Wednesday, December 25, 2019

I Am Making a Difference in My Community Essay - 1004 Words

â€Å"Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You dont have to have a college degree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul motivated by love.† ― Martin Luther King Jr. Taking time to volunteer at the many nonprofit organizations, homeless shelters, advocacy centers, philanthropic fundraisers, local schools and child care facilities in the inner city is not always at the forefront of young people’s minds while navigating through their college experiences. But, with a little push from student organizations, local nonprofits and passionate individuals, volunteerism and community change can start to take a front seat and become not just an opportunity, but also a priority in the lives of young people.†¦show more content†¦A few times a semester I would volunteer at the Prison Book Program, where I would read letters from incarcerated individuals from all over the country and find 2-3 books that match their interests and reading criteria. Opening each letter and hearing people’s stories reminded me of the harsh realities of our world today, and the difficulty many people face in preserving their human dignity and self-worth. Whether guilty of crimes or innocent, our incarceration system is an issue that many activists rally around in terms of its success and promise in correcting and rehabilitating criminal behavior. So, to read letters and hear the voices of those who are living on the marginalized edges of our society, but who rarely have a voice in the issue that’s being nationally rallied around, is an uncommon circumstance that should be noted and have more attention and action drawn to. Their desire to educate themselves within the confines of a prison wall is real and heard by those of us who take time to spend their weekday evenings in the bottom of a church basement, sorting through donated books, and reading literary wish-lists of those who are incarcerated. Another meaningful experience that sticks out to me is when I regularly volunteered at a children’s homeless shelter in Roxbury, Mass. for two years, and was reminded of the fact that the statistics we hear every day about homelessness are real people – not just numbers. Every child I played alongside,Show MoreRelatedChanging A Little At A Time1306 Words   |  6 PagesTime (Make a Difference) If you won a million dollars what would you do? This is a common question people often ask. The common response is going on vacation, buy a nice car, etc. But we often hear the response of giving to charity and making a difference in the world. I am the same way. If I had a million dollars I would want to make a difference in the world and give a lot of it to charity. The reality of me winning a million dollars is extremely slim. However, I can still accomplish my goal, to makeRead MoreWhy I Want To Attend Essay769 Words   |  4 Pageseducation professional, I consider myself an activist for creating defined leaders of tomorrow, those of purpose and strength, whom live to empower one another. My passion is mentoring and empowering those around me. Each day, I strive to establish a foundation of support, honesty, and encouragement in conjunction with my ebullient personality, which everyone that I encounter. For years, there has been a calling deep within that little by little is co ming to fruition, and I could not be happier. ItRead MoreMy Interest At The University Of Kentucky1263 Words   |  6 PagesI am writing to express my interest in your organization. Attached, you will find my resume so that you may become more familiar with myself and my qualifications for this position. Currently, I am a student at the University of Kentucky working towards my Bachelors Degree in Mass Communications with plans to graduate in December of 2015. From the job description, I came to know that a large part of this position is coordinating and organizing community health events and promotion programs with differentRead MorePersonal Essay Personal Statement748 Words   |  3 PagesEver since I was six years old, my family’s expectations have been clear. This has led me to strive to become the most successful version of myself as possible, through either academics, or community service. Not only was I raised in a household of successful men who made their lives thr ough the military, then business. But, their wives were prominent members of their communities. By watching the women around me, demonstrate their compassion. I learned kindness costs nothing, and anyone can makeRead MoreBriefly Describe Any Relevant Summer Work And / And Study Experience Essay1694 Words   |  7 Pagescharacter limit) -To be honest, my interest to participate in an exchange program to Xiamen University is a recent one I formed after hearing the news that there is an opportunity for economic majors to study in China. Until recently when I finished the military service in 2017, my interest in China was minimal. The first thing that came up in my mind when I thought of China was its Communist Party and how it supported North Korea during the Korean War. Thus, the sentiment I had towards China was fairlyRead MoreWhat Is Your Ign?1273 Words   |  6 Pagesspeak fluently? My first language is English but I can speak Welsh. However that may not help :) Do you have skype? Yes, PM me if you want it! What can you bring to the staff team? I can bring a wave of excitement and a bit of banter to the staff team. I get along with everyone and always start conversations with everyone! I can also bring some experience to the staff team because i have been staff on a few other servers. I can also bring a bit of fun to the staff team by making up small gamesRead MoreMy Experience At The Regional Food Bank864 Words   |  4 PagesMostly I did Americorps because I wanted to be apart of something bigger and be apart of the Community and not knowing where to start, I had a friend who did Americorps and I wanted to work here and they were hiring for an Americorps position so I applied and took one. I am signing up to do another year here at the Regional Food Bank. You get a lot of experience, a lot of meeting new people and making connections and its really worth while to me. If your in it for their pay you’re in if for the wrongRead MoreMy Reflection On My Philosophy1085 Words   |  5 Pageswill not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, or how much money I had in the bank†¦ but the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child.† This quote by Forest Witcraft truly encompasses the reason I want to teach. I hope to have an impact on my future students, and this part of my teaching philosophy can be tied into my practicum experience. As a volunteer in a kindergarten classroom at St. John Elementary I have had the opportunity to learnRead MoreThe Importance Of Community Service1451 Words   |  6 PagesImportance of Community Service What is community service? If you asked me at my grade 8 graduation, I would have said that it was 40 hours of volunteering required to receive your high school diploma. I probably would have commented that it wouldn’t be hard to do- I mean it was only 10 hours every year. I might have also mentioned that I didn’t have a plan on how I was going to complete the requirement, but I would figure something out. Four years and over 200 community service hours later, I think it’sRead MoreWhy Do You Think You Should Become Staff?1246 Words   |  5 Pagesyour IGN? My current IGN is MiniVans. How old are you? I am 13 years old. Soon to be 14 in December. What timezone are you in? UTC-7 What languages do you speak? English only, I am taking classes in Spanish. :) Why do you think you should become staff? Well here s a few reasons that show I am highly different than other players applying for staff, ~Resilient~ Resilient - able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. Which most would say I am that kind of person. I will always

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Convergex Group 2013 Deferred Prosecution Agreement

Case Study of the ConvergEx Group 2013 Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) In December 2011, ConvergEx Group publicly disclosed parallel investigations by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and the United States Department of Justice. Between 2006 and 2011, two former employees of ConvergEx Group had concealed the â€Å"routing of certain global trading and transition management customer orders to the former Bermuda trading desk of ConvergEx Global Markets (â€Å"GCM†) where they were net traded† (â€Å"ConvergEx Resolves,† 2013). According to the court documents, Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman stated â€Å"†¦ConvergEx†¦along with several of its employees, engaged in a concerted and coordinated effort to fleece its clients by charging them millions of dollars in unwarranted fees†¦and then concealing those charges from its clients through a pattern of deception† (â€Å"Convergex Group,† 2013). In layman’s terms, ConvergEx employees were moving funds through ConvergEx Global Markets in Bermuda, while marking up or down the investments in order to keep a sum of the money for themselves from the clients. The employees also falsified the documents that were sent to the clients regarding these transactions. The subsidiaries and the individuals involved with this scheme were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. On December 12, 2013 ConvergEx Group LLC signed a deferred prosecution agreement or DPA, which included fines totaling

Monday, December 9, 2019

Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms. Answer: Introduction: This report aims at analyzing the citizenship policy changes recommended and implemented by Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull. The changes in policy aim at making more rigid evaluation criteria for immigrants wanting to apply for Australian citizenship. PM Turnbull has recommended longer waiting periods (while being a resident) before application, a stricter citizenship test and a higher level of command over English than was previously required. This paper is being written on behalf of Immigrant Aid Australia which is a social-aid agency, aimed at providing humanitarian migrants with financial and social aid (mainly social integration). The amendments to the social policy and the implications it has on the focus groups aided by this organization gives rise to the need for such a critical analysis. Humanitarian migrants who have migrated to Australia under the Refugee or Humanitarian program ideally seek citizenship. However, their first language in most cases is not English. This poses a practical impossibility for them to meet the proficiency criteria recommended by PM Turnbull. PM Turnbull has stated that the rigidity of the citizenship test is to determine if the applicants are aligned with Australian values but in most cases even if the Humanitarian migrants in question do adhere to Australian values they would not be able to successfully clear the language assessment. As per the 2016-17 Migration Programme Report, the total number of migrants was 183,608, out of which 123,567 belonged to the skill stream (who presumably would be able to pass the tests), 56,220 belonged to the family stream and 421 belonging to the special eligibility stream (Hawthorne, 2014). This revised Citizenship policy covers all migrants coming into Australia and thus is of national concern. The theories of social inclusion dictate the facilitation of those who are granted asylum into the social construct. According to Robertson (2014), as the migrants belonging to the family and speci al streams are not induced or sponsored by employers their level of education and skill cannot be presumed. However, it will be brought out in this report that humanitarian migrants granted asylum equally contribute to the workforce. The current changes in the policy pose a radical change in the citizenship criteria that has been followed in the past. The one year wait period before application for citizenship has been extended to 4 years. This means that migrants who have been granted asylum in the country would have to wait for a period of 4 years as residents before they can apply for citizenship. The second change to the criteria is the Citizenship test which consists of 20 multiple choice questions, the new test is to include components that test the reading, writing and listening skills of the applicant and would include questions that test the morality of the applicant. This is based on the idea that citizenship applicants must adhere to Australian values, especially those relating to freedom to practice any religion and gender equality. As discussed above the current policy would impact all migrants within the jurisdiction of the Australian government and thus is an issue of national importance. This policy measure also effects the human rights of migrants from all over the world (whore migrating to Australia) and thus would be in breach of the United Nations International Migration Policy (Kritz, 2015). Thus, this would also attract action from the commonwealth. Impact on Humanitarian Migrants: The impact of this current policy on the group of unskilled migrants would be detrimental to say the least. The migrants who are granted asylum within the territory of Australia have a right to seek citizenship (Merla, 2015). In the absence of such a status, they would be deprived of crucial rights conferred upon the citizens through Australian law. Specifically the right to vote which means that though the migrants are subject to laws and policies formulated by the government they are not entitled to vote on the same. The one year period was more rational as the migrants would first get used to the laws and regulations governing the country and then subsequently decide on wanting citizenship. The four year waiting period is likely to be construed as unreasonable and would deprive the migrants of the opportunity to be represented as a part of the Australian workforce and population. Further, humanitarian migrants who seek citizenship are likely to face immense difficulty in comprehen ding and answering the citizenship test which largely focuses on testing their proficiency in English. Resultantly, being unable to comprehend the questions asked the migrants would not be able to prudently address the questions and hence the answers given may reflect a non-alignment to Australian values. Consequently the migration rate in Australia would face a staggering decline and all migrants who have already been granted asylum would be unable to obtain citizenship due to a language barrier. This would lead to a situation of differential treatment based on ones proficiency in English. This also meant that even if a large percentage of humanitarian migrants do adhere to Australian values they would not be able to conclusively prove the same in the citizenship test. This can thus be termed as discrimination, based on the skill level of the migrants. This form of discrimination is reasonable in terms of employment (where level of professional skill is the deciding criteria) but in terms of a guarantee to safeguard the rights of the population this form of discrimination is wholly arbitrary and unreasonable (Tummala-Narra Claudius, 2013). Thus, though the changes in the policy majorly affect the rights of migrants the Australian economy as a whole would face consequences for the im plementation of this policy. Key issues and considerations: The first key issue that must be looked at is how Humanitarian migrants contribute to the workforce and thus are contributors to the Australian economy. According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) after tracking the migration experience of approximately 2400 migrants belonging to the humanitarian migrant category (Jansen et al., 2013). It found that one fifth of these migrants were able to find work within 18 months of their migration to Australia. These statistics were also in contrast to earlier studies that indicated only seven percent of them could be employed within the first 6 months from the date of migration. The AIFS also concluded that due to the hardships faced by this group they were institutionalized by the circumstances to be more dedicated employees (Baldassar Merla, 2013). Their urgent need for adequate employment and a source of livelihood ensured their work ethics would adhere to the highest standards. Thus, humanitarian migrants actively contrib ute to the economic growth of Australia and conspicuously contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country. They also invariably are subject to tax laws and thus contribute to the governments funds. However being this actively present in the Australian workforce they are denied the right to citizenship despite being participants in the developmental process of the entire country. These suggested changes would thus deprive them of human rights that should be ideally available to any long-term resident of Australia. The second issue that must be analyzed is that applicants must establish their social and cultural into Australian society though evidence that they are part of clubs or hold jobs within the Australian society. However, the wait for the citizenship will exclude a lot of these humanitarian immigrants from obtaining employment due to their lack of confirmed citizenship. Moreover, with the primacy given over proficiency in English a lot of humanitarian immigrants would not be able to explain their job roles or their social inclusion. Ideally it should be the host states responsibility to ensure smooth integration into the society and the present policy stand point strays away from that monumentally. It may be viewed as an attempt to deter citizenship applications. The third issue that needs to be looked at is the growth of crime due to the implementation of such a policy. Immigrants who have not been sufficiently integrated into Australian society may be more inclined to turn to criminal activities. The immigrant crime rate in Australian has been much lower compared to the 1950s as most immigrants at that time were fleeing criminals demanding asylum (Cahill Taft, 2017). However, with a system that makes obtaining citizenship increasingly difficult it can be reasonably inferred that immigrants would be more prone to act as social deviants (Wilkins, 2013). The fourth issue is the humanitarian obligation that Australia has towards immigrants who are unskilled and are not proficient in English. It is the responsibility of the sovereign to aid these immigrants in becoming a part of the Australian society as a whole (Jensen, 2014). It is an indirect duty on the government to try and imbibe values that adhere to the societal standards prevailing at that time. The final issue that must be analyzed is the humanitarian gap that the policy creates on the livelihood of the humanitarian entrants. They have basic human rights and are hence entitled to seek employment and other basic needs. Denying them access these would be a gross infringement of their human rights (Phillips, 2015). Moreover, citizenship would entitle them the right to vote and anyone who is a resident of a certain jurisdiction and abides by the laws of particular sovereign must be afforded the opportunity to vote on the effectiveness of a sovereign. The denial of this right makes them more likely to turn towards crime and deviance. This would as a result lead to discourse and criminal activities within the Australian society and hence would be detrimental to the functioning of society as a whole. Conclusion To conclude, Prime Minister Turnbulls changes in the citizenship test ushers in a brand new era that seeks to deter immigration into the country. Immigration though financially draining in most cases can also bring in financial gain in certain cases (especially in case of international students and skilled labour). The current policies are inclined towards offering citizenship to these classes however Australian has a humanitarian obligation to aid immigrants who did not learn English as a first language and are otherwise intellectually challenged by virtue of their domicile or the skill set obtained from the country they hail from. The present policies do not provide for any form of aid and the following recommendations maybe included in order to balance the detrimental effects of the implemented policy: The application time maybe kept at 1 year with a 3 year evaluation process. This would still ensure that the immigrants spend a considerable amount of time in Australia before they are granted citizenship but would however make documents available to them to show that they have enrolled for the process and are awaiting evaluation. This would not guarantee all rights as a citizen to them but would invariably help them prove that they are awaiting citizenship through these documents. The second part would be government funded language classes aimed for unskilled and all other immigrants who are not as proficient with English as the test demands. These classes could be undertaken once applications are made (following recommendation 1) and could help these immigrants secure the required grade in the Citizenship test. These classes could go on for a period of three years (which would be the waiting time) and thus would ensure that these immigrants are sufficiently trained in English to comprehend and answer the questions. The final recommendation would be the integration of Australian values into the curriculum of the English classes. This would further enhance their chances of passing the citizenship test and would also inform them of what is expected from a member of Australian society. This would also help facilitate social conformity. Reference List: Robertson, S. (2014). Time and temporary migration: The case of temporary graduate workers and working holiday makers in Australia.Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies,40(12), 1915-1933. Hawthorne, L. (2014). Indian students and the evolution of the study?migration pathway in Australia.International Migration,52(2), 3-19. Kritz, M. M. (2015). International migration.The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism. Merla, L. (2015). Salvadoran migrants in Australia: An analysis of transnational families capability to care across borders.International Migration,53(6), 153-165. Tummala-Narra, P., Claudius, M. (2013). Perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms among immigrant-origin adolescents.Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology,19(3), 257. Jansen, P. W., Mensah, F. K., Nicholson, J. M., Wake, M. (2013). Family and neighbourhood socioeconomic inequalities in childhood trajectories of BMI and overweight: longitudinal study of Australian children.PloS one,8(7), e69676. Baldassar, L., Merla, L. (Eds.). (2013).Transnational families, migration and the circulation of care: Understanding mobility and absence in family life(Vol. 29). Routledge. Cahill, D., Taft, R. (2017). Education of immigrants in Australia. InEducating immigrants(pp. 16-46). Routledge. Wilkins, L. T. (Ed.). (2013).Social deviance: Social policy, action and research(Vol. 9). Routledge. Jensen, U. (2014). Humanitarian Visas: Option or obligation?. Phillips, J. (2015).Australia's Humanitarian Program: a quick guide to the statistics since 1947. Parliamentary Library.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Inspector as a dramatic device Essay Example

Inspector as a dramatic device Essay At the start of the play, we see a well-to-do family at dinner. The mood is quite relaxed, as they are chatting politely, yet informally. They are drinking alcohol liberally. They are wearing fashions of the period, and the men are wearing tails and white ties, not dinner jackets. The family are content, maybe as they have nothing to be anxious about and everything is going fine in their lives. They have no real worries. Business is doing well for Arthur Birling, and he is in line for a possible Knight-hood. Sheila has just got herself engaged to pleasant, affluent Gerald Croft, whose father is a friendly rival in business with Arthur Birling. The family seem unified. Nobody is expecting a visit from an Inspector. Neither is anybody aware that each of them, in turn, has had connections with Eva Smith.  No one thinks their path crosses with Evas, but they are wrong. Theyve all met her, and made an impression on her life. They dont know it, but theyre in for a surprise  Surprise and shock continues throughout the play. The actual arrival of the Inspector is an initial shock. When he enters, he is extremely abrupt. He gets straight to the point and doesnt hang around. He informs Birling that two hours ago a young woman died in the Infirmary. Yes, yes. Horrid business. But I dont understand why you should come here, Inspector - says Birling. It is obvious he doesnt care about the young woman who has just taken her own life, instead, hes just apprehensive about why the Inspectors visit concerns him. His lack of compassion and sympathy is awful. We will write a custom essay sample on Inspector as a dramatic device specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Inspector as a dramatic device specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Inspector as a dramatic device specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Arthur Birling is always looking out for himself. No one outside of the family matters, according to him. He talks about how everyman is for himself, and that the time is a prosperous one for everyone.  The Inspectors character is a plot-mover. He moves the story along, and gets the audience to focus. He is sort of like an explorer, as he gets the characters searching and interrogating themselves and each other. When its Sheilas turn for questioning, and the Inspector shows her the photo of Eva, it causes her to scream and run out. Firstly, Sheila is truly shocked to hear that the girl has died, and secondly, the audience wants to see what has caused her to behave in such a way.  The Inspector also shows Gerald a photograph. By showing each one a photo, he spotlights each ones importance. He also creates an air of mystery, because none of the characters are sure, that they all see the same photograph.  When its Mrs Birlings turn for the investigation, she does her best to be stubborn, and tries to be clever, by being dismissive and arguing her opinions strongly. The Inspector traps her into talking about how she dismissed Eva Smith, in her time of need. He is sharp, and quick, and Mrs Birling cant help falling into the trap. The Inspector uses dramatic irony here, as both Shelia and the audience can see whats coming.  The Inspector investigated each member of the family. He found that Mr Birling is self-centred, and egoistic, and that Mrs Birling is just concerned about the family, and things being proper. He also reveiled that even though Shelia was selfish, and irrational to get Eva sacked from her job, she wasnt a bad person, and was capable of feeling sympathy and compassion. Unlike her parents. He found Eric to be a lost boy who felt he couldnt depend on his parents. He said that Mr Birling wasnt the kind of father a chap could go to when hes in trouble. Priestley chose to set this play around a family, which is apparently united and well to do, which may in fact not be as secure as it looked. The children, Eric and Sheila share different views to their parents, to show that maybe a new generation may be more compassionate towards others, so the future may be brighter  You see, Priestley was a socialist. When you have time to reflect on the story afterwards, you start to wonder if Priestley was using the Inspector as a mouthpiece, as a way of voicing and expressing his opinions and views. Priestley believed that co-operation in society is necessary for things to advance. This is everything Arthur Birling disagrees with. He thinks that everyman is for himself. I think the Inspector was part of the mystery. When its relieved that he isnt a real Inspector, we start to question the play. We look to find answers. Was he a ghost? A murderer? Eva Smiths brother? But then we find out that a suicide did take place, and there will be questioning, the drama continues  The message of the play is, that we all have to help each other and look out for each other. The actions that we portray in society, if handled badly may end in disaster. We are members of one body and we are responsible for each other.