Blood Diamonds Essay

Blood, conflict, illicit, diamonds – the issue has gone global and the world became aware that the innocent girl’s best friend has been tainted by blood and become the worst nightmare for people, including children in some parts of the globe. They call them conflict diamonds because for the past several years the shiny gem has fuelled wars in conflict ridden countries in Africa. According to sources, these diamonds often originate from territories under the control of rebel groups. The profit in selling these diamonds is used to buy small arms and munitions that are used to fight the wars for liberation. They call them blood diamonds because of all the bloodshed the diamonds have caused, because through these diamonds, wars are being fuelled, men women and children get killed, and slavery has found nesting places. Partnership Africa Canada reports that â€Å"upwards of 50,000 [have been] killed, half the population displaced, and more than two-thirds of its already severely limited infrastructure destroyed. † Mining the Diamonds Rebel groups such as the RUF of Sierra Leone and UNITA of Angola, in order to mine blood diamonds enslave civilians in mining camps. They are treated as prisoners and are not paid for their services. What is shocking is that most of these miners are children. The worst of all is that aside from being used as miners, these children are being forced to become soldiers too. Young girls are being raped into submission, while young boys are forced to carry guns and kill elders in order to psychologically control them. Drugs are also being used. Once the children become hooked up to it, their dependence on it will equate to their loyalty to the movement. The rough diamonds that are mined are then sold into the black market. Struggling for Social Justice After the world has become witness to the horrors of the mining camps in Africa, a lot of activities have gone through. Celebrities, Organizations, special interest groups – all want to be involved in fighting the war against blood diamonds. In 2000, the World Diamond Congress adopted the Kimberly Process, which is mainly a system of tracing whether a diamond being sold in the market is not a conflict diamond or not. Groups such as Amnesty USA and Stopblood diamonds. org have posted blogspots in the net to keep the bigger part of the globe aware and updated regarding the issue. The Belgian government has been very keen on its local diamond dealers. At blooddiamonds. com, the organized efforts of the Belgian government can be seen. Even celebrities have joined the cause. Leonard de Caprio starred in the movie Blood Diamond in order to reach the pop culture. Kanye West’s song ‘Blood diamond’ shows his own self conflict with the diamonds. In the line â€Å"See a part of me say keep shinin? ’ How when I know what a blood diamond is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The music video of this song also shows how children are forced to mine the rough diamonds in small dimly lit caves. These and all other efforts are forms mentioned are forms of activism. Whether through the net, newspaper, Hollywood movies, songs, and documentaries, these conscious efforts to actively participate in the struggle to expose and eradicate the conflict diamonds are all forms of activism. Activism as a Solution Activism takes many forms. Different social injustices often require different form of fighting. The blood diamonds in Africa have had activists use the radio, television, news paper and the internet in its struggle. But aside from these forms, it may also be useful to look into other ways that other political activists have used. One example of which are the Yes Men. They use guerilla performances and impersonate big corporations. Through their media hoaxing and socio political pranks, the group has humiliated the big corporations and the new masters of the world, thus exposing them to the masses. Once in a Wharton Business School Conference, they posed as representatives of the World Trade Organization, and announced that WTO proposes â€Å"full private stewardry of labor† in Africa. This means formal slavery of laborers by private organizations. One Yesmen member posing as Hanniford Schmidt addressed that â€Å"This is what free trade is all about†¦It’s about freedom to buy and sell everything, even people. † Clearly these are not what we read in books or what the media reports when they talk about the WTO. But through the guerilla tactics of posing as real representatives of big corporations and significant political players, the Yesmen expose these people and in a way educate the masses of the sad realities that happen. Another activist worthy of looking at is award winning journalist Naomi Klein. Her book â€Å"The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism†, critiques globalization and new age capitalism and how these cause social injustices in the world. These two activists that battle it out with the mammoths of politics and business allows the world to look into a deeper level about what is behind the social injustices that plague the world. Aside from directly battling the issue of conflict diamonds, the bigger issue can be brought up which cause these more specific social injustices. These activists trace the root of the problem as to why injustices happen throughout the world, especially in third world countries. African countries aren’t poor because they are simply poor. What are the causes of these phenomenons? Marx’s dialectical materialism urges the people to engage in knowing the truths through investigating the objective conditions and identifying the roots that cause events. If there are political conflicts in Africa, what then causes these? If there are no conflicts, then there would be no need for blood diamonds in the first place; outside of the mining camps and warlords running these camps, who else are involved in the blood diamond business? Clearly, there has to be buyers of rough diamonds. Aren’t these buyers the big corporations that polish and sell the end product diamonds? Another thing we can learn about Marx is his critique on capitalism in the Communist Manifesto. He urges the masses to join in the revolution of overthrowing the current socioeconomic structure because it is a necessity for this structure is no longer suitable to our generation. Capitalism has brought about new social classes that will always be in conflict with each other. Capitalism does not balance the equation of labor and production. If labor is equal to the end product, then a laborer should be entitled to the total profit of his labor. But through capitalism, the owner of the capital has a cut in the final profit therefore, diminishing the returns to the laborer. Most of the times, the laborers are even abused. According to Marx this equation will never be balanced out unless the capitalist is eradicated and the management of the distribution of labor and wealth be done in a collective manner. The capitalists in the blood diamond trade are the root causes of the social injustice and through education of the masses this would help in bringing down this injustice. The Numbers Different organizations report different numbers on the amount of conflict diamonds that enter the market. According to worldfacts. org, only 1% now remains. But if the independent blog spots sponsored by activists groups, there is still a big 15% that remains. Washington post acknowledges that these two numbers may both be true, it just depends on the definition of what conflict diamonds are. But the sad fact remains that may it be 15 or 1, still, there is that percentage which means conflict diamonds are still being mined and that somewhere, in a dimly lit cave in Africa, blood is being used to fuel the laborers that fuel the unending conflicts that plague their nations. Another sad irony is that these diamond mining companies are among the poorest in the world. From here we ask the question, where then does the profit from these precious gems go? Clearly not to the hands that dug them from the earth. References Afanansyev V. G. (1987). Historical Materialism. International Publishers. Brown, P. P. (December 13, 2005). Blood Diamonds. Retrieved on May 17, 2009 from http://www. worldpress. org/Africa/2193. cfm Conflictdiamonds. com. (2005). Progress Reports. Retrieved on May 17, 2009, from http://www. conflictdiamonds. com/pages/reports Diamondfacts. org. Diamond Facts. Retrieved May 17, 2009 from http://www. diamondfacts. org Duke, L. (2006). Blood Diamonds, A River or a Droplet?. Retrieved May 17, 2009 from Washingtonpost. com History Channel. (2006) Blood Diamonds. Retrieved on May 17, 2009, from www. history. com/thc_Blood _diamonds_pressrelease. pdf Marx, Karl. (1888). The Communist Manifesto. Naomiklein. org. (2007). About Naomi Klein. Retrieved May 17, 2008, from http://www. naomiklein. org/meet-naomi The Yesmen. (June 2007). WTO Proposes Slavery for Afirca. Retrieved May 17, 2008, from http://theyesmen. org/en/hijinks/wharton. UnitedNations. (march 21, 2001). Conflict Diamonds : Sanctions and War. Retrieved May 17, 2009, from www. un. org.

Death Penalty Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Death Penalty Issues - Essay Example However, the death penalty was revived in the year 1978. By the year 1998, the state legislature provided another choice for executing the condemned prisoners. This was by means of lethal injection. In March 2000, legislation was enacted in this state that made death by lethal injection the primary procedure for executing those condemned to death (Tennessee Department of Correction, n.d.).   With the reintroduction of capital punishment in 1916, the prison wardens were required to maintain an official ledger that provided details of the executed. During the period 1916 to 1960, executions were conducted exclusively at the Tennessee State Penitentiary in Nashville. The execution of Coe by lethal injection, in the year 2000, was this state’s first execution, after nearly four decades (Tennessee Department of Correction, n.d.).   The Tennessee Code  § 39 – 13 – 202 describes the offenses that merit the capital punishment. These are; first, the intentional and premeditated killing of another. Second, the killing of another during the perpetration or attempted perpetration of first-degree murder; terrorist act; rape; robbery; arson; burglary; aggravated child abuse, neglect or rape; rape; rape of a child; or aircraft piracy. Third, the killing of another individual resulting from the unlawful discharging, placing or hurling of a bomb or destructive device (Palmer, 2013, p. 335).   Code  § 39 – 13- 204(i) of Tennessee stipulates that the prosecutor has to prove the existence of one of the following statutory aggravating circumstances, during the penalty stage of the proceedings. First, the murder was perpetrated against a person who was not older than 12 years of age and the accused was 18 years or older. Second, the accused had been convicted, previously, of one or more felonies that had involved violence to the person (Palmer, 2013, p. 335).

Highrate of college students dropout Research Paper

Highrate of college students dropout - Research Paper Example In the college, a student receives a college degree when he/she completes this phase of education system. While completing this cycle of education, if a student leaves in between, then he/she is considered to be a dropout student. Discussion Today, it is estimated that about 1.2 million students drop out each year in the United States, which makes USA 19th in the world. There are many possible reasons that can cause a drop out, which frequently includes poor grades, financial problems, bullying, family emergencies, depression, mental disorders, negative environment, boredom and lack of freedom (Nation Master). Drop Out Rate Drop out or discontinuing studies is one of the main issues of college students. The most significant factors involved in dropping out from graduating or completing studies are the financial, social and family factors or issues that play an important role in the lives of students. It is a fact that these three factors play a vital role in the increased dropout rat e of student s from colleges, but the burden of studies and academics should never be ignored. The burden of academics and studies also play a vital role in forcing students to discontinue studies. These are the vital factors that cause stress in the students and force them to drop out their graduate courses (Nation Master). Academic Stress The most important cause of college students drop out is the regular pressure of studies that is experienced in college students. The main source of causing this stress among college students is teachers and parents who have high expectations from their students to obtain high scores in examinations. College student have to study hard to get the expected results without taking care of their health. The academic stress also includes difficult class schedules, challenging tests and exams, increased workload. This is the most common cause of stress that occurs in college students (David). Social Issues Social issues are another source of drop out fo r college students. This issue has a vital impact, mainly a negative impact on student psychology. College students experience various stresses that are caused by social factors. These social factors include that college students sometimes have to leave their families to reside in hostels away from their houses and families. When students leave their families, they have to communicate with other people at the place they reside. For example, they have to stay with roommates. The stress of coping with new methods and new people is also included in the social issues. Another issue under this category includes the pressure of balancing the time available among studies and friends. Another significant source of stress in college students is to tackle and cope with the dynamics of young adult relationship. These are the significant factors among the social issues that could have negative impacts on college students and affect their physical and mental health which ultimately lead to a dro p out. Financial Stress In today’s era, a student does not only have the burden of studies, but is also overburdened by financial stress. Students have to think about fulfilling their financial needs themselves at a very young age. They need money for their food expenses, education and books expenses, housing and lodging. College students also have to think about getting a part time job besides studying so that they could earn money to fulfill their financial n

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Research Paper - Essay Example The underlying purpose of this paper is to try and study the main cause for this behavior among the youth and also research the main reasons that lead to such extreme behavior. With the growing levels of youth using self mutilating as a form of stress relief and a mode of coping with high levels of emotional distress, and the little literature that is available on this issue, this paper aims at contributing as much as possible to assist people with this disorder. The main purpose of the paper is to bring out the causes for this issue and to recommend ways to get over the self mutilating and self cutting behavior. The specific issues that will be discussed in the paper will include the reasons why adolescents go on to become self destructive and prefer to die than to live. Self Destructive here refers to a behavior where the individual tries to hurt themselves in an attempt to take control of their lives. The objective is to understand this behavior and to recommend a solution for the issue. The objective also includes attempting to assist people with the issue and to providing a path to help them realize their problems and find suitable solutions for the issues. The study will aim at highlighting the possible reasons why an individual moves into this stance in life and start to hurt themselves. This will be based on a complete secondary research and an attempt will be made to highlight the various thoughts that have been put forth in the past. The issue of self mutilating and self destructive behavior is one of the least understood and recognized issues. This however has been noted to increase at a staggering rate and the most affected by this fall into the adolescent groups. It has been studied that almost 750 to 1800 adolescents of every 100,000 exhibit this behavior (Suyemoto & Kountz, 2000). This contributes to almost 150,000 to 360,000 students of which 70% of them

Definition of Surveillance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Definition of Surveillance - Assignment Example The device is ideal for longer ranges detection. The parabolic dish aids intelligent officers to increase the sound for 40 decibels. It comes with an amplifier with connected earphones to enhance the quality. Intelligence officer finds it ideal for amplification of sounds that the naked ear cannot hear. The voice changer aids intelligent officers for masked voices. The changer is battery powered and connected to the phone with 8 voice settings. The sound amplifier is a high-tech microphone ideal for sound amplification (Brakel & Hert, 2009). Implied surveillance plays an important role is providing controlled information growth. The advantage is in the process of ensuring security first identifies the critical information of the company that will be important to plan. The disadvantage is in executing the security measures during critical times. Overt surveillance process is the analysis of threats; the company should be able to assess its ability to collect, process and analyze information, this will ensure the company knows exactly to what extent it is likely to suffer from possible threats. Covert surveillance process is to ensure that vulnerabilities are also analyzed; this should involve ranging them in terms of high, medium and low to help identify the weaknesses that can easily be used to exploit the security system. The clandestine surveillance process should also be able to analyze the type of information that the company offers. The disadvantage lies in the analysis of risks; here the threats and vulnerabilities are put on the comparison and help determine the potential risk that is posted. Extraluminal surveillance plays a role in maintaining vigilance. The advantage is in the assessment if the assessment shows that the level of vulnerability is high and the threat is evident, then exploitation is expected and the risk is assessed to be high and protective measures are  put in place.

Theoretical Underpinning of two International Relations Theories Essay

Theoretical Underpinning of two International Relations Theories - Essay Example On the other hand, in â€Å"After America† Brzezinski looks at the imminent fall of the United States from being the leading power in the world (1). The writer focuses on which states are likely to take over from the United States, although he emphasizes that a unipolar world is no longer possible (1). There is also an analysis of how other states will react to the fall of the United states, for example, stating that most second world countries will seek to form regional blocks. Brzezinski is pessimistic about the future, without the United States at the top, and argues that power struggles will ensue between states, especially over regional politics (1). All the same, there is a correspondence between the two articles in that they both consider the future of international relations in the next ten or so years. In addition, the two articles point out the looming power gap that will be caused by the exit of the United States from the apex of global relations. Personally, Slaugh ter’s argument is more compelling since she gives room for non-biased assessment of international relations, after the end of the united state’s hegemony (1). ... argument, not because it is more liberal and thus more optimistic but because her assessment of international relations seems better researched, and the solutions given to the various problems seem more realistic. Considering Brzezinski’s argument, in comparison with that of Slaughter, it is clear that the theoretical assumptions between these two writers are different (1). While Slaughter views the next ten years using liberalist lenses, Brzezinski seems to be more oriented towards the realist perspective (1). Nevertheless, both articles seem to make valid points about the future of international relations as both concur that a unilateral system is no longer possible. This has helped me understand why there are so many countries on the rise, including China, Japan, and India. This phenomenon already tells of a multipolar international arena in the next 20 years. This is regardless of whether the world is viewed from a realist or liberalist point of view. Admittedly, the Unite d States will cease to be the super power in the next few years. This means that the United States will no longer be able to influence international policies. Therefore, it is important that the United States revises its domestic, regional, and international policies, in order to be able to with stand the impending change. Works cited Brzezinski, Zbigniew. After America, 2012. Web. 18 June 2013. Available at www.foreignpolicy.com. Slaughter, Anne-Marie. Problems Will Be Global -- And Solutions Will Be, Too, 2011. Web. 18 June 2013. Available at

Personal aspect of your own Hero's Journey Assignment - 1

Personal aspect of your own Hero's Journey - Assignment Example The success of the hero is a celebration to all the people around. In general, the hero departure, initiation and return are crucial. An example story of a hero is a story that spread all over in ma early age. The story was about the existence of a superman. This refers to super natural beings that were capable of doing anything that seemed to challenge the normal human beings. At first, the stories about superman made me choose him as my mentor though I had never seen him. The works that I believed he could do play a main challenge to the things that I could achieve in my future life. To make my vision come true, I used to do several trials that I imagined of which some of them remain unachievable. The story stated that there existed a powerful man who could do massive kinds of jobs in a few seconds. Born and brought up under hard conditions but sailed through the challenges. At an early age, he went for an unknown journey, walked through the hell of enemies in thick forests and overcame all. He destroyed large gatherings of attackers on the way and killed most of them instantly. His return was also successful fulfilling the main stages of a hero. This made the superman famous all over the area. Nobody knew of his place of residence though he moved round the village most of the time. This made most of the children who heard the story has a phobia any time they heard of him. The fact of the tale story about the superman could not be determined since the story was a myth. The superstitions instilled in my mind have taken more time than I expected to disappear. Through the research, I have succeeded in; I have come to realize that the myth about superheroes is just but an ancient myth that cut across various communities. The parent’s main aim is to put fear among the young generation to make them responsible adults. The life of children is full of playoffs, and in the end, they may end up in troubles