Why Water Is Precious Essay Example for Free

Why Water Is Precious Essay How does it work? Each year, the UPU International Bureau chooses a theme. Participating countries organize the competition at the national level through the post with the support of education authorities and the media. All entries must be submitted through the national Post. Each country chooses a national winner and submits one entry for the UPU international competition. Entries must reach the UPU International Bureau no later than 30 April each year. The theme of the 2013 competition is: Write someone a letter explaining why water is a precious resource The 2013 theme ties in with the International Decade for Action Water for Life 2005–2015. Water serves a multitude of different purposes, and it is vital that we preserve this precious natural resource. Access to water is essential to ensuring the health and well-being of humans and the protection of nature. The United Nations recently announced that the world had achieved the Millennium Development Goal by half, the proportion of the population which is without sustainable access to safe drinking water. Eighty-nine percent of the world population, or 6.1 billion people, now have access to an improved drinking water source. But 11% still does not. 2012 Prize Winners National winner Limpopo Mpumalanga North West KZN Western Cape Free State Eastern Cape Northern Cape Gauteng Tasneem Mahomed, Park Primary School, Lenasia Dipuo Nthane, Taxila Sec School, Polokwane Prudence Lubisi, Mjokwane Sec School, Komatiepoort Seipei Kekana, Maggies Millenium School, Mafikeng Trinity Z. Maphosa, Bayabonga Primary School, Dundee Zara Wichman, Star of the Sea Convent School, St James Lerato Magagula, Laerskool Sentraal, Bloemfontein Siphokazi Ndamase, Butterworth High School, Butterworth Ronaldo Giko, Concordia High School, Springbok Tasneem Mahomed, Park Primary School, Lenasia Rules to enter are as follows: †¢ The competition is open to all South African learners up to 15 years. †¢ It must be presented in a form of a letter of 500 to 1000 words. †¢ The letter must depict and stick to the theme. †¢ The letter should refrain from promoting any political, gender bias or religious opinions †¢ Use proper quality paper and ink not pencil. †¢ The letter can be hand-written or typed †¢ The work must be clean and neat. †¢ The entry form should be attached at the back of the letter for identification. †¢ The entry form can be hand-written, typed or photocopied †¢ One letter one envelope and send by post.

Business continuity and disaster recovery planning

Business continuity and disaster recovery planning Business continuity plan and Disaster recovery plan is activity to help organisation prepare for disruptive events and it is essential to consider the potential impact of disaster and understand the underlying risks. In this my research, I explore business continuity planning and Disaster recovery planning and its importance in support of operation and establish to manage availability of critical process in the event of interruption. Introduction Business continuity planning (BCP) and disaster recovery planning (DRP) is a vital role in the organisation. These plans are basic to the well being of an organisation and anticipated to make sure stability in the face of unexpected or difficult situation. Planning for these conditions is not always directly ahead neither identifies appropriate cause of information, products, and services. These tasks are also challenging and build of the plan itself. These plans has provision of information and guidance to identify the suitable tools and used in the right time. Organisation has created this plan itself and necessary to consider the possible impacts of disaster and recognize the fundamental risks and build BCP and DRP. Following these activities the plan itself must be constructed no small task. This itself must then be maintained, tested and audited to ensure that it remains appropriate to the needs of the organization. These plans are calculated to consider all these issues and find the software to assist with BIA and risk analysis along with link the tools to help to create, maintain, and audit the plan itself. (BCP, 2004) BCP and DRP are significant to the clear and continue operation of all type of business. BCP involves developing a reaction strategy for organisation respond to disaster. Disaster occurs through power failure, accident, natural, IT system Clash, insider attacks, hacking, terrorism etc. (Barney, 2010) BCP check how organisation will take to maintain its operations in emergency and identify potential disasters or emergencies, verify how intend to minimize the risk of disaster occur, creating plan reaction, test BCP regularly. These strategies assume increase importance as organisation become increasingly reliant on technology to do business. As companies place more emphasis on IT and communications services to support their customer communications and transactions, or to help manage supply chains. They become less tolerant of information and service loss as a consequence of disasters. (4service, 2010) This research work deal with business continuity plan will keep business up and running through interruption of any kind of disaster and support of operations and establish to manage availability of critical process. 1.1 Identify and critically explore business continuity and its importance in business environment, distinguish between business continuity (BC) and disaster recovery (DR) planning. Business Continuity Business continuity planning identifies the exposure of organisation internal and external threats and creates information assets to provide useful prevention and recovery for the organisation and maintain economical benefit and value of system integrity and perform policies, procedures, processes, and plans to certify the continue function in the organisation. Business continuity plan take to prevent disruption of essential services and restore function as rapidly and smoothly. Business continuity planning develops the business ability to respond to such disruption and resume operations in order to meet business significant necessity. BCP Importance in business environment Business continuity is a process build up to counter system failure. If IT system fails, its major impact on the whole business consequently organisation should take dynamic interest in start business continuity plan for IT systems. A business continuity plan for your IT systems should include arrangements for providing: Facilities and services to enable the business to continue to function; The critical IT applications and infrastructure necessary to support the recovery of business processes. (Varney, 2010) It is important the BCP plan is clear and brief to certify to every user read it and build available to all staff responsible for any part of it and it is start of ongoing commitment and also update the business continuity plan. (Varney, 2010) Distinguish between BCP and DRP Business Continuity Planning Disaster Recovery Planning Business Continuity is Proactive; Disaster Recovery is Reactive; BCP focus is to avoid or mitigate the impact of the risk; DRP focus is to pick-up the part and re-establish the organisation to business following risk occurs; BCP has as its scope the entire organisation with critical goal being recovery of mission-critical/ middle business functions to make sure the endurance of the organisation; DRP is normally limited in scope to set of classify IT system and infrastructure with goal being entire recovery of the system and infrastructure within a timeframe and minimum data loss; Business functions to recover in BCP extend beyond IT system; DRP might exclude non-IT business units; (Nickolett, 2001) BCP fill up the gap between the disruption occurrence and recovery going on. DRP engage a breakdown, loss of the systems, people, and facilities. The disruption can impact any or all of these key business inputs. 1.2 Evaluate and explain some business worst case scenarios for risk assessment, assess different types of organisational assets. Worst case scenarios for risk assessment There are many worst cases scenarios for risk assessment some are as below: Information data lost Disaster can damage the database and organisation loss confidential data such as staff, customer, vender details and other sensitive information; Information system failure There are many worst cases in information system failure such as overlooked, quality of project planning, use of management tools, object-oriented system development, use software engineering tools and system essential services can stop for time being etc. (Megaessays 2010) Information asset lost Due to the weak security measures Information assets can damage from natural disaster and internal activities in the organisation; Natural Disaster Natural disaster are unexpected and it is impossible to fully recover the damage caused by the disaster but it is possible to minimise the potential risk by developing BCP/DRP. (Banger, 2010) Power failure Sometime disruption of power supply or power failure can stop work, services failure, breakdown etc. It can effect in the business. There is one real example of the worst case scenarios for risk assessment is Midmarket CIOs. This company is on the seventh floor of a building but one day in the next office door the water filter cracked in the office kitchen and sending water flow on the floor and under the wall into facilities. Although critical servers remained dry, the flood ruined equipment that was on the office floor, including 10 surge protectors, six uninterruptible power supplies, six power bricks and one PC. While things were drying out and a length of wallboard was replaced. CIOs implemented DRP to ability for total different incident because floods, fires, power failures and pandemic flu can occur. CIOs take step back and start with risk assessment of all the risks business faces and using risk management tools to calculate worst case scenarios in IT and effect potential loss will have on the business. (Midmarket, 2009) Different types of organization assets There are following different types of organisation assets to protect in BCP and DRP are: Desktop workstation, Laptops, Servers, Printers, Scanners, Firewalls, Routers, Switches, Memory devices etc; Licences Software CDs such as windows, Antivirus, MS Office, software tools and support, other operating system etc; Database, websites, Photo Copiers, Fax Machines, Telephone System, Multifunction machines etc; Paper file records like asset register, paper files, data, books, government legislation, policies and procedures, customer data and sensitive data etc; Electronic records such as emails, organisation shared drives and personal drives, DVDs, CDs, Memory sticks etc; Maps, drawers, chairs, desks, cabinets, etc; Qualified staffs, Record management, etc; Machines, Plants, building, fire extinguishers etc. 1.3 Explain critically disaster recovery business case, list down and appraise required documentation for BCP and DRP. Disaster recovery business case The most critical parts of any IT plan explain the business case and assess of the potential risks to the organisation. There are eight following project steps in Disaster Recovery Planning in business are: Step-1: Project introduction Set the objectives of the DRP initiation, define the scope, develop, schedule and identify the risk to the project; Step-2: Assess of Disaster Recovery Assess of location, building composition, computing environment, physical plant security, installed security devices, access control system, software, personal, backup, and operating practices; Step-3: Business Impact Analysis for IT Analysis of all part of business units to support by the IT areas should assume to identify the system and its functions to continuation of the business and the time limit; Step-4: Define of requirements All requirements must be defined and detailed; Step-5: Plan the project project planning will define the project to be executed and its objectives will develop the DRP; Step-6: Execute the project Project must proceed to practices of project management and identify the methods of mitigating the risk will execute; Step-7: BCP combination DRP needs to combine back in to the organisations business continuity efforts; Step-8: ongoing maintenance and combination Ongoing maintenance and testing efforts require keeping the plan up to date and processes to identify and mitigate future risks. Required Documentation for BCP and DRP There are following necessary document for Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery Plan in the organisation to make a best pan for long run business as follows: Organisation Chart [explain names and designation]; If existing BRP and DRP and their terms explain in the documentations; Scope of BCP and DRP, Procedures and control documents; The report of Business impact analysis and risk assessment report; Staff, list of vendors, list of emergency services, advisor contact details; Details of IT system and communication system specification include maintenance agreements; Existing evacuation procedure, Health safety procedures, fire regulations, operations and administrative procedures; Details organisation asset, information assets, and IT records; Relevant organisation regulations, guidelines and insurance information. Details any other documents for the support of BCP and DRP. (Yourwindow,2010) 1.4 Demonstrate and explore pragmatic approach towards project planning and initiation, describe how to evaluate risk and control in terms of BCP/DRP. Pragmatic approach towards project planning and initiation A pragmatic approach towards project planning needs to be comprehensive and cover all relevant aspects and factors in BCP and DRP. There are some BCP and DRP following steps as follows: Business continuity plan Step-1: Identify strategy objective through performing needs and create outline for strategy performance; Step-2: Establish the business value and identify recovery objectives through data risk and recovery time outline; Step-3: Technology will equivalent for data protection along with backup, disaster recovery etc; Step-4: Identify infrastructure and organisational plan; Step-5: Implement technologies and inform key personnel as to which business processes are impacted; Step-6: Test the documented plan continuously; Step-7: Calculate and authenticate test results comparative to the plans objectives; Step-8: Implement required development and priority as a result of continue testing and evaluation; Step-9: continue review and enhance the BRP to replicate organisation change and added new technologies; Step-10: Ensure the entire process continuously. (Miller, 2007) Disaster Recovery Plan There are following steps to DRP involves: Outline DRP team with senior executives from IT department with specific responsibilities; Perform Business impact analysis and Risk analysis for business assets, threats and impacts the risk can tolerate need to be determined; Develop recovery strategies IT security measures like backup etc; Implementation, testing and training the employee must be trained in the disaster recovery procedures and testing capabilities; Need to carry out periodic audit, review and drills of BCP and DRP; Types of disaster which need to be addressed; The essential business processes and activities which are needy on IT; The data and application software needs to be recovered and restored in case of disaster and IT services need to continue function of the event; The IT infrastructure need to host the data and application software; DRP arrange strategies and implementation such as backup and protection facility; Challenges and emerging threats.(Periasamy, 2007) Bottom of Form Evaluate risk and control in terms of BCP/DRP Evaluate the risk is vital activity in the organisation. There are major threats against business continuity plan and disaster recovery plan are: Risk or threats Natural disaster Fire, flood, earthquake, volcanic eruption, tornadoes, cyclone, heat wave water disaster etc; Information system threats software failure, loss of information and data, system failure, cyber crime, multiple machine failure, capacity overload, network failure, etc; Planned activities war, terrorist attacks, hacking, breach the network and database, data theft, unauthorised modification of content, phishing etc; Lack of utilities power failure, electricity fail, air conditioning failure etc; Other vital threats Internal violence and dispute, legislative violation, labour strike, other strike, etc. Controls Classify the risk (High, medium, low) it will be easy to describe the risk; Control must be according to the risk like backup system, data, building etc; Proper monitoring the risks and threats; Risk must be clear and explain; Risk evaluations identify the threats which help to control it. 1.5 Critically explain business impact analysis (BIA) activity and describe how to execute it, assess emergency response and operations during period of IT disruption. Business impact analysis activity Business impact analysis is an important part of any organisation business continuance plan.BIA is a logical process to identify business significant systems and activity as sign to any business continuity, disaster recovery, or emergency planning effort and reveal vulnerabilities and planning component to develop strategies for minimizing risk. One or more risk identifies causes of the loss of the application, systems, tools or other resource upon that activity is dependent. BIA identifies cost related to failures and it report measure the importance of business components and recommend suitable fund allocation for measures to protect them. (Miller, 2010) How to execute BIA Business impact analysis execute following guideline to allow organisation are as follows: Effectively identify the proper organisational impact of any unexpected disruption of essential information processing systems such as fire, earthquake, theft etc; Identify threats sources and significant vulnerabilities which can lead to unexpected outages / service disruption; Execute suitable protect to reduce the likelihood and consequences should identify threats happen; Increase cost effective and suitable contingency plans and important component disaster recovery / business continuity planning. Emergency response and operations during the period of IT disruption In case of IT disruption or failure, every organisation has quick emergency response plan to stop and control any damages. Emergency response facility is available in every organisation and DRP team identify the threats of failures. Some of the major elements of emergency response plan as below: Emergency response plan and procedure; Command, control and emergency operations centre; Emergency reporting procedure, employee evacuation plans, health and safety, security plans; Identify the disaster in IT; Personnel protection, incident control, effect assessment, choose maximum action etc; Emergency response components such as incident preparation, emergency action, facility stabilization, damage mitigation, and testing procedures etc. (Hui, Z,2010) Above elements help to stop the disaster and resume as soon as possible in every organisation. 1.6 Explore and appraising different developing and implementing business continuity strategies used by most organisations. Developing and implementing business continuity strategies The business continuity strategies have five key stages in developing and implementing used by organisation as follows: Understand the business Project initiation and create a management structure to build up and carry out the plan; Identify the risk and perform risk evaluation and control; Establish your business impact analysis process and identify the impact of any failures. Business continuity management Develop business continuity strategy and identify the areas and focus on the critical operating requirement of the business; Develop a process level and documented structure stating how significant process will be restarted subsequent failures. Business continuity response Establish a crisis management process to respond to incidents; Focus on overall business continuity strategy; Put in place business unit plans for every department. Develop business continuity management culture Awareness and training plans; Review the effectiveness of awareness training plans. Exercising, maintenance and audit Test the business continuity plans and technical aspects; Maintain the plan and ensure that the documentation remains accurate and reflects any changes inside or outside the business; Regularly audit plans. (Business link,2010) Conclusion I conclude that Business continuity plan and Disaster recovery plan play vital role in every organisation and BCP is ideal strategy to safe business away from a complete disaster because every organisation faces different type of risk and potential disaster and it is an essential tool to allow minimizing the risk and also continuously helps to stop IT disruption and services. BCP involve IT as the main component because every business relies on computer system and its existence can be equalised to the business itself. Recommendation BCP should recognize organisational structure including incident and risk assessment cover all business activities and document strategy for recovery of the organisation all main areas of the business process and DRP team should deal with disaster recovery phases to complete and minimize the disaster as soon as possible. I recommend following key points related to BCP and DRP plan to become a successful plan in the organisation as below: Employee training timely; Perform schedule test and evaluation of test result; Implement of test plan updates; Conduct crisis management exercises; Perform business impact analysis timely; Top management support every time;

Islamic Economics and Secularism

Islamic Economics and Secularism Secularism is the assertion that governmental practices or institutions should exist separately from religion and/or religious beliefs. In other words, secular system is based on the materialistic and individualistic views with less socio economic justice and only concern to the worldly matters. Meanwhile, Islamic economics is a system that identifies and promotes an economic order that conforms to Islamic scripture and traditions. Thus, the above statement of differentiation between Islamic economics and secularism by only certain characteristics is untrue as both of them are mutually exclusive. The Islamic economics differs from secular system not by prohibition of interest, gambling and other unjust transaction only, but it is more than that. Islam is a way of life, and since economy is also a part of mans life, thus, the Islamic principles is absorbed and fully utilized into the economic transaction and practices. Therefore, the statement of Islamic economics as a discipline is nothing more than the secular system without interest, gambling and other unjust transactions where value creation is of the halal kind is not valid; and the justification will be discussed here. The justification To emphasize the difference, the following points underline the key difference between Islam and this secular system, in particular, and other social and political systems, in general are highlighted. The first point is, Islam differs from secularisms theories and perspectives in its ideological and doctrinal bases. Islam is a Divine Message with a special conception of the universe, life and man. It basically disagrees with secular views, which have their roots in their materialistic vision that has no religious base, nor any belief in Allah. Capitalism is merely concepts on devoid of spiritual and moral values. The difference between it and Islam is obviously great. Islam has an all-embracing ideological and legislative make-up. In it, no barriers are to be found between morals, laws, worships, concepts and existence. There are significant differences among them in terms of emphasis they place on material or spiritual goals and the role of moral values and government intention in ordering human affairs. While material goals concentrate primarily on goods and services that contribute to physical comfort and well-being, spiritual goals include nearness to God, peace of mind, inner happiness, honesty, justice, mutual care and cooperation, family and social harmony, and the absence of crime and anomie. These may not be quantifiable, but are, nevertheless, crucial for realizing human well-being may lead to a neglect of spiritual ingredients. The greater the difference in emphasis, the greater may be the difference in the economic disciplines of these societies. Besides, in its aims and objectives, Islam is distinguished from secularism on the basis of contents and the legal organization of life. It treats related subjects in separate ways with specific points. The ultimate goal of Islam is to worship and seek the pleasure of Allah. In implementing the divine law and adhering to the divine order, a Muslim demonstrates he is a worshipper. His objective is to seek the reward and pleasure of Allah, the Exalted. Even in the context of economy activity, men should obey the guideline of ethical behavior so called Akhlaq which emphasizes on the real spirit of Islam over and above legal limits. Contrarily, the human objective in capitalist society is purely a materialistic one, expressed in terms of materialistic gain regardless of the cost and fall out on society. Even though there is a sort of analogy between Islam and other systems in certain respects, Islam has its own way and method of implementing its economic concepts and objectives. For example, Islam believes in social justice and so it adopts just principles in distribution and production growth. Capitalism attempts to call for similar concepts, which can be seen as generally logical and which man, by no means, can shun. But in trying to develop the conceptions and implement them, we will find the difference between Islam and secular systems in both method and way. In capitalism, freedom knows no boundaries. In theory, individuals can do what they desire to. In doing so, it believes that the non-existence of limits or restrictions results in economic freedom, in competition and the increase of production. But to achieve a suitable and satisfactory economic level is for all people, makeshift and inexorable laws have to be enforced, based upon such theories as the laws of wages, supply and demand etc. Unlike this, Islam adopts its own methods. It never opens the gates for individual selfishness to flourish like in capitalism. Islam believes in individual ownership, community ownership and state ownership, as it is expounded in the books of fiqh, traditions and in the Holy Quran. In case selfishness and urges of greed prevail, and to prevent exploitation and economic injustice from sweeping over the community, Islam has laid down lawful and moral restrictions related to ownership, investment and consumption in defense of manipulation and deprivation. Besides, Islamic economic takes great emphasize on the role of the market, families, society and government in determining a success in economy. The market is not the only institution where people interact in human society. They also interact in the family, the society, and the government, and their interaction in all these institutions is closely interrelated. There is no doubt that the serving of self interest does help raise efficiency in the market place. However, if self-interest is overemphasized and there are no moral restraints on individual behavior, other institution may not work effectively family may disintegrate, the society may be uncaring, and the government may be corrupt, partisan, and self-centered. Example if both the parents try to serve just their own self-interest and not willing to make sacrifices for the sake of proper care and upbringing of children demands, this family may disintegrate and children not get enough love from them. Lack of willingness to make such sacrifice can lead to a decline in the quality of the human input of all other institutions, including the market, the society and the government. It may also lead to a fall in fertility rates below the replacement level, making it difficult for the society not only to sustain its development but also its social security system. Furthermore, while secular economics generally considers the behavior, tastes and preferences of individuals as given, Islamic economics does not do so. It places great emphasis on individual and social reform through moral uplift. Moral uplift aims at the change in human behavior, tastes and preferences and, thereby, it complements the price mechanism in promoting general well-being. Before even entering the market place and being exposed to the price filter, the consumers are expected to pass their claims through the moral filter. This will help filter out conspicuous consumption and all wasteful and unnecessary claims on resources. The price mechanism can then takes over and reduce the claims on resources even further to lead to the market equilibrium. The two filters can together make it possible to have optimum economy in the use of resources, which is necessary to satisfy the material as well as spiritual needs of all human beings, to reduce the concentration of wealth in a few hands, and to raise savings, which are needed to promote greater investment and employment. Without complementing the market system with morally-based value judgments, we may end up perpetuating inequities in spite of our good intentions through inaction, non-choice and drifting. The other distinction that differentiate between these two is Islamic economic emphasize on the importance of the Hereafter. This is where the concepts of the innate goodness of human beings and of the Hereafter come in concepts which conventional economics ignores but on which Islam places a great deal of emphasis. Because of their innate goodness, human beings do not necessarily always try to serve their self-interest. They are also altruistic and are willing to make sacrifices for the well-being of others. In addition, the concept of the Hereafter does not confine self-interest to just this world. It rather extends it beyond this world to life after death. We may be able to serve our self-interest in this world by being selfish, dishonest, uncaring, and negligent of our obligations towards our families, other human beings, animals, and the environment. However, we cannot serve our self-interest in the Hereafter except by fulfilling all these obligations. This serves to provide a motivating mechanism for sacrifice for the well-being of others that conventional economics fails to provide. The innate goodness of human beings along with the long-run perspective given to self-interest has the potential of inducing a person to be not only efficient but also equitable and caring. Therefore, as a guideline, Shariah is designed as a set of rules and regulations that aims of protecting public interest and the welfare of the people in this life and hereafter. The objective of the Shari`ah is to promote the well-being of all mankind, which lies in safeguarding their faith (din), their human self (nafs), their intellect (`aql), their posterity (nasl) and their wealth (mal). Whatever ensures the safeguard of these five serves public interest and is desirable. The guideline of Islamic economics is in the discipline of muamalat, which presents a framework for conduct in the civil arena. It deals in part with economic functions in an Islamic society but not comprehensively with factors impacting upon economic behavior since it is concerned solely with legal relationships between members of the society. In fact, the goals of the Islamic economics include fulfillment of the basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education for all humans, ensuring equal ity of opportunity to all preventing concentration of wealth and reducing inequality in the distribution of income and wealth so as, among other things, wealth does not become a means of domination of man by man, ensuring to all the freedom to pursue moral excellence, and ensuring stability and economic growth to an extent necessary for realization of the above-mentioned goals. Conclusion Islam is a way of life. Being a Muslim means one will absorb the whole philosophies of Islam in everything he does in life. So do economics. The difference between Islamic economics compared to secular ideology is not just on prohibition of interest, gambling and other unjust transactions where value creation is of the halal kind. The unique principles that make Islamic economics differs lies on its ideological and doctrinal bases, the, basis of contents and the legal organization of life, the way Islam implements its economic concepts and objectives, the emphasize on the role of the market, families, society and government, the value on individual and social reform through moral uplift, and the importance of the Hereafter. Question No. (2) Introduction Worldview can be defines as a set of implicit or explicit assumptions about the origin of the universe and the nature of human life. Meanwhile, from Islamic point of view, worldview is a metaphysical survey of visible as well as the invisible worlds including the perspective of life as a whole, is not a worldview that is formed merely by the gathering together of various cultural objects, values and phenomena into artificial coherence, or can be considered as vision of reality and truth. Islamic worldview is in fact a dual worldview, this world of action and accountability for the actions in the next, while the secular worldview is focusing on worldly rather than spiritual. The core elements of Islamic and Secular worldviews: A comparison. There are a few similarities between Islamic and Secular worldview in general, even though there will be differences if we look in depth. Both are concern on the allocation and distribution of resources and both emphasize the fulfillment of material needs, even though in Islamic economics there is an equal emphasis on the fulfillment of spiritual needs. Besides, both recognize the important role of market mechanism in the allocation and distribution of resources, but in addition, Islamic economics argues that the market may not by itself be able to fulfill even the material needs of all human beings. This is because it can promote excessive use of scarce resources by the rich at the expense of the poor if there is undue emphasis on the serving of self-interest. Instead of some similarities, there are a lot of differences between these two worldviews, and we will be discussing through it here. Firstly, the secular and materialist worldviews attach maximum importance to the material aspect of human well-being and tend generally to ignore the importance of the spiritual aspect. In contrast with this, Islamic worldviews give attention to both the material as well as the spiritual aspects of human well-being. Islam sees both these aspects material and spiritual of human existence as unitary wherein the material and the moral considerations as well as the here (Now) and Hereafter of human life are inextricably entangled. Apart from that, the secular worldview looks at happenings in the world from a rationalistic viewpoint, while excludes religious or ethical considerations. It promotes pursuit of self-interest as guiding human behavior and saw no conflict between individual and social interests. Besides, it makes a distinction between reason and revelation as the source of knowledge. It considers reason alone as its source, including economics. The secular worldview is conditioned by science alone i.e. any subject that goes beyond the limits of human reason is not acceptable. Furthermore, and more fundamentally, the secular man-made worldview can change infinitely at the discretion of man as his external stimuli and attitude change. However, Islamic view does not necessarily reject the role of reason in human development. They, however, recognize the limitations of reason and wish to complement it by revelation. Islamic worldview is based on the Quran and the Sunnah it is has a moral code of conduct. It grants freedom of action within the Shariah boundaries. It also emphasizes on justice and moderation as well as gives priority to social interest if it is in clash with individual interest. Islam invites people to observe and think but within the framework of Shariah. Thus, the Shariah, although flexible in certain areas is not replaceable and therefore, cannot be influenced by any human whim, while, at the same time; it promotes change and aims to influence human intentions, conduct and behavior towards the Straight Path. In addition, the Islamic worldview values reason as a source of knowledge, but in addition it assigns a role to sapience and revelation as inalienable sources. It is not a product of human tho ught resulting from any scientific inquiry: it is a divine direction leading to a unique way of life. It links the life in this world with life in the Hereafter. Thus, the Islamic worldview, although it respects the rational mind, is not confined to the limits of human reason or to observable scientific investigations (reality): it contemplates both, the observables and the non- observables. In other words, material science is the ultimate word under the Secular worldview, whereas under the Islamic worldview it is not. Furthermore, secularism often argue that maximum material well-being can be best realized if individuals are given unhindered freedom to pursue their self-interest and to maximize their want satisfaction in keeping with their own tastes and preferences. In their extreme form they do not recognize any role for Divine guidance in human life and place full trust in the ability of human beings to chalk out a proper strategy with the help of their reason. In such a worldview there is little role for values or government intervention in the efficient and equitable allocation and distribution of resources. When asked about how social interest would be served when everyone has unlimited freedom to pursue his/her self-interest, the reply is that market forces will themselves ensure this because competition will keep self-interest under check. Differently, for Islamic worldview, they do not totally reject the need for individual freedom or the role that the serving of self-interest can play in human development They, however, emphasize that both freedom and the pursuit of self-interest need to be toned down by moral values and good governance to ensure that everyones well-being is realized and that social harmony and family integrity are not hurt in the process of everyone serving his/her self-interest. Looking from the economic point of view, the secular economics claims to be value free, which in fact it is not because not to have a value is itself a value. Conversely, Islamic economics has moral and ethical values of which it cannot brook any violation. In Islam freedom to choose values is restricted, yet it had already been properly aligned in the Holy Quran and the prophets Sunnah. While pursuit of self-interest is the invisible hand that regulates economies in secular economy, Islamic economists mostly reject this view out of hand and equate it with selfishness. This does not seem valid. Islam approves the pursuit of self-interest because it is instinctive with human beings. Muslims perform their religious obligations in their own interest. It need not equal selfishness, especially if Shariah norms were observed. In addition, secular economist claimed that if available resources are scarce they must avoid waste and maximize production. As a consumer they should attempt to derive maximum satisfaction from their limited incomes. Islam is not opposed to maximization per se. however, maximization is value-neutral; what is maximized, how and to serve what ends are the deciding factors. While the profit maximization is the main intention in doing business in secular economy, Islam is aiming towards primacy of justice and social welfare. Besides, while conventional or secular economics generally considers the behavior and tastes and preferences of individuals as given, Islamic economics does not do so. It places great emphasis on individual and social reform through moral uplift. Moral uplift aims at the change in human behavior, tastes and preferences and, thereby, it complements the price mechanism in promoting general well-being. Conclusion In sum, the concept of worldview that guides and regulates an economy is visionary, contextual, and flexible within limits. The basic differences between the secular (capitalistic) and the Islamic economic worldviews center on the issues concerning the foundation and ideology in the system, reason-revelation interface, the sort of values entertained and promoted, as well as how it differ in economic contextual. Question No. (3) Overview The economic problem is one of the fundamental economic theories in the operation of any economy. It asserts that there is scarcity, or there are finite resources available that are insufficient to satisfy all human wants. The problem then becomes how to determine what is to be produced and how the factors of production (such as capital and labor) are to be allocated. In short, the economic problem is the choice one must make, arising out of limited means and unlimited wants. The economic problem is most simply explained by the question how do we satisfy unlimited wants with limited resources? The premise of the economic problem model is that human wants are constant and infinite due to constantly changing demands (often closely related to changing demographics) of the population. However, resources in the world to satisfy human wants are always limited to the amount of natural or human resources available. The economic problem, and methods to curb it, revolves around the idea of choice in prioritizing which wants can be fulfilled. Concepts of Economic problems There are three concepts that associated with the economic problems discussed above: (1) needs, (2) wants, and (3) choice. Human needs are material items that people need for survival, such as food, clothing and some form of housing. In Islamic point of view, needs comprehend five foundations, namely (a) Religion, (b) Physical self, (c) Intellect or Knowledge, (d) Offspring, and (e) Wealth. Until the Industrial Revolution, the vast majority of the worlds population struggled for access to basic human needs While the basic needs of human survival are important in the function of the economy, human wants are the driving force which stimulates demand for goods and services. In order to curb the economic problem, economists must classify the nature and different wants of consumers, as well as prioritize wants and organize production to satisfy as many wants as possible. One assumption often made in mainstream neoclassical economics is that humans inherently pursue their self-interest and the market mechanism best satisfies the various wants different individuals might have. These wants are often classified into individual wants, which depend on the individuals preferences and purchasing power parity, and collective wants, those of entire groups of people. Things such as food and clothing can be classified as either wants or needs, depending on what type and how often a good is asked for. Wants are effective desires for a particular product, or something which can only be obtained by working for it. The economic problem fundamentally revolves around the idea of choice, which ultimately must answer the problem. Due to the limited resources available, businesses must determine what to produce first to satisfy demand. Consumers are considered the biggest influences of this choice, and the goods which they want must also fit within their budgets and purchasing power parity. Solving the economic problems from Islamic perspective. The first point is about the concept of ownership of wealth in Islam. It states that all wealth belongs to God, and human beings hold them as trustees of God. It is up to the individual to decide how much of this excess he should give back for the cause of God. In other word, after earning wealth through fair and lawful means, one should satisfying their personal genuine and legitimate needs in a moderate and prudent way. After doing so, they should spend it for the cause of Allah; example is for the welfare of the poor and less fortunate people. Besides, payment of zakat that is obliged to each Muslim gives the same function here. Thus, helping others in such ways would at least fulfill the basic human needs; our first economic problem discussed above. Furthermore, because of Islam differentiates between the basic needs and luxuries, thus, there exists no concept of relative scarcity of resources in Islam. The resources available on earth are sufficient to secure the basic needs (food, clothing and shelter) of fifty billion human beings. Such a misunderstanding has concealed the reality that starvation, poverty, and economic backwardness, result from misdistribution exasperated by man-made laws and systems. Proper distribution of resources will be sufficient enough to satisfy the basic needs of human, yet, Islam teach the followers to be grateful on what he has or own. In Islam, public revenue from oil and natural resources would be used to secure the needs of the whole Muslim ummah. The Khilafah would provide public and vital resources without charge to cover the needs of every individual and family, and monopolies that multinational corporations maintain to dictate the lives of the people would dissipate. Its contribution in developing the Islamic societies Implementing those principles discussed above can contribute in development of Islamic societies, as well as for the nation as a whole. When every Muslims contribute with the intention to help others, let say the contribution is gathered by the state, thus, with sufficient funds, the state would be able to provide for basic necessities of life such as food, clothing, shelter, education and healthcare to every citizen at a reasonable standard. The state would also discharge all of its duties of state welfare and would set up all big projects for economic development. Indirectly, it would provide employment to all those who are jobless. Besides, the state can performs such welfare activities like maintains social services, wages Jihad against the foreign aggression, maintains facilities like railways, road, waterways, bridges, as well as provides protection to the individual in respect of his life, honour and property. So whatever remains with a person after satisfaction of his needs in a moderate way, he would hand over this surplus to the state. Furthermore, because of Islam differentiates between the basic needs and luxuries, thus, teach the Muslim to fulfill the basic needs, and in the same time, must moderate in luxuries. Wealth is a test by God, and Muslims should strive to pass this test by not becoming worshipers of hoarded wealth. By passing this test, will increase ones faith and godliness. In addition, the affectivity with which the Islamic economic systems correctly defines economic problem and secures the needs of every individual, and eliminates all forms of economic and social corruption, would enable fuel for Islamic policy of the state that would enable the Khilafah to easily spread Islam ideologically throughout the world. Conclusion The economic problems that basically arise from scarcity are faced by all humans in this world. Human, by his nature, always has unlimited wants, yet own limited resources to fulfill his needs and wants. Choices must be made in accordance to his own preferences and priorities. However, Islam, as a unique religion, found some ways to control, if not totally solve this economic problems by its principles and guidelines to be practiced by Muslims as a way of life. Cooperation and implementation by the governing bodies such as state can help in the development of Islamic societies. Question No. ( 5 ) What is poverty? Generally, poverty can be defined through two distinct concepts: the absolute and the relative poverty concepts. The absolute poverty is usually associated with some income level required to sustain a minimum standard of living. That income level, defined as poverty line income is often used to determine whether an individual is poor or otherwise. The individual is considered poor if his income is below poverty line income. Meanwhile, the relative poverty concept is associated with the existence of an income gap between the poor and the non-poor. As long as there is a difference in income levels of any two individuals or groups, those with a lower income are considered poor. However, in Islamic point of view, one is considered poor if he does not possess sufficient necessities to fulfill his basic needs in each of the five foundations for good individual and social life, namely: (a) Religion, (b) Physical self, (c) Intellect or Knowledge, (d) Offspring, and (e) Wealth. All the five foundations or needs must be fulfilled, and if only one of the needs is not fulfilled, then one is still considered poor. In addition, poverty is also associated with the concept of nisab, which is one of the two prerequisites for a Muslim to pay the zakah. Using Below Poverty Line (BPL), this method functions as the basis of ownership of nisab, which limit makes one eligible for the payment of zakat. Anyone with wealth on or over the nisab is responsible for the payment of zakat. Thus, for those who wealth is below nisab are zakat recipients and they are treated as poor. Causes of Poverty. Several causes that may lead to poverty are considered, as follows: Exploitation of Economy Economic exploitation can be defined as the act of using another persons labor without offering them an adequate compensation. Thus, when the compensation received is inadequate to support life, one is unable to fulfill one or more of basic needs, and this can lead to poverty. Political Poverty can happen when one major party, usually politician or region that have authority or power on decision-making through out the country that often causes development problems. For example, in these situations politicians make decisions about places that they are unfamiliar with, or lacking sufficient knowledge about the context to design effective and appropriate policies and programs, leads to political instability. Interest/Riba/Corruption Unreasonable rate of interest due to loan made can burden borrower. Example is when International Monetary Fund (IMF) donors keep the exchange rates in their favor, it often means that the poor nations remain poor, or get even poorer. Meanwhile, corruption inhibits development when leaders help themselves to money that would otherwise be used for development projects. As a result, poverty can exists when people lives in scarcity due to not getting development that supposedly enjoyed by them. Warfare The material and human destruction that caused by warfare is a major development problem. Drop in average income due to strike in the well-being of the average Iraqi citizen in the aftermath of the war, leads to damages to the infrastructure and social services, such as health care and access to clean water. Agricultural Cycles People who rely on fruits and vegetables that they produce for household food consumption (subsistence farmers) often go through cycles of relative abundance and scarcity. For many families that rely on subsistence production for survival, the period immediately prior to harvest is a hungry period. During these periods of scarcity, many families lack sufficient resources to meet their minimal nutritional needs. Natural Disasters Immediate destruction caused by natural events such as hurricanes, droughts, earthquake, flooding as well as environmental forces often cause acute periods of crisis by destroying crops and animals. Thus, people may loss their homes and properties, and lack of resources even to fulfill their basic needs of living. Developing countries often much more suffer at the hands of natural disasters, because limited resources inhibit the construction of adequate housing, infrastructure, and mechanisms for responding to crises. Prohibited industries Prohibition industries such as gambling, alcohol and tobacco can encourage one to waste their money for these unlawful activities. Worsen situation, one may borrow money in order to satisfy this bad habits, and this can lead to poverty. Role of Citizen in Alleviating Poverty from Islamic Perspective. Being Muslim every citizen has some responsibilities; Muslims in the world are some of the richest. If this wealth is used as per the direction of Allah we can alleviate poverty. Islam as system and way of life is based on collective responsibility of society, ethics and principles. If  we follow it we will be able remove the poverty from the society. Some of the citizens roles in alleviating poverty are as follows: 1.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Zakah- Zakah is the fourth of five pillars of Islam and hence is obligatory on every Muslim, who fulfills the stipulated conditions, to pay. Being a pillar of Islam, it has to be paid and collected whether the destitute and the poor exist in society or not. As such it is indeed a permanent source of revenue for the alleviation of the destitute and the poor. 2.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Sadaqa Sadaqat is a very wide term and is used in the Quran to cover all kinds of charity. It is as simplest as when one gives smile, acts of loving kindness, utters a kindly word to others or even greeting

Eye of the beholder :: essays research papers

?Beauty is in the eye of the beholder? is one of the most commonly known proverbs. In the Twilight Zone?s short film, ?Eye of the Beholder? that same proverb is used as a metaphor to demonstrate how beauty and acceptance are illustrated in the real world. The film tells the story of a woman whose hideously deformed face has made her an outcast all of her life. Now she faces her nearly a dozen and final operation for a last chance to look normal with the help of unseen surgeons. First, in the ?Eye of the Beholder? we see the bandaged woman?s craving for normality. She is constantly haunted by the memory of a child screaming because of her physical deformed appearance. We are also reminded that those who look ?different? will be sent of to an isolated place with others of the same ?disability.? With that being said a sense of Nazism idealistic society comes to mind. For example, the Nazi?s sent those who looks different than the normal beautiful blued eyed, blond Germans, to a concentration camp. Moreover, the woman in the ?eye of the Beholder? not only wanted beauty but she felt the need for acceptance. She was denied this when she was taken to a disability camp. It?s amazing how in the movie, people were separated and treated unequally because of their physical appearances, and as result, they could not share the same society. This is in fact is a metaphor for how discrimination was once in extreme existence in this society. For example, African Americans once had to use: different bathrooms, water fountains, and were even segregated to non-white school. They were even isolated to the worse parts of the cities. In conclusion, in the Twilight Zone?s short film, ?Eye of the Beholder? the themes of beauty and acceptance are used as a metaphor for the

Segregation in the College Student Center Essay -- University Student

Segregation in the College Student Center As I walked into the University Student Center after my Issues in Public Policy class one August day, a disturbing sight immediately struck me. For a moment I thought I needed to pinch myself because I felt as though I was having a horrible nightmare. Then, I thought that maybe I needed to check my calendar to make sure that I had not traveled back in time to the sixties when segregation was still an accepted practice in the United States. Much to my dismay, I was not dreaming, and it was still in the year 2000. As I continued to look around at my fellow students, my stomach churned, and it was not because I was hungry. The sight that lay before my eyes was not only very disturbing but also very common at the University. Although the Supreme Court in 1954 in Brown vs. The Topeka Board of Education declared segregation illegal, our student center today probably looks the way diners looked thirty years ago. Blacks are sitting in a secluded section of the Student Center; while whites ar e sitting in their own self-designated section. The segregation between blacks and whites in the Student Center is simply a natural occurrence between the two races. The University does not have guidelines on what section blacks and whites are supposed to sit in; nevertheless, blacks and whites naturally separate because of years of legal segregation. Segregation in our society has become a natural occurrence even though segregation is illegal today. The question that needs to be raised is "Why?" Why is de facto segregation still accepted in the United States? Why is a prominent city like Lexington still facing many of the problems it faced thirty years ago? The answers lie in our culture and our horrif... ...en the noblest of people cannot contain. It is a haunting ghost that no one can see, and it is the devil of our cities that many do not even know exist. Racial profiling, inequality, and segregation will remain in cities as long as our culture allows it. As long as we allow white supremacy and black inferiority to be prevalent in our culture, we are going to continue to have problems in our cities. Works Cited Adams, Jim. "Study: Police Stopped Blacks Twice As Often As Whites." The Courier-Journal 29 Oct. 2000: Al, All. Bell, Derrick. And We Are Not Saved. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 1987. Mills, Charles W. The Racial Contract. London: Corneff University Press, 1997. Ogburn, William "Social Change and Race Rehitions." Race Relations. Eds. Jitsuichi Masuoka and Preston Valiem. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1961. 201.

Dolls house

House by Henrik Ibsen is my favorite play that we read this semester. A main reason I liked this play was because of the writer himself. Ibsen is a realistic writer who took his problems from his day and brought it to life on stage. A Doll's House deals with where women stand in their marriage and society. Ibsen felt injustice to what society was doing around him. A Doll's House is about a Married couple named Nora and Torvald.Nora borrows a lot of money from a man named Krogstad , who happened to work for her husband. She did this because when her husband got sick e said that he needed to get out of the country to get better. Nora was only trying to do her best for her husband. She never told him of this loan and has been secretly paying it by saving from her household allowance. Her husband thinks her careless and childlike, and often calls her his doll.When he is appointed bank director, his first act is to relieve a man who was once disgraced for having forged his signature on a document. Krogstad, is the person Nora has borrowed her money. Nora forgot that she forged her father's signature in order to get the money. Krogstad threatens to reveal Nora's crime and tell her husband and everyone. Krogstand wants Nora to talk Torvald into keeping his Job. Nora tries to but Torvald thinks of Nora as a child who cannot understand the value of money or business.When Torvald discovers that Nora has forged her father's name, he is ready to disclaim his wife even though she had done it for him . Nora then tells Torvald she is leaving him and her children. This play was sort of mysterious and interesting. I liked it because it showed how society was a long time ago for women and showed that Nora realized to move on with life and become a independent person which is abnormal in this time period for a women.

Answering The Call: Inspiration For Teachers

Where does the inspiration to teach well come from? How and why do we teachers keep going at a time in Ontario when we are so often depicted as public enemy number one? What is the motivation when funding for kids is considered such low priority, and testing them such a high one? The answer is quite simple. We know we make a difference. We know we are called to make a difference. Sure, the academics are important, but in the years after the children leave our classrooms, they won t remember the Cs or the Bs. What they'll remember is whether they felt loved in our classroom, whether they felt safe, and whether they felt God.Teacher Cadet Essay And that can make all the difference in the world. In 1986, I was 22 years old, immortal, and out to discover the world. I had just completed the first year of a two-year volunteer contract to teach mathematics in Africa. I was posted to an impoverished boarding school in Malawi, a sliver of a country in central Africa, with another Canadian teacher for a roommate. Unlike my roommate Janet, I was a novice teacher, still feeling my way through lessons, spending long hot nights planning and grading, while I listened to distant drums and nearby crickets. My job was fulfilling despite the overcrowded classrooms and 1920s British textbooks and by the end of the first year I was beginning to realize that job satisfaction was dependant on a lot more than my student s academic successes. Besides the new experiences in my community, the opportunities to travel were fantastic. It was near the end of one particular trip that I learned how important one teacher s influence can be. On this occasion Janet and I had been visiting the fabled Victoria Falls that Livingstone had so loved. We had been lucky enough to hook up at the end of our trip with some young American missionaries who were driving their new pick-up truck back from South Africa to their Malawian mission. They were in a hurry to get back as one of their number had just come down with malaria, and they were eager to have as big a company as possible. I was worried about accepting a lift in a vehicle with South African license plates. This was, after all, still the apartheid years, and Zambia had been bombed by the South African air force less than six months before our trip. I was afraid that the soldiers that manned the many roadblocks on our route might not. give us the chance to explain that none of us were actually from South Africa before they reacted. But there were going to be risks whether we accepted the lift or rode along the twisting pot-holed road in one the Zambian buses whose undercarriage was held together by chicken wire. Janet and I had already decided that avoiding adventure was neither possible nor always desirable. Nevertheless I tensed every time we came to one of the many military roadblocks that lined our route. At first all went well at the various stops. In the heat of an African afternoon, the soldiers were happy to do no more than a quick check of our apers and vehicle before retiring to the shade. We were actually beginning to enjoy the breathtaking views of the distant mountains, and close to the road, the sight of brilliant scarlet-leaved trees announcing a rainy season soon to come. Janet and I sat in the back of the pick-up for the entire journey and the breeze kept us cool as we covered our heads in the local cloth, or chitenge to prevent sunstroke. It wasn†t until we approached the last roadblock that the aggression I feared began to seem a reality. Right away we could tell things would be different. Even before we had completely stopped at the gate, a row of soldiers had risen and were facing us, rifles very much in evidence. As soon as we had braked completely, an officer walked angrily to the driver s side and ordered the three Americans out. Other soldiers gathered around, rifles in hand. Janet and I were frozen in the back unsure of what we should do. The Americans tried to explain that one of their company was too sick to stand, but the soldiers had no time for what they took to be excuses. The missionaries were pulled stumbling from the cab. Sitting in the back I could feel the adrenaline rushing as I recalled every orror story I had heard about travelers in Africa. The seven Germans who had disappeared on the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road. The Canadian mother who had been strip-searched along with her two daughters by Zambian soldiers. I did not of course at this time remember that the anger Africans feel against foreigners is justified by decades of aggression and rule by outsiders. All I felt was panic as the yelling went on at the front, as one of the missionaries began to cry, as the soldiers voices became angrier, and as we waited, and waited, interminably in the back of that truck. One of the soldiers finally came around to Janet and me. We had taken out our passports and were nervously waiting. He demanded that we hand them over, then, as his gaze fell on their deep blue covers, his whole face changed. Canada? You re from Canada? he asked excitedly. We hardly knew what to answer. Do you know Father Leclerc? he went on. He taught me French in high school. He was such a good teacher. Is he a White Father? I asked tentatively, trying to control the shaking in my voice. Yes he is! answered our guard, delighted. Do you speak French? I told him I did, and, in what I was beginning to feel was some kind of wilight zone we exchanged a few words in French.. 3 Suddenly our attention was called back to the front of the truck. The sick missionary had begun to collapse and one of his friends put out a hand to steady him. We heard the slap of rifles going up and the yells of fear even before we turned and saw the panicked faces of the Americans. For a moment the tableau of m issionaries and soldiers stood frozen in the shimmering heat. I felt the ball of a scream stuck in my throat, but before I lost the struggle to control it, our new friend called out sharply to the other soldiers. I couldn t understand much of what he said but two words stood out again and again. Canada. And punzitzi, the word for teacher. After a moment the rifles slowly went down, and one of the soldiers gestured to the Americans to get back in the truck. They climbed slowly back into the cab as Janet and I held our breath. It didn t seem possible that we would get away so easily. But we did. When moments later we were headed on our way, and we had all finished a long shaky prayer of gratitude I remember wondering, as I still do today, if I could ever have the same effect on my students as that unknown teaching Father obviously had on his. That s what teaching is all about. Hoping that somewhere, somehow the children you have taught will grow up to make moral decisions in situations and places you can t even envision. We were lucky that that priest was Canadian like us. But even more, we were blessed that he was good at his vocation. Wherever he is, I thank him not just for that one brief moment in Zambia, but for the inspiration he has given me ever since.