52,688 |â‚ ¬46,365 | |Total Sales |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | | | | | | |Direct Unit Costs |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬0. 5 |â‚ ¬0. 25 |â‚ ¬0. 25 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬0. 50 |â‚ ¬0. 50 |â‚ ¬0. 25 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 |â‚ ¬2. 50 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬0. 63 |â‚ ¬0. 63 |â‚ ¬0. 63 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬0. 31 |â‚ ¬0. 31 |â‚ ¬0. 25 | | | | | | | | | | |Direct Cost of Sales | | | | |Coffee- average |â‚ ¬3,004 |â‚ ¬3,517 |â‚ ¬3,869 | |Specialty Drinks- average |â‚ ¬3,327 |â‚ ¬3,957 |â‚ ¬2,176 | |Email Memberships |â‚ ¬21,758 |â‚ ¬26,263 |â‚ ¬28,890 | |Hourly Internet Fees |â‚ ¬23,918 |â‚ ¬28,978 |â‚ ¬31,876 | |Baked Goods- average |â‚ ¬10,210 |â‚ ¬13,172 |â‚ ¬11,591 | |Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales |â‚ ¬62,217 |â‚ ¬75,886 |â‚ ¬78,403 | 5. 6 Milestones The Kitsch management team has established some basic milestones to keep the business plan priorities in place. Responsibility for implementation falls on the shoulders of Loizos Loizou. This Milestones Table below will be updated as the year progresses using the actual tables. New milestones added as the first year of operations commences. [pic] 6. Operating Plan Kitsch is owned and operated by Mr. Loizos Loizou. The company, being small in nature, requires a simple organizational structure. Implementation of this organizational form calls for the owner, Mr. Loizou, to make all of the major management decisions in addition to monitoring all other business activities. 6. 1 Personnel Plan The staff will consist of six part-time employees working thirty hours a week at â‚ ¬5. 50 per hour. In addition, one full-time technician (who is more technologically oriented to handle minor terminal repairs/inquiries) will be employed to work forty hours a week at â‚ ¬10. 00 per hour. The two private investors, Andreas Augoustinos and Panagiotis Metaxas will not be included in management decisions. This simple structure provides a great deal of flexibility and allows communication to disperse quickly and directly. Because of these characteristics, there are few coordination problems seen at Kitsch that are common within larger organizational chains. This strategy will enable Kitsch to react quickly to changes in the market. Personnel Plan | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Owner |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬26,400 |â‚ ¬29,040 | |Part Time 1 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 2 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,92 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 3 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |à ¢â€š ¬7,920 | |Part Time 4 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 5 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Part Time 6 |â‚ ¬3,960 |â‚ ¬7,920 |â‚ ¬7,920 | |Technician |â‚ ¬21,731 |â‚ ¬23,904 |â‚ ¬26,294 | |Manager |â‚ ¬4,000 |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬26,400 | |Total People |9 |9 |9 | | | | | | |Total Payroll |â‚ ¬93 |â‚ ¬121,824 |â‚ ¬129,254 | | |291 | | | 7. Financial Plan The following sections lay out the details of our financial plan for the next three years. 7. 1 Start-up Funding This business plan is prepared to obtain financing in the amount of â‚ ¬24,000. The supplemental financing is required to begin work on site preparation and modifications, equipment purchases, and to cover expenses in the first year of operations. Additional financing has already been secured as follows: †¢ â‚ ¬19,000 of personal savings from owner Loizos Loizou †¢ â‚ ¬36,000 from two investors †¢ and â‚ ¬9,290 in the form of sh ort-term loans Start-up Funding | | | | |Start-up Expenses to Fund |â‚ ¬62,290 | |Start-up Assets to Fund |â‚ ¬26,000 | |Total Funding Required |â‚ ¬88,290 | | | | |Assets | | |Non-cash Assets from Start-up |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Cash Requirements from Start-up |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Additional Cash Raised |â‚ ¬0 | |Cash Balance on Starting Date |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬26,000 | |Liabilities and Capital | | | | | |Liabilities | | |Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬9,290 | |Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills) |â‚ ¬0 | |Other Current Liabilities (interest-free) |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Liabilities |â‚ ¬33,290 | | | | |Capital | | |Planned Investment | | |Loizos Loizou |â‚ ¬43,000 | |Private Investor |â‚ ¬12,000 | |Additional Investment Requirement |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Planned Investment |â‚ ¬55,000 | |Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses) |(â‚ ¬62,290) | |Total Capital |(â‚ ¬7,290) | |Total Capital and Liabilities |â‚ ¬26,000 | |Total Funding |â‚ ¬88,290 | 7. 2 Important Assumptions Basic assumptions  are presented in the table below. General Assumptions | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Plan Month |1 |2 |3 | |Current Interest Rate |8. 00% |8. 00% |8. 00% | |Long-term Interest Rate |10. 00% |10. 00% |10. 00% | |Tax Rate |30. 00% |30. 00% |30. 00% | |Other |0 |0 |0 | 7. 3 Key Financial Indicators Important benchmark data is presented in the chart below. Benchmarks [pic] 7. 4 Break-even Analysis Break-even data is presented in the chart and table below. [pic] Break-even Analysis | | | | |Monthly Units Break-even |7,294 | |Monthly Revenue Break-even |â‚ ¬18,462 | | | | |Assumptions: | | |Average Per-Unit Revenue |â‚ ¬2. 53 | |Average Per-Unit Variable Cost |â‚ ¬0. 63 | |Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost |â‚ ¬13,847 | 7. 5 Projected Profit and Loss Payroll Expense: The founder of Kitsch, Loizos Loizou, will receive a salary of â‚ ¬24,000 in year one, â‚ ¬26,400 in year two, and â‚ ¬29,040 in year three. Kitsch intends to hired six part-time employees by the end of year one at â‚ ¬5. 75/hour and a full-time technician at â‚ ¬10. 00/hour. Rent Expense: Kitsch is leasing a 1700 square foot facility at â‚ ¬. 85/sq. oot. The lease agreement Kitsch signed specifies that we pay â‚ ¬2,000/month for a total of 36 months. At the end of the third year, the lease is open for negotiations and Kitsch may or may not re-sign the lease depending on the demands of the lessor. Utilities Expense: As stated i n the contract, the lessor is responsible for the payment of utilities including gas, garbage disposal, and real estate taxes. The only utilities expense that Kitsch must pay is the phone bill generated by fifteen phone lines; thirteen will be dedicated to modems and two for business purposes. The basic monthly service charge for each line provided by CYTA is â‚ ¬17. 29. The 13 lines used to connect the modems will make local calls to the network provided by CYTACOM Solutions resulting in a monthly charge of â‚ ¬224. 77. The two additional lines used for business communication will cost â‚ ¬34. 58/month plus long distance fees. Kitsch assumes that it will not make more than â‚ ¬40. 00/month in long distance calls. Therefore, the total cost associated with the two business lines is estimated at â‚ ¬74. 58/month and the total phone expense at â‚ ¬299. 35/month. In addition, there will be an additional utility expense of â‚ ¬800 for estimated EWEB bills. Marketing Expense: Kitsch allocated â‚ ¬33,750 for promotional expenses over the first year. These were used for advertising in local newspapers in order to build consumer awareness. For additional information, please refer to section 5. 0 of the business plan. Insurance Expense: Kitsch has allocated â‚ ¬1,440 for insurance for the first year. As revenue increases in the second and third year of business, Kitsch intends to invest more money for additional insurance coverage. Depreciation: In depreciating our capital equipment, Kitsch used the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery Method. We depreciated our computers over a five-year time period and our fixtures over seven years. Taxes: Kitsch is not taxed. However, there is a 15% payroll burden. Detailed Profit and Loss data is presented in the table below. [pic] [pic] [pic] Pro Forma Profit and Loss | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Sales |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | |Direct Cost of Sales |â‚ ¬62,217 |â‚ ¬75,886 |â‚ ¬78,403 | |Other Costs of Sales |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Cost of Sa les |â‚ ¬62,217 |â‚ ¬75,886 |â‚ ¬78,403 | | | | | | |Gross Margin |â‚ ¬186,651 |â‚ ¬227,658 |â‚ ¬235,208 | |Gross Margin % |75. 00% |75. 00% |75. 0% | | | | | | | | | | | |Expenses | | | | |Payroll |â‚ ¬93,291 |â‚ ¬121,824 |â‚ ¬129,254 | |Marketing/Promotion |â‚ ¬33,750 |â‚ ¬40,000 |â‚ ¬43,000 | |Depreciation |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Rent |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬24,000 |â‚ ¬24,000 | |Utilities |â‚ ¬9,120 |â‚ ¬9,120 |â‚ ¬9,120 | |Insurance |â‚ ¬6,000 |â‚ ¬6,000 |â‚ ¬6,000 | |Payroll Taxes |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Other â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Operating Expenses |â‚ ¬166,161 |â‚ ¬200,944 |â‚ ¬211,374 | | | | | | |Profit Before Interest and Taxes |â‚ ¬20,490 |â‚ ¬26,714 |â‚ ¬23,834 | |EBITDA |â‚ ¬20,490 |â‚ ¬26,714 |â‚ ¬23,834 | |Interest Expense |â‚ ¬2,325 |â‚ ¬1,470 |â‚ ¬1,100 | |Taxes Incurred |â‚ ¬5,450 |â‚ ¬7,573 |â‚ ¬6,820 | | | | | | |Net Profit |â⠀š ¬12,716 |â‚ ¬17,671 |â‚ ¬15,913 | |Net Profit/Sales |5. 11% |5. 82% |5. 07% | 7. 6 Cash Flow Cash flow data is presented in the chart and table below. Accounts Payable: Kitsch acquired a â‚ ¬24,000 loan from a bank at a 10% interest rate. The loan paid back at â‚ ¬800/month over the next three years. The â‚ ¬9,290 short term loan paid back at a rate of 8%. Cash (000 â‚ ¬) [pic] |Pro Forma Cash Flow | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Cash Received | | | | | | | | | |Cash from Operations | | | | |Cash Sales |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 |Subtotal Cash from Operations |â‚ ¬248,868 |â‚ ¬303,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | | | | | | |Additional Cash Received | | | | |Sales Tax, VAT, Received |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬5,000 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Other Liabilities (interest-free) |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Sales of Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Sales of Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |New Investment Received |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Cash Received |â‚ ¬250,868 |â‚ ¬308,544 |â‚ ¬313,610 | | | | | | |Expenditures |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | | | | | | |Expenditures from Operations | | | | |Cash Spendi ng |â‚ ¬93,291 |â‚ ¬121,824 |â‚ ¬129,254 | |Bill Payments |â‚ ¬133,870 |â‚ ¬165,945 |â‚ ¬168,467 | |Subtotal Spent on Operations |â‚ ¬227,161 |â‚ ¬287,769 |â‚ ¬297,721 | | | | | | |Additional Cash Spent | | | | |Sales Tax, VAT, Paid Out |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Principal Repayment of Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬9,290 |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬0 | |Other Liabilities Principal Repayment |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Long-term Liabilities Principal Repayment |â‚ ¬9,600 |â‚ ¬5,000 |â‚ ¬4,800 | |Purchase Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Purchase Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Dividends |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Cash Spent |â‚ ¬246,051 |â‚ ¬294,769 |â‚ ¬302,521 | | | | | | |Net Cash Flow |â‚ ¬4,817 |â‚ ¬13,775 |â‚ ¬11,089 | |Cash Balance |â‚ ¬28,817 |â‚ ¬42,592 |â‚ ¬53,681 | 7. 7 Projected Balance Sheet Our projected balance sheet is presented in the table below. Pro Forma Balance Sheet | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | |Assets | | | | | | | | | |Current Assets | | | | |Cash |â‚ ¬28,817 |â‚ ¬42,592 |â‚ ¬53,681 | |Inventory |â‚ ¬6,980 |â‚ ¬8,514 |â‚ ¬8,796 | |Other Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Current Assets |â‚ ¬35,797 |â‚ ¬51,106 |â‚ ¬62,478 | | | | | | |Long-term Assets | | | | |Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Accumulated Depreciation |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬35,797 |â‚ ¬51,106 |â‚ ¬62,478 | | | | | | |Liabilities and Capital |Year 1 Year 2 |Year 3 | | | | | | |Current Liabilities | | | | |Accounts Payable |â‚ ¬13,972 |â‚ ¬13,610 |â‚ ¬13,868 | |Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬5,000 |â‚ ¬5,000 | |Other Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬15,972 |â‚ ¬18,610 |â‚ ¬18,868 | | | | | | |Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬14,400 |â‚ ¬9,400 |â‚ ¬4,600 | |Total Liabilities |â‚ ¬30,372 |â‚ ¬28,010 |â‚ ¬23,468 | | | | | | |Paid-in Capital |â‚ ¬55,000 |â‚ ¬55,000 |â‚ ¬55,000 | |Retained Earnings |(â‚ ¬62,290) |(â‚ ¬49,574) |(â‚ ¬31,904) | |Earnings |â‚ ¬12,716 |â‚ ¬17,671 |â‚ ¬15,913 | |Total Capital |â‚ ¬5,426 |â‚ ¬23,096 |â‚ ¬39,010 | |Total Liabilities and Capital |â‚ ¬35,797 |â‚ ¬51,106 |â‚ ¬62,478 | | | | | | |Net Worth |â‚ ¬5,426 |â‚ ¬23,096 |â‚ ¬39,010 | 7. 8 Business Ratios The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code for the Internet Service Provider industry is â€Å"Remote data base information retrieval† 7375. 9903. We used the report for â€Å"Information retrieval services† 7375 to generate  the industry profile. As we are also a food cafe we could have used the ratios based on SIC classification 5812, â€Å"Eating places†. The combined nature of Kitsch Cafe makes our ratios a blend of the two i ndustries. Ratio Analysis | | |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 |Industry Profile| |Sales Growth |0. 00% |21. 97% |3. 32% |0. 90% | | | | | | | |Percent of Total Assets | | | | | |Inventory |19. 50% |16. 66% |14. 08% |2. 17% | |Other Current Assets |0. 00% |0. 00% |0. 00% |84. 8% | |Total Current Assets |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% |86. 95% | |Long-term Assets |0. 00% |0. 00% |0. 00% |13. 05% | |Total Assets |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% | | | | | | | |Current Liabilities |44. 62% |36. 41% |30. 20% |28. 33% | |Long-term Liabilities |40. 23% |18. 39% |7. 36% |16. 21% | |Total Liabilities |84. 84% |54. 1% |37. 56% |44. 54% | |Net Worth |15. 16% |45. 19% |62. 44% |55. 46% | | | | | | | |Percent of Sales | | | | | |Sales |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% |100. 00% | |Gross Margin |75. 00% |75. 00% |75. 00% |100. 00% | |Selling, General & Administrative |69. 89% |69. 18% |69. 93% |79. 0% | |Expenses | | | | | |Advertising Expenses |0. 00% |0. 00% |0. 00% |1. 01% | |Profit Before Interest an d Taxes |8. 23% |8. 80% |7. 60% |1. 62% | | | | | | | |Main Ratios | | | | | |Current |2. 24 |2. 75 |3. 31 |0. 00 | |Quick |1. 80 |2. 29 |2. 85 |0. 0 | |Total Debt to Total Assets |84. 84% |54. 81% |37. 56% |0. 00% | |Pre-tax Return on Net Worth |334. 80% |109. 30% |58. 28% |0. 00% | |Pre-tax Return on Assets |50. 74% |49. 40% |36. 39% |0. 00% | | | | | | | |Additional Ratios |Year 1 |Year 2 |Year 3 | | |Net Profit Margin |5. 11% |5. 82% |5. 07% |n. a | |Return on Equity |234. 36% |76. 1% |40. 79% |n. a | | | | | | | |Activity Ratios | | | | | |Inventory Turnover |12. 00 |9. 80 |9. 06 |n. a | |Accounts Payable Turnover |10. 58 |12. 17 |12. 17 |n. a | |Payment Days |27 |30 |30 |n. a | |Total Asset Turnover |6. 95 |5. 94 |5. 02 |n. | | | | | | | |Debt Ratios | | | | | |Debt to Net Worth |5. 60 |1. 21 |0. 60 |n. a | |Current Liab. to Liab. |0. 53 |0. 66 |0. 80 |n. a | | | | | | | |Liquidity Ratios | | | | | |Net Working Capital |â‚ ¬19,826 |â‚ ¬32,496 |â‚ ¬43,610 |n. | |Intere st Coverage |8. 81 |18. 17 |21. 67 |n. a | | | | | | | |Additional Ratios | | | | | |Assets to Sales |0. 14 |0. 17 |0. 20 |n. a | |Current Debt/Total Assets |45% |36% |30% |n. a | |Acid Test |1. 80 |2. 29 |2. 85 |n. a | |Sales/Net Worth |45. 87 |13. 14 |8. 4 |n. a | |Dividend Payout |0. 00 |0. 00 |0. 00 |n. a | 8. Appendix |Sales | | | | | | | | | | | |Month 1 |Month 2 |Month 3 |Month 4 |Month 5 |Month 6 |Month 7 |Month 8 |Month 9 |Month 10 |Month 11 |Month 12 | |Assets |Starting Balances | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Current Assets | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Cash |â‚ ¬24,00 |â‚ ¬23,026 |â‚ ¬18,600 |â‚ ¬13,589 |â‚ ¬16,879 |â‚ ¬16,066 |â‚ ¬19,557 |â‚ ¬20,657 |â‚ ¬22,308 |â‚ ¬24,307 |â‚ ¬26,675 |â‚ ¬27,415 |â‚ ¬28,817 | |Inventory |â‚ ¬2,000 |â‚ ¬1,900 |â‚ ¬2,683 |â‚ ¬3,106 |â‚ ¬5,203 |â‚ ¬5,403 |â‚ ¬5,614 |â‚ ¬5,819 |â‚ ¬6,034 |â‚ ¬6,256 |â‚ ¬6,490 |â‚ ¬6,730 |â‚ ¬6,980 | |O ther Current Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Current Assets |â‚ ¬26,00 |â‚ ¬24,926 |â‚ ¬21,282 |â‚ ¬16,696 |â‚ ¬22,082 |â‚ ¬21,469 |â‚ ¬25,170 |â‚ ¬26,476 |â‚ ¬28,342 |â‚ ¬30,562 |â‚ ¬33,165 |â‚ ¬34,145 |â‚ ¬35,797 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Long-term Assets | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Accumulated Depreciation |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Long-term Assets |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Total Assets |â‚ ¬26,00 |â‚ ¬24,926 |â‚ ¬21,282 |â‚ ¬16,696 |â‚ ¬22,082 |â‚ ¬21,469 |â‚ ¬25,170 |â‚ ¬26,476 |â‚ ¬28,342 |â‚ ¬30,562 |â‚ ¬33,165 |â‚ ¬34,145 |â‚ ¬35,797 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Liabilities and Capital | |Month 1 |Month 2 |Month 3 |Month 4 |Month 5 |Month 6 |Month 7 |Month 8 |Month 9 |Month 10 |Month 11 |Month 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Current Liabilities | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Accounts Payable |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬6,503 |â‚ ¬8,785 |â‚ ¬8,701 |â‚ ¬13,654 |â‚ ¬12,180 |â‚ ¬12,578 |â‚ ¬12,709 |â‚ ¬13,055 â‚ ¬13,410 |â‚ ¬13,786 |â‚ ¬13,581 |â‚ ¬13,972 | |Current Borrowing |â‚ ¬9,290 |â‚ ¬8,540 |â‚ ¬7,790 |â‚ ¬7,040 |â‚ ¬6,290 |â‚ ¬5,540 |â‚ ¬6,790 |â‚ ¬6,040 |â‚ ¬5,290 |â‚ ¬4,540 |â‚ ¬3,790 |â‚ ¬3,040 |â‚ ¬2,000 | |Other Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬0 | |Subtotal Current Liabilities |â‚ ¬9,290 |â‚ ¬15,04 3 |â‚ ¬16,575 |â‚ ¬15,741 |â‚ ¬19,944 |â‚ ¬17,720 |â‚ ¬19,368 |â‚ ¬18,749 |â‚ ¬18,345 |â‚ ¬17,950 |â‚ ¬17,576 |â‚ ¬16,621 |â‚ ¬15,972 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Long-term Liabilities |â‚ ¬24,00 |â‚ ¬23,200 |â‚ ¬22,400 |â‚ ¬21,600 |â‚ ¬20,800 |â‚ ¬20,000 |â‚ ¬19,200 |â‚ ¬18,400 |â‚ ¬17,600 |â‚ ¬16,800 |â‚ ¬16,000 |â‚ ¬15,200 |â‚ ¬14,400 | |Total Liabilities |â‚ ¬33,29 |â‚ ¬38,243 |â‚ ¬38,975 |â‚ ¬37,341 |â‚ ¬40,744 |â‚ ¬37,720 |â‚ ¬38,568 |â‚ ¬37,149 |â‚ ¬35,945 |â‚ ¬34,750 |â‚ ¬33,576 |â‚ ¬31,821 |â‚ ¬30,372 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Paid-in Capital |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 |â‚ ¬55 | |Retained Earnings |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 |â‚ ¬62,29 | |Earnings |â‚ ¬0 |â‚ ¬6,027 |â‚ ¬10,403 |â‚ ¬13,356 |â‚ ¬11,372 |â‚ ¬8,961 |â‚ ¬6,108 |â‚ ¬3,382 |â‚ ¬313 |â‚ ¬3,103 |â‚ ¬6,879 |â‚ ¬9,614 |â‚ ¬12,716 | |Total Capital |â‚ ¬7,290 |â‚ ¬13,317 |â‚ ¬17,693 |â‚ ¬20,646 |â‚ ¬18,66 |â‚ ¬16,251 |â‚ ¬13,398 |â‚ ¬10,672 |â‚ ¬7,603 |â‚ ¬4,187 |â‚ ¬411 |â‚ ¬2,324 |â‚ ¬5,426 | |Total Liabilities and Capital |â‚ ¬26,00 |â‚ ¬24,926 |â‚ ¬21,282 |â‚ ¬16,696 |â‚ ¬22,082 |â‚ ¬21,469 |â‚ ¬25,170 |â‚ ¬26,476 |â‚ ¬28,342 |â‚ ¬30,562 |â‚ ¬33,165 |â‚ ¬34,145 |â‚ ¬35,797 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Net Worth |â‚ ¬7,290 |â‚ ¬13,317 |â‚ ¬17,693 |â‚ ¬20,646 |â‚ ¬18,662 |â‚ ¬16,251 |â‚ ¬13,398 |â‚ ¬10,672 |â‚ ¬7,603 |â‚ ¬4,187 |â‚ ¬411 |â‚ ¬2,324 |â‚ ¬5,426 | |

Alternative-Fuel Vehicles Essay Example for Free

Alternative-Fuel Vehicles Essay Atmospheric pollution is a major problem nowadays. So it is important that we should immediately find alternative fuel sources for petroleum and reduce the emission of harmful gases in the atmosphere. This has been the dream of many scientists because this will significantly reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, a green house gas, to the atmosphere. Most of these fuels can be manufactured domestically so I cut the costs of importing from other countries. Some are even derived from renewable sources. Electric cars are now being manufactured globally. Unknown to many, electricity-powered cars came into the automotive scene before its diesel and petroleum counterpart. But due to the limitations of the technology in the past, its development was stopped and diesel cars became the standard car. Most of the problems electric cars faced points to the battery. Batteries were heavy and required recharging. But there are new developments in this technology. A battery now has longer life and comes in much lighter forms. The main drawback of this car is the distance it can travel before the batteries run out. If there are enough recharging stops, like gas stations, the electric car will prove itself as a fuel-efficient and environment-friendly car. Natural gas cars are also gaining popularity. The promise of being able to fuel the car at one’s own home is hard to deny. Honda calls it a personalized solution to the fact that gasoline stations don’t sell natural gas. The Honda model Civic GX is coined as the cleanest internal combustion engine-powered vehicle ever tested by Environmental Protection Agency. However, natural gas is not renewable. A potential advantage of Hydrogen cars is that it can be used over and over again by the process of electrolysis. Although the supply hydrogen is not limited as fossil-fuels, production of such cars doesn’t come at a cheap price. Hydrogen has many advantages if used to fuel cars, but currently it is very expensive. Some car companies offer to convert diesel cars into hydrogen cars, but most of the time the price of conversion is much more expensive than the original price of the car. Also, hydrogen in normal temperature is gas and to be used as fuel it should be squeezed in high pressures so it is somewhat difficult to contain. Fuel cell cars are definitely a technology to watch for. It has the potential to minimize the use of energy while reducing harmful emissions at the same time. What sets it above the others is that it can make its own energy through certain chemical processes. Also, fuel cell cars don’t emit pollutants. But the price is almost the same for hydrogen cars, if not higher. The developments in fuel cells is rather young, it is not yet tested as compared to other alternative fuels, so it would be a risk if we utilize this technology right away. Among these alternative sources of energy, I choose natural gas. The other alternatives may score a higher grade in terms of energy advantage and minimal emission, but they are too expensive. The economy will suffer as we save the environment using Hydrogen, Electric, and Fuel Cell cars. Natural gas is widely distributed around the world. New natural gas reserves are discovered as time pass, it is just waiting for us to harness fuel from it. Most countries will be able to tap their own resources and strengthen one’s economy. The production of cars and fuel supply for natural gas cars is also very feasible compared to the other alternatives. Atmospheric pollution is increasing during each day. And since natural gas is the cheapest, we can immediately put it to use. This is the realistic approach concern the threat of global warming. We put into use something that works and will be a benefit for both the economy and environment. And after we became successful in harnessing natural gas, and the economic condition permits it, it is the time to upgrade to hydrogen or fuel cells and completely eliminate harmful emissions from vehicles. Alternative-Fuel Vehicles. (2017, Feb 19).

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Resource Management - Essay Example The HR Portals generally tend to provide the employees with a chance for self service, i.e. all details of employees are available on the portal which permits them to keep a tab on their pay checks, benefits, and also the vacation benefits alongside with the various policies and procedures. This allows the employees to keep complete track of their own details without the need of the human resources team to interfere. The portals are also time savers as the various forms and applications can be put into the portal for the employees to use and download (Dessler, 2007). This reduced the number of employees coming to the HR teams for forms and also allows the human resources teams to use the time more effectively to do other important tasks. On the HR Portals tend to be very helpful to save time and money and help the human resources teams to use their time effectively to work on other important aspects of the company rather than simply providing ‘employee assistance’ (Dessler, 2007). On the whole the portals provide a chance for the workflow and process flow to become more effective and

Occupy Wall Street Movement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Occupy Wall Street Movement - Research Paper Example The movement, which initially took off as a local one, went on to expand exponentially across hundreds of cities in the US, inciting equally vigorous movements around the world. The reason for such a rapid growth of the movement stems from the accumulated grievance of the people all over the world at economic and social inequalities. The movement is meaningfully significative and distinctive, as it was purely started by people who denounced corrupted multinational corporations and the exploitative rich. It has spread to more than 100 cities in the US and 1500 cities all over the world ("From Tahrir Square to Times Square"). It is believed that the movement took its inspiration from the Arab Spring and European uprisings, and all it took was a challenge from the magazine, Adbusters, to bring this movement to fruition (Gelder 1). The gap between the rich and the poor has been increasingly widening as greedy companies and corporates, who are solely interested in their self-interests, ig nore the consequences of their actions that affect 99% of the people, resulting in economic inequalities (Feller & Stone 1). The Occupy Wall Street movement aimed to lash out against the rich 1% of the society, which includes banks on Wall Street, big corporations, etc. who not only claim and amass wealth at the expense of the remaining 99%, but also have "their way with our governments" (Gelder 1). According to protesters, this 1% was bailed out by tax from people during the great recession, and it is now celebrating its superiority at the expense of the rest of the people by giving out enormous amounts of bonuses to executives (Gittins). According to protesters of the OWS movement, rich corporations take advantage of students who are under the burden of student loans, and also constrict the job market by outsourcing labor (occupywallst.org). Figure 1: A young protester at the Occupy Texas State protest (occupytxstate.org) The OWS movement brought the people's attention to societal and economic inequalities deeply rooted in the society. As part of their demands to decrease these inequalities, the people command equal educational opportunities for the masses. They assert that economic inequalities are related to educational inequalities and that by providing equal educational opportunities and eliminating the self-interests of corporations and for-profit organizations from the educational system, this endeavor would be possible. This raises the question whether such claims are justified. Is economic inequality connected to educational inequality, and has the educational system really suffered at the hands of big corporations and profit oriented individuals and organizations? In an attempt to answer these questions, the present paper asserts that the demands of the OWS movement for equal educational opportunities are absolutely justified. It is true that the educational system has suffered at the hands of big corporations and profit-oriented individuals and org anizations, and that equal educational opportunities are vital for ensuring economic equality in society. According to Goldstein and Chesky, educational improvement is "an economic imperative". This is because when a nation does not work towards the improvement of its educational system, development of its teachers, and improvement of students achievements in national and international tests, it goes into a "downward economic spiral", both at national and international levels (Goldstein and Chesky 1). Educational progress translates into economic progress of a nation. The OWS movement aims to achieve economic stability and equality, and for this, it demands reforms in the educational s

Debating Immigration into Western Countries Essay

Debating Immigration into Western Countries - Essay Example Processing of unauthorized documents, getting inside US boundaries through under-the table payments, and working and staying for long even by just holding a visiting visa are just of the most common methods that illegal immigrants do. This paper did an in-depth literature search concerning the legal and illegal immigration in the US during the years 2000-2006. This then tackles the relationship of economy, societal and environmental stability, and populace versus the legal and illegal immigrants. It is hypothesized that legal migrants contribute positively to the development of the US economy and even to its culture. Meanwhile, the illegal immigrants are hypothesized to be a great part of the US labor force. They also serve as a large part of the consumer or buying populace. In the same manner, illegal immigrants - despite their illegal status - are also one of the great 'users' and/or 'beneficiaries' of the natural and financial resources of the country. That is why it is of not doubt that illegal immigrants in the US affect, both positively and negatively, the US as a whole. United States of America is one of the very few countries in the world where different values and tradition of the many people in the world submerged. Also, US are becoming a favorite migration country of many people around the world and the main reason is the opportunity that awaits in this country. Many would say that living in the US is a dream most especially if it is in third world country's point of view where most terrorism and poverty are the main problems. That is also why the country is commonly compared to as a salad bowl and a melting pot. Multiculutarlism and cultural Assimilation Multiculturalism or commonly known as a "salad bowl", is much of a new metaphor given to the US and not the "melting pot" or also being termed as cultural assimilation. The melting pot means that if one becomes American citizen, he/she should abide what the proper values and tradition that the American should do or he/she will suffer the consequences. While the "salad bowl" is where American now celebrating the diversity of its traditions where it respects the roots of each individual in order to built a harmonious country. (From Melting Pot to Salad Bowl, 2005). Multiculturalism is when a person who became citizen of another country who obeys and works successfully with his new host country but never disregarded his old beliefs and tradition from his mother country of origin. The following are some of the good examples that will describe up to what extent America is compared to as a salad bowl. One very good example are the Chinese, when one sees them talking to their own natives they still talk most of the time in Chinese but if one will see them in school or business meetings they will speak in English.

Responding to a Solicitation- Contract Administration and Management Essay

Responding to a Solicitation- Contract Administration and Management - Essay Example ted copy of his or her commercial pricelist(s) along with the appropriate Special Item Number next to each item that is provided or offered (Stanberry, (2012). On top of this, the vendor must incorporate the Commercial Sales Practice Format (CSP-1), as well as provide or give details regarding his or her pricing history. Last but not least, the vendor must accord close attention to the prices incorporated in his or her submission, as well as be in the position and ready to negotiate his or her best offer for the government. Also, all services or products that are offered in his or her pricelist should actually be within the range of the solicitation on top of the specific Special Item Number being used. In conclusion, the vendor should take the time to comprehend all the requirements entailed in the solicitation (Stanberry, (2012). As well, once on contract, his or her company will be liable for sticking to all pertinent portions of the FAR. Responsibility –The vendor should have a healthy financial state. That is, his or her financial resources should be readily available as well as have a good record of performance in the past (Stanberry, (2012). Pricing Analysis as well as Review of Terms – the prices quoted should also be fair and reasonable, and should be accompanied with appropriate data that not only support but also explain the pricing

Religion and Faith as Instrument of Hope Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Religion and Faith as Instrument of Hope - Essay Example I will make your load easier to carry. Come near me and you shall have rest (The Holy Bible, New International Version, p.539). Truly the heavy load gets lighter, out of the blue, a solution to a problem just appears and help from friends keep on coming. But those are possible only when you have faith. Because the solution that came isn’t the one you’re asking. With faith, you’ll realize that there’s One who knows what’s better for you. This happens not more of a Divine cooperation but usually with God’s intervention answering your prayers. But that holds true only when you pray, because prayer indicates the presence of faith. Faith can grow through constant prayers. We must have faith to keeps us strong. Through faith, we can easily understand and hurdle life’s difficulties. When we cannot anymore comprehend what is going on, there should be something aside from the intellect that will explain. And that’s faith. Where reason ends, faith begins. ... Tolerating Grossbart would be a way of going against the principle of being a defender of faith. Even Jesus Christ became furious when he entered the temple and saw the place becoming a venue for businesses. He upturned the tables being used by the moneychangers and the places of dove sellers and He drove the traders. He claimed "The Scripture says that this temple should be used for praying, but you are using it as "place for thieves"(The Holy Bible, New International Version, p.546). A defender of faith naturally possesses a very strong faith that is acquired and develops through years of practicing the religion. Religion doesn't promise an easy life, a bed of roses so to speak. But no matter how difficult life is, a person with real faith will not be overwhelmed by it. He knows the Lord up there helps him carry the load. He is too much aware that God will not give him a problem that is too difficult that he cannot bear. In every problem that God gives, there is always a corresponding solution. Every problem that is solved greatly contributes to the growth of faith. To be a defender of faith, one can learn many lessons from the Bible. Of course, Bible is a Christians' Book of Life. A Model of Christian Charity People in different countries and places have different status in life. There is a widening gap between the rich and the poor. Some people belong to very influential and well-to-do families while others live an average life and are obedient to the powers that be. What could be the reason for this Perhaps it is God's wisdom that different people live differently. The Model of Christianity has the following reasons: So that beauty can be appreciated more by seeing the opposite and so that man can be grateful to his

Analyzing the causes of change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing the causes of change - Essay Example This led to a position for Nokia which was not so mobile like before. The changes in the political environment included relaxation in the regulatory norms in telecommunication industry which attracted increasing number of foreign players in the telecommunications and mobile handset industry. The increase in the number of competitor and the launch of newly designed handsets in the market posed major challenges for Nokia (Burnes, 2009, p.52). The inclination of the customers towards the camera handsets launched by the competitors of Nokia led to the decline in market share of Nokia. The rise of Nokia to the leadership position in the 1990s created increasing job opportunities and rise in the income level of the people of various economies. The rise of the middle income group was the potential market that was tapped by the competitors of Nokia. The mobile handsets of Nokia were old fashioned that dated 10 years back. The market trends saw the launch of flashy and newly designed handsets with colourful screens and folding patterns (Reiss, 2012, p.39). The changes in the mobile handsets matched with the evolving social trends and demands of the customers. Nokia was unable to keep up with the recent changes in the market for which the market of Nokia declined in the recent years. Even the most loyal Finnish market of Nokia witnessed a decline in share from 93% to 80%. The technological advancements in the telecommunications industry and the increase in market share of LG, Motorola posed major threats to the business of Nokia in the several markets across the world. The mobile phone operators like Vodafone favoured the other mobile handset makers as they desired to provide services on mobile handsets that were updated to the market trends. Nokia did not believe in co-branding while the market trends saw increasing number of joint ventures and co-branding of products in order to meet the demands of customers (SENGUPTA, BHATTACHARYA and SENGUPTA, 2006, p.31). The sharin g of technology in the market helped the other market players to tap the customer segments who were looking for changes in the available features of the mobile handsets. These temporal changes in telecommunication device offerings to the market were due to the strategic policy making of the competitors (McLoughlin and Aaker, 2010, p.21). The changes in the political, economic, social and technological environment led to the loss of interest for Nokia among the market segments. Nokia could not identify the changes that took place in the market and failed to undertake strategic policies of change management in a timely manner. All these factors led to the decline in mobility of Nokia in the recent years. Use of multiple cause diagrams: forces of change management The decline in the market share of Blackberry smart-phones could be represented with the help of a multiple cause diagram to determine the factors that led to the changing scenario in the business of Research in Motion (RIM), the makers of Blackberry. The multiple cause diagrams would help the organization to respond to the forces of change and also enables the company in addressing the key variables in order to solve the complex dynamics of prevailing

Thematic Art Review (Formalist) Essay Example for Free

Thematic Art Review (Formalist) Essay Visual arts which make use of unusual media and technique, such as collage or origami, tend to   both benefit from and be challenged by the medium and technique involved. A viewer is apt to react first to the medium and technique and perhaps, because of this, thematic or expressive ideas may be perceived as secondary to the impact of a given work. However, by contemplating given works, such as the   Origami NOW! collection of works at PEM, from a   more deeply considered point of view, the thematic and expressive elements of the work begins to overshadow the once-dominant aspects of medium and technique.    Finally,the alert viewer will realize that, in fact, a harmony of technique nd expression, media and idea has been reached in the most capably articulated works, while in less-capable works, a lack of balance restricts the viewer to a predominantly technical appreciation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For example, a piece from the Origami NOW! exhibition such as Eric Joisels Pangolin   is very effective at eliciting a response of admiration and even surprise of wonder at the technique involved in sculpting (or more properly: folding) paper into the shape of a convincingly realistic animal form which suggests an armadillo. On the other hand, although the animal offers a meaningful gesture, as though it is eating or drinking, the overall impact of the piece fails to gain any truly expressive or meaningful energy. It is simply a technically admirable piece.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By contrast, Joel Coopers Gemini, is a deeply expressive piece which evokes stone relief carvings in origami. The faces are, themselves, primitive and expressive, but the thematic impact of the piece is much deeper than the surface level facial expression of the pieces central figures. The piece derives important impact from its sub-text of transference: ancient stone to ephemeral paper, which makes a statement about human civilization and history and the ephemerality of human monuments, and arty itself, while simultaneously elevating the ephemerality of the medium and technique (origami) to a sympathetic relationship to ancient art and antiquity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yet another piece, Spike Sphere, by   Thomas Hull, straddles the line between expressiveness and technical precision without ever falling precisely on one side or another. In effect, Hulls piece is the most harmonious of those examples of origami on exhibition at PEM. The overt impact of Hulls piece is that of geometrical expressionism, using a complex geometrical shape to express theme. In my opinion, Hulls Spike Sphere is meant to represent no less than the entire human cosmos in a single figure of origami. I said human because the piece reflects a particularly human concept of wholeness as in other geometrical abstractions: globes, the atom, stars, galaxies and even some scientific models of the multi-verse.     Hulls figure is spherical and colored like a budding flower, but spiked suggesting pain, danger, emotional response. This precise configuration of human emotion and abstract form, coupled with organic coloring and an holistic gesture elevates Hulls piece to the highest levels. This work is a masterpiece which reveals the origami, as a medium, embodies much more than the stunned admiration for technique and cleverness associated with folding paper creatively and expressively.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The impact of placing such a diverse collection of works that all make use of a similar medium and technique shoulder to shoulder in an exhibition   like the Origami NOW! exhibition is to invite the viewer to explore the full range of capacities that a medium and technique have to offer. From simple constructs which showcase technique over thematic expression to thematic all driven pieces which test the boundaries of the associated techniques and medium, the   Origami NOW! exhibition is superbly put together and dynamically stimulating for those viewers patient and perceptive enough to gauge the full impact of these   richly imaginative works.

The Aral Sea Desertification

The Aral Sea Desertification Desertification is the process by which a habitable place of land becomes a desert due to climatic changes or ill human practices in the environment. The Aral Sea is a victim to such adversity due to malpractices and power hungry nature of humans. Thus becoming a saline lake from its previous form of being the 4th largest lake in the world. It used to be the leading site of fisheries, reed growing and other trading due to its ports. All these services have been vanquished due to the desertification which seeped into the sea and its atmosphere. Thereby becoming one of the worlds greatest disasters caused humans. People have always had a greed for power and gold. Such was an instance for the Soviet Government in the 1960s. The need to grow heat absorbing crops such as rice, cotton, grapes and other vegetables made two prime rivers The Amu Darya and The Syr Darya, feeding the Aral Sea to be diverted to irrigate the crops. Due to such malpractices the Aral Sea shrunk in size from being the worlds 4th largest sea to a dry barren sea basin. But even though they have caused an ecological disaster, actions are now being taken to replenish the sea of its thirst and recover it back to its natural beauty. The Aral Sea : The Aral Sea has a catchment size of 1,549,000 km2 . It was a sea that situated in Central Asia and lay between Kazakhstan in the north and Karakalpakstan, (a region of Uzbekistan) in the south. It used to have an area of 68,000 square kilometers and it was due to the two main rivers, in fact the 2 largest rivers in central Asia the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya to fill up the sea. Around 1960, about half of this water replenished the Sea the rest evaporated, transpired, or filtrated into the ground naturally as the rivers flowed through the deserts and some was taken for other human uses. Everything was going well keeping the environment intact until the former Soviet Union decided to divert the rivers to grow white gold- cotton, rice and other vegetables. This was a major plan for them to become a lead exporter in cotton. Which eventually happened as Uzbekistan is one of the lead exporters of cotton to this very day. But cotton and rice being extremely thirsty plants required immense amounts of water and instead of the 2 rivers irrigating the desert it was used to irrigate the 7.6 million hectares of thirsty crops. Due to the diversion of the water the water level started to decrease as the river discharge started to drop. Subsequently as the years passed by the rivers brought lesser water to the sea. The sea was retreating from its original shores, leaving behind dry land covered by the crust of salt. The irrigation project was enormous and no attention was given to downstream requirements. The irrigation techniques were not efficient with open waterways leading to waste. Very little care was given to the need for proper drainage. On average there was a decline in water level during the 1960s of 0.21 m/year, in the 1970s of 0.6 m/year, and in the 1980s of 0.8 m/year. Now it has lost 80 % of its volume and uncovered 3.6 mil hectares of seabed .The surface level has contracted by half, the level significantly reduced by 19 m and in some areas the seas edge is more than 100 km from its former shore. The Soviets were not surprised of the slow recline and eventual fading of the Aral Sea, as they had predicted this to happen. In 1964 , at the Hydroproject Institute Aleksandr Asarin stated that the lake was doomed, explaining It was part of the five-year plans, approved by the council of ministers and the Politburo. Nobody on a lower level would dare to say a word contradicting those plans, even if it was the fate of the Aral Sea. Plans were taken to refill the Aral Sea after a while but the estimated costs were staggering, the authorities rejected the project in 1966. Ecology ,environment and climate : The future of the Aral Sea looked very grim. The surrounding environment and the marine ecology of the started to depreciate. The local climate, hydrology and natural habitat were also affected greatly due to the declining sea- level. As the sea level reclined, few areas started to get exposed. The deltas in the sea was lush and abundant with flora and fauna that provided flowing food supplies for the livestock , and reeds for the industry , an abundant breeding ground for its fish industry and sites for hunting. When the deltas started to dry up, deserts started to form thereby the number of wildlife, fish and livestock started to drop. Only 38 of the 173 living species that once habited the deltas survived. Just 30 years ago the sea was a major contributor to the fishing industries; in 1957 Muynak and Aralsk were flourishing sea ports processing catches of 48,000 metric tons of fish. Now these fishing ports are situated many kilometers from the sea line and the fisheries are only open at very expensive costs with fish coming in from the Barents and the Caspian Seas. By the 1980s almost 20 of the 24 native sea fish species disappeared. The Soviet planners realized that if they were to expand the irrigation systems it would have contrary impacts on the sea, yet still nothing was done about it. They did not realize that it would have an effect on the surrounding natural climate. As the irrigation and the recline of the Aral Sea continued huge dust storms developed due to the sea drying up. As a result the agricultural productivity started to decline making it inhospitable for crops. As the sea dried up more places in the sea started to get exposed and at the upper layer of the seabed the concentration of the toxic salts at the seabed combined with the lack of water and its nutrients made it difficult to provide a stable plant cover. Due to this dust storms started to brew and this increased in frequency and magnitude, as a result it carried an estimated of 43 million metric tons of salt per year over the enormous areas. These dust storms contained sodium chloride and sodium sulfate, which are toxic to plants. As the salt levels in the regions started to rise in the water and soil contents it started having adverse effects on the agriculture in the region. Due to this excess of water was needed to meet the requirements of the plant but the problem was drainage was often poor together with the fact that it was more saline than the soil. This accumulates and raises the level of the groundwater table. As the water table rises into the root zone, the crops suffer from curtailed oxygen supplies. Thus the capillary action draws salts from the shallow groundwater tables upward toward the surface. As the water evaporates, high concentrations of salt are left on the surface, thereby ruining the agricultural potential of the land. Soviet research suggests that 60 percent of the irrigated soils in Uzbekistan, 80 percent in Turkmenistan, 35 percent in Tadzhikistan, 40 percent in Kirghizia, and between 60 and 70 percent in Kazakhstan suffered moderate to strong salinity problems in 1985. The climate of the area was also affected, summers have become hotter, winters have become cooler and growing seasons have significantly become shorter. Precipitation has also decreased thereby increasing daytime temperatures. Average May temperatures were 3.0-3.2 degree Celsius higher, average October temperatures are 0.7 to 1.5 degrees higher and the growing season has declined by 10 days. The Aral Sea, a large saltwater lake, is losing more than half of its surface area in 40 years. 3 Cows walk in the desert which used to be the seabed of the Aral Sea 4 Human Impacts : Not only was the climate and animal life affected but even humans were affected from this disaster. Drinking water supplies were contaminated by pesticides. Many other diseases were released due to the desertification. Over the last 15 years diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis B, kidney disease, gallstone ailments, chronic gastritis have increased; infant mortality rates have gone up and the frequency of esophagus cancer and tuberculosis have reach epidemic levels. One survey found 80 percent of the women suffering from anemia and 70 percent of the children ill. Due to the rise in morbidity and reduced mortality in the people, hospital rates went up and poverty increased. Because of the vast no. of health problems in the population hospitals were lacking in essential medicines and health care. On account of the rising diseases, many of them were found in the blood and breast milks, as toxins found in pesticides and other toxic gases from the dust storms seeped into foods and contaminated food supplies. As the waters are highly saline and contaminated, drinking water supplies have significantly decreased leading to liver and kidney diseases. The people have also been exposed to airborne toxins found in the dust storms causing respiratory diseases. Due to the desertification the fishing industry and other local occupations such as reed growing, farming and other occupations disappeared causing unemployment rates to sky rocket, leading people to poverty. They were unable to grow agriculture due to the high salinity of the water. Shipping ports closed and the Aral Sea became a ship graveyard. Aral Sea Restoration : Finally attention was given to the Aral Sea in the 1980s and 1990s but the government realized that it would not be possible to restore the Sea to its original size back in 1960. But if it was left to continue to degrade a major catastrophe would occur. Looking into the problems 5 countries volunteered to try and restore or at least alleviate the cataclysm. Those 5 countries are: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan; the countries that neighbor the Aral Sea. They created the ASBP (Aral Sea Basin Program) in 1994 which was established to be conducted in four steps: To stabilize the environment of the Aral Sea Basin, To rehabilitate the disaster area around the sea, To improve the management of the international waters of the Aral Sea Basin, To build the capacity of institutions at the regional and national level to advance the programs aims. More water would have to pump into the Aral Sea if it had to be revived. The five countries referred to Interbasin Transfers (IBT); but it has not been put into place. They projected to divert the Caspian Sea into the Aral Sea but they anticipated that the same catastrophe might occur in the Caspian. This was just a hypothesis to be carried out, so ASBP was put into place. The first phase was to directly improve the land around the basin without touching the water system. This began from 1992 until 1997. This was because they found it difficult to implement the phase. Phase two began in 1998 till 2003. They wanted to increase awareness of the area to the public but they had little concern of the propaganda thus causing this plan to fail as well. Phase three was implemented in 1997 as the government constructed a new plan to back up the previous ones. The main objective of this plan is to improve the irrigation systems that are still there but aiming at the water management at a local view. The North Aral Sea is the largest project of this phase. The main idea is to build a dam across the Berg Strait ( a channel which connects the North and South Aral Sea). The dam is eight miles long and can facilitate twenty nine cubic kilometers of water to be stashed away in the North Aral Sea and allowing the excess water to overflow into the South Aral Sea. Currently work is going on in the North Aral Sea to restore it. Irrigation in the Syr Darya have been improved and mended to increase the flow of water. In October 2003 the government began construction of a concrete dam, Dike Kokaral which separates the Aral Sea from the North and South. Construction finished in August 2005 and due to the dam water level in the North has increased also decreasing the salinity of the river. It is a minute growth but a valuable one over time. Few of the fish stocks were released into the river to bring back the past occupation and revive the fishing industry once again. This outstanding project caused small changes to the climate causing few rain clouds to brew up. The sea depth and sea surface has increased over the years. Seeing these achievements in the area the government has decided to construct a second dam to further the healing process of the Northern side. The South of the Aral Sea only receives overflowed water from the North of the Aral Sea but apart from that no other measures have been taken. But plans have been pulled up to create a channel to connect the North and South and continue the replenishing projects in the South as well but political constraints are limiting its progress because of the oil exploration in the South of the Aral Sea. Conclusion: The Aral Sea was the fourth-largest Sea in the world at one time but today it does not exist in any last apart from the top ten ecological disasters caused by humans. Even though measures are taken to restore the Aral Sea back to its original form predictions are being made that because only the North Aral Sea is being refilled it may divide up into the North Aral Sea and the South Aral Sea as two completely separate basins. All these decades of problems and catastrophes were just over the greed of making more money, yes maybe it might increase the revenue of a nation but it should not be at the cost of another whole biome. There is a sufficiency in the world for mans need but not for mans greed. -Mahatma Gandhi

A Midsummer Nights Dream :: essays research papers

i dunn0. By; orange lim   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I used to think that life w0uld be easier if you had friends there t0 help y0u.its true. It has always been like that since the 6th grade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the 6th grade there has always been the0ries of  ¡Ã‚ ¥gr0upings ¡Ã‚ ¦ in batches. Unf0rtunately that had t0 happen with me .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 0nly way I survived the 6th grade til n0w is because of my family , friends and the pe0ple I l0ve.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My family is mainly my dad, my mum, my 0lder br0ther lems, me, my y0unger br0ther jay, and my y0unger sister Sab. We were like the perfect family f0r me. I think we are, because their mine. My dad was a business man, m0m is a lawyer, older br0 is a c0llege quarterback>others think of him as a dreamb0i, but t0 me, waking me up with a  ¡Ã‚ ¥whapak!! ¡Ã‚ ¨ of a pill0w in the m0rning makes me think of him as a nightmare!< I on the 0ther hand am  ¡Ã‚ §I think ¡Ã‚ ¨ the n0rmal 0ne. I am a member of the pep squad and the track team. Student by day trainee in track and pep on the aftern00n onwards.jay then is a basketball player. Sab then is the strangest. She is the j0ker in the family. S0mewhat like the  ¡Ã‚ §luis stevens ¡Ã‚ ¨ of the family. But she excels in the fields 0f v0lleyball.and in math.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then there are my friends. Theres tammi, a  ¡Ã‚ §study first bef0re anything ¡Ã‚ ¨ type a girl. Mariel a team cap in v0lleyball.tara, a c0-cap in v0lleyball. Thea and MR 2 0ver achievers, but MR m0stly acts like a cl0wn.strict th0ugh. Then there ¡Ã‚ ¦s kat. A great seatmate. We usually had breakfast together coz we usually were the early c0mers to class. All of us are n0w in the 9th grade. Trying to make it to the top.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Last yet the greatest is Chin0.he isn ¡Ã‚ ¦t a chink though. i just like calling him that. His full name is Zigfried Derek Bartholomew. But he doesn ¡Ã‚ ¦t look that of a Zigfried. I only call him that when I get mad at him. Then he says  ¡Ã‚ §how ¡Ã‚ ¦d it go back to Zigfried? ¡Ã‚ ¨ then he ¡Ã‚ ¦d know I ¡Ã‚ ¦m angry..   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So this is where the story starts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was on my way to school but my m0m said  ¡Ã‚ §orange, where d0 you think your going? ¡Ã‚ ¨ I said  ¡Ã‚ §to school.. for training ¡Ã‚ ¨. she then had a smile on her face then s0me0ne blind f0lded me and guided me t0wards what I think was the backyard.

Drug Use and Abuse by Teens Essay -- Teenage Drug Users

Drug addiction is becoming a major problem amongst teenagers. Nine out of every ten adults say that teachers should inform students about drug use." USA Today Many people don’t even realize that they use drugs. Alcohol is a drug. It is the most popular drug in America. People also don’t realize that alcohol is addictive until it’s too late. Alcohol is also very dangerous. On September 13, 2000, I witnessed a crash by my house. A guy skidded across the road and ended up on my neighbor’s lawn. The windshield was cracked on the driver’s side. The driver looked at the smoking car and said that it was fine. He just needed to get it off the curb. When the police showed up, he asked the driver if he had hit his head on the windshield. The driver replied with â€Å"No." The driver was drunk and t...

Heat Loss Investigation Essays -- Factors Affecting the Rate of Heat l

Heat Loss Investigation Introduction ============ In this investigation I will investigate heat loss and heat transfer in different materials and I will also investigate which materials are the best insulators. A material that prevents this heat loss is called an insulator and this helps to keep the object that is being insulated warmer for, longer. Heat is generally transferred in three different methods: - - Conduction - Convection - Radiation Conduction is energy transferred from the hotter part of a solid to the colder part of conduction. It is transferred by the particles in the material the particles in the hot part are vibrating more. These vibrations are passed on to the cooler particles next to them, so the energy spreads through the material until all particles have the same energy. Metals are good conductors, whereas most non-metals are poor conductors and poor conductors are used as insulators. Convection is the transfer of energy by the movement of a liquid or gas. When a liquid becomes warm it expands and becomes less dense. The warmer fluid floats above the cooler fluid, which sinks. This creates a flow, which is called convection current. Radiation is when bodies emit radiation. Basically the hotter the body, the more energy it radiates. Dark, dull surfaces emit more radiation than light, shiny surfaces. They also absorb radiation well. Light, shiny surfaces do not absorb radiation well - they are good reflectors. Radiation can pass through space - that is how the warmth of the sun reaches the Earth. Also heat can be transferred by evaporation and this may be relevant i... ...results as it could have made it warmer or cooler. The method I chose to use was successful and worked well within the investigation it was stable and fair. I would not change the method if I repeated the investigation as it worked well with the experiment. Also to improve my investigation I could have done many things. I could have repeated the experiment again and took down the average results and this will make the experiment more accurate as one set of my results could have been affected. Also there would have been different temperatures within the beaker thought they would have only been slight differences. The temperature would be different with the water nearer to the glass compared to the water directly in the middle. So it would have helped if I stirred the water so I could get the general temperature.

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences: Law and Its Effectiveness

PROTECTION OF CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL OFFENCES: LAW AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS *INTRODUCTION Childhood is considered to be the most crucial phase of human growth and also the most memorable one. It is much more than just the space between birth and the attainment of adulthood. It is a precious time in which children should live free from fear, safe from violence and protected from abuse and exploitation. It’s time for children to be in school and at playground, to grow strong and confident with the love and encouragement of the family and an extended community of caring adults.But what if the childhood becomes a never ending nightmare? A childhood where child refuses to go to school out of an unusual fear? A childhood where he refuses to play outside as he is scared to be surrounded by people? Just imagine a childhood when his own house, the safest place for a child turns out to be an exploitation camp by his own inmates. The entire childhood get raped! We can’t imagine of anyt hing more horrific. The stories of abuse and exploitation of children is all around us. We read about them in the papers, watch them in news and see hundreds of children being exploited as we go about our everyday lives.As per a study conducted by Ministry of women and child department, 53 percent of children in India have suffered some kind of sexual abuse in their childhood and the more shocking fact is that unlike the ordinary notion, 50 percent abusers are known to the child or in a position of trust or responsibility. *CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE DEFINED Child abuse may be emotional, mental, physical or sexual and encompasses a much wider gamut of actions . On the other hand Child sexual abuse is that which targets sexuality and/or sexual organs, involves sexual gestures, words, pictures, actions.It’s the most heinous manifestation of abuse of children as it traumatizes the child for the whole life in all ways, sexually, physically, psychologically and socially, leaving behind a scarred childhood and a disillusioned adulthood caused by the past memories. According WHO, child sexual abuse is the involvement of a child in sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give consent to or that violates the laws or social taboos of society. While releasing the Report on Child abuse in India, 2007, Women and child Development minister, Renuka Chaudhary said â€Å"child abuse is shrouded in secrecy and here is a conspiracy of silence around the entire subject†. Both the government and the NGO’S working in this field find it difficult to get the accurate data. *INDIAN CONSTITUTION, INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AND THE LEGISLATIVE LAWS: RECOGNITION OF THE CHILD RIGHTS AND THEIR PROTECTION Looking into the details of child abuse in India, our legal framework and the relevant legislations, Indian constitution recognising the vulnerable position of children and various crimes against children that are linked to sexual abuse provides fo r their protection from such offences.Article 15 provides for special attention to children through necessary and special laws and policies that safeguard their interest. Article 23 provides protection against human trafficking and forced labour. Article 24 and 39 specifically prohibits children from engaging in hazardous employment and protection from exploitation respectively. Thus Indian constitution has provided for a framework which serves as a direction to the legislature to make child protection laws.India’s commitment to the issue is also emboldened by the fact that India is a signatory nation to the UN Convention on the Rights of Child, 1989. One important regional convention here is the SAARC convention on preventing and combating trafficking in women and children, 2002. Looking at the legislative laws the parliament of India recently passed Protection of children from sexual offences Act, 2012. The act has filled a glaring lacuna in the law. We will get into the de tails of the Act at the later stage of the essay as the law has just come into force and we are yet to see its impact.To appreciate the new act we have understand the history of child sexual abuse laws in India and their effectiveness so far. Before the above mentioned law was passed the cases of child sexual abuse were dealt under the following sections of IPC. Section 375 defines rape; section 376 provides for the punishment of rape which shall not be less than seven years but which may extend to ten years unless the women raped is his own wife and is not under twelve years of age in which case, he shall be imprisoned with a term which may extend to two years or fine or both.When the girl is less than 12 years or where the rapist is a person in authority (in a hospital, children’s home, a police station etc. ), the punishment is greater; section 377 which relates to unnatural offences. This section is generally invoked when boy children are sexually abused; section 354 whic h deals with outraging the modesty of a woman or a girl and section 509, which relates to insulting the modesty of a woman. The ordinary criminal laws are totally inadequate to protect the children from sexual abuse.IPC does not recognize the term â€Å"child sexual abuse†. Firstly section 375 restricts itself to just penile penetration. Secondly it does not treat forced sexual intercourse by a husband against the wife (above 15 years) as an offence. Thirdly there is no statutory definition of modesty. It carries a weak penalty and is a compoundable offence. Moreover it does not address outraging the modesty of a male child. Fourthly sexual offences against men are covered under section 377 which does not cover the offence adequately. The term unnatural offence in not defined.It only applies to victims penetrated by their attacker's sex act, and is not designed to criminalize sexual abuse of children . Lastly and most importantly IPC laws relating to sexual offences are not g ender neutral. This is due to an age long myth that only females are sexually abused and only males are abusers leaving the female abusers out. But the 2007 Report has given a severe blow to this long standing myth which revealed that out of total child victims, 52. 94 percent were boy children. Yes! It’s shocking. Male children are equally vulnerable and a boy being raped does exist!Besides IPC, there are other legislations also. Obscenity and pornography are dealt under the Young persons (harmful publications) Act, 1956. A young person means a person under the age of 20 years. It is an offence to sell, let, hire, distribute or publically exhibit harmful publications. Other than this under section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 publication and transmission of pornography through the internet is an offence. The Juvenile Justice Act, 2000 deals primarily with children in conflict with the law and their rehabilitation.It does not provide adequately for children in n eed or identify offences against child victims * In addition to children other than those who are abused within their family by their relatives or friends or by strangers at any public place, there are three organised form of sexual abuse of children which are globally prevelant and form a major percentage of sexually abused children. And these three forms are trafficking in human, child labour and child marriage. Human Trafficking as defined in the Un is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons by means of the threat or use of force or other forms f coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, force d labour or service, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. †Quoting from an article written by Havovi wadia â€Å"Among the Naths of Bihar, prostitution is a way of life.When a family doesn’t have a daughter, girls are purchased from other parts of the state and pushed into sex work so that the family can live off their earnings. † Children who work as domestic labour, or help in hotels and restaurants, are susceptible to sexual abuse at the hands of employers and customers. The Immoral Traffic (Prevention)Act protects children below the age of 16 from being used for the purposes of commercial sex. Immoral trafficking of children who generally leads to prostitution is one of the most heinous manifestations of violence against children.The US Department of State trafficking in Person report have placed India in Tier II watch list for a second consecutive year for having failed to combat human trafficking. A number of children go missing every year – some are sold by their families, some are kidnapped, others lured by the promise of a better life both for themselves and their kin. According to CRY (Child Rights and You). * 8,945 children go missing every year. * 500,000 children are estimated to be forced into the sex trade every year * Approximately 2 million child commercial sex workers are between the ages of 5 and 15 years * Approximately 3. million child commercial sex workers are between 15 and 18 years * Children form 40% of the total population of commercial sex workers * 80% of these children are found in the five metros – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore * 71% of them are illiterate. Child marriage gives the abuser a societal passport to sexually abuse the child. Child marriage is practiced globally but it is especially prevalent in India where more than one third of all child brides live. According to UNICEF, 47% of girls are married by 18 years of age, and 18% are m arried by 15 years of age.A study conducted in  India  by International research centre for women  showed that girls married before 18 years of age are twice as likely to be beaten, slapped, or threatened by their husbands  and three times more likely to experience sexual violence. ]  Young brides often show symptoms of sexual abuse and post traumatic stress. Though the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 makes the practice of marrying girls under the age of 18 and boys under the age  of 21 punishable but its implementation has not been very effective. We can still find minor couple tying the knot on â€Å"Akkha teej†, a summer festival believed to be auspicious for wedding.This is gross violation of law. Many in urban slum areas get their children married young to protect them from sexual abuse. Once a girl attains puberty she begins to be seen as sexually available. For some parents marriage is the only way to ensure that the girl is ‘unavailableâ€⠄¢ to others for abuse. The 2007 Report reveals the percentage of child sexual abuse is highest in work areas, which is 61. 61 percent. The Juvenile Justice Act, 2000 Section 26 (Exploitation of Juvenile or Child Employee) provides for punishment if a person procures a juvenile for hazardous employment.The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation Act) was enacted in 1986, to specifically address the situation of  children in labour. However, this law distinguishes between hazardous and non-hazardous forms of labour, and identifies certain processes and occupations from which children are prohibited from working. It leaves out a large range of activities that children are engaged in and are exploited and abused. The large-scale exploitation and abuse of children employed in domestic work and hotels are cases in point.The other abuse Child trafficking is one of the most heinous manifestations of violence against children. *PROTECTION OF CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT, 2012: ITS E FFECTIVENESS AND A CRITICAL ANALYSIS Now coming to the recent legislation which has addressed the various loop holes in the existing laws to a great extent is the Protection of children from sexual offences Act, 2012 . It’s a historic law . Though India became a signatory to the UN convention on the rights of the child back in 1992 but it took India twenty long years to enact a separate law dealing with the offences against children.The Act is headway stronger than all the earlier child sexual abuse laws. The Act, on the lines of the UN convention defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years and provides protection to all the children from the offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography. These offences have been clearly defined for the first time in law. Firstly it acknowledges and engages with sexual crimes of all kinds — real/virtual; penetrative/ non- penetrative; homosexual/ heterosexual/ bestial; verbal/ physical.This is a major improv ement on the earlier situation, when child sexual abuse was clubbed with sexual abuse of adults. Secondly it acknowledges that sexual violations can be of various kinds and that in the case of children, the state must take a clear punitive stand on any kind of sexual violation. Thirdly  it is gender inclusive, accepting that the perpetrators as well as the victims may be either male or female. It is otherwise commonly assumed that sexual abuse can only be initiated by a male upon a female.Fourthly it lays down stringent punishments (up to life imprisonment) for a broad range of sexual crimes such as nonpenetrative sexual assault, sexual harassment, and the use of children for pornography. Fifthly the legislation is also marked by the introduction of special procedures to prevent the re-victimisation of children at the hands of an insensitive justice delivery system. These include measures for recording a child's evidence, for protecting his or her identity and for providing childr en with assistance and expertise from professionals in the fields of psychology, social work and so on.Sixthly for speedy trials the Act has provided for the establishment of special courts and the evidence of the child to be recorded within a period of 30 days. Also, the Special Court is to complete the trial within a period of one year, as far as possible. And lastly giving due attention to vulnerability and innocence of children the Act has put the onus of innocence on the accused. The present act is certainly welcoming and addresses the sexual offences against children effectively and efficiently. The bill has taken a comprehensive view and has broadened the sphere of child sexual abuse.That said there is one provision of the Act which has sparked controversy and that is the â€Å"age of consent†. Eighteen has been kept the age of consent and any sexual activity between consenting adolescents would be considered criminal. People from different sections of the society and those working in the field of child rights have shown their disagreement with the view taken. Since this Act criminalises any sexual activity with persons under the age of 18 years (even if it is consensual), is said that the police may misuse it to harass the young ouples or parents may use this law to control olden children sexual behaviour. Additional sessions judge Kamini Lau,of a Delhi court ,while acquitting a youth of the charges of kidnapping and raping a 17-and-a-half-year-old girl, to whom he got married and is now having a child with, called the said provision of the Act of increasing the age of consent from 16 to18 to be â€Å"regressive† and â€Å"draconian†. The remarks were made while referring to the conditions in western countries where there are adequate safeguards for protection against sexual offences. No doubt, there is an urgent need to protect children from sexual offences, harassment and pornography but at the same time it is necessary to ensure a close-in-age reprieve and a lenient view in case of close-in-relationship as adopted by various western countries where there is no exploitative coercive situation including impersonation, fraud, fear, threat and false promises. The need is to correct this behaviour and not punish† she said. Flavia Agnes in Indianexpress said that the age of consent for sexual intercourse has always been contested.In 1860, 10 years was the stipulated minimum age. But the furore caused by the death of an 11-year-old girl at the hands of her 35-year-old husband through forcible penetration led to the raising of the age of consent to 12 years in 1892. Later, during the nationalist movement, when women’s groups entered the political arena, they highlighted the adverse effects of early pregnancy upon women’s health, and demanded that the age of consent to marriage and sexual intercourse be raised to 14 years. Then, the age was raised to 15 years in 1949, and later to 16 years.Conse nsual intercourse with a girl under this age was construed as â€Å"statutory rape†. But the provision made a concession to the husband, who was permitted to have sex with his wife if she was above the age of 15. This dichotomy and confusion persists as the age of marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act and the Prohibition of child marriage act is 18 years and 21 years for a female and a male respectively. The proposed bill aims to resolve this confusion by stipulating a uniform age for marriage as well as sex, and inadvertently contributes to a puritanical notion that marriage and sex are synonymous.Ms Taparia, founder of Mumbai-based organization â€Å"Arpan† which works in the field of child sexual abuse says â€Å"We need to treat the bracket of ages 16 to 18 differently. If a child is raped, then you bring it under the judicial purview, but if it’s consensual sex between two people who are both within the age bracket 16 to 18 years, then it shouldn’t be criminalized. Puberty is coming early†¦So it’s regressive to take the age of legal sex to 18 years†. *RESPONSIBILTY OF CHILD PROTECTION Children are vulnerable sections of the society which needs care and protection for their normal growth.Children are primarily considered to be the responsibility of their family. It’s true that there is no substitute of family’s love and care and their can’t be a better place for a child to live in but what if their own house turns out to be an exploitation camp? For the formation of a protective environment at macro level and for the proper enforcement of child laws it’s the collective responsibility of the family, community, civil society and the state. India has always been on a denial mode when it comes to incest. But the truth is rather shocking!A report from RAHI, a Delhi based NGO working with child sexual abuse titled ‘Voices from the Silent Zone’, suggests that nearly three-quar ters of upper and middle class Indian women are abused by a family member — often an uncle, a cousin or an elder brother. The infamous Incest Mira Road case rocked the whole country. The girl victim said in her statement that â€Å"There were times when I had given up on life completely. When a child is in trouble, he first approaches her parents for help and protection, but who would protect me from my own father who had behaved like a beast? † Who is to look after children in such a situation?Family certainly is a stakeholder but they couldn’t and are not the only protectors. Children are â€Å"national asset† to this country and it’s the collective responsibility of the family, state, NGO’S, community and the civil society to protect them. A child that grows up protected from violence and abuse is more likely to grow up physically and mentally healthy, confident and self-respecting and less likely to abuse or exploit others. By contrast, when children are left unprotected and vulnerable to exploitation and abuse their childhood their rights are fundamentally undermined.It was pointed out in The Essentials of child protection that ensuring a protective environment is the responsibility the governments, international organisation, civil societies, families and individuals. A protected environment is one in which a child is assured of living in safety and with dignity. It is one that ensures that children are in school, laws are in place to punish those who exploit children, governments are truly committed to protection, communities are aware of the risks that children faces, civil society addresses certain â€Å"taboo† issues and monitoring is in place to identify children who are at risk of exploitation.Children will never be free from exploitation until all levels of the society from the family to the international community work together. *PRESENT LEGAL SYSTEM AND THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILDREN: COMMISSIONS, POL ICIES AND PROGRAMMES The UN convention on the rights of the child has provided for four basic rights to every child and these are survival, development, protection and participation. India is a signatory to this convention. To fulfil its commitment we have already mentioned the various legislations that have been enacted to protect the child rights.Other than that to facilitate the laws made, several policies have been enacted. The National policy for children was enacted in 1924. The National charter for children was adopted in 2003. This charter consists of the inherent rights of a child and that the state is duty bound to provide the same. Among other rights it includes protection from economic exploitation and all forms of abuse. Several Ministries and Departments of the Government of India are implementing various schemes and programmes for the benefit of children.Integrated child development service scheme is one such scheme that has taken various other governmental schemes un der its purview. Government of India has also set up the childline India foundation, an organization to provide assistance to children. It has a toll free number on which anybody can seek help in the interest of the child. An important step has been taken by the govt with the establishment of National commission for protection of child rights under the commission of the protection of child rights Act, 2005. t is an important step because the Commission's Mandate is to ensure that all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative Mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also provides for the establishment of state commission for the protection of child rights. It mainly aims to decentralize the commission at district and state level so that grass root problems can be addressed effectively. NEEDED REFORMS IN THE LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK, GROUND WORK AND OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHILDREN *Governmental commitment towards child protection: The Government has got a very crucial role to play in the creation of protective environment for children by the formulation of effective policies, strong legal framework and programming and allocation of adequate resources to the programme. An exercise of budgeting conducted by Ministry of Women and child Development, revealed that the share of the union budget for children in 2006-2007 was 4. 91%, of this the share of child protection was 0. 34%. According to 2001 census, children constitute 42% of India’s population which is a huge population to look after. And with number they certainly deserve more space and attention in the annual budget. At the programmatic level, the existing mechanism for child protection in India is primarily based on several small schemes implemented by different ministries and department. The need is to centralize these schemes under a single programme which specifically addresses child protection rights. Setting up laws is not enough. Implementation has always been a problem in India.The concerned ministry must ensure that laws are being followed. *Attitude and Practices: It must be ensured that we are living in a society that does not facilitate exploitation. Such as even after strict prohibition laws we still see and read about child marriage, devdasis still exist in many parts of the country, female genital mutilation for the misunderstood religious beliefs, Myths such as sexual intercourse with children cures sexually transmitted diseases (this is rampant in Africa). society must be freed from such practices to create a child friendly environment. Open discussion including civil society and child participation: There should be open discussion about sexuality and some basic sex education must be added to the curriculum in schools. Very often children do not even realize that they are being abused. The children must be taught to break the silence and this can be done only by confidence building. The National commission for the protection of child rights has provided for state commissions. Till now 15 states have establish the commissions in their states. This should be followed in rest of the sates also.There should be further decentralization at the district and block level. The commission has also stresses on the participation of children. Children are less vulnerable to abuse when they know their rights are not to be exploited and when they know the services available to protect them. In Brazil, the street children have found in the National movement of street boys and girls, a space for participation that has permitted them to become aware of their rights and a platform to fight for their rights. Consulting children can be of immense help to policy makers and planners.In Bangladesh, to develop a national plan of action against sexual abuse and exploitation several children such as those involved in sex work were consulted. Most of the children’s recommendation were included in the National plan of 2002 a ‘child task force’ is also established as a part of monitoring and implementation of the plan. Youth parliaments both at the national and the state level should be established and this should be extended to street children also other than school going children. If not government than this can also be organized by NGO’S. let their voices be heard.It would give them a common platform to discuss their grievances and other issues. Capacity of families and communities:  All those who interact with children—parents, teachers, religious leaders alike – should observe protective child-rearing practices and have the knowledge, skills, motivation and support to recognize and respond to exploitation and abuse. As pointed out in Report 2007 parents do not speak to children about sexuality as well as physical and emotional changes that take place during their growing years. As a result of this, all forms of sexual abuse that a child faces do not get reported to anyone.It was pointed out in the Report 2007 that the girl, whose mother has not spoken to her even about a basic issue like menstruation, is unable to tell her mother about the uncle or neighbour who has made sexual advances towards her. This silence encourages the abuser so that he is emboldened to continue the abuse and to press his advantage to subject the child to more severe forms of sexual abuse. Parents should create friendly relations with their child and tell them about their sexual organs slowly. Children should be told about â€Å"safe and unsafe touch†.Parents should have an â€Å"I believe you† approach and must not blame the children for the abuse. IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT! Schools can play an important role here. Annual workshops on child protection should be conducted in schools. Every school should also have a grievance cell where child counselling can be done. M onitoring, reporting and oversight:  There should be monitoring, transparent reporting and oversight of abuses and exploitation. As per Report 2007, only 3. 4 percent of children were found to have reported to the police. Almost 12 percent told their parents where as 72. 1 percent of children kept quiet.Parents, individuals, friends and neighbour should always report the matter to the police or should at least seek help from any concerned Ngo’s. Any silence will only encourage the abuse. CONCLUSION Children while constituting 40% of our population are â€Å"national asset†. Their development, protection and safety are not only our responsibility but is essential for the country’s growth as a whole. As we said in the beginning of the essay, it’s just not the child but entire childhood gets raped. Most of children get raped even before they get to know that there is something called â€Å"rape†, â€Å"abuse†, or â€Å"sexual assault†. In fact the whole society gets raped. There cannot be anything more heinous than sexually targeting the vulnerable children who are absolutely unaware of the perverted thoughts prevailing around them. All the malpractices associated with the children should be seriously looked upon and we need to be more sensitive towards children. Protecting children is our collective responsibility. Moreover it’s high time we replace the word â€Å"vulnerable† with â€Å"empowered†. Our policies should be based on empowering the children. It’s their right to have a happy and save childhood.Legislature should make strict and effective laws. The present Protection of children from sexual offences Act, 2012 is certainly the strongest and most effective so far. The government must see that the implementation machinery is working effectively. The various NGO’S working for the child rights should keep a check on the implementation process. This is what they can do. Rep orting the matter to the police or to any concerned authority, looking after the child and breaking the wall of â€Å"silence† is our responsibility. Give the children what is theirs. All they are asking for is a happy and a safe childhood! ————————————————————————————————————– Submission by- Name: Swati Ghildiyal Course: LLB, 2nd year College: Campus law centre, Faculty of law, Delhi University. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. wcd. nic. in/childabuse. pdf [ 2 ]. ibid [ 3 ]. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights— civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. It stresses on special care and protection of children worldwide. 4 ]. http://infochangeindia. org/children/analysis/the-sounds-of-silence-child-sexual-abuse-in-india. html [ 5 ]. http://www. state. gov/documents/organization/47255. pdf [ 6 ]. http://america. cry. org/site/know_us/cry_america_and_child_rights/statistics_underprivileged_chi. html [ 7 ]. http://www. theelders. org/docs/child-marriage-factsheet. pdf [ 8 ]. http://www. unicef. org/infobycountry/india_statistics. html [ 9 ]. United States Agency for International Development, 2007, â€Å"New Insights on Preventing Child Marriage: A Global Analysis of Factors and Programs,† pg. 9 [ 10 ]. http://www. icrw. rg/child-marriage-facts-and-figures [ 11 ]. A lawyer and director of â€Å"Majlis†http://www. majlisbombay. org [ 12 ]. http://www. indianexpress. com/news/consent-and-controversy/948277/ [ 13 ]. http://www. arpan. org. in/ [ 14 ]. http://www. rahifoun dation. org/home. html [ 15 ]. http://articles. timesofindia. indiatimes. com/2009-03-21/mumbai/28047758_1_tantrik-hasmukh-rathod-girl [ 16 ]. http://www. childlineindia. org. in/pdf/Essentials-of-child-protection-Oct%2008. pdf [ 17 ]. http://wcd. nic. in/childabuse. pdf [ 18 ]. Child and the Law, by Laxmidhar chouhan, 2008 edition, page no. 48 and 53.