Friday, October 25, 2019

Ethics in International Security Essay -- Governmetn Politics Persuasi

Ethics in International Security Introduction: Since the attacks on the United States on September 11th 2001, governments, corporations, and individuals have been focused on the increasing problem of security. Countries all across the world are increasing security and intelligence gathering in order to protect against terrorism. Though the United States was the focus of the terrorist attack on September 11th, the entire world recognized the impending threat of international terrorism. Because terrorist organizations are decentralized, it is impossible to locate and quarantine an organization in order to disperse the threat. Typically when a country is seen as a threat, the country is occupied until the threat is removed. However, in this case it is not possible to take the same action. Therefore, it is important to combat this threat through a means that is effective against a decentralized enemy. This means is information. The world is currently in an era of technology where any information is almost immediately available. This includes information in areas such as stock exchanges, weapons, banking information, corporate transactions, and governmental secrets. Every industry is becoming so tightly coupled with the internet that the concept of being disconnected is almost unthinkable. However, increased connectivity means increased risk. All of this information is not only available for people to learn from and use positively, it has considerable potential to be used to harm. Terrorists have the ability to use these resources to their advantage in gaining strategic information about their targets and use it in an attack. However, these potential threats do not only come from outside forces. In the atte... ...nal Research Council. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1991. Cooper, Charles. Is Microsoft spying for the US government?. 4 October 2002. ZDNet Australia, accessed 10 June 2003. Critical Information Infrastructure Protection: The Threat Is Real. U.S. Government Printing Office: 1999, accessed 10 June 2003. HR 3162 RDS. 107th CONGRESS 1st Session. October 23, 2001, accessed 10 June 2003. Kalimtzis, Kostas. Aristotle on Political Enmity and Disease. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2000. Schneier, Bruce. Secrets and Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Learning Portfolio Essay

During the semester, I have had to develop a unique study structure that was going to maximize the efficiency with which I utilized my study time. Before starting the course, I read the study handbook so that I could get a rough idea of what the course entailed and the nature of information I would be required to familiarize myself with. This enabled me to identify other relevant sources of information besides the books suggested in the recommended reading list. In the process of reading these materials, I took brief notes of the ideas and points that appeared noteworthy. Being in a non-English speaking country, obtaining relevant books and other resource materials was somehow challenging. I learned to utilize the internet to get books and journal articles from electronic libraries and databases. I also had to subscribe to various journals so that I could get updated news about the course since I realized that criminology is a dynamic topic and it requires one to get case studies and briefs. After the onset of the course, I had to develop effective study habits so that I could organize my time while staying on top of my work. I realized that in order to succeed, I had to make the right decisions about managing my time and resources. I had to give my studies the priority they deserve and I did not let friends or family dictate to me on what aspects of my life were more important than others. My concentration and grasping ability is at its peak during the morning hours, at quiet and cool surroundings which do not offer any distraction. I engaged in discussions and debates surrounding the course material since I know getting the perspective of my fellow students and their contributions on the points I might have missed is very important. Concerning my assignments, I always make sure I have completed them on time and I review them before every class. I also co-relate assignment content and what is in my notes to ensure that I have completed them satisfactorily. I rely on my notes for this because they are very comprehensive since I review and update them after every class; usually including paraphrasing content in my own words and including examples. These study strategies I adopted during the semester are very effective, and after cross-checking with my fellow students and a collection of study guides available in the internet, I found out that they are still very relevant. Of course, I know there will always be ways of improving them as challenges mount. For example, I found out that I had actually misunderstood some concepts and ideas I had assumed I fully understood, so I need to liaise with my professor and study group more. When I started this course, I did not have a clear understanding of what was really expected of me. I did not know if what I was doing was right or wrong, so I had to get the help of my fellow students, friends who had already graduated from the course and my professor to help me learn how to express my points and ideas. I always want to feel that I am living up to expectation, so I always seek feedback to help me identify areas I can improve on. I have formed a consistent effort to request my colleagues and supervisors so that I can refine my perspective regarding key concepts and ideas. In my attempt to be an all-rounder, I specify the kind of feedback I need from my colleagues, professors and supervisors at work. I do not just ask for a critique of the quality and quantity of effort I put in my studies or my work, but I also seek to find out other people’s perception of how effective or ineffective my interaction with other people and the system is. I also gave some of my essays to friends and colleagues to read; and used their criticism and opinions to improve on my essay writing skills. I feel that I can use the feedback I obtain regarding my study and work strategies and quality to improve by developing plans of action based on it on a regular basis. Feedback is effective only if it is involved in the review of strengths and weaknesses so that the actions taken can be specifically tailored to build on my strengths and work on my weaknesses. It is however important to note that feedback can only be genuine if the seeker also reciprocates by giving feedback to the people he or she seeks opinion from. Even though some people may not like getting feedback on their performance especially if it is negative, I try as much as possible to reciprocate by giving genuine feedback to those willing to acknowledge it so that I can receive an equal measure in return. I would be honest if I say that this course has been an eye opener for me. Through planning my time to fulfill course requirements like attending to classes and completing my assignments in time, I have learnt to be more organized not only in class but in other spheres of my life. The need for efficiency made me engage in research in an attempt to identify better, faster and more effective reading styles, and I perfected these on this course. I have attained a better reading speed and I have become better in both written and spoken English. Through research and preparation for writing my essays, I have improved on my writing skills a great deal. I have learnt several referencing styles and I could even take a chance at professional writing as of now. Criminology requires articulate presentation of ideas, facts and arguments; and this course has increased my analytical skills and the depth of my thinking. In the past, I have sort of been what social scientists would call a right brain thinker. To me, an occurrence or a phenomenon was true or false, black or white. But the course has taught me to think from different perspectives. This has been a big change for me bearing in mind that I have been quite opinioned about criminology issues; but I have learned to pay attention and get many sides to any event. Starting university has had an enormous impact on my academic, personal and work life as well. Being a student and working at the same time is a challenge for many people. I work and study; and since I realize that both are important to my life, I don’t let one take the time of the other. I do not take time off to study or skip classes to work or because I worked late; but I do take some hours off to catch up on my assignments and to engage in extracurricular activities to refresh my faculties and also to write my essay. As far as my private life is concerned, my academic engagements have made it necessary to study on most nights and weekends; but the experience has been good since I have gained the ability to see things from an academic and professional angle and reason likewise. This course has definitely induced a lot of changes in me. For starters, I have learned to be flexible to divergent thoughts and ideas, and since I have learned so much in the process, I have found out that some of the opinions I hold regarding other people and occurrences are not necessarily justified. With an increase in knowledge comes a change in heart, and the new ideas, concepts and facts I have learned have changed my opinion and attitude a great deal. Since the beginning of this course, I have continually learned that there is so much information out there for me to absorb and apply in my essays, arguments and in my professional life. Information for real has the capacity to change someone’s beliefs. The more I am challenged, the more I have become aware of the need and the virtue of being able to tolerate the values, beliefs and attitudes of other people. By virtue of the amount of literature I have had to cover, my attitude towards work has changed. Work, be it academic or professional, is no longer an obligation to me, but an opportunity to improve my vistas of knowledge and my capacity to interact with people, information and real life circumstances. In other words, the course has given me an opportunity to grow in character as a person. Through the study of moral values as they apply in criminology and psychology, I have learned that morality is a very personal issue; and that not a single person can rationally claim to have more superior values as compared to others. In as such, my attitude to people has changed a lot, and I am no longer quick to judge the actions of others without first establishing the motives behind their actions. Creative and research and essay writing has taught me the importance of respecting intellectual property. I have come across so much written material in this course; materials which have increased my knowledge base in ways I could not have imagined. It is a matter of fact that people somewhere took their time to do research, derive facts and write them down plus their relationship to and application in real life situations. It is not only responsible but also ethical therefore to respect their rights to their work by responsibly using these works. Responsible use of literary material is achieved by avoiding plagiarism. This entails proper use of resources and the application of correct referencing techniques to cite the contribution of existing literature in any produced essays or research papers. I had never done any referencing before, but the resources providing guidelines for referencing available at the university website helped me a lot in learning how to responsibly utilize literary materials without abusing intellectual property. As I pointed out earlier, I did not know what was expected of me before actually joining this course. As the course progressed, I came to realize that it is actually a very interesting course. Even though it is quite challenging in terms of difficulty in comprehending some of the concepts taught, I do not regret taking it. The course has made me understand people better and have valuable insight on the motivations people have while committing some of the activities they commit. As I said earlier, I had to work as I undertook this course. The responsibilities could have been overwhelming for most people and their families, but the experience brought me closer to my wife who supported me throughout the duration of the course and has still continued to support me. In terms of my professional experience, the course has opened up my mind and conscience. I have met a lot of interesting people and the experience has made me a better communicator, improving the relationship between me and my work colleagues. I am a very ambitious person and I want to continue growing professionally, that is why I decided to further my education in the first place. My ambition sometimes brings me at odds with my colleagues, but I have known how to effectively handle their aggressions. I hope that these skills are going to push me up the professional ladder, even though this is going to take some time considering the system of my place of work.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Nirma University CSR Activity Essay

Nirma is one of the few names – which is instantly recognized as a true Indian brand, which took on mighty multinationals and rewrote the marketing rules to win the heart of princess, i.e. the consumer. Nirma, the proverbial ‘Rags to Riches’ saga of Dr. Karsanbhai Patel, is a classic example of the success of Indian entrepreneurship in the face of stiff competition. Starting as a one-man operation in 1969, today, it has about 14, 000 employee-base and annual turnover is above Rs. 25, 00 crores. India is a one of the largest consumer economy, with burgeoning middle class pie. In such a widespread, diverse marketplace, Nirma aptly concentrated all its efforts towards creating and building a strong consumer preference towards its ‘value-for-money’ products. Now, the year 2004 sees Nirma’s annual sales touch 800,000 tones, making it one of the largest volume sales with a single brand name in the world. Looking at the FMCG synergies, Nirma stepped into toilet soaps relatively late in 1990 but this did not deter it to achieve a volume of 100,000 per annum. This makes Nirma the largest detergent and the second largest toilet soap brand in India with market share of 38% and 20% respectively. It has been persistent effort of Nirma to make consumer products available to masses at an affordable price. Hence, it takes utmost care to provide finest products at the most affordable prices. To leverage this effort, Nirma has gone for massive backward integration along with expansion and modernization of the manufacturing facilities. The focal objective behind modernisation plan is of up gradation with resource-savvy technology to optimise capabilities. Nirma’s six production facilities, located at different places, are well equipped with state-of-art technologies. To ensure regular supply of major raw materials, Nirma had opted for backward integration strategies. These strategic moves allowed Nirma to manage effective and efficient supply-chain. Nirma has always been practiced ‘value-for-money’ plank. Nirma plans to extend the same philosophy in categories as commodity food products, personal care products and packaged food. Distinct market vision and robust infrastructure allowed Nirma to have cost leadership. Apart from this, lean distribution network, umbrella branding and low profile media promotions allowed it to offer quality products, at affordable prices. The man behind the success of Nirma phenomenon – Dr. Karsanbhai Patel is a recipient of various awards and accolades. He has been bestowed with various awards like†¦ COMPANY VISION Nirma is a customer-focused company committed to consistently offer better quality products and services that maximise value to the customer. This customer-centric philosophy has been well emphasised at Nirma through: Continuously exploring & developing new products & processes. Laying emphasis on cost effectiveness. Maintaining effective Quality Management System. Complying with safety, environment and social obligations. Imparting training to all involved on a continuous basis. Teamwork and active participation all around. Demonstrating belongingness and exemplary behaviour towards organisation, its goals and objectives. Nirma is a phenomenon and synonymous with Value for Money. The brand transcends the specific dynamic of any particular product category, which is best captured in its above mission statement – a statement of sustained innovation, an unceasing effort to deliver better value to consumers, through better product quality. OBJECTIVE To know what is Corporate Social Responsibility To know wearies CSR by NIRMA To know effect of CSR by NIRMA on society. CSR ACTIVITY BY NIRMA Nirma’s vision visualizes itself as a vibrant, pro-active and widely admired, ethical corporate citizen. Nirma believes that exemplary achievements on the business points are not enough in the making of a good corporate citizen. In fulfillment of this role as a responsible part of the society and environment in which one operates, Nirma has undertaken a host of activities in the educational and social development areas. Realizing the significant role of education – especially technical and managerial in socio-economic development of the nation, Nirma played a vital role by establishing the Nirma Education & Research Foundation (NERF) in 1994. Recently, this Foundation has been awarded University status. This status gives way to shape up and expand into a body providing education in other courses like medicine, nursing, biotechnology, etc. along with the existing courses under a single roof of Nirma University. Today, this state-of-the art academic infrastructure runs various institution bodies such as Institute of Technology, Institute of Management, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Diploma Engineering. These all institutions are located in a disciplined, serene and pleasant environment. The campus blends beautifully with the green landscaping, aesthetic elegance of arches and the vibrant pursuit of knowledge by the young aspirants. The environment gives full scope for gr oup activities, which are plenty, as also to individual pursuits for development on preferred tracks. Education Institute of Management Institute of Technology Institute of Diploma Studies Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Nirma Labs Another contribution of Nirma with an objective to nurture, promote and facilitate potential entrepreneurs in their pursuit of knowledge based large-scale wealth generation for stakeholders and society. The prospects will undergo the program of grooming and incubation at Nirma Labs, and will then be supported to build the incubated ventures with appropriate support. Nirma has already contributed Rs. 350 million for the development of these institutes, an amount, which is likely to rise further to Rs. 500 million. The infrastructure facilities created here are of international standards and they have already become models for similar institutes. Plans are underway to start Post Graduate & Research Courses in Management and Technology, as well as an IAS training center and a programme in Masters of Computer Applications. Nirma Memorial Trust and Nirma Foundation Nirma Memorial Trust looks after deprived women in Gujarat. It builds Ashrams and guesthouses for pilgrims and the elderly. The Nirma Foundation, set up in 1979, contributes towards the running of schools, colleges, temples and social institutions, within the state and outside. Chanasma Ruppur Gram Vikas Trust In Mehsana of which Mr. K. K. Patel is the founder trustee and President provides education, maintenance of public health and related facilities in rural areas. The trust has started several institutions in Ruppur, including the Arts & Commerce College, and an ITI training institute and a ladies hostel REFERENCES http://www.nirma.co.in/images/comimg/corp_presentation.swf http://www.nirma.co.in/social_responsibilities.htm http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/definition.php http://www.nirma.co.in/images/comimg/corp_presentation.swf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corp-social-responsibility.asp http://mhcinternational.com/articles/definition-of-csr