An Argument Against Same Sex Marriage - 981 Words

David Masci conducts interviews on the topic of same-sex marriage and presents them in the transcripts titled â€Å"An Argument against Same-Sex Marriage: An Interview with Rick Santorum† and â€Å"An Argument for Same-Sex Marriage: An Interview with Jonathan Rauch†. Masci interviews two people with completely different stances regarding same-sex marriage. He interviews Rick Santorum, an ex-senator and devout Christian, who is against same-sex marriage then Jonathan Rauch, a gay rights activist, who is for same-sex marriage. Santorum and Rauch both spend a great amount of time speaking about the institution of marriage and although they make some compelling arguments, I feel that neither provide an argument that I can fully agree with. When speaking on same-sex marriage, a major point is always how this will affect the institution of marriage. Santorum argues that if same-sex marriage is legalized, marriage as a whole will become meaningless and it will decrease while d ivorce rates increase (Santorum). I disagree with every point of this argument. A couple’s marriage should not be based on another couple’s marriage. If a person truly wants to marry someone, they will do it regardless of who else does it. I agree with Rauch because same-sex marriage will not negatively affect marriage. However, I do not agree that legalizing same-sex marriage will be positive either (Rauch). Rauch argues that legalizing it will make the institution of marriage even better because there willShow MoreRelatedSame Sex Marriage Is A Matter Of Civil Law1270 Words   |  6 PagesSame-sex marriage is one of the most controversial issues in the modern world. In the past, marriage was recognized as a social union between a man and a woman and in most cultures, homosexuality was viewed as abnormal and forbidden. 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Market Management

Question : Discuss about the Market Managment ? Answer : Introduction The current report revolves the marketing strategies of the organizations that run the operation in a large market. The report prepares a situation analysis for the organization Coles, Australia. The report focuses on the planning process and analyzes the environments where Coles is currently running its operation. Coles is one of the popular retail stores with headquarter in Melbourne, Australia. The firm has gained popularity due to its increasing variety of services and large customer base. The marketing success of the firm relies on the implementation of innovative strategies that help the firm to gain competitive advantages. The firm is famous for its high quality of grocery products that highly embraced by Australians (Johnson, Ringham Jurd, 2013). The report starts with providing an in-depth situation analysis that includes both external and internal environment. In order to analyze the strength and weakness, both SWOT/TWOS analysis have been conducted.Situation Analysis External Analysis In this particular section, the attractiveness or the profitability of the Australian super market industry has been discussed to identify the current scenario of the market. Industry analysis- Porters five forces- Threats of the substitutes- It is observed that threats of substitutes is high as the retail organization Coles deals with many indirect competitors involving the convenience stores , specialized grocery stores and famers market. According to the evidences, these indirect competitors could be viable substitutes for Coles and bring sever challenge in the coming days (Wilkinson 2013). Bargaining power of supply- The bargaining power of the suppliers seems to be low in the retail industry. It is observed that Coles and its large competitors cover the large section of the market. As put forward by Johnson, Ringham and Jurd (2013), many local Australian producers have constrained selection of the intermediaries to select. Therefore, it can be mentioned that Coles and Woolworths are the large purchaser in the market resulting to low bargaining power. Bargaining power of the buyers-The bargaining power of the customers is medium in the retail sector of Australia. With the contribution of federal government and ACCC to decrease the impact of the competition obstacles, the new competition acquires the market, which increases the consumer choice (Li et al., 2013). Threats of New Entrants- The treat of new entrants is very low and the impact is expected to be unchanged for long. As Australian retail, market is one of the expensive markets. The entrants have to make a large investment to get into the market. It is evident that when a market is acquired cover two large retail giants, new the entrants may require years to stabilize their position in the market. Industry rivalry- The industry rivalry is high as the number of major players in the market is low. In addition, the lack of perceivable differentiation because of the generic nature of the services as well as the product offered is the reason behind the high competition. Market analysis- The regulation that has large impact on the competition in Australian industry is the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. The organizations in the retail industry have experienced a large growth in 2015 as the consequence of the wealth effect. As put forward by Sharma and Lambert (2013), a strong housing market is sustained by the low interest rates as well as household credit increase motivated the consumers to spend as the perceived values of the assets increased. The industry has experienced 4.1% growth and revenue gained $105 billion (Koumparoulis, 2013). The Australian retail industry is observed to be remaining under significant pressure from the consumer-based forces that includes increasingly diverse customer segments and the growth of the digital generation as well as the continuous journey of customers. Competitor analysis- The current market scenario of Australian retail industry indicates that the Coles and Woolworths cover almost 80% of the market; thus, the Woolworths is considered to be the major competitors in terms of sales, customers, market acquisitions and revenue growth (Boztepe, 2016). The other competitors are such as Franklins, Aldi, Specialty and other market. Figure 1: Competitor analysis (Source: Sharma Lambert, 2013) Porters generic strategies- Cost leadership-Hence, as the market acquisition strategy, the major competitors such as Woolworths sets out to become the low cost producer in its industry. It is also observed that the sources of cost advantages are varied and relies on the structure of the industry. As the market share of Woolworths is higher due to its nature of being low producer, Coles find it difficult and exploit all sources of the cost advantages if the organization wants to achieve as well as sustain over the cost leadership (Glanz, Bader Iyer, 2012). Differentiation- While applying this strategy, the firm needs to become unique in its industry based on some particular dimensions that are valued by the customers (Smither, Houston McIntire, 2016). Hence, the large competitor Woolworths implemented the strategy of product variation, where the introduced beef products based on the demand of the customers. This variation of the product is unique is as no retail organization in Australia has implemented this strategy Focus- The generic strategy of focus relies on the choice of narrow competitive scope within the industry. Thus, in order to gain the cost advantages from the retail market and to compete with Woolworths, Coles is relied on the lean management, in which it has the full control on the supply chain network. The firm gains the control over the waste materials to gain the cost advantages. Customer analysis Who The major buyers of Coles are the people that reside in the urban areas. A large percentage of the customers of Coles belong to large Australian cities. What There is a high demand for grocery products such as vegetarian items, milk, meat, drinks, fruits and clothes. Where A large percentage of the customers prefer to go the stores rather than buying online product. The people who belong to the city areas such as the Sydney and Melbourne that are most populate. When The grocery items are usually purchased on weekly basis Why They prefer to buy the grocery items from the retail stores as the stores have large varieties of product in front of their eyes. They do not have to look for any products while roaming around the outlet. In addition, as the deals and offers are offered along with the products, they customers have the opportunity to gain cost benefits. How As discussed above, an increasing number of the customers prefer the outlets. However, as Coles has lately started the online selling. Table 1: Customer analysis (Source: Burda Teuteberg, 2013) Macro environment Political Environment-It is evident that Coles is one of the popular retail stores in retail industry of Australia meeting the needs of the customers by establishing different retail stores. The political condition is often seen to be shaping the business environment offering the growth opportunities to the firm (Koumparoulis, 2013). As Coles is running the business in a market, which is largely stable; thereby the risk of business loss is not high. Figure 2: PESTLE analysis (Source: Connellb McManus, 2016) Economical factor- The economical factors such as recession and higher employment has a strong effect on the financial performance of the business. However, Australia is financially stable, the Coles has increasing market opportunities. Social factor- The Coles had identified the significance of the customers experience as the aspect of their sales as well as profitability. The firm has introduced advanced means of fulfilling the requirements of the customers (Glanz, Bader Iyer, 2012) Technological factors-When it comes to the technological factors, the advanced technologies that improve the shopping experience of consumers form a main area of the focus as well as retail organizations. Legal factor-It is observed that taxation policies as well as recruitment management are the part of the regulations developed by the federal government is the fundamental legal framework affecting the business. Environmental factor-Coles has been and participating the activities hat been investing its resource in decreasing the carbon footprint of the company and reducing the wastage of natural resources like water. Operational analysis 4ps marketing mix of Coles Product-The firm gains the popularity for its grocery products such as meat, fruit, Coles brands, diary, deli, bakeries and many more (WesFarmers.com, 2016). Price-The firms use skimming pricing strategies for all of its product and services. This means it launches a new product in the market; they use the premium pricing strategies, when the competitors start bringing the same products, Coles decrease the prices of that product. Figure 3:4ps marketing (Source: Cameron et al., 2013) Promotion-The retail store use attractive pricing with additional offers and deals such as 40% discount on certain number of purchase and loyalty points. Place- The firm runs all its outlets in the urban areas or the large cities of the country where the population is comparatively high. Financial analysis Particulars FY 2014 FY 2015 Earnings before interest and Tax 2,689 2,440 Statutory Loss After Tax 68.46% 64.58% Return on Invested Capital 8.61% 7.74% Positive Operating Cash Flow 3,226 3,791 Total cash position -1,240 -687 Velocity Frequent Flyer revenue 8.45% 11.09% Table 2: Financial analysis (Source: WesFarmers.com, 2016) Financial analysis is considered to measure the performance efficiency of the organization, which is determined by financial ratio of the profitability, financial position, liquidity and gearing information. Considering the financial information of Coles by measuring earnings before interest and tax reflected negative balance during 2014, which was low in 2015. It can be said the company improved its performance and the amount of loss declined in the subsequent year 2015 approximately by $200 million. However, cash fund of the organization reflected increased balance in the year 2015 as still it is in deficit, which company need to recover and it also reflects the organization is solvent and efficient in managing the resources to meet the current obligations. Additionally, return on invested capital also reflected decreased rate during the financial year 2015 by 7.74%, which is monitored 8.61% in the financial year 2014 representing the efficiency in optimum utilization of capital f unds as well as facing difficulties in terms of providing reasonable returns to the investors (WesFarmers.com, 2016). However, on the other hand, the organization has been efficient in utilizing the cost and resources to generate higher revenue and maximum profitability. As per the entire study, it is observed that Coles limited in one of the subsidiary company of Wesfarmers, which is affected due to uncertain market scenario, but company is having better financial support from their parent company, so there is possibility of growth in future. Product analysis The organization has large varieties of the products to satisfy the needs of large markets. The Coles introduced different vegetable products, grocery items such as eggs, rice, wheat, meat, dairy products, drinks, bakery items and many more. Baby products Dermatologically tested, Safe for sensitive skin, Fragrance free products Bakery Rustic Roll, Baked Clabatta, Baked Fruit and many more Dairy Friendly milks, Green pastures, Milk Table 3: Product analysis (Source: Burda Teuteberg, 2013) SWOT/TOWS Likelihood Impact Score STRENGTHS S1. Huge market share 8 S2. Attractive pricing strategies with the frequent price cuts and promotional offers on regular basis 7 S3. Impressive online order as well as delivery pickup service 6 WEAKNESSES W1. Negative publicity revolves around the negotiation with Australian suppliers that hurt the public sentiment 8 W2. Flaws in the products and services such as the habit of keeping the eggs in the shelves instead of cold store 7 OPPORTUNITIES O1. Seizing the control of the supply chain to manage the production and increase profits 7 8 56 O2. The geographical expansion could help the firm to expand the operation 8 9 72 THREATS T1. Intense competition in the supermarket space leading to the food price could plummet to low margins 7 8 56 T2. Customers have the confusion among the different generic brands 6 7 42 T3. The retail sector in Australia has been developing as competitors get into the dynamic business models 7 8 56 Table 4: SWOT analysis (Source: Hipp Roussell, 2013) TOWS analysis STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES SO S1,S3/O2: Using both online and outlet selling can expand their market share along with the geographical expansion WO W1/O2: Coles can counter the negative publicity with the help of business expansion strategies W2/O1: By controlling the supply chain Coles can handle the product and service flaws THREATS ST S2/T1: Coles can use attractive pricing strategies with frequent price and promotional offers so that the new competitors will not be able to capture the market, as they have to develop a low pricing strategy at the beginning WT W1/T2: Intense competition and negative publicity can lower the profit margins, which Coles can manage by business expansion W2/T3: Product and service flaws can deter Coles development in the retail sector. So, they have to implement a dynamic business model that can solve these issues and bring in profit for the organization Reference list Burda, D., Teuteberg, F. (2013). Sustaining accessibility of information through digital preservation: A literature review.Journal of Information Science,39(4), 442-458. Boztepe, A. (2016). Green marketing and its impact on consumer buying behavior.European Journal of Economic and Political Studies,5(1), 5-21. Smither, R., Houston, J., McIntire, S. (2016).Organization development: Strategies for changing environments. Routledge. Glanz, K., Bader, M. D., Iyer, S. (2012). Retail grocery store marketing strategies and obesity: an integrative review.American journal of preventive medicine,42(5), 503-512. Hipp, J. R., Roussell, A. (2013). Micro-and macro-environment population and the consequences for crime rates.Social forces,92(2), 563-595. Johnson, L. W., Ringham, L., Jurd, K. (2013). Behavioural segmentation in the Australian wine market using conjoint choice analysis.International Journal of Wine Marketing. Koumparoulis, D. N. (2013). PEST Analysis: The case of E-shop.International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences,2(2), 31-36. Kumar, R. (2013). The Effect of Macroeconomic Factors on Indian Stock Market Performance: A Factor Analysis Approach.Retrieved on,8(1), 2014. Li, Z., Wang, W., Yang, C., Ragland, D. R. (2013). Bicycle commuting market analysis using attitudinal market segmentation approach.Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice,47, 56-68. Royer, S. (2013).Strategic Management and Online Selling: Creating competitive advantage with intangible web goods. Routledge. Sharma, A., Lambert, D. M. (2013). Segmentation of markets based on customer service. International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management. WesFarmers.com, (2016).Wesfarmers.com.au. Retrieved 11 December 2016, from https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/ Wilkinson, F. (Ed.). (2013).The dynamics of labour market segmentation. Elsevier. Connell, J., McManus, P. (2016).Rural revival?: place marketing, tree change and regional migration in Australia. Routledge

Political Parties Essays - Habits, Smoking In The United States

Political Parties Rarely does a day pass where some form of power struggle does not occur within our government. The importance of the role of American government in the lives of its constituents has continuously grown in conjunction with a corresponding increase in governmental economic and social obligations. As the American state assumes greater power and responsibility in its actions, so must the citizens of the United States. With this increase in modern government participation, private interest groups have emerged as powerful influences in the American political scheme, particularly in the decision-making process. These highly effective organizations exist for several reasons, but especially for one in particular. The principal duty of such an interest group is the preservation of favorable circumstances that allow for that specific group to ideally exist. These interest groups effectively mobilize their efforts through lobbying, political clout, litigation and through sheer nepotism to gain favorable public opinion. Two such groups, the National Rifle Association and the tobacco industry interest parties, have been strong in voicing their beliefs. By a thorough study in their respective actions and political convictions, we can begin to see clearly the influence and role that these groups possess in our government. The National Rifle Association has actively represented a strong political opinion concerning gun control and the implementation of related laws. Representing virtually every gun owner and gun manufacturer in America, the NRA carries with it the burden of preserving basically the second amendment right to bear arms. Although the Second Amendment to the Constitution states, "a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed," to what extent can these gun lobbyists argue for reductions in gun laws. Using the well known Brady Bill as an example, we are able to see what a formidable task these interest groups become with respect to the passage of legislature. A seven-year battle. After a long and arduous seven-year struggle, Congress finally was able to implement the Brady Bill as law. Approved as the "first major gun control legislation...since 1968," it permitted limitations to gun purchasing in answer "urban violence and the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." The passed bill called for a five-day waiting period upon the purchase of a hand gun. During this five-day span, information would be sent to the police who would, in turn, run background checks. This was all in hopes that convicted felons, fugitives, drug addicts or the mentally ill, would be prevented from purchasing guns. Despite this historic passage of legislation concerning gun control, the Brady Bill is often described as a"modest measure that at best will only make a small dent in crime." The National Rifle Association and other powerful gun interest groups were able to apply great political pressure in order to cause serious alterations from the original bill proposed back in the late 1980's. The NRA argued two points in their rebuttal to the bill. Firstly, they emphasized the Second Amendment right to arms. Secondly, the National Rifle Association stressed that this particular bill would not be effective in the limiting the access criminals would have to guns. Through their efforts, particularly in influencing members of Congress, the gun interest groups were able to get something "acceptable" passed. Whether it was through campaign contributions or by pressure exerted in the congressperson's constituency, the NRA and its fellow counterparts were able to sway legislators to filibuster during a time immediately preceding a period of Congressional adjournment. By influencing congressional members in such a way, the NRA pressured supporters of the bill to drastically compromise, resulting in passing a bill which was greatly different from the one originally proposed. In analyzing a second interest group, the tobacco industry's lobby organizations, a trend similar to that found in regards to gun control is noticeable. Historically, the government has called for the regulation of various facets in the tobacco industry for three distinct reasons: "risk to the public health or safety, risk assumed by consenting adults, and risk assumed by children and adolescents." Basically, the government's stance is founded upon the issue of to which extent consumers are able to reasonably make uncoerced decisions about smoking and purchasing tobacco products. Furthermore, government has repeatedly held the constitutional power to "protect the health and safety of children and adolescents" through the powers of parens patriae. From the beginning of the twentieth century, a pattern of successful avoidance of tobacco regulation is prevalent. The American government began its anti-tobacco campaign

Stirring Quotes From All Quiet on the Western Front

Stirring Quotes From 'All Quiet on the Western Front' All Quiet on the Western Front is a literary classic, and this roundup of the books best quotes reveal why. Published in 1929, author  Erich Maria Remarque used  the novel as a means to deal with World War I. Several parts of the book are autobiographical. The books frankness about wartime led to it being censored in countries such as Germany. Get a better sense of the groundbreaking novel  with the following selections. Quotes From Chapter 1 The leader of our group, shrewd, cunning, and hard-bitten, forty years of age, with a face of the soil, blue eyes, bent shoulders, and a remarkable nose for dirty weather, good food, and soft jobs. The soldier is on friendlier terms than other men with his stomach and intestines. Three-quarters of his vocabulary is derived from these regions, and they give an intimate flavour to expressions of his greatest joy as well as of his deepest indignation. It is impossible to express oneself in any other way so clearly and pithily. Our families and our teachers will be shocked when we go home, but here it is the universal language. One could sit like this forever. The wisest were just the poor and simple people. They knew the war to be a misfortune, whereas those who were better off, and should have been able to see more clearly what the consequences would be, were beside themselves with joy. Katczinsky said that was a result of their upbringing. It made them stupid. And what Kat said, he had thought about. Yes, thats the way they think, these hundred thousand Kantoreks! Iron Youth! Youth! We are none of us more than twenty years old. But young? That is long ago. We are old folk. Highlights From Chapters 2 to 4 We have lost all sense of other considerations, because they are artificial. Only the facts are real and important to us. And good boots are hard to come by.(Ch. 2) That is Kat. If for one hour in a year something eatable were to be had in some one place only, within that hour, as if moved by a vision, he would put on his cap, go out and walk directly there, as though following a compass, and find it.(Ch. 3) You take it from me, we are losing the war because we can salute too well.(Ch. 3) Give em all the same grub and all the same pay/And the war would be over and done in a day.(Ch. 3) To me the front is a mysterious whirlpool. Though I am in still water far away from its centre, I feel the whirl of the vortex sucking me slowly, irresistibly, inescapably into itself.(Ch. 4) Excerpts From Chapters 5 to 7 The war has ruined us for everything.(Ch. 5) We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts. We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war.(Ch. 5) We lie under the network of arching shells and live in a suspense of uncertainty. If a shot comes, we can duck, that is all; we neither know nor can determine where it will fall.(Ch. 6) Bombardment, barrage, curtain-fire, mines, gas, tanks, machine-guns, hand-grenades - words, words, words, but they hold the horror of the world.(Ch. 6) There is a distance, a veil between us.(Ch. 7) Selections From Chapters 9 to 11 But now, for the first time, I see you are a man like me. I thought of your hand grenades, of your bayonet, of your rifle; now I see your wife and your face and our fellowship. Forgive me, comrade. We always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and the same agony - Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy?(Ch. 9) I will come back again! I will come back again!(Ch. 10) I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another.(Ch. 10) Our thoughts are clay, they are moulded with the changes of the days; - when we are resting they are good; under fire, they are dead. Fields of craters within and without.(Ch. 11) Trenches, hospitals, the common grave - there are no other possibilities.(Ch. 11) Do I walk? Have I feet still? I raise my eyes, I let them move round, and turn myself with them, one circle, one circle, and I stand in the midst. All is as usual. Only the Militiaman Stanislaus Katczinsky has died. Then I know nothing more.(Ch. 11) Selections From Chapter 12 Let the months and years come, they can take nothing from me, they can take nothing more. I am so alone, and so without hope that I can confront them without fear. The life that has borne me through these years is still in my hands and my eyes. Whether I have subdued it, I know not. But so long as it is there it will seek its own way out, heedless of the will that is within me.(Ch. 12) He fell in October 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the Western Front. He had fallen forward and lay on the earth as though sleeping. Turning him over one saw that he could not have suffered long; his face had an expression of calm, as though almost glad the end had come.(Ch. 12)

Nafta - hinderance or catalyst Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Nafta - hinderance or catalyst - Essay Example omises particularly because it has undermined the influence of states on public policy while promoting development models that enhance decentralized capitalism (Sieppert & Rowe 22). Consequently, this paper proposes that NAFTA has been a hindrance to Canada and should be replaced by a more equitable agreement for all the three states, or an international agreement that will enhance the general well-being and health of Canadian citizens regardless of geopolitical pressures in the region. This article provides an international analysis of NAFTA’s diverse effects in all the three member countries; the writers propose that the agreement has altered not only the economic, but also the social outcomes in each of the countries, Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Similarly, the paper addresses the major social justice effects of NAFTA, including issues of labour and migration, the implications for income distribution, outcomes touching on agriculture and the environment, as well as the implications for the health of citizens and health services in all the three countries (Sieppert & Rowe 6). Generally, the article regards these issues within the broader context of globalization but makes a set of recommendations from a social work perspective. This article is essential for this present assessment of the negative implications of NAFTA on the three countries, and Canada in particular because it shades light on the numerous shortfalls of the agreement, besides expl aining its foundations. Initially, the article highlights the origins of NAFTA, in the negotiations between the leaders of the three states, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney of Canada, President Carlos Salinas de Gortari of Mexico, and President George Bush of the U.S.A, which later led to its implementation in 1994. The article further outlines the initial intentions of NAFTA as liberalization of trade between the three countries while promoting economic cooperation as well as enhancement of investment

A paper on the best practice for information systems consultancy Essay

A paper on the best practice for information systems consultancy projects - Essay Example In accordance with the above, consultants need to have the ability to understand the current needs of the firm and propose the most appropriate solution taking into account the current trends of the market and the ability of the firm to follow the project proposed regarding a specific issue. Current paper will discuss the intervention of consultancy in the area of information technology. At the same time particular aspects of consultancy are going to be examined taking into account that firms tend to differentiate their behaviour within a specific market in order to keep their performance at a standard level – wherever such a strategy is applicable. As already stated above one of the most important elements of consultancy is knowledge. This knowledge refers not only to the knowledge of consultant regarding a particular problem of the firm but mainly to the knowledge available to the company on a constantly basis. Indeed, the study of Bollinger et al. (2001, 8) showed that ‘knowledge is a resource valuable to an organizations ability to innovate and compete’. On the other hand, it is noticed by Anand et al. (2003, 15) that ‘the knowledge possessed by an organization and its members can be classified as explicit or tacit; explicit knowledge can be codified and communicated without much difficulty while tacit knowledge--such as the manner of operating sensitive equipment or interpersonal skills--is not so easily articulated’. Consultants should be able to process effectively all types of knowledge ensuring the viability of the firm in the long term. Consultancy was precisely described by Wood (2002). In his book, he stated that consultancy can refer to the following activities: 1 Management and administration: including management consultancy, legal, accounting, financial strategy and fiscal advice, mergers, and takeovers and

Stolen Generation Essay Example for Free

Stolen Generation Essay The present day Australia is widely known as a beacon of multiculturalism. Every year, more and more immigrants are settling down in the country in a bid to seek better employment, education or even advance their quality of life in general. It is a policy that has strengthened the cultural development of the nation. Australias census in 2011, which is the official count of a population, reported that one in every four Australians is born overseas. This clearly demonstrates Australias vast idea of unity in diversity. Despite the movement of accepting multiculturalism into the nation, Australia is still involved in one of the biggest racial injustices in history by trying to breed out Aboriginal heritage from their land. Starting from the year 1910, the Australian government carries out actions to breed out the Aboriginal bloodline. They hoped to end the Aboriginal culture within a short time and get rid of the Aboriginal problem. In the early 20th century, a new policy started in which about 100,000 children were forcibly removed from their parents by the Australian government. This policy of removing children is infamously referred as the stolen generation, which this essay will be heavily based upon. Due to the vast amount of topics that Australias stolen generation covers, this essay will discuss how the Aborigines settled on Australian soil, the motives behind the stolen generation and attempts of reconciliation from the Australian governing bodies. Having lived in the land thousands of years prior to the arrival of the Europeans, Aborigines are one of the most primeval settlers of the Australian land. However, the arrival of British captain James Cook in 1770 marked the beginning of the end for the native Australians, as he claimed the land to be in possession of his home country, ignoring the fact that the land was already densely populated. All indigenous rights are extinguished ever since as they have no British citizenship rights. Captain James Cook claims that the Aborigines had no laws towards the ownership of the land. Taking social Darwinism into account, this would be one of the major reasons on why the British has taken abrupt control over the Aborigines or why the  stolen generation is occurring. The theory of social Darwinism strongly believes that only the strong will survive. The Europeans saw themselves to be superior towards the Aborigines hence their ruthless move to gain control on the Australian acreage. This case is further validated when the power-hungry Europeans conquered the African continent. Various European countries colonized the African land in mid 1880s, leaving only Liberia and Ethiopia as the remaining independent countries. Former Australian prime minister Paul Keating also acknowledged that European settlers were the ones who were largely responsible for the injustices caused to the Aboriginal people during his speech in 1992. Dubbed as the Redfern speech, it was largely known as one of the most notorious in Australian history. Publicly expressed to a large number of Indigenous Australians, Paul Keating expressed culpability over how Aboriginal people were treated. The people thought that the Aborigines were to have a better life if they were to become more like them, and this policy led to an act of injustice which was referred earlier as the â€Å"stolen generation,† and the children with Aboriginal descendant were separated from their parents and were institutionalized in secluded camps. The mentality of the white society was that it would be the best decision to remove the children from their parent’s influences and abandon their former lifestyle. In almost every state and territory in Australia, the children were forced into labor and received little or no education. The girls did domestic chores such as cleaning along with cooking while the boys mainly worked as stockmen. They worked in unfit working conditions. Their food was unclean and was infested with maggots. Despite working from the early hours for seven days a week, the children were only rewarded with a small amount of money or even worse, they receive nothing at all. The children were physically abused for speaking Aboriginal language and those who were sent to prison for rebellious acts often committed suicide. More children were taken as they were not as resistant compared to the Aboriginal adults. These actions were tremendously exhibited in Phillip Noyces film called The Rabbit Proof Fence which was released in 2002. Receiving numerous accolades, the story follows 3 aboriginal girls- Molly, Daisy and Gracie who escaped from an institution after being forcibly removed from their families to be trained as domestic staffs. They travelled as far as 2,400 kilometers on foot, hoping to return to their home. The movie was adapted from a book of the same name which was written by Doris Pilkington in 1996. Most of these acts finally stopped when many people who were inspired by the Civil Rights movement in the USA, saw the poor conditions that the Aborigines were living in and decided to take acts about the problem. In the year 1967, they met up with the Aborigines and they took steps towards a fairer treatment and attempted to change how the natives were treated in society. The revolution took steps but it worked and settled in well. By 1990, large amount of the land were returned to the Aborigines and they were able to have rights towards an equal citizenship, along with the power to vote. Steps towards reconciliation continue to take place until today, although the past acts have created a lasting, negative feeling towards the locals. The governments have also played an instrumental role in these attempts of reconciliation. This was signaled by former prime minister Kevin Rudds apology in 2008 towards the native Australians for their profound grief, suffering and loss. Thousands of Aboriginal Australians gathered in Canberra to watch the historic event which was also televised around the nation. On February 2009, the Australian government established the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation which is designed to deal with the trauma of the Aboriginal people after the effects of the conducts of the stolen generation. Financial supports have also been generated by the governments. In 2012, they announced that a total of $35 million will be spent to assist healthcare for the native Australians. Another $28 million will also be shelled out to upgrade houses in the remote areas, enabling better accesses to transportation routes, medical centers among other essential services in the  particular areas. A total budget of $206 million has also been green-lighted to support the lives of over 18,000 Aboriginal Australians living in rural areas. The area of education has also been a key improvement towards the Aborigines. In the 2011 Australian census, about 27% of the native Australian population have completed year 12 or its equivalence, compared to 22% in the 2006 census and a mere 20% in the 2001 census. More Aboriginal people are also getting widespread recognition for their achievements in todays society. Widely known as one of the best female tennis players of all time, Evonne Goolagongs efforts has led her to 14 Grand Slam titles. A testament to her talent materialized in 1976 as she was named as the best female tennis player in the world. Numerous Aboriginal Australians have also been noted for their remarkable contributions to Australian politics. People such as Neville Bonner and Aden Ridgeway has been named as the first Indigenous Australians to be named as the senator of Queensland and the senator of New South Wales, respectively. Although there have been numerous reconciliation attempts by the governing bodies, the removal of Aboriginal children is still widespread throughout Australia. As of 2013, almost 14,000 children has been removed. The Australian government, however, has denied any accusations towards the matter. The reason why the Aborigines doesnt find it easy to forgive and forget alone is the reason why I think the Australians should say sorry to the Aborigines. Thus, I conclude that after numerous years of prejudices, I feel that these acts of injustices should be stopped. Numerous apology and reconciliation attempts for the injustices are desperately needed to set an example for the younger generation, to prove that Australia has a proud and forgiving historical legacy, not a cruel and prejudiced country as exhibited beforehand.