In Jonathan Kozol Essay

In Jonathan Kozol’s novel Amazing Grace, religion plays a dominant role throughout the book. As Kozol describes the people in poverty of Mott Haven and the myriad horrible circumstances that they face everyday, religion provides their one and only salvation and solace. It is much easier to ask what these children don’t face than what they do. They face people dying daily, prolonged sickness, crime, drugs, abuse, alcoholism, asthma, poverty, dirt, dilapidated housing. They see people die horrific deaths whether it is from AIDS or a little girl falling down an elevator shaft that nobody would fix. They are denied medical care or given substandard care, which means people don’t get better. They attend substandard schools where they receive less than adequate education. What they don’t face is a lot of compassion or empathy. At a time in America when neo-liberalists would like to get rid of government control of the economy, which results in cutting social programs that directly benefit the poor, religion is their only means of hope. Incidentally, neo-liberalists do not have any problem with government subsidies or benefits for businesses. With the rising sentiment of â€Å"I didn’t breed them†¦I don’t want to feed them† (128), this nation’s poor are shoved away and hidden more and more. They are blamed for the problems they face, and less is being done to help. As Reverend Overall says of the lack of mention of 97th Street, though 96th Street is featured in tourist guides,, â€Å"The papers ignore realities like the waste burner, but they do it in a way that tends to neutralize the dangers almost instantly† (187). 97th Street is poverty, and America turns its back on these people in the name of neo-liberalism. The American public believes as Kozol states, â€Å"If only enough children, we are told, would act the way heroes do, say no to drugs and sex and gold chains and TV and yes to homework, values, church and abstinence, and if only enough good parents, teachers, volunteers, and civic-minded business leaders would assist them in these efforts, we could turn this around† (240). This again is blaming the victim, not the society who created these conditions at all. As long as the poor are hidden away in places we run from, the inequalities will continue to exist. And when faced with such an extensive list of problems, what can these people do? They can turn to religion. Religion provides them hope. Churches provide them with food and clean needles and community organizers as well. Church becomes the focal point around which their lives revolve. As Father Glenwith Miller says, â€Å"Many here a great deal more devout then people you would meet in wealthy neighborhoods. Those who have everything they want for need have often the least feeling for religion. The rich are very busy storing everything they can accumulate: wealth, power, or prestige†¦Still I think it grieves to hear of God when human beings created in His image treat other human beings like filthy rags† (78). This quote says a great deal about why people of Mott haven are so religious with a comment about the social responsibility of humanity as well. People from Mott Haven come to church in order to escape bullets and crime for a brief respite. They use church to take away the harshness and darkness of their own lives. Church is someplace where they can hope and dream for something better than they have. Kozol wants the reader to truly understand the power religion has to buoy their spirits against the rising tide they must face everyday—the guns, the violence, the drugs, the sickness, the injustice. A nightly prayer for Mrs. Washington’s children is â€Å"God bless Mommy. God bless Nanny. Don’t punish me because I’m black† (69). Others express the sentiment that god provides a better place after death or are just thankful that God has allowed them to live. Kozol asks Shirley Flowers, a friend of Reverend Overall’s, â€Å"Do your children have the same belief in God that you do? † She replies â€Å"Yes†¦They do. This family talks to God† (169). And when a student of Gizelle Luke’s is asked â€Å"Who do you look up to? , he replies I look up to God, my mother, and myself† (33). These quotes are used to show just how important religion is as a force in their lives. Father Glenworth Miles discusses the importance of God in this community. We are not literal fundamentalists here†¦We see God as a liberating force who calls us to deliver people from oppression. The apparent consensus of the powerful is that the ghetto is to be preserved as a perpetual catch-basin for the poor. It is not about annihilating segregation or even about transformation of the ghetto, but setting up ‘programs’ to teach people to ‘adjust’ to it, to show a ‘functional’ adaptation to an evil institution†¦As a religious man, I see it as my obligation to speak out against this, not to bend the poor to be accommodated to injustice but to empower them to fight it and to try to tear it down† (81). He determines it to be

An Analysis of Project Networks as Resource Planning Tools

An Analysis of Project Networks as Resource Planning Tools| Usage and availability of resources are essential considerations when establishing Project Networks in Resource Planning. This analysis has focused on some of the risks of certain actions used to offset resource constraints, advantages/disadvantages for reducing project scope, and options/advantages/disadvantages for reducing project duration. If implemented correctly, careful consideration of the outlined risks will make managing a project a little less painless. | Following is an analysis of project networks as resource planning tools.The analysis will be segmented into three topical areas to include: * Risks associated with leveling resources, compressing, or crashing projects, and imposed durations or â€Å"catch-up† as the project is being implemented; * Advantages and disadvantages for reducing project scope to accelerate a project and what can be done to reduce the disadvantages * Three options for reducing pro ject duration and advantages and disadvantages to these options Risks Associated with Leveling Resources, Compressing, or Crashing Projects, and Imposed Durations or â€Å"Catch-Up† The text (Gray and Larson, 2008) gives good definitions for the risks associated with certain actions used to offset resource constraints. The act or process of evening out â€Å"resource demand by delaying noncritical activities (using slack) to lower peak demand† (Gray and Larson, 2008) is considered leveling resources.This action ultimately increases the resource utilization, which is more than likely the desired result. Even though one may get the desired results resource-wise, leveling resources often results in pushing out the end-date of a project. In most cases, that is the extreme outcome. Another risk that bears its head when slack is reduced, is loss of flexibility which equates to an increase in critical activities. Without slack anywhere in a project network, ALL activities bec ome critical. This means that everything has to fall perfectly in place in order to stay on the prescribed timeline. Compressing a schedule means that you will be conducting project activities in parallel. Compressing is not applicable to all project activities.A good example can be seen if you have activities labeled â€Å"Hire Workers† and â€Å"Dig Foundation†. You can’t implement the â€Å"Hire Workers† and â€Å"Dig Foundation† activities in parallel because to dig a foundation you need to have someone to do the digging. (brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0ongX7ECF, 20 May 2010). Risks of compressing include: * Increases risk of rework * Increases communications challenges, and may * Require more resources Crashing a schedule involves allocating more resources so that an activity can be completed on time or before time, assuming that by deploying more resources the activity can be completed earlier.One good aspe ct about crashing a schedule (just like compressing), you do not need to crash all activities. The activities that impact the schedule are those with no slack, thus being the only ones that are affected. Risks associated with this action are as follows: â€Å"Budget: Since you allocated more resources, you will not deliver the project on-budget. Demoralization: Existing resources may get demoralized by the increase in people to complete activities that were originally assigned to them. Coordination: More resources translates to an increase in communication challenges† (brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0onfuKUmj, 20 May 2010).These risks combined or by themselves can ultimately pose the overall risk of reducing the effectiveness of the existing resources. Advantages and Disadvantages for Reducing Project Scope to Accelerate a Project and what can be Done to Reduce the Disadvantages Reducing the scope of the project can lead to big savings both in time and costs. It typically means the elimination of certain tasks. At the same time scaling down the scope may reduce the value of the project such that it is no longer worthwhile or fails to meet critical success factors. An advantage to reducing project scope is the project is more likely to stay on schedule and on budget. It also allows for more focus being applied to the remaining deliverables in the project scope.A disadvantage that may arise is loss of quality in work due to key quality deliverables selected to be cut in order to balance the timeline of the project. The key to offsetting the disadvantages is â€Å"reassessing the project requirements to determine which are essential and which are optional. This requires the active involvement of all key stakeholders. More intense re-examination of requirements may actually improve the value of the project by getting it done more quickly and for a lower cost. † (just answer. com 21 May 2010) Three Options for Reduci ng Project Duration and Advantages and Disadvantages to these Options Reducing the duration a project can be managed by reducing the duration of an activity/activities almost always results in higher direct cost.When the duration of a critical activity is reduced, the project’s critical path can be change with other activities and that new path will determine the new project completion date. Following are three options to reducing project duration. Adding Resources: This is a popular method to reduce project time by assigning additional staff and equipment to activities-if it is assessed appropriately. The activities at hand need to be researched accordingly and proper determinations of how much time will be saved prior to just throwing bodies at it. The first thing that comes to mind when you add resources is â€Å"double the resources, reduce the length of the project in half.The unforeseen disadvantage that arises is the increase in the amount of time that an existing tea m member must spend in explaining what has been done already and what is planned. This increases the overall communication time spent by the team which phenomenally ends up adding/losing valuable time. Outsourcing Project work: A common method for shortening the project time is to subcontract an activity. The subcontract may have access to superior technology or expertise that will accelerate the completion of the activity (Gray and Larson, 2008). Additionally, significant cost reduction, and flexibility can be gained when a company outsources (Gray and Larson, 2008).Disadvantages that may be experienced are conflict due to contrasting interpersonal interactions and internal morale issues if the work has normally been done in-house (Gray and Larson, 2008). Scheduling Overtime: The easiest way to add more labor to a project is not to add more people, but to schedule overtime. The www. businesslink. gov outlines potential advantages of using overtime working include: * a more flexible workforce * the ability to deal with bottlenecks, busy periods, cover of absences and  staff shortages without the need to recruit extra staff * increased earning for employees * avoidance of disruption to jobs where the workload is more difficult to share,  e. g. ransport and driving * the ability to carry out  repair and maintenance which has to be done outside normal working hours However, disadvantages may include: * the expense of premium overtime rates * inefficiency if employees slacken their pace of work in order to qualify for overtime * regular long working hours, which  can adversely affect employees' work, health and home lives * fatigue, which  may increase absence levels and lead to unsafe working practices * employee expectations of overtime, leading to resentment and inflexibility if you try to withdraw it. (businesslink. gov, 22 May 2010) Conclusion Usage and availability of resources are essential considerations when establishing Project Networks in Reso urce Planning.This analysis has focused on some of the risks of certain actions used to offset resource constraints, advantages/disadvantages for reducing project scope, and options/advantages/disadvantages for reducing project duration. If implemented correctly, careful consideration of the outlined risks will make managing a project a little less painless. References Brighthub. com. Difference Between Schedule Crashing and Compressing, Retrieved 20 May, 2010 http://www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0onfuKUmj Brighthub. com. When to Crash or Compress a Schedule, Retrieved 20 May 2010 http://www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0onfuKUmj Read also: Conveyor Belt Project

Drug Trafficking in the UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Drug Trafficking in the UAE - Essay Example The United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s fastest growing economies as well as tourist destinations. Recently, the attraction of this region to international drug syndicates has heightened awareness by UAE authorities in addressing this danger. This brief paper shall highlight the drug trafficking problem that threatens the federation, and the measures that have been adopted within the past decade to ensure the region’s security. Concepts that will be discussed involve: drug trafficking, which includes the sales, distribution, possession with intent to distribute or sell, manufacturing, and smuggling of controlled substances (wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn); drug abuse, which involves taking a psychoactive drug or performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect; drug possession, or the crime of having one or more illegal drugs in one’s possession, either for personal use, distribution, sale or otherwise; and narcotics, which are d rugs that produce numbness or stupor, and are often taken for pleasure or to reduce pain; extensive use can lead to addiction. Developments in the drug trafficking problem The UAE has been lauded by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the UN organization that monitors anti-drug activities worldwide, for the efforts made by the federation to fight drug abuse and trafficking. Evidence of these have been documented by news articles in the media, some of the more recent and more remarkable of which are presented here: 1.The Emirati Navy, Coast Guards, and other maritime coalition forces operating in the Gulf cooperated through information exchange and maritime coalition, in the seizure of nearly 30 tonnes of hashish at sea in just four months.

Royal Prerogative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Royal Prerogative - Essay Example Albeit, Blair sought parliament’s assent for attacking Iraq, it was not mandatory for him to comply with the decision of parliament, in this matter7.The royal prerogative in declaring war was employed by the prime minister8, and this is bestowed by monarchs upon their ministers, without involving parliament9. Tony Blair’s abuse of the power to declare war actuated the MPs to have it removed from the royal prerogative10. Subsequent, to the Iraqi attack, the draft Constitutional Renewal  Bill was proposed, which seeks to reassign to parliament, some of the ministerial powers exercised under the royal prerogative11. In the British Parliamentary system the prime minister is free to act under the royal prerogative, especially in foreign affairs, and this was seen in the war on Iraq12. Blair’s government apparently misled the UK public by stating that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction13. The MPs were allowed a tangible vote, indicating the growing trend to curb governmental powers under the royal prerogative14. Robin Cook, leader of the House of Commons resigned as he was against involvement in Iraq15. Blair ostensibly distorted the facts, in order to attack Iraq16. The judiciary has criticised the use of the royal prerogative to wage war17. Parliament and not the government should decide about engaging in a foreign war18, and Gordon Brown promised to address this shortcoming19. The remedy is to solely empower parliament to decide upon conducting a war20. Andrew Grice, MPs should be awarded Queens historic powers, says Campbell, June 11, 2007, Retrieved on January 1, 2009 from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mps-should-be-awarded-queens-historic-powers-says-campbell-452649.html Gary Woodward, Self-inflicted injury: going to war in Iraq, November 22, 2007, Retrieved on January 1, 2009 from http://www.globalcollab.org/Nautilus/australia/apsnet/policy-forum/2007/self-inflicted-injury-going-to-war-in-iraq/ PASC Publishes

Todays workforce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Todays workforce - Essay Example In Lyusin, 2006: 55). It was interpreted as a complex construct consisting of three types of abilities; (1) the identification and expression of emotion as; (2) the regulation of emotions; and (3) the application of emotional information to thinking and action (Lyusin, 2006 pg. 55). Emotional intelligence is the skill of understanding the self and how he or she relates to people which is an important insight in motivating people. The second skill required to motivate people is social skill. Social skill on the other hand is the competency to adapt with the changing situation and environment that makes one effective in dealing the contexts of people (Shanley, 1971). The ability to adjust to different kind of people is necessary to effectively motivate people because not all employees came from the same cultural mold. Understanding their cultural background and able to adjust accordingly would spell a difference between success and failure of an effective manager and leader in a culturally diverse

Homeless Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Homeless - Essay Example These provisions may pertain to clothing, food, water and others. It is the place with a four corner framework made suitable for subsistence and constant dwelling. That’s why an individual can be considered homeless in the absence of these fundamental physical features. As a result, such person is moving from place to place. On the other side, being homeless can also mean that the person has a house but he or she does not have a company in times of exigencies and loneliness. In other words, the individual is just living alone. Moreover, it is commonly accepted that a home is not a home in the absence of a family residing therein. Therefore, having a family is recognizing the fact that humans need the company of others to live and reproduce. This is the basis of the difference between a residence and a home. A residence is more of the physical existence while a home is more of the social existence. Accordingly, there are two essential elements that can be inferred from the word homeless: the individual self and the absence of a home or a residence. Thus, a home has a dual purpose: physical and social

Producer Theory & Existence of equilibrium Assignment

Producer Theory & Existence of equilibrium - Assignment Example There are J producers in an economy. For a producer j, yj represents combination of the quantities of all inputs and outputs. Yj is the set of input and outputs that are technically feasible for the producer j. Without any production in the economy the feasibility condition would imply that the aggregate consumption (input-output) is not larger than the aggregate endowment. If there is production, then the total resources allocated for consumption increase depending on net outputs of corresponding goods. In Arrow-Debreu model the producer’s want ‘profit maximization’ meaning that the input-output combination selected by a firm on a given a price should be such that no other input-output combination gives more profit. We have assumed here that the prices are fixed and firms choose inputs-outputs so as to maximize profit limiting itself to technically feasible combination i.e. yj ? Yj. There are other assumptions that need to be considered for example the one that i s often called the ‘free disposal’ assumption which is- the firm can add any amount of input without reducing output or if we look at it from the cost minimizing concept then it means to add input which can be disposed of at zero cost. If we â€Å"let p be an original price called by the Walrasian Auctioneer and let yj(p) the associated profit maximizing response.