Blood Diamond Essay Example for Free

Blood Diamond Essay The realization that there is always something bad mixed with good hit her like a tornado as she watched the movie Blood Diamond. Unconsciously she fingered the stone on her finger and wished she had not worn it. She had to blink back the tears stinging her eyes as she saw children being put to work at alluvial mines, and other workers being amputated and killed for sport. I almost choked with guilt when I remembered how I had gaily remarked, ‘Diamonds are forever,’ when my friend showed me the diamond ring her boyfriend had gotten her. We were not giggling anymore when we saw a World Vision quote†¦ ‘amputation is forever. ’ On seeing the movie, we decided that we had to do something about the conflict diamond issue. We felt so bad about not getting information concerning the origin off the diamond my friend wore, we would never know for sure whether it was a conflict diamond or not. Blood diamond and conflict diamonds are more or less synonymous terms. The UN defines a conflict diamond as a â€Å"diamond whose origin is an area which is controlled by forces that are opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments. The diamonds are used to finance military action to oppose the government of the day or to contravene the decisions of security council (UN,www. un. org/peace/Africa/Diamond html) Most of these diamonds have their origin in Africa with countries like Sierra leone, Liberia, Angola and DR Congo being among those most affected. Though diamonds are mined in Liberia, it offers more of a marketing and ‘supporting point’ role for the Blood Diamond trade. Civil wars in Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone are funded with diamonds that have been smuggled into Liberia which are later sold and the cash is used to purchase ammunition, guns and other weapons. Liberia has imposed some violence of its own lasting 8 years killing around 200,000and displaying thousands more (Stop Blood Diamond Organization, 2007). Reports by Amnesty International and Global Witness show that there are areas in Liberia where diamond are still mined and traded which are controlled by rebels. Worse, these have been report of links between the infamous alqaida and Liberia (Amnesty USA,2007). The 9/11 attacks have been linked to funds and weapons associated with the diamond mines of Sierra Leone. The diamonds are usually mined by civilians who are used as slaves after being caught as prisoners. The civilians, children included, work in poor conditions and are punished brutally for the slightest error. Killing for sport and amputation are regular occurrences. (Stop Blood Diamonds Organization, 2007). Some of the abducted children eventually become child soldiers. John Lahia, a 15 year old child soldier was among the victims of the war that has led to starvation, disease and war wounds for many refugees. He was wounded by an exploding rocket-propelled geradeand died of a tetanus infection, far away from medical aid that would have otherwise saved his life. The Revolutionary United Front(RUF) medics left him lying in a backwater hospital with his wounds taped for lack of better medical means to treat him. This too will be the likely fate of other combatants and all this because of the greed for diamond (Campbell,2007). A sure way to eradicate conflict diamond is to end conflict areas. Peacekeeping that aims at apprehension and removal of rebels without violation of human rights of civilians can be used to achieve this. Inernational agencies need to focus on ending hostilities so diamond production can return to the hands of the government; this will enable the countries in question to benefit from rather than be torn apart by their diamond mines. In 1999, the UN deployed a mission to deal with the problem of conflict diamonds. The Kimberly cerrtification scheme requires provision of a certificate of origin for diamonds. The aim is to cut off flow of diamonds from illegitimate sources. This process however has several shortcomings. The certificates can be forged, many diamonds can be smuggled into a dean country and even when certificates are real the officials may have been bribed. This is a reality especially because in most of the war torn countries poverty and suffering are rife. Most people will only be too glad to line their pockets with the bribes offered. Sensitizing the American Public on issues to do with conflict diamonds is another strategy. This has already began especially in the entertainment industry with such movies as Dicaprios Blood Dianond and James Bond Die another Day and Kanye West’s song, ‘Diamond are Forever’. Further flooding of the public with more information through as many avenues as possible will ensure that people are aware of the origin and human terror and suffering that comes with some diamonds. This will in turn create a low market for the diamonds, slowing down the flux of diamonds into the country. In the present situation, supply of diamond and human suffering in the country of origin have a direct correlation, decreasing supply from illegitimate sources will consequently lead to a decrease in suffering of the Africa children and civilians affected. US contributes 70%of the worlds diamond trade making it a leading customer of diamond. (VOA News, 2007). The US therefore has a role in spearheading the fight against conflict diamond. The government should insist on strengthening the Kimberley process and the Clean Diamond Trade Act. By providing more forceful support, technical aid and financial aid. African countries can be assisted to develop the Kimbeley process such that its effect is felt by the corrupt officials and rebels overseeing mining of blood diamond. The Government Accountability office has had several proposal which include spot checks of diamond companies and tracking of rough diamonds inside and outside the country of origin. (Globalwitness, 2007). These need application and immediate application. Regular checking of the progress of US wagh diamond trade statistics Is an important evaluation tool for the effect of blood diamond and assessment of how the problem is being combated. Though my friend and I are not sure of the origins of the diamond she wears on her finger we are more knowledgeable about conflict diamonds. As a result our circle of friends also know more and now most of our college is no longer ignorant about the issue. Through our campaigns we encourage people to ask about the origin of the diaomonds they are just about to buy. This means that as a nation we are thinking about and doing something in consideration of the people whose lives have been lost in the diamond trade. REFERENCES Amnesty USA Conflict Diamond retrived from www. amnestyusa. org/new/doc/diamonds-survey-text. pdf Campbell G. Blood Diamonds, Amnesty Magazine retrieved from www. amnestyusa. org/amnestynw/diamond s. html Conflict Diamond retrieved from Www. un. org/peace/Africa/Diamond. html Globalwitness, Combating conflict Diamonds,retrieved Sep 1 2007 from http://www. globalwitness. orga/pages/en/conflictdiamonds. html Stop Blood Diamond Organization, Stop Blood Diamond, conflict Diamond in Africa retrieved from www. stopblooddiamonds. org/children-of-Africa. asp VOA News US cogress Tackle Blood Diamond trade retrieved sep 1, 2007 from www. voanews. can/english/archive/2002-02/a-2002-02-4-2-us. cfm. World vision, Stop the Trade in Blood Diamond, retrieved sep 1 2007 from Worldvision. org/worldvision/stable/globalissues-conflictdiamond.

The Effects Of Stress, Alcohol Outcome Expectancies, Gender, Coping St :: essays research papers

The Effects of Stress, Alcohol Outcome Expectancies, Gender, Coping Styles, and Family Alcoholism on Alcohol Consumption Abstract One large component of American popular culture today is alcohol. A common stereotype for the effects of alcohol is that as a drug it acts as a stress antagonist. This theory was introduced by Conger (1956) as the Tension Reduction Hypothesis (TRW). It states that alcohol's sedative action on the central nervous system serves to reduce tension, and because tension reduction is reinforcing, people drink to escape it (Marlatt & Rehsenow, 1980). Why do we drink, when do we drink, and how much do we drink? This research will determine the correlation between total weekly consumption of alcohol and perceived stress, alcohol outcome expectancies, gender, coping styles, and family history of alcoholism among undergraduate students. Do people drink more or less when stressed? Do alcohol outcome expectancies lead to higher or lower consumption? Is a history of family alcoholism positively or negatively correlated to personal consumption? Do the tested variables play mediating or moderating roles in stress-related drinking? This research will determine the answers to these questions, and determine the strength of the correlations, if any. Introduction The main question that this statistical model will answer is as follows: Is there any correlation between drinking and gender, alcohol expectancies, family alcoholism, stress, and coping styles? Gender It has been demonstrated that significant differences exist between the drinking patterns of men and women (Hilton, 1988). In a survey of US drinking habits conducted in 1988 by the US National Center for Health Statistics, Dawson and Archer (1992) showed that there are three areas illustrating gender differences. The first is the actual number of male and female drinkers. The study showed that 64% of men versus 41% of women were current drinkers. Second, men were more likely to consume alcohol on a daily basis (17.5 grams of ethanol per day versus 8.9 grams for women). Third, men were more likely to be classified as heavy drinkers. In fact, when the classification measure of a "heavy drinker" was changed from five drinks or more per day to nine drinks or more per day the ration of male to female heavy drinkers increased by a factor of 3. Stress Are the theories mentioned above about stress-induced drinking accurate? There have been studies which disprove the Tension Reduction Hypothesis. For instance, in a study by Conway, Vickers, Ward, and Rahe in 1981 it was found that "the consumption of alcohol among Navy officers during periods of high job demands was actually lower than the consumption during low-demand periods." Additionally, some drinkers have been known to consider alcohol as a tension

Police suicide Essay

In the recent past, there have been a number of cases involving police suicide. These have brought alarm to the nation as the same people delegated with the duty of safe guarding life are now turning against their own self. It’s believed that the number of officers who die from suicide in the   US surpass the number of those who die in the line of duty. In most of the cases, the cause of death is not revealed to the people to protect the victim’s family and friends. Abstract This research paper intends to seek the main causes of police officers suicide. It contains a sample of research questions it intends to answer plus their hypothetical responses. It also contains literature on previous findings. In addition it contains the methods used in data analyses as well as the possible out comes of the research. Statement of the problem Basing on the fact that, there figures from the police department showing that their colleagues do commit suicide, its evident that these is a problem that needs to be addressed before this situation runs out of proportion. It’s from this factor of admission that the research paper seeks to identify the possible causes of rise in the rate of police sources. Research question In order to get the relevant information to this research, several questions could be formulated which if answered correctly would provide answers and information to aid in writing this report. These include: †¢ Under what situations do police commit suicide often? †¢ What age group of the police is at a higher risk of committing suicide? †¢ Are there particular periods or events in the police calendar that are followed by high numbers of suicide? †¢ Do police who commit suicide have a mental disturbance history? †¢ Were they alcoholic? †¢ What is the perception of the suicide to the police officers? Hypothesis †¢ Police between the ages of 20 and 30 are at the higher risk of committing suicide. †¢ Both normal and police officers with mental disturbance histories do commit suicide. †¢ Police officers often perceive as the last resort to resolve or run away from challenges or situations they can’t bear. Literature review It has been confirmed that more than 110 police officers have committed suicide during the last year alone with more cases still under investigation, this was an all time high since the recording begun in the 1980s. However the rate of police suicide is still low when compared to people of the American society with similar back ground and educational levels. This can be attributed to the fact that the police have the capacity to provide mental health care to its officers counseling and other support services required. (Krueger,1998) Suicides can be attributed to relationship problems. This may include, pressure from their spouses, be it financial or general relationship problems. If an officer can’t stand this pressure and they obvious fact of the availability of the weapons, chances of committing suicide are high. Suicide can also be attributed to strain relationship between officers and their fellow officers or officers and their seniors. In addition, there are times when the officers get trouble at their places of work. For instance they may be accused of neglecting their duties or services or a performance that does not meet the set out rules and standards. This pressure leads to suicide rather than face the ensuing consequences or disciplinary measures which include termination of services or suspensions. (www.usarmy.gov/suicide, 2008) Police officers faced with regal procedures such as murder cases, corruption cases or negligence of duty cases do commit suicide in the event that they feel they may not win the cases or justice will either be delayed or denied. Moreover, there are financial difficulties that often lead to high rates of suicide among the police officers. Currently in the USA there are several financial obligations that pose a challenge to the police officers in their endeavor to meet them. This includes taxation fees, mortgages and family financial obligations. Officers who find it hard to meet these obligations do commit suicide rather than face the realities of their failures. Another factor that has lead to police suicide is stress and depression. Officers are often time tied in their work leaving no or little time for leisure or recreation. This unavailability of time to refresh leads to clogged minds and chances of suicide are increased. The horrifying and terrifying realities that the police are exposed to can lead to mental disturbances leading to suicide. This includes exposure to suicide scenes, gun murders and horrifying accidents. (www.National P.O.L.I.C.E..org, 2001) Methods of data collection (surveys, focus groups, observations) Surveys Several surveys have been conducted by the police force to ascertain the rate of police suicide. This information are often found at the police records and aided in getting the data required. Human rights groups have also conducted several surveys and have come up with figures showing the numbers, their age groups, marital status as well as the causes of the police officers suicide. Focus groups In addition focus groups can be used to gather relevant information concerning these suicides. They can focus on a particular police county for a period of time keeping records and happenings and durations of suicides. Observations Several eye witness observations can also be relied on to come up with relevant information and figures. The information can be got from immediate family members of the officers involved who are affected by his or her death or who witnessed them committing suicide. Another way of gathering information is by interviewing fellow police officers or their seniors. They may be holding vital information about the circumstances surrounding the officers death or possess information that had been on to the by the officer prior to suicide. Methods of Data analyses Analytical induction method This method will be used to analyze the collected data and come up with comments to be used in the findings. In this method, the event surrounding the officers suicide are studied after which a hypothetical reason on the cause of that is developed. Logical analysis In this process, the cause of an officer’s suicide is determined by an inductive way of reasoning. For example, the cause can be attributed to a factor leading to another. Example, an officer commits murder, legal proceedings are instituted against him, its delayed, he is frustrated and commits suicide. Possible outcomes/ findings There are several factors that can be associated with the increased number of police suicide. Some of them are purely personal while others are a multiplicity of various other factors. Mental problems can be associated to these suicides. Officers who have a mental problem are at high risk of taking their own lives especially so if they suffer from the condition in their line of duty and in the possession of a weapon. Through their unsound mind, they may make unsound decisions to kill themselves. Another factor that would cause an officer to commit suicide is alcoholism and drug use. If an officer is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it reduces his or her cognitive abilities. With their reduced cognitive ability, they may turn against themselves as a way of actualizing their fantasies at the time which include the urge to kill or cause mayhem. Too much pressure at places of work may lead to suicide. Senior officers may pressure their junior to perform duties at specified period of time or which may pose danger to officers them selves. Such duties such as fighting armed drug cartels or tracking down terrorists and serial killers may lead to suicide among officers to avoid such works or as away of showing their displeasure to their seniors. The US justice system is also to blame for a number of police suicides. Rather than face the possibility of dismissal and the stigma associated with it from such legal proceeding such as murder, corruption or negligence of duty, officers results to taking their own life. In some other cases the regal proceedings may take longer period that expected leaving the officers frustrated and demoralized often leading to suicide.

Effective Communication And Time Management For A Patient...

Adult Case study – Effective communication and time management for a patient with an Acute ST-elevated Myocardial Infarction. Case study The NMC code of conduct states â€Å"As a nurse or a midwife, you owe a duty of confidentiality to all those who are receiving care† (NMC; 2015 p.5). In accordance with the NMC code of conduct I shall be using a pseudonym to discuss my patient. Mr Alpha is a 55 year old paramedic who started complaining of chest pain, nausea and shortness of breath at 08:00 which improved with Paracetamol and Aspirin. Whilst at the Royal London hospital his colleague conducted an ECG at approximately 11:45 which showed ST-elevation in leads V3 and V4 and was brought into the Emergency Department (ED) as an ST-Elevated†¦show more content†¦Introduction A STEMI is caused by an acute interruption of blood supply to an area of the heart that develops into full thickness cardiac muscle damage to the area that the vessel supplies blood to (Wadud, A; 2014). It is defined by having ST-segment elevation with pathological Q-wave formation and is condition under the umbrella term Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) (Wadud, A; 2014). The lack of oxygenation to the myocardium also causes the cardiac markers troponin T, troponin I and creatinine kinase myocardial brand (CK-MB) start to rise in the blood. Troponin rises within 4-6 hours and remains raised for up to two weeks whilst CK-MB starts to rise within 4-6 hours and returns to normal within 48-72 hours (Wadud, A; 2014). Nice guidance identifies that â€Å"nearly half of potentially salvageable myocardium is lost within 1 hour of the coronary artery being occluded and two thirds are lost within 3 hours† (NICE; 2013). The end of the 20th century showed the best way to re-perfuse and improv e oxygenation was using a fibrinolytic drug however in recent years the use of Coronary Angioplasty, thrombus extraction catheters and stenting which are under the umbrella term Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (primary PCI) (NICE; 2013). The National Infarct Angioplasty Project (NIAP) interim report found that primary PCI will be feasible in a variety of geographical settings, will be most effective and cost-effective if delivered within 120-150 minutes from a patient’s initial call for