Historical Investigation Essay Example for Free

Historical Investigation Essay Assess the impact of the period from 1969 1982 on the IRA/Sinn Fein and their development into a significant political force in Northern Ireland Assess the impact of the period from 1969 1982 on the IRA/Sinn Fein and their development into a significant political force in Northern Ireland During the period from 1969-1982 both the IRA and Sinn Fein underwent significant change. Sinn Fein moved from a fringe role, in the nationalist movement of Northern Ireland, to a dominant political position. During a time of intense violence in the region an internal discussion was taking place, deliberating on the value of armed resistance versus political engagement. The ideals that rose out of this transformed the movement and laid the basis for the central role it would play in the eventual Good Friday Agreement of 1998. The re-emergence of the nationalist movement led to the rise and resurrection of groups such as the IRA. Naturally this caused much tension, and incidences of violence began to rise. Acts of exceptional protest showed the incomparable power of politics over violence and led to international recognition of the issue. Ultimately Sinn Fein developed into one of the most powerful political forces in Northern Ireland. After years in the dark the nationalist movement began to rapidly gain momentum when the Belfast Troubles began in 1969. The IRA had been deeply divided since 1921 when Dail Eireann chose to ratify the Anglo- Irish treaty. The treaty established the autonomous Irish Free State whilst the province of Ulster remained under the direct control of the United Kingdom. Despite the fact that IRA member Michael Collins had played a role in writing the treaty there was still a major difference of opinion between members of the IRA.1 They were divided between those who were for the establishment of the Free State and those who believed it was illegitimate and illegal. The Split over the treaty led to the Irish Civil War from 1922-3. Many of the opposing leaders had been close friends and comrades during the Irish War of Independence. The civil war split the IRA and this rift would continue to haunt Irish politics for many years to come. In the 1960s the IRA was further marginalised as it came under the influence of left wing thinkers. This caused a split between the factions of the IRA based in Dublin and Belfast.2 In 1969 the wounds of old were once stirred again when Northern Ireland was rocked by bloody sectarian rioting. The bloodiest rioting was in Belfast where seven people were killed and hundreds injured.3 Violence escalated sharply after these events and new paramilitary groups came into existence on either side of the conflict. The Provisional IRA received an upsurge in membership. It was from here that The Troubles, one of the most infamous periods in Irish history began. The violence was characterised by armed campaigns of paramilitary groups. Conflict hit the streets and many innocent people were often attacked. Alongside the violence there was deadlock between the major political parties of Northern Ireland over how the province would be administered and governed. 1972 saw an explosion of political violence in Northern Ireland in which many people lost their lives. The nationalist community saw the Provisional IRA as their defenders, who began an armed campaign in reaction to loyalist provoked violence. During this period the party Sinn Fein had no interest in electoral politics.4 They voiced the need for military opposition to British rule in Northern Ireland. They gained control of the Republican movement and began to focus on flooding nationalist propaganda throughout Northern Ireland. Membership began to skyrocket as anti-British sentiment ran rife. The Republican political party Sinn Fein built the foundations for a movement which in ten years would expand to have branches in every town in Ireland. Atrocities by loyalists and British forces themselves were used to justify the IRA as a movement and inspired many to stand up and fight for the cause they all believed in. On 30 January 19725 in the city of Derry, Northern Ireland border, perhaps one of the largest single atrocities of the Troubles period occurred. During a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march in the bogside area of the city members of the 1st Battalion of the British Parachute regiment opened fire on many unarmed protestors. Twenty seven people are known to have been shot and fourteen of those were killed with at least five of the latter confirmed as being shot in the back. 6 Witnesses, including bystanders and British journalists, testify that all those shot appeared to be unarmed. Many individual atrocities occurred that day witnessed by hundreds of people. Eye witness Michael McCallion testified that A fellow came out with a white flag, no sooner had he done this when the middle of three British soldiers pulled the trigger and shot him through the head.I have witnessed this as God is my judge and I say that it was cold blooded murder.7 Testimonies such as this confirm the extreme acts of violence the British committed unnecessarily on that day. One paratrooper who gave evidence testified that they were told by an officer to expect a gunfight and we want some kills.8 The reason for the uproar over such killings was the British soldiers were essentially not an occupying force but a measure of peace between nationalist and loyalist paramilitary groups. As Catholic Bishop of Derry Edward Daly commented What really made Bloody Sunday so obscene was the fact that afterwards at the highest level British justice justified it.9 Acts such as this by official British forces reaffirmed the belief of many that the British Government was still the real enemy and behind the problems that continued in Northern Ireland. This justified the cause of the nationalist movement and subsequently the IRA and Sinn Fein as well. Both organisations had now developed a strong following throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland. Whilst such occurrences did cause much suffering and pain they proved useful to both the IRA and Sinn Fein in acquiring widespread support for the movement. Sinn Fein and the IRA were not officially linked but both strived for the same goal. The Provisional Irish Republican Army was a paramilitary organisation that considered itself a direct continuation of the IRA that had fought in the Irish war of Independence.10 Its stated objective was to end British rule in Ireland and withdraw Northern Irelands status as part of the United Kingdom. The Provisionals advocated for armed defence of Catholic communities in the north and an offensive campaign to end British rule. As the violence in Northern Ireland steadily increased the IRA began to call for a more aggressive campaign against British loyalists. Sinn Fein was a political party of the Republican movement. It was formed in 1970 but has traces back to the original party founded in 1905.11 The party is believed to be directly associated with the IRA. Both Sinn Fein and the IRA played different but converging roles in the war for liberation. Whilst the movements were not officially linked it was widely thought that they were different faces of the same movement. In 2005 the British Government stated We had always said all the way through that we believed the IRA and Sinn Fein were inextricably linked and that had obvious implications at leadership level.12 Throughout the early seventies there was much internal argument between factions of the IRA and Sinn Fein over whether their movements primary role should chiefly military or political, although both groups viewed Britain as a colonial occupier and therefore viewed the political process as illegal. Until 1973 Sinn Fein had little interest in politics as the party was still deemed illegal by the British Government. Political activity began in 1973 when Sinn Fein opened the Republican press centre on Falls Road. In 1973 the first attempt at negotiations to resolve the situation led to the Sunningdale Agreement, which devised a power sharing system in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Although this did no include Sinn Fein and quickly collapsed under pressure from loyalist strikes.13 In May 1974 British secretary of State Merlyn Rees legalised Sinn Fein as a political party.14 This was perhaps the beginning of tacit recognition by the British Government that negotiations were only meaningful if they were directly with the IRA. Whilst local politicians such as John Hume, of the Nationalist Party, were respected they did not command enough power to have any effect. Secret meetings between Provisional IRA leaders Ruairi OBradaigh and Billy McKee with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Merlyn Rees resulted in a ceasefire which began in February 1975.15 The truce proved to be disastrous for the IRA; leading to infiltration by many British informers into their ranks. After a build up of tensions and a series of sectarian killings the ceasefire broke down in January 1976.16 It was clear that the original aims of the IRA leadership for a quick military victory were receding. It was acts of violence by British authorities that justified the military side of the movement and ensured tensions would continue for years to come. As Sinn Fein began to move into the political process so did many former revolutionaries and IRA members. One such person was Gerry Adams; after being in prison for alleged IRA membership17 he turned himself in a new direction a moved towards the political process. In 1978 he was elected as the vice president of Sinn Fein. This most likely came as a result of the realisation by many senior figures that it was becoming more and more unlikely that a military victory could be achieved. Whilst significant events such as Bloody Sunday lead to anti-British sentiment to sky rocket many turned away from violence and embraced the political system. Protests by a number of imprisoned IRA members in Long Kesh gaol showed the power of political tactics, leading to the dominance of Sinn Fein as a political force. The 1981 hunger strike was the climax of a five year protest by Republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest originally began in 197618 when the British Government removed its special category status for convicted paramilitary prisoners. This status had provided them with Prisoner of War privileges as specified in the Geneva Convention.19 Prisoners did not have to wear prison uniforms, do prison work and were allowed to be housed within their own paramilitary factions. They were also entitled to receive extra food parcels and have extra visits. When these rights were removed by the British Government, as recommended by the Gardiner Committee20, the prisoners began a protest to gain them back. It started with a blanket protest in which prisoners refused to wear uniforms but instead wrapped themselves in prison blan kets; they stated that they were not criminals but political prisoners. In 197821 the dispute escalated into a dirty protest in which prisoners refused to wash and covered their cell walls with excrement. In 1980 the first hunger strike took place but to no avail ending after 53 days.22 The second strike in 1981 is perhaps one of the best know instances of protest throughout the campaign. The strike was lead by former IRA Officer Commanding in the prison, Bobby Sands.23 At the beginning of the strike there was little progress and it didnt receive much outside support. But after five days the strike received a much needed boost; the Independent Republican MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone died and a by-election was called to appoint his replacement. It was decided that Bobby Sands would stand against the Ulster Unionist Party candidate Harry West.24 On 9 April 1981 Sands won a narrow victory and was elected to the British House of Commons.25 The victory attracted worldwide attention and thousands of media personnel descended on Belfast. On the sixty sixth day of the hunger strikes, May 5, Sands died causing riots across Northern Ireland. One hundred thousand people lined the route of his funeral a few days later.26 In the weeks after Sands death three more hunger strikers died,27 and another by-election had to be held for the seat of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Due to the fact that the British Government had rushed through the Representation of the People Act,28 which meant prisoners serving more than one year could not run for parliament, so Sands election agent Owen Carron had to run instead. He claimed a similar victory gaining a larger percentage of the votes. The success of hunger strike created a firm platform for Irish republicanism and paved the way for the formal entry of Sinn Fein into electoral politics the following year. It was also around this period that the British Government began reforming its policies in relation to the IRA and Sinn Fein. They now viewed Sinn Fein as a legitimate political movement who would be included in official negotiations. The achievements of the hunger strikers proved the power of political activism as opposed to violence; they also exposed the falseness of the British Governments claim that the Republican movement had no support. The events of 1969-82 transformed the Republican movement from a violence orientated force to a significant political force. As Sinn Fein began to grow as a political force the IRA slowly, and with considerable internal difficulties, changed its ways. This eventually paved the way for an official ceasefire in 1994. Their agreement to decommission their weapons meant that Sinn Fein was allowed to come to the negotiation table and play a significant role in the Good Friday agreement of 1998. That agreement resulted in a devolved power sharing structure of self government for Northern Ireland, whilst it still remained within the United Kingdom.29 In 2007 Martin McGuiness of Sinn Fein was appointed deputy first minister and held equal power alongside Ian Paisely of the DUP in the Northern Ireland Assembly Government.30 From the split in the nationalist movement in 1969 to its reemergence throughout the seventies, alongside the IRA, there was much change. Events such as Bloody Sunday increased the military overtone of the movement but ultimately peaceful political power prevailed. Acts such as the 1981 hunger strike proved the power of political protest as compared to violence. Ultimately Sinn Fein grew into a legitimate political party and as of 2009 they became the largest party in Northern Ireland following European Parliamentary elections.31 _______________________________________________________ Bibliography Literary Sources English, Richard (2003), Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, Pan Books, Stuttgart, Germany ________________________________________________________________________ Geraghty, Tony (2000), The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict Between the IRA and British Intelligence, The Johns Hopkins University Press, Maryland, USA ________________________________________________________________________ Hastings, Max (1970), Ulster 1969 The Fight for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland, Victor Gollancz LTD, London, United Kingdom ________________________________________________________________________ McEvoy, Kieran (2001), Paramilitary Imprisonment in Northern Ireland: Resistance, Management, and Release, Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom ________________________________________________________________________ Moloney, Ed (2002), A Secret History of the IRA, Penguin Books, New Jersey, USA ________________________________________________________________________ Mullan, Don (1997), Eyewitness Bloody Sunday The Truth, Wolfhound Press, Dublin, Ireland ________________________________________________________________________ OBrien, Brendan (1995), the Long War, the IRA and Sinn Fein, Syracuse University Press, New York, USA ________________________________________________________________________ Electronic Sources BBC (2009), on this day 9 Decmeber1973 (online), BBC, London, United Kingdom. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/9/newsid_2536000/2536767.stm (Accessed 26 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ BBC (2009), Profile: Martin McGuinness (online), BBC, London, United Kingdom. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1303355.stm (Accessed 29 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ CAIN Web Service (2009), A chronology of the conflict (online), University of Ulster, Belfast, United Kingdom. Available from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch76.htm (Accessed 27 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ Lord Gardiner (1975), Report of a Committee to consider, in the context of civil liberties and human rights, measures to deal with terrorism in Northern Ireland Extract (online), University of Ulster, Belfast, United Kingdom. Available from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/hmso/gardiner.htm#1 (Accessed July 28 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ McClean, Raymond, The Road to Bloody Sunday Extracts (online), University of Ulster, Belfast, United Kingdom. Available from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/bsunday/mcclean.htm (Accessed 28 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ National Archives of Ireland (no date), Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Series: text of the Anglo-Irish Treaty (online), Irish Government, Dublin, Ireland, Available from http://www.nationalarchives.ie/topics/anglo_irish/dfaexhib2.html (Accessed 1 August 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ Prime Ministers Office (2005), Briefing from the Prime Ministers Official Spokesman on: Anti Terror Law, President Bush/EU, Foreign Doctors in NHS, Hunting and Northern Ireland (online), British Government, London, United Kingdom, Available from http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page7148 (Accessed 29 July 20090 ________________________________________________________________________ Sinn Fein Official Website (2009), History made Sinn Fein is now the largest party in the six counties (online), Belfast, United Kingdom, Available from http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/16580 (Accessed 29 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ University College Cork (2009), Multitext project in Irish History Movements for Political and Social Reform, 1870 1914 (online), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, Available from http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/Ireland_politics__administration_1870-1914#12TheFirstSinnFeacuteinParty (Accessed 25 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ 1 National Archives of Ireland, Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Series: text of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, n.d, http://www.nationalarchives.ie/topics/anglo_irish/dfaexhib2.html (1 August 2009) 2 Moloney, Ed (2002), A Secret History of the IRA, Penguin Books. p. 246 3 English, Richard (2003), Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, Pan Books. p. 136 4 OBrien, Brendan, the Long War, the IRA and Sinn Fein (1995) 5 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA. p. 80 6 McClean, Raymond, The Road to Bloody Sunday Extracts, 1997, http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/bsunday/mcclean.htm (28 July 2009) 7 Mullan, Don, Eyewitness Bloody Sunday The Truth, Wolfhound Press 8 Geraghty, Tony, The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict Between the IRA and British Intelligence, unknown p. 65 9 Mullan, Don, Eyewitness Bloody Sunday The Truth 10 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA. p. 432 11 University College Cork, Multitext project in Irish History Movements for Political and Social Reform, 1870 1914, 2009, http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/Ireland_politics__administration_1870-1914#12TheFirstSinnFeacuteinParty (25 July 2009) 12 Prime Ministers Office, Briefing from the Prime Ministers Official Spokesman on: Anti Terror Law, President Bush/EU, Foreign Doctors in NHS, Hunting and Northern Ireland, 21 February 2005, http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page7148 13 BBC, On this day 9 Decmeber1973, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/9/newsid_2536000/2536767.stm (26 July 2009) 14 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA 15 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA 16 English, Richard, Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, p. 136 17 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA p. 140. 18 McClean, Raymond, The Road to Bloody Sunday Extracts 19 McEvoy, Kieran, Paramilitary Imprisonment in Northern Ireland: Resistance, Management, and Release, Oxford University Press 20 Lord Gardiner, Report of a Committee to consider, in the context of civil liberties and human rights, measures to deal with terrorism in Northern Ireland Extract, 1975, http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/hmso/gardiner.htm#1 (July 28 2009) 21 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict, 2009, http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch76.htm (27 July 2009) 22 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 23 English, Richard, Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA p. 196 24 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA p. 211 25 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 26 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 27 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 28 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 29 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 30 BBC, Profile: Martin McGuinness, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1303355.stm (29 July 2009) 31 Sinn Fein Online, History made Sinn Fein is now the largest party in the six counties, 2009, http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/16580 (29 July 2009)

The Case Of Colombia Politics Essay

The Case Of Colombia Politics Essay No society is immune to corruption, however, it is obvious that the developing world has been prone to suffer more than developed countries; corruption is a problem that many governments as well as citizens from different communities in the third world prefer to ignore. This essay attempts to present the reader the most prominent forms of corruption in the developing world specifically the case of Colombia in a comparative perspective with Latin American, Asian and African countries where corruption is one of the main problems that have affected these parts of the world. This essay includes three sections; the first one presents the relevant literature review; definition of important concepts, types of corruption, and approaches of corruption in developing countries. The second section refers in detail to the case of Colombia and its most prominent forms of corruption. The third section covers the analysis of the Colombian case in a comparative perspective with some Latin American, Asian and African countries and portraits relevant ideas as conclusions. LITERATURE REVIEW Corruption in the last few years has become a contested concept due to the considerable overlap between various components and wide connotations to agree on a single definition; additionally, different perceptions and understanding of situations and behaviours have influenced the concept of corruption. The understanding of corruption among nations guarantees that no definition of corruption will be equally accepted in every nation. Therefore, this essay agrees with the definition of corruption presented by Transparency International (TI) because it is an international organization that reaches most of the countries in the world and maintains an unbiased performance. (TI) defines corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain  [1]  . In order to understand the implications of corruption, it is necessary to bear in mind the different types of corruption that have been considered by some authors. Each type of corruption has different origins and characteristics and therefore, they require diverse strategies to tackle it and different degrees of severity to punish it. Corrupt behaviour was coded in terms of black, grey and white (Gardiner: 2009) Black Corruption: indicates that certain actions in a majority consensus of elites and mass opinion would condemn and would want to see punished as a matter of principle. Grey Corruption: indicates that some elements, usually elites may want to see the action punished, others not. And the majority may well be ambivalent. White Corruption: signifies that the majority of both elite and mass opinion probably would not support an attempt to punish a form of corruption that they regarded as tolerable which implies less attachment to the values. (Gardiner: 2009) The critical emphasis of this essay is on developing countries and corrupt activities in the political sphere at the public and private level. It is clear that there exist different forms of political corruption with a range of characteristics, which need to be mapped. Alatas in 1990 distinguished between transactive and extortive corruption. The former refers to a mutual arrangement concerning a donor and a recipient to the mutual advantage of both parties, whereas the latter entails a sort of pressure, usually to avoid the harm being imposed on the donor or those close to him/her. It is possible to consider other categories which could contribute to a typology of political corruption: differences could be drawn between high and low level (grand corruption versus petty); the first one involves a substantial amount of money, it involves political decision-makers, the laws and regulations are abused by the rulers, ignored, or tailored to fit interests. Whereas the latter refers to the bending of rules in favour of friends, its the everyday corruption in connection with the implementation of existing laws, rules and regulations at the street level with minor public administration officials and services. (Heidenheimer: 2002, p. 150) In most developing countries, corruption has been widespread and has become part of everyday life; most societies are aware of it and some even make it look like part of their culture. Developing countries are more likely to experience à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²State Captureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²Kleptoraticà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² corruption. State Capture represents a form of corruption Introduced by Hellman and Kaufmann and used by the World Bank in 2000  [2]   The World Bank report refers to State Capture as the actions of individuals, groups or firms in both in the public and private sectors. This is done to influence the formation of laws, regulations and other government policies to their own advantage by illicit and non-transparent provision of private benefits to public officials. Alternatively, the state can be captured to serve the private interest of a political leader who shapes the framework of reforms to ensure his private control over key resources State capture refers to the capacity of private interest groups to exert influence in high spheres of public decision making through corrupt practices (World Bank report: 2002).  [3]  . On the other side, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²Kleptocratic corruptionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² refers to the actions of people within the government who use their power to exploit natural resources and wealth for personal enrichment by establishing policies that favour personal interests  [4]  , its very common in authoritarian governments specially in African countries characterized by the lacked of accountability and unqualified public officials. Kleptocratic corruption is characterized by nepotism, favouritism, cronyism, reflecting problems in the public services; where citizens may go to prison or be executed for treason. In some nations citizens do not even try to hold elections which allow leaders to remain in power for ever. (Case of the Philippines)  [5]  . Some of these characteristics are shared by some Caribbean, Asian and African countries. This will be presented and discussed later on. Many scholars have studied corruption through different approaches in order to understand how corruption affects the performance of a country; the first approach to consider is the Modernization Thesis established by Samuel Huntington. He stated that Corruption may be more prevalent in some cultures than others and seem to be more intense during the period of modernization and reflect their differences in political modernization and political development (Huntington: 2009, Ch. 15 pp. 253) The Modernization Thesis proposed by Huntington suggests that modernization involves a change in the basic values of a society; he refers to certain behaviours that were legitimate but became intolerable and corrupt when viewed through modern eyes, consequently, the fact that levels of education provide citizens with a more critical view of situations to demand an accountable and efficient government, however it contributes to corruption by generating new sources of wealth and power where new laws multiply opportunities for corruption and hence increase the capacity for violence. To comprehend the cultural approach this essay first understand culture as The deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving (Samovar Porter, 2003, p. 8) Abdiweli, M and Said Isse, H. (2003) identified the determinants of corruption by examining on factors related to corruption such as such as education, political regimes, the type of the state, ethnicity, judicial efficiency, political freedom, and the size of government to explain the differences across countries and how those actions considered corruption in the west are considered traditional gift giving in developing countries. Sandholz and Taagepara: 2004, referred to the cultural approach to corruption as: The most significant obstacle to democratization and economic development. Structural and cultural factors lead to higher levels of corruption, low levels of competition and increase the incentives for corrupt practices among bureaucrats or among those being regulated. Cultural patterns tendency to reproduce themselves through socialization entails a general expectation of continuity, culture changes but it tends to change slowly even when substantial changes occur (Sandholz and Taagepara 200,4 pp.109-111) THE CASE OF COLOMBIA This section outlines the case of corruption in Colombia as a developing country, where corruption has left political, social and economic effects; corruption has contributed to political instability, undermined governmental institutions, increase the lack of trust and the perception that corruption is normal. Despite its effort to fight corruption the Corruption perception index (CPI) seems to get worst.  [6]   In Colombia a clear example of petty corruption are the traffic violations where drivers may bribe a police officer to avoid a fine or get the car impounded; since traffic violations are extremely expensive, paying a bribe sounds more reasonable. Most of Colombian drivers have developed persuasive skills to approach a police officer finding a way to relate or build any personal connection such as economic difficulties or family problems. Sometimes the police officer will understand and will give in a ticket with a lower infraction without making personal profit. Sometimes, they will accept the bribe, give a verbal warning and just let the driver go; it basically depends on how the driver approaches the police officer. In terms of Grand Corruption, the problem of Colombia can be expressed in one world: Politiquerà ­a- bad politics, where it is hard to tell if corruption is the cause or the consequence of bad politics. A significant factor that determines corruption, is the illegitimate actors Guerrillas, paramilitary groups and drug dealers; they control large amounts of drug money, induce violence as a way to regulate the illegal and legal sector and resort to kidnappings for funding; they are influential in some parts of the country called red zone or conflict zone. There, Government has less control or there is absence of authority allowing these groups to reach several levels of public organizations. (Misas 2005: 120-122). In Colombia scandals of all kinds and cases of Grand Corruption And State Capture are characterized by the flaws in the political system, the non-existence of political parties as independent actors, the Internal division within political parties and the opposition at the inner and outer level enhancing contradictory performances responding to political rivalry or lack of competence; political parties use opposition to exert tension and pressure and bring to light the scandals. In this dynamic mass media plays a big role, in Colombia some cases of corruption are interconnected as a network of corruption; corruption becomes a scandal when it is impossible to hide or when it is convenient to bring it to light. The illegitimate impact of private interests on political decisions is another major problem in Colombia. Political parties system and campaign financing create some sort of liability of the politician towards the donor. In Colombia, is common to see that candidates pay back the favour after being elected. Positions within the government and the local level are given out due to personal relations rather than through academic careers and competition. (Lambsdorff, 2006) This is illustrated by the typical pattern of Grand Corruption, referred to as trià ¡ngulo de hierro (iron triangle) figure 3 The structure of a corrupt relationship is pictured as a triangle where each corner represents an actor and the sides the relationship between them. (Misas: 2005) Figure 3: iron triangle MAKES A CAMPAIGN DONATION HELPS GETTING A POSTION IN PUBLIC ADMINISRATION HELPS WINNING A PUBLIC CONTRACT In most of the countries in South America; cronyism, nepotism, conflict of interests, abuse of power, embezzlement and extortion to name a few are part of the main problems of public life and can be observed at all levels, from the local up to the National level. In Colombia there are rules and regulations properly designed but not correctly applied, the fundamental problem causing high levels of corruption in Colombia appears to be the failure to apply the existing rules. Therefore, a cultural pattern such as the consideration of sayings in daily life activities implies a rather flexible interpretation of rules. Hecha la ley, hecha la trampa (every law made, there is also made the loophole) (Lambsdorff, 2006) P.25. In addition to cultural patterns, Colombia is a developing country with a low GDP  [7]  where social inequality, great income differences between strata, poverty and exclusion predominate and lead to violence. It is not a secret that Guerrilla and Paramilitary groups control highways charging truck drivers a toll to use the road having the truck burnt or taken away. They also kidnap journalists, politicians, government officials and military men for extortion or to cause pressure in the government. (Lambsdorff, 2006) Although Colombians are aware that corruption exists, its not accepted. However, people instead use sarcasm or irony to refer to this issue influenced by cultural features such as morality, values and ethics. The cases of corruption in Colombia are innumerable and it is hard to tell if one is worst that the other first because some are related or connected and second because all of them have affected the country economically, socially and also in the way Colombia is perceived at the international level, affecting relations with other countries and levels of trust towards those in power who are supposed to look after the citizens rights. Examples that illustrate corruption in Colombia  [8]   8000 process  [9]  (embezzlement, illegal funding for political campaign) This is the name given to the process against the ex-president Ernesto Samper accused of receiving money from drug dealers Cali cartel for his presidential campaign. Despite the proofs, he denied it. Moreover, Fernando Botero Zea as the campaign director offered his bank account in New York to receive the donations from different business man to avoid taxes and exceed the amount of money permitted to develop the campaign. Botero seized control of US$413.898 to buy a country house and cover personal expenses. Botero moved to Mexico where he is originally from to avoid extradition and has not gone back to pay his time in prison which affected the relations and image with neighbouring countries. DMG  [10]  (campaign funding with money laundering- illicit enrichment) DMG is the acronym for the millionaire company of David Murcia Guzman which worked under the pyramid scheme for cocaine money laundering. DMG was also funding the referendum for the third consecutive presidential term of Alvaro Uribe as well as for the candidate in Panama  [11]  . This company worked across some Latin American countries (Panama, Venezuela and Ecuador) where not only politicians but also thousands of citizens invested their savings expecting high profits, in some parts of the countries people relied and depended on this profit as a regular income. Murcia accepted the charges and was extradited to the US. Para-politics  [12]   Para-politics is the term used to refer to the political scandals since 2006 that show connections between more than 200 politicians and government officials with the paramilitary group Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) which has direct implications with drug dealing and has used intimidation, extortion, slaughter, genocide, displacement and kidnapping towards public citizens to help politicians and public officers to reach positions in the government and then manipulate decisions and funds. Recordings, videos and intercepted calls are some of the proofs that involve government bodies and important national entities. Carousel contraction (Conflict of interest, Clientelism, Cronyism, Abuse of power, State Capture) This is the name given to one of the biggest scandals of political corruption that left obvious scars in the city, indignation and huge economic lost. Carousel contraction involves a group of recognized business men Los Nule  [13]  who won the grant for the biggest project in building an important highway in the country and several other contracts for the transportation system in the city of Bogota using retainers as bribes. Other people involved and found guilty are The ex-mayor of Bogota, (Samuel Moreno  [14]  ) who was suspended from office and is under police custody, some of Morenos relatives as his brother (Ivan Moreno) and several friends, government bodies, public officers and more than 30 companies who were sub-contracted to carry out they project. Health system embezzlement  [15]   A scandal in the Colombian health system involved five health insurance companies acronym for (EPS) associated with millionaire embezzlement. These EPS were audited and intervened with a police raid due to the irregularities in the provision of medications and misuse of funds. This has resulted in huge number of cases of double billing, seeking reimbursement for medications EPS are supposed to provide to patients. Public officers, EPS board members and the minister of social protection are some of the people involved in the scandal. These are just some of the examples that can provide a wide picture of what Grand corruption/ State Capture look like in Colombia; in the following section a comparative perspective is presented to illustrate corruption across developing countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. This section refers to corruption in developing countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa in a comparative perspective with the case of Colombia. LATIN AMERICA Corruption in Latin America specifically in the case of Ecuador is a structural problem that goes beyond political parties or businessman funding campaigns; it has become an issue deep-rooted to cultural features. Low levels of education, weak Social Capital, and low levels of participation in elections are characteristics shared with Colombia. The most common forms of corruption in Ecuador are bribes, nepotism and cronyism used to speed up processes or get contracts. As an example, In June 2009 the media reported that companies associated with businessman Fabricio Correa (the presidents brother), had signed large public-sector contracts during the Correa administration. Another example is the contraction of unqualified unnecessary or inexistent public employees in the national congress known as Piponazgo  [16]  . According to CPI 2012 edition by (TI) the most corrupt country in Latin America is Venezuela; some causes of corruption are the lack of effective strategies to fight corruption and poor freedom of the press. In Venezuela more than 30 radio stations, TV channel and newspapers have been harassed and threaten by the government which creates opportunities for corruption. This situation is slightly different in Colombia where although its one of the most insecure countries for journalists; the aggressions are not provoked by the government but related to the armed conflict: (guerrilla, drug traffickers and paramilitary). Additionally, Venezuela shares two characteristics of corruption with African countries: mismanagement of oil resources, authoritarian government seeking influence through oil diplomacy and control of oil funds by the Government which has caused several scandals  [17]  . Another country that has suffered from similar types of corruption is Mexico, (kickbacks and bribery  [18]  from wealthy businessman, kidnappings of civilians and drug trafficking by the Cartels of Mexico  [19]  ). However, the comparative study carried out by (De la Torre L., 2000) showed that although the Police system in Colombia is not necessarily uncorrupted is one of the most efficient in Latin America. Colombia has implemented long term strategies, there is a better recruitment process, salaries, training and drug- related corruption remains confined to individual or smaller groups of policeman  [20]  . Figure 4: data taken from Transparency International web site CPI results 2012  [21]   ASIA In 2012 India ranked 94th out of 176 countries in TI with a CPI of 3.6 tied with Colombia and Greece. Apart from sharing the ranking position in the CPI score, India and Colombia share bribery, kickbacks and nepotism as some forms of corruption although at different levels of impact in the society. Transparency International India developed a Corruption Study in 2005  [22]  showing that the problem of corruption in India lies at the public service level (health care system, electricity, water supply and black money) affecting citizens daily needs. As a result, corruption in India is due to the Excessive regulations, poor implementation/ monitoring of laws, lack of punishment and highly strong cultural patterns create opportunity for corruption. (Vito Tanzi: 1998). While the perception, cases of corruption and impact in the population regarding public services (water supply, electricity and taxes black money  [23]  are higher in India, in Colombia Organized Crime and drug trafficking plays the main role dominating almost 50% of the country. Another Asian country which has been prone to suffer from widespread corruption and poor CPI score is Bangladesh; the most common forms of corruption are bribes, abuse of authority, nepotism, favouritism, fraud and patronage. Likewise Colombia many cases of corruption are intertwined with their consequences at the national or local level. In Bangladesh payoff include luxury gifts, overseas travel hotels, restaurant bills and personal liabilities while in Colombia payoff are mostly in the form of money or jobs. However in terms of political corruption both countries share the same characteristic Using position while in power to grant undue favour and benefit to ones relatives, friends and key supporters is a hallmark of politics. (Khan, 1997). Nonetheless, in terms of administrative corruption, in Bangladesh civil officers involved in corrupt practices in most cases do not lose their jobs. Very rarely they are dismissed from service on charges pertaining to corruption. Still more rarely they are sent to prison for misusing public funds (Khan, 1997), this is considerably different in Colombia where if found guilty most likely, they will go to prison although the sentence may not be significant; Corruption is all-pervasive in Bangladesh, is a part of the politico-administrative heritage, not only citizens have accepted it as a part of their daily life but also they feel themselves powerless to address the phenomenon at any level (Lewis, 1996). AFRICA Corruption in the developing world has been harmful for economic growth specially for transition or emerging economies and poor countries in Africa; where the influence of decolonization, type of economy (based on natural resources as a source of rent), low levels of education and types of governments (regimes or dictatorships) are directly related to levels of corruption. Africa is a continent where Kleptocracy dominates and leads to grand Corruption; an example of this is the rule of Mobutu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (1965-1997). Characterized by the misuse of foreign aid and rent from natural resources leading to worse governance, embezzlement and illegal enrichment. In the case of Nigeria, 2007 elections candidates were more likely to buy votes because is more reliable and less difficult.  [24]  In Nigeria, the misadministration of oil and natural gas resources from Kleptocratic governments, nepotism and graft are the most common forms of corruption. Another case worth looking at is Kenya which demonstrates how corruption can turn a stable country into political crisis. Corruption comes in the form of a little something to speed up processes or to ignore infractions; and Tribalism loyalty first to families then clan and then tribes. Kenya likewise Colombia has suffered from scandals within the government Goldenberg case  [25]  where the Kenyan government of Daniel Arap was found to have subsidised exports of gold beyond standard arrangements by paying the company Goldenberg International 35% more. Despite the fact that Colombia is an older democracy and the GDP less affected by corruption in Latin America than in African countries  [26]  ; clientelism, graft, bribery misuse of funds at the national level and embezzlement are shared forms of corruption; however, corruption in Colombia is highly generated by drugs traffic while in Africa is due to misuse of natural resources and abuse of power. CONCLUSION This paper has given an account of the most prominent forms of corruption in the developing world with deep focus on Colombia in a comparative perspective with other Latin American, Asian and African countries. In this paper, becomes evident and implicit that regardless the geographical position of a country, the developing countries studied in this essay share mostly the same types of corruption. Instead some variations in terms of forms and levels of perception of corruption may appear depending on type of government, levels of education, poverty and whether it is an emerging or established democracy. At the same time history plays an important role in places of Africa and Colombia where in order to understand the reasons and causes behind levels of corruption it is not only important to recognize the political, social, economic and cultural conditions of these countries but also to understand the impact of these situation on the levels of corruption, this will enhance comprehension of the strategies implemented or reasons for not implementing as well as for punishing or not corruption. From this essay can conclude that; Even though forms and types of corruption are shared across countries the political, social, economic and cultural patterns should be considered individually to fight corruption where political will and anticorruption programs work in reality effectively. In Latin American countries like Colombia where the drug war fosters corruption and increases private gain (money) at public expense (violence) while in Africa and Asia corruption affects foreign direct investment.

Impacts of Stress on the Well Being of Undergraduate Nurses

Impacts of Stress on the Well Being of Undergraduate Nurses Sanober Fazal Introduction Every person in this world is surrounded by different kinds of stresses. (Kohler et al., 2006) as cited in (Martos et al., 2012) â€Å"stress refers to a dynamic interaction between the individual and the environment. In this interaction, demands, limitations, and opportunities related to work may be perceived as threatening to surpass the individual’s resources and skill†. Stress in my point of view is a pressure which effects our mind and unable us to do our daily activities properly. It affects our mental, psychological, physical and emotional health. According to (Manney, Mk, Paul, Shashidhar, 2011) students are more porne to stress and it negatively effects on their mental health, educational success, self-grooming and effect on future. The same authors stated medical education as stressful. There are many factors which causes stress and that compromise the well-being of student nurses which will be discuss later in this paper.(O’Donnell ,2009) stated that many nursing student left the program due to unbearable stress. The rational for choosing this topic is that it’s my own observation and experience that stress is higher in undergraduate nurses. They are always over burden with assignments, regular papers as well as classes, clinical and, group works. All the time they have to sit in front of laptops or books. They have less time for themselves as well as for their families and friends. Other than this many undergraduate nurses end up with mental distress, many tried to do suicidal attempts and many withdraw the nursing career. Stress is the hurdle in the well-being of students, it affects negatively on their academics and social life. Many theories have been proposed for the better understanding of stress. According to (Cannon, 1929) as cites in (Davidyan, 2008), he talked about response theory. According to him our body works on basic principle of equilibrium (homeostasis). If the external stimulus is strong and body cannot cope with it than it really disturb the normal mechanism of body and causes stress. If the person handle the situation properly than it will be called a balance condition. Another theory given by (Hans selye, 1956) as cited in same article which describe a theory of general reaction of individual to different stressors. He discussed about three stages: Alarm reaction, resistance and exhaustion. In alarm reaction there is a condition of fight and flight and organism try to control the situation by physiological responses. After which resistance stage occurs. Here body builds resistance against stressor. Last stage is exhaustion where all the energy is lost, no further resistance exists and indi vidual ends in chronic stress. It indicates that a person should response appropriately in every stage to prevent complications of stress. Unfortunately, the prevalence of stress in Pakistani students is very high especially in nursing students. In Pakistan the image of nursing profession is very bad. There is no respect for this noble profession therefore, very little researches and studies has been done on it. According to Khowaja (2009) Pakistan is a discriminating society and there is no value of nursing that’s why there are always issues. A study was done on the prevalence of stress by Kumar and Nancy (2011) in Punjab, Pakistan. According to the study, out of 180 undergraduate nurses, 34.4 % had moderate stress, 32.8 % had mild and maximum stress respectively. Another study was carried in CMH College Lahore on 200 students. The result showed that the mean stress was 30.87, nearly same with result of Punjab college students. It indicates high level of stress in Pakistani nursing students. What Are the Factors of Stress in Undergraduate Nurses? There are many factors of stress among undergraduate nurses. For example they have to do lots of assignment, hard work, GPA, frequent exams, clinical both supervised and unsupervised. Moreover, the other factors which lead to stress are fear of faculty, staff, patient and their different disease status, lack of proper guidance and self-awareness. As an undergraduate nurse it’s my own experience and observation that both the supervised and unsupervised clinical are more stressful because students are expected to do many assignment and skills at the same time. Undergraduate nurses have to do assignment given by their faculty, by staff nurse and they have to give holistic care to patients. They are supposed to take care of severe patients with infectious disease and with aggressive behavior which cause stress in student nurses. Many of these factors were also mentioned in literature. Reevea et al., (2013) also highlighted clinical assignment as one of the factor of stress. It is more time consuming and students become socially isolated. The other cause of stress mentioned in the same articles is neglection from patients and from their attaindance, from staff nurse and other health care professionals. According to Abbey et al., (2011) issues from surrounding society, educational, and financial can also lead to stress. In an article written by somani khowaja (2012) it was mentioned that in Pakistani society work place violence and lower status of nursing profession is also a cause of stress in nurses. Patients and their relatives think this profession is not good and always try to abuse them. Magnavita and heponiemi (2011) mentioned physical and verbal violence as source of stress in nursing students during their clinical placement. Furthermore, international nursing review (2012) three main types of stressors are mentioned: (1) clinical stressors which include anxiety of not achieving expectations and communication gap between patients and hospital members. (2) Academic stressors. For example ongoing assessment and quizzes, not passing the programme and hectic timetable. (3) Personal/ social stressors which means financial issues and issues in home and school works. A cross sectional study was done in Pakistan’s shifa nursing college by Shomail and Faisal (2012). In this study total 78 nursing students participated. The findings of study on score of stress level in different factors were as follow, theory = 2.37, clinical experience =3.5, college environment= 2.39, social environment=251. In my opinion these factors of stress bring tremendous alteration in an individual’s health. What Are Implications of Stress in Undergraduate Nurses? According to labrague (2013), stress has adverse outcomes not only on physical, psychological and social health but as whole well-being. (Shirom, 2003) as cited in (Martos et al., 2012), stress lead to physical, psychological and behavioral impairment in an individual. I have seen many people with stress who cannot sleep without medications and they left to take proper diet. (Chang et.al 2006) as cited in (Lim, Bogossian and Ahern, 2010) reported consequences of stress on physical health that is increased pressures, sleep disturbance and tiredness. In another literature it says stress in nursing students creates issues in memory, in judgmental skills and in coping styles, Goff (2011). The students, who encounter stress, mainly have poor thinking and this further aggravate their psychological problems. I witnessed one of my classmate who developed psychological symptoms in second year 2013 due to increased stress in her academics. She was admitted in psychiatric ward for more than 2 m onths and still she takes medications. I observed the same symptoms in her which are mentioned in the literatures. According to literature, undergraduate nurse end up in mental issues due to increase level of stress. It causes emotional distress that is nervousness, low self-esteem, isolation, aggression, anxiety etc.(Jimenez,OsorioDiaz, 2010).In Karachi, Pakistan a study was conducted in three medical colleges and students participated were 360. They found gastro intestinal problems especially irritable bowel syndrome in students. It was mentioned in the article that irritable bowel syndrome is because of psychological stress in students. (Naeem et al., 2012). Moreover, (Prasad et al., 2013) also talked about psychological impacts of stress which lead to loss of concentration in educational field, loss of energy which ultimately leads to low output and thoughts of suicide. I also witnessed many cases where people did suicide, left the program, developed loneliness and symptoms like anxiety and drug abuse. O’Donnell (2009) stated that due to increased stress students are unable to focus and complete their nursing degree. They do not pay attention towards their studies which makes their life complicated.Galbraith and brown (2011) mentioned behavior related affects like use of alcohol, smoking and other drugs. Students use drugs as alternative coping strategies. The individual who suffer from violence may develop symptoms that persist for many years. They blame themselves for the incidence, feeling ashamed, and embarrassed. It alters their social life and builds negative thought about their career (magnavitaheponiemi, 2011).Yet another article by Mane et al. (2011) stated stress causes weak performance in education and in their later job life. Moreover they face many problems in their social life and personnel life. In my view stress always hinders in the progression of students whether it is there education, career, and health, their personal or social l ife. Strategies and Interventions There are many interventions and strategies to reduce the factors and negative impacts of stress in undergraduate nurses. According to (humped caputi, 2011) as cited in â€Å"Nurses education today†, student nurses are more exposed to stress and they need to build their capacity to balance their thoughts and cope constructively. Lim et al. (2010) found basic education of undergraduates very beneficial in control of stress.(Hubbard et al., 1984) as cited in ( Reevea et al., 2013) ; Yamashita and Miwasaito, 2012), mentioned about social support. According to which a strong support from others (friends and family members) enhance positivity in their health and thinking. Other than this a good relationship between students and their faculty can builds trust and confidence in students to perform their task courageously. (Jimenez ,2010; Yearwood and Riley, 2013), also mentioned that faculties should understand student’s stress so that they can support them in their grooming, progression and a proper guidance in clinical set up also reduce their stress level. In addition (Gibbons, 2010; Shomail Faisal, 2012), mentioned that the positive regards from teachers and colleague is helpful in stress management. According to Laragia (2013) to decrease stress in undergraduate nurses it is important to assess the cause and level of stress to plan interventions accordingly and help students in their theoretical and practical skill. Mane et al. (2011) highlighted about relaxation therapies and solution to those factors which are more common in students stress. Yamashita et al. (2012) found self-awareness and knowledge of dealing with stress as important strategies in alleviating of stress. Conclusion and Recommendation In conclusion every profession is stressful but nursing is more stressful and undergraduate nurses are more vulnerable to stress. There are many causes of stress which impacts the well-being of student nurses. The causes are increase work load in classes as well as in clinical, lack of knowledge, low self-esteem, encountering challenges with staff, patients and clinical placement. Undergraduates face many consequences of stress for example they suffer from psychological, emotional, social, and physical problem. They develop symptoms of suicidal ideation, alter in thought process, self with drawl from social life, high blood pressure, sleep problems, anxiety, frustration and it also impacts on their academics. Furthermore, it is very essential to find the root causes of stress and make proper strategies to reduce it. It is important for students that they should develop positive coping skills and cooperative relationship with faculties, staff and other professionals. Students can also take benefit from their social circle like from their parents and friends. In Pakistan nurses image is very poor and this lead to stress and many other issues in nurses. A proper research is needed to find the causes, prevalence and impacts of stress on the well-being of undergraduate nurses. I would recommend that students and teachers should make support group which will find out or help those students who are in stress. Furthermore, institution should not over burden the students. They should plan such activities which help them in relieving their stress such as sport timing, parties, and psychotherapy and counseling classes. If these strategies are implemented than students will be healthy and ultimately, there will be productive outcome. References Davidyan,A. (2008, January 10). Retrieved from http://http://www.severehypertension.net/hbp/more/theories-of-stress/ Donnell,O. (2009). The emotional impact of nursing student attrition rates.British Journal of Nursing,18(12), 745-747, 750, 752-754. Retrieved from http://www.scopus.com/ Galbraith,N.D., Brow,K.E. (2011). Assessing intervention effectiveness for reducing stress in student nurses.Journal of Advanced Nursing,67(4), 709-721. Retrieved from onlinelibrarywiley.com Gibbons., Dampster., Moutray. (2011). Differences in Perceived Stress and Its Correlates among students in professional courses.JCDR,5(6), 1228-1233. Retrieved from http://www.jcdr.net/article_fulltext.asp?issn=0973-709xyear=2011volume=5issue=6page=1228issn=0973-709xid=1620 Gibbons,C. (2010). Stress, coping and burn-out in nursing students.International Journal of Nursing Studies,47(10), 1299-1309. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/ Goff,A.M. (2011). Stressors, academic performance and learned resourcefulness in baccalaureate nursing student.International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 8(1). Jimenez,C., Navia-osorio,P.M., Diaz,C.V. (2010). Stress and health in novice and experienced nursing students.Journal of Advanced Nursing,66(2), 442-455. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.05183.x/full Khowaja,K. (2009). International perspective: health care systems and care delivery in Pakistan.Journal of Nursing Administrator,39(6), 263-265. Retrieved from www.nursing center.com Kumar,R., Nancy. (2011). stress and coping strategies among nursing students.Nursing and Midwifery Research Journal,7(4), 141-151. Retrieved from medind.nic.in Labrague,L.J. (2013). Stress, stressor and stress responses of student nurse in a government nursing school. Retrieved from www.hsj.gr Lim,J., Bogossian,F., Ahern,K. (2010). Stress and coping in Australian nurses: a systematic review.International Nursing Review,57(1), 22-31. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ Magnavita,N., Heponiemi,T. (2011). Work place violence against nursing students and nurses.Journal of Nursing scholarship,43(2), 203-210. Retrieved from on line library. Wiley .com Manney,A.B., Mk,K., Paul,N., Shashidhar,H. (2011). Differences in Perceived Stress and Its Correlates among Students in Professional Courses.Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research,5(6), 1228-1233. Retrieved from http://www.jcdr.net/article_fulltext.asp?issn=0973-709xyear=2011volume=5issue=6page=1228issn=0973-709xid=1620 Martos,M.P., Augusto-landa,J.M., Lopez -zafra,E. (2011). Sources of stress in nursing students: a systematic review of quantitative studies.International Nursing Review,59(1), 15-25. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1466-7657.2011.00939.x/full Por,J., Barriball,L., Fitzpatrick,J., Roberts,J. (2011). Emotional intelligence: Its relationship to stress, coping, well-being and professional performance in nursing students .Nurse Education Today,31(8), 855-860. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260691711000086 Prasad,C.V., Suresh,A., Thomas,D.K., Pritty,M.K., Beebi,S., Multazim,V. (2013). The level of stress and coping mechanism adopted by I Year B.Sc. nursing students.AMHS,1(1), 19-23. Retrieved from http://www.amhsjournal.org/ Reevea,K.L., Shumaker,C.J., Yearwooda,E.L., B., Crowella,N.A., Rileya,J.B. (2013). Perceived stress and social support in undergraduate nursing students educational experiences.Nurse Education Today,33(4), 419-424. Sawatzky, Richard, Ratner,G., Pamela,A., Richardson, Chris, Patricia. (2012). Stress and Depression in Students: The Mediating Role of Stress Management Self-efficacy. Nursing Research,61(1), 13-21. Retrieved from http://journals.lww.com/ Shomail,S., Faisal,A. (2012). Stressor and coping strategies among baccalaureate nursing students at Shifa college of nursing Islamabad, Pakistan.International Journal of Nursing education,4(2), 193-197. Somani,R.K., Khowaja,K. (2012). Work place violance towards nurse a reality from Pakistani context.Journal of Nursing Education and Practice,2(3). Retrieved from www.sciedu.ca/jnep Yamashita,K., Miwasaito. (2012). stress and coping styles in Japanese nursing students. International Journal Nursing Practice,18(5), 489-492.

Determination and Instinct in the Brothers Grimms Cinderella Essay

As children, most of our life lessons are acquired through the simplicity of fairy tales. Subliminal messages taught us to always believe in true love and in the eternal victory of good over evil. This is the case in the Brothers Grimm’s â€Å"Cinderella†, a popular fairy tale embodying a classic folk tale myth-element of unjust oppression followed by triumphant reward, where true love conquers all and eventually sets the world right. Cinderella is a fallen princess who finally meets with tough reality, bearing headstrong grit and perseverance. She proves that by entrusting one’s self and instincts, one can then achieve anything they put their minds to. She demonstrates such boldness when dealing with her step-family, sorting out the good lentils from the bad, and finally when making a sudden and unexpected appearance at the ball. At the very beginning of â€Å"Cinderella†, written by the Brothers Grimm, the narrator clearly states that the central character’s name is only descriptive instead of being a proper name. â€Å"And as on that account she always looked dusty and dirty, they called her Cinderella† (70). This allows us, the readers, to identify with the protagonist. Abandoned by her father and enslaved by her stepmother, Cinderella proves that kindness will get a person farther in life than hatred ever can. Cinderella manages to overcome her obstacles with the help of her animal friends. These creatures of nature surround Cinderella because she is kind and loving, while the only animal that would even approach the evil stepmother and stepdaughters was their angry spoiled cat. Nevertheless, Cinderella still deals with them with nothing but patience and virtue. She is always the better person and never stoops down to their level. ... ...balls, knowing that her step sisters were literally dying to be in her shoes. By keeping to herself and trusting her instincts, Cinderella winds up marrying the Prince and living happily ever after. Cinderella differs from other princesses in any other fairy tale. She can be portrayed as a heroine in the eyes of the young, as well as the old, which is what makes her such a great and unique character. Cinderella overcomes numerous barriers, never accepting defeat and is kind to all, even those who do not reciprocate her goodness. She deals with her evil stepmother and stepsisters in the best behaviour, and in the end, she is able to obtain what she had worked so hard to achieve. For all these reasons little girls as well as grown women alike can relate to Cinderella in their hardships and can draw power and trust in their own selves from her inspirational tale.

breastfeed or bottle-feed? Essay -- essays research papers

Is the mom going to breastfeed or bottle-feed? I must tell you that breast milk is usually best for your baby. -Each mother’s breast milk is made especially for their own newborn. It contains all the Vit., Min. & iron that your baby needs( where as bottle milk has as little as 5-10% of all vit., min., & iron that are used by your baby.) Breast milk also continues to chg. as your baby grows to meet the changing needs of your infant, no formula is capable of such a chg. Breast milk contains protecting agents to help insure your baby’s health, these agents (WBC’s and immunoglobins) help fight DZ and INF. Advantages of Breastfeeding (Disadvantages to bottle feeding): 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  promotes bonding between mom and infant, easily and quickly digested. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Breastfed babies have fewer illnesses and faster recovery. The antibodies found in breast milk provide immunities that make it easier for a baby to fend off illnesses such as colds and ear infections. So not only do breastfed babies tend to get sick less often but when they do get sick, they get better faster then babies that are bottle fed. Pre-mature babies who get breast milk also have less GI problems 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Breast milk has long term health benefits for your baby. The positive effects of breastfeeding last well beyond babyhood. Studies show that babies breastfed for the first six months are 43% less likely to become obese as children, if breastfed for more then 1 year they are 72% less likely to be overweight. Breastfeed babies have a lower risk of HTN later in life, they also have a lower risk of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea later in life. Breastfeed babies also have an average of 8 to 10 IQ points higher then bottle-fed babies. Finally breastfed babies have a lower incidence of SID’s 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Breastfeeding helps to take the pounds off after pregnancy. Producing breast milk requires 500 calories a day 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Breastfeeding also helps benefit mom’s health. Some studies indicate that breastfeeding decreases or lowers a woman’s risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer. It also appears to protect against osteoporosis. 6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Breast milk is inexpensive as opposed to bottle feeding which tends to run around $1400 to $1800 a year. 7)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  &n... ...oiling, soaking in antibacterial solution (instructions are on the packet), or microwave bottle sterilizer. Store sterilized bottles in the refrigerator. Prepare the formula and shake thoroughly. Warm to room temp then give to baby 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Feeding the baby – Cuddles and comfort are as important for your baby as feeding is, bottle fed baby’s can bond too. Cradling your baby in your arms is the best position. Never feed the baby while he or she is laying down! Problems while Breastfeeding: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sore nipples (usually during the first week) Check the latch on technique and position of the baby during feedings. You want to vary nursing positions. You can also use OTC lubricants or express a little milk or colostrum onto your nipples before and after nursing, gently pat dry (antibacterial qualities) In most cases sore or cracked nipples are no longer painful once good positioning and latch on are achieved. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Breast engorgement usually occurs in 2-3 days but is usually temporary and last only 3-7 days. For treatment and prevention wear a comfortable bra to support your breasts (no under wire at this time)

Disaster Recovery Plan Essay

This document outlines our policies and procedures for technology disaster recovery, as well as our process-level plans for recovering critical technology platforms and the telecommunications infrastructure. This document summarizes our recommended procedures. In the event of an actual emergency situation, modifications to this document may be made to ensure physical safety of our people, our systems, and our data. Our mission is to ensure information system uptime, data integrity and availability, and business continuity. OBJECTIVES The principal objective of the disaster recovery program is to develop, test and document a well-structured and easily understood plan which will help the company recover as quickly and effectively as possible from an unforeseen disaster or emergency which interrupts information systems and business operations. Additional objectives include the following: †¢The need to ensure that all employees fully understand their duties in implementing such a plan †¢The need to ensure that operational policies are adhered to within all planned activities †¢The need to ensure that proposed contingency arrangements are cost-effective †¢The need to consider implications on other company sites †¢Disaster recovery capabilities as applicable to key customers, vendors and others BACK UP STRATEGY Battle Creek, Michigan is susceptible to various natural disasters such as wild fires, tornadoes, and hurricanes. When it comes to data backup and restoration for the servers at DLIS after any given natural disaster, we recommend using the services of Carbonite for offsite vaulting. Their services include automatic backup, anytime anywhere access, easy file recovery, web-based dashboard, automatic video backup, free valet Install, U. S based support, unlimited computers, external drives and NAS devices, HIPAA Compatible, and unlimited Windows Servers. For email services we recommend using Outlook: email cloud. Migrating email to the cloud offers substantial financial savings and eliminates on-site mail system infrastructure. The company can avoid email server backups, shrink email support time, off-load maintenance, and bypass the need for server-based anti-virus, anti-spam and email filtering products, For email security, we recommend using Barracuda’s Email Security Service. They offer business continuity, security, data loss prevention, encryption, and optimized email. When a disaster strikes, Barracuda is prepared to forward emails to a secondary email server and spooling emails for up to 96 hours which ensures emails are delivered during disaster recovery situations. Their security uses the most advanced technology to block the latest spam, viruses, worms, and DoS attacks. For DLP (Data Loss Prevention), they scan emails and attachments for keywords like social security and automatically block or encrypt sensitive emails. Lastly, they provide the option for users to encrypt their emails while administrators can enforce encryption policies on classes of email. RISK MANAGMENT There are many potential disruptive threats which can occur at any time and affect the normal business process. We have considered a wide range of potential threats and the results of our deliberations are included in this section. Each potential environmental disaster or emergency situation has been examined. The focus here is on the level of business disruption which could arise from each type of disaster. Potential disasters have been assessed as follows: Potential Disaster Probability Rating Impact Rating Brief Description Of Potential Consequences ; Remedial Actions Flood 3 4 All critical equipment is located on 1st Floor Fire 3 4 FM200 suppression system installed in main computer centers. Fire and smoke detectors on all floors. Tornado 5 Electrical power failure 3 4 Redundant UPS array together with auto standby generator that is tested weekly ; remotely monitored 24/7. UPSs also remotely monitored. Loss of communications network services 4 4 Two diversely routed T1 trunks into building. WAN redundancy, voice network resilience Probability: 1=Very High, 5=Very LowImpact: 1=Total destruction, 5=Minor annoyance PLAN TRIGGERING EVENTS Key trigger issues at headquarters that would lead to activation of the DRP are: Total loss of all communications Total loss of power Flooding of the premises Loss of the building ASSEMBLY POINTS Where the premises need to be evacuated, the DRP invocation plan identifies two evacuation assembly points: †¢Primary – Far end of main parking lot; †¢Alternate – Parking lot of company across the street ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM When an incident occurs the Emergency Response Team (ERT) must be activated. The ERT will then decide the extent to which the DRP must be invoked. All employees must be issued a Quick Reference card containing ERT contact details to be used in the event of a disaster. Responsibilities of the ERT are to: †¢Respond immediately to a potential disaster and call emergency services; †¢Assess the extent of the disaster and its impact on the business, data center, etc. ; †¢Decide which elements of the DR Plan should be activated; †¢Establish and manage disaster recovery team to maintain vital services and return to normal operation; †¢Ensure employees are notified and allocate responsibilities and activities as required. DISASTER RECOVERY TEAM The team will be contacted and assembled by the ERT. The team’s responsibilities include: †¢Establish facilities for an emergency level of service within 2.  0 business hours; †¢Restore key services within 4. 0 business hours of the incident; †¢Recover to business as usual within 8. 0 to 24. 0 hours after the incident; †¢Coordinate activities with disaster recovery team, first responders, etc. †¢Report to the emergency response team. EMERGENCY ALERT, ESCALAT ION, AND DRP ACTIVATION This policy and procedure has been established to ensure that in the event of a disaster or crisis, personnel will have a clear understanding of who should be contacted. Procedures have been addressed to ensure that communications can be quickly established while activating disaster recovery. The DR plan will rely principally on key members of management and staff who will provide the technical and management skills necessary to achieve a smooth technology and business recovery. Suppliers of critical goods and services will continue to support recovery of business operations as the company returns to normal operating mode. EMERGENCY ALERT The Emergency Response Team (ERT) is responsible for activating the DRP for disasters identified in this plan, as well as in the event of any other occurrence that affects the company’s capability to perform normally. One of the tasks during the early stages of the emergency is to notify the Disaster Recovery Team (DRT) that an emergency has occurred. The notification will request DRT members to assemble at the site of the problem and will involve sufficient information to have this request effectively communicated. The Business Recovery Team (BRT) will consist of senior representatives from the main business departments. The BRT Leader will be a senior member of the company’s management team, and will be responsible for taking overall charge of the process and ensuring that the company returns to normal working operations as early as possible.

Great Gatsby Essay Essay

This quarter I read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is a fiction novel published in 1925. It takes place in New York, 1922 and follows the story of a great man named Gatsby. Although Gatsby is the main character, the book is in perspective and supposedly written by Nick Carraway, a friend of Gatsby. This novel has a very developing story line that hits all kinds of moods, happy, sad, and mysterious. The main character of this story is Jay Gatsby, whose real name is actually James Gatz. Gatsby is a very wealthy man, he has a huge mansion and hosts great parties that attract very famous and respected individuals. Gatsby’s fortune is a mystery to everyone; he tells different people different stories. Gatsby starts the story as a very smooth and intelligent man, who has seemed to have done great things in life. As the story ends, Gatsby starts to lose his suave behavior because he has lost the one he loves. Gatsby does the right thing towards the end of the story when he realizes that Daisy will not be in his life. Gatsby decides to take a swim in his pool, which he has never done before. I think this symbolizes him letting go of his dream to be with Daisy, which makes it okay for him to die. I can relate to Gatsby in the sense that he does everything he possibly can to win over one girl. I think that that shows true ambition, which I see a lot of in myself. Other characters in this novel include; Nick Carraway, Tom & Daisy Buchannan, Jordan Baker, and George & Myrtle Wilson. Nick Carraway is the narrator of the story, he is a wholesome young man who is fascinated by Gatsby, and becomes one of his greatest friends. Nick meets Jordan Baker, a famous golfer, and dates her for some time. Daisy Buchannan is the woman that Gatsby is in love with, but she is married to Tom Buchannan. Tom Buchannan is a successful man who is determined to not let Gatsby get in the way of his marriage, although Tom is seeing someone else: Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle is married to George; they own a car maintenance shop. Myrtle ends up dying at the hands of Daisy, but Gatsby takes the blame and is later killed by George Wilson. The setting of this story is in the heart of the roaring twenties. It takes place in New York City and Long Island, in the summer of 1922. The author really produces a visual scene when describing Gatsby’s parties, and his mansion. It has helped me to understand the glamour of this time period. On one particular day in the story, it is the hottest day of the summer; this is also the day that the climax of the story takes placing. I think that the author’s description of the heat added a very dramatic and relatable affect to the story and scene. It was very exciting to picture New York City and some of its residents in the time period. I think the author shows the reader a few different themes and meanings in his story. One of these themes is the spirit of the twenties. I think the author really wanted to show the reader the true glamour and style of the twenties. During this time period, everyone’s goal was to fulfill the â€Å"American Dream. † In this story, Gatsby both fulfills and doesn’t fulfill the American dream. Yes, Gatsby is popular and wealthy, and the talk of the town, but he doesn’t have the love of his life, and his fortune was created through scam and illegal distribution of alcohol, which doesn’t show to be impressive. I think that the main theme of this story is about the consequences of your past while aspiring for the future. Daisy is in love with Gatsby and his fortune but the fact that he is a bootlegger does not impress her enough to be with him. This story has encouraged me to strive towards a life with meaning, and happiness within myself. The Great Gatsby starts with Nick Carraway, who has recently moved to New York and is neighbors with Gatsby. One night, Nick visits with his cousin Daisy, and her husband Tom Buchannan. There he meets Jordan Baker, whom which he later has a romance with. During his time spent with the three of them, Nick learns that Daisy is unhappy in her marriage and that Tom is seeing another woman. When Nick gets home that night, he sees Gatsby standing in his (Gatsby’s) yard, staring off a green light, which is the Buchannan home. This moment in the story is an example of symbolism, since Gatsby is not aware yet that that is where Daisy lives. Nick becomes good friends with Tom and later meets his girlfriend, Myrtle Wilson, and stays for a party at their apartment on night in New York City. Eventually, Nick gets invited for the first time to one of Gatsby’s parties. There he sees Jordan Baker and spends most of his night with her. He is later introduced to Gatsby who shows courtesy and charm to Nick, they become friends. One day when Nick meets with Jordan and Gatsby, he becomes aware of Gatsby’s love for Daisy. Nick agrees to have Daisy over for tea with Gatsby. When that day comes, it is clear that Gatsby and Daisy are still in love and they begin their affair. Gatsby gives up his parties and house servants because Daisy does not approve. I believe the climax of the story to be the very hot summer day where Gatsby makes his confrontation to Tom Buchannan. Nick, Jordan, Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby all rent a suite in a hotel in New York City, this is where Gatsby proclaims his love for Daisy and Daisy tells Tom she never loved him. Tom tries to sell Gatsby out by revealing his ways of obtaining his fortune. Daisy gets upset and admits to the lie she told Tom. Daisy and Gatsby drive home together and on their way, Daisy hits and kills Myrtle with Gatsby’s car. Tom and the others see the accident on their drive home but they are not aware that it was Daisy who killed Myrtle, because Gatsby takes the blame. Daisy decides to stay with Tom, and leave Gatsby be. Meanwhile, Tom tells Myrtle’s husband, George, that it was Gatsby who killed his wife. George finds Gatsby and shoots him while Gatsby is enjoying himself in his swimming pool. Nick, being Gatsby’s best friend, is left to deal with the funeral. He tries desperately to get people to come to Gatsby’s funeral, but no one will. Gatsby’s dad is the only one who shows and he shares memories of Gatsby with Nick. At the beginning of the story, Nick Carraway did not approve of Gatsby’s doings but as the ending resolves, Nick greatly admires Gatsby and the man he was. I enjoyed reading The Great Gatsby. The first time reading this book from cover to cover, it was just a story, but as I wrote this essay and evaluated the characters, I saw so much more meaning behind it. I liked that this book was not cheesy in any sense, and that it takes a talented reader to fully understand its concept. It was challenging at times, and I had to read it slowly, but it paid off. The story’s ending was great. It was sad that Gatsby died, but it was an inevitable event, considering the fact that Gatsby spent his life trying to impress the one girl he loved, who in turn, turned him down.