European Court on Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Court on Human Rights - Essay Example The Human Rights Watch (HRW), a global NGO, noted this weakness in implementation of human rights laws. "The development of norms has not been matched by effective means for their implementation." (Hicks, 2007) Implementation is further blocked by the current thinking that protection worldwide, and the threat to human rights continues to grow." (Hicks, 2007) Amnesty International also believes that today, "human rights are not only a promise unfulfilled, they are a promise betrayed." Amnesty International was referring specifically to attempts by various States to justify or conceal their violations of the absolute ban on torture, to the tragedy of Darfur, the failure to stop extreme and widespread violence against women, and the failure to pursue the people's economic, political and social rights (as embodied in the modest UN Millenium Development Goals). In the face of such serious challenges, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for UN Member States to rise and assume the role of human rights defenders. Not the US, since HRW believes that the US has compromised itself by human rights violations in its campaign against terrorism and in the war in Iraq (for instance, secret prison camps and ill-treatment and torture of prisoners). Also not Russia or China, since as HRW pointed out, the two countries are themselves major human rights violators, especially the rights of political dissenters. The Human Rights Watch urged the European Union to assume the role since it is "the world's leading collection of democracies, founded on a ECHR 4 commitment to human rights and the rule of law." At the same time HRW chided the EU, stating that "due in part to structural problems and in part to a lack of political will, the European Union's underperformance on human rights has left a gaping leadership hole." (Roth, 2007) EU: Waffling on Human Rights Issues The EU has made undeniable progress in setting up a European human rights system. Its Charter of Fundamental Rights, adopted in 2002, has defined the comprehensive civil, political, economic and social rights of all European citizens and residents, covering the following concerns: dignity, freedoms, equality, solidarity, citizens rights and justice. (Europa) "Human rights, democracy and the rule of law are core values of the European Union. Embedded in its founding treaty, they have been reinforced by the adoption of a Charter of Fundamental Rights. Respect for human rights is a prerequisite for countries seeking to join the Union and a precondition for countries who have concluded trade and other agreements with it." (European Parliament) The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is empowered to hear cases filed by individuals who believe that their rights were violated

How Was Vietnam Sexual Bias Essay Example for Free

How Was Vietnam Sexual Bias Essay People have long suffered because of their sexual orientation, but the increasing frequency and severity of this problem only recently gained the attention of the United Nations. Human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity encompasses violence, cruelty, discrimination, and other acts of hatred based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Sexual orientation is defined as ―each person‘s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to, and intimate and sexual relations with, individuals of a different gender or of the same gender or of more than one gender. Gender identity refers to ―deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond to the sex assigned at birth, including the personal sense of the body (which may involve, if freely chosen, modification of bodily appearance or function by medical, surgical or other means) and other expressions of gender, including dress, speech and mannerisms. Violations of sexual minorities are manifested in two ways: 1) physical harm resulting from murder, kidnapping, sexual assault or other forms of violence and 2) unfair treatment, deprivation of liberty, and discrimination exercised on personal and institutional levels. The aspect of physical harm is more frequently noted by the media, but many cases go unreported and without the attention that is needed to curb their prevalence. Special rapporteurs from the UN found previously unnoted examples that show the gravity of these issues. A period of violence specifically targeting members of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) groups in Honduras resulted in the brutal killings of 21 people in 2010. One of these victims was ―found dead in a ditch, her body beaten and burned, showing evidence of rape and blows to her face from stoning so severe as to render the remains virtually unrecognizable. In other parts of the world, transsexual women have been beaten in the breasts and cheekbones to intentionally burst implants and release painful toxins in their bodies. Four people were seriously attacked in Uganda and many were forced to hide when a local paper published the photos of 100 people it said were homosexuals and encouraged people to ―hang them. There‘s a cultural contribution to the prevalence of this violence, too. More than 5,000 honor killings take place each year to punish people who do not remain true to cultural expectations. An increasing number of these victims are killed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This is seen in the 2009 Iraq killing campaign that tortured and murdered hundreds of LGBT members on the basis of protecting society from the ―third sex. Killings also take place by victims‘ relatives to preserve their family‘s honor. Cultural myths such as homosexuality being a disease or that lesbian women‘s sexual orientation will change if they are raped by a man are also dangerous elements of this problem. Though physical violence based on sexual orientation and gender equality is a pressing issue, attention must also be given to the second aspect of this topic. Discrimination and unfair treatment based on sexual orientation date back to the religious laws of the Bible and other holy books. Napoleon temporarily established laws decriminalizing homosexuality as part of his penal code in 1791, but long-term protection did not take place until Denmark repealed its similar laws in 1933. Almost all other countries have followed Denmark‘s example since then except for those in the Middle East (save for Israel), North Africa, and the former British colonies in Africa, the Caribbean, and South Asia. These latter countries are the most common (but not exclusive) context in which LGBT members are deprived of their liberty in areas of ―judicial prosecution and trial, administrative detention, deprivation of liberty on medical grounds and arrest for the purposes of harassment, among o thers. Even countries that have repealed these laws can foster unfair treatment stemming from sexual orientation because of their inability to better protect victims. Cases of discrimination based on sexual orientation are vastly underreported, but several examples exist that illustrate its solemn presence in the life of people of all ages. According to a 2007 study, up to 40 percent of homeless youth were turned away from their homes and charitable shelters because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBT students are often the targets of violence, harassment, and other forms of bullying while in high school and college. In addition to the physical harm that results, many victims struggle with emotional consequences such as depression and low self-esteem. A 2010 report on prison conditions in Greece revealed that ―detainees in a lesbian, gay and transgender section of a prison were reportedly denied access to an outside yard for two years, confined to their cells and a corridor at all times. Striving to address these forms of discrimination and unfair treatment, the Human Rights Committee (HRC) affirmed that its regard to ―equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other statusâ€â€" in Article 26 of the ICCPR extends to discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. Even so, the lack of response from Honduras, Greece, and other countries in which similar atrocities occur demonstrates that nations have not fully adopted the HRC‘s concern on the issue. Without the creation and observation of standard operating procedures that guide law enforcement to handling these issue seriously and responding properly to violations that occur, these countries are unable to progress toward a greater solution. There have been several emergences of human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity in recent world events. In March 2012, a gay man died after being attacked by a group of neo-Nazis at a park in Chile. The perpetrators tortured the man for an hour by carving swastikas in his body and otherwise mutilating him. His death brought renewed efforts by the UN and human rights organizations to call attention to the mistreatment of sexual minorities and the need for harsher penalties for hate crimes. Another example was seen that same month in a different arena when Muslim delegates protested legitimizing homosexuality by walking out of the first UN Human Rights Council debate on gay rights. Without these nations‘ support, the problems will persist and further metastasize. Past UN Action: The UN has made efforts to ensure that the issues of sexual orientation and gender identity are given equal attention to all other areas of human rights violations. In 2007, the International Commission of Jurists‘ discussion on the inclusion of sexual minorities in human rights protection resulted in the ―Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in Relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. This document served as the foundation for later work by the OAS (AG/RES. 2435) and the UN‘s first resolution (A/HRC/17/L.9/Rev.1) concerning LGBT rights. The UN‘s resolution affirms that violations based on sexual orientation or gender identity are matters of human rights, and it calls for a report on related cases of violence and discrimination. The report (A/HRC/19/41) was published in November 2011 and accounts for unprecedented levels of violence and injustice shown toward sexual minorities. Most recently, th e UN reiterated its deep concern of violence based on sexual orientation and urged member nations to prioritize its reduction and elimination. Problems and Possible Solutions: Researchers fear that the majority of violations go unreported due to the shame of the victim or the apathy of the law and legal systems in some countries. Real action most often takes place when international attention is drawn by a death caused by hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity. There may be no better solution for this problem than to increase international pressure on countries to curb the rate of crimes committed against LGBT members. If a sense of national pride for reducing the crime rate could be established – and a strong sense of shame if the rate remained the same or deteriorates – then a solution to this issue would be more effective and more sustainable. Questions to Consider as you Prepare: * Which should efforts for change focus on: law or education? Who should enact these changes and where would funding originate? * Is there one general solution to this problem or is it region-specific? If solutions are region-specific, how could resolutions be tailored to meet the problems of multiple regions? Who would determine what each regional problem requires to be eliminated? * How can the reporting of crimes based on sexual orientation be improved? How can international actors help without posing a risk to nations‘ sovereignty? * With many crimes occurring within prisons, how can LGBT members be better protected? Is there a way to do this without incurring significant expenses?

Weber A The Protestant Ethic Sociology Essay

Weber A The Protestant Ethic Sociology Essay Marx Weber in his writing entitled The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, has had an enduring impact on the field of economic history. Weber presents the argument that religion in certain forms and ways had a critical influence modern capitalist economy and society. He believes that Puritan ethics and ideas influenced the development of capitalism. He supports his argument by examining the relationship between the ethnics of ascetic Protestantism and the beginnings of modern capitalism. Weber presents the problem of linking religion to the spirit of capitalism. He explains different religions and how they play into his study. Weber begins by comparing the differences between Catholics and Protestants. Although Weber admits that through history some of the richer areas tended to covert to Protestantism and that Protestants generally had a greater inherited wealth, this does not entirely explain the greater participation in capitalism shown by the Protestants. He believes that environment has a great effect on determining choice of occupation, but that Protestants have also shown a strong tendency to develop economic rationalism more so than Catholics. One explanation Weber provides for this is that Catholics tend to be more otherworldly than Protestants and therefore do not put as much importance on material gains. Weber mention s Catholics show a stronger propensity to remain in their crafts that is they more often become master craftsmen, whereas the Protestants are attracted to a larger extent into the factories in order to fill the upper ranks of skilled labour and administrative position (Weber, 3).Catholics answer with the accusation that materialism results from the secularization of all ideals through Protestantism (Weber, 4). Even though Catholic gets involved in economic activities, Protestants have stronger tendency to develop economic rationalism and Catholic criticizes Protestants materialism. He bases his argument on his observations in Germany and elsewhere, and this is why he focuses his argument on the Protestants. Weber also explains about the spirit of capitalism. There are conceptualizing the spirit of capitalism. Weber presents excerpt from the wirings of Benjamin Franklin. Franklin writes that time is money, credit is money, and the good paymaster is lord of another mans purse. Frankli ns moral beliefs are useful to promote profit for individuals. Weber mentions It is, namely, by no means exceptional, but rather the rule, for him to have a sort of modesty which is essentially more honest than the reserve which Franklin so shrewdly recommends (Weber, 19). In addition, Weber mentions about the importance of accepting capitalistic system to make money. He says the capitalistic system so needs this devotion to the calling of making money it is an attitude toward material goods which is so well sited to that system, so intimately bound up with the conditions of survival in the economic struggle for existence( Weber, 19).Weber also makes a point about calling and reformation. Weber does not think that calling explain the spirit of capitalism. Weber mentions that Luther developed the conception and activity as a reformer. However, Weber says that Martin Luther was a traditionalist and so believed in obedience to Gods will and acceptances of the way things are, that Luth eranism did not have great significance in the development of the capitalistic spirit. Weber argues that there is no relationship between the spirit of capitalism and reformation and tries to see how religion has impact on material cultures development. Weber says we have no intention whatever of maintain such a foolish and doctrinaire thesis, as that the spirit of capitalism could only have arisen as the result of certain effects of the Reformation, or even that capitalism as an economic system is creation of the Reformation (Weber, 28). Weber also mentions four principal forms of ascetic Protestantism which are Calvinism, Pietism, Methodism, and Baptist movement. He continues by explaining some of the values involved with these other sects although its clear that Calvinism will be the most important to his argument. Weber assumes that Calvinism influences in Western Europe in the seventeenth century. He notices that western Europe had followed Calvinist Protestantism. Calvinists saw their work as a calling from God and it was a moral duty. God does not exist for men, but men for the sake of God. All creation, including of course the fact, as it undoubtedly was for Calvin, that only a small proportion of men are chose for eternal grace, can have any meaning only as means to the glory and majesty of God( Weber, 33). They believed in the elect. They are chosen and predestined by God. However, Lutheran Protestantism was different. It believed that people could earn a place in Heaven through good works on earth.It seems capitalist ideology, but Lutheran Protestantism encouraged people to earn no more than they needed to survive. The problem with Calvinist Protestantism was that they did not know they would go to hell or heaven. Weber mentions on the one hand it is held to be an absolute duty to consider oneself chosen, and to combat all doubts are temptations of the devil(Weber, 37). Their uncertainty led them to work hard and that was for Gods favor. So their hard work led to the development of capitalism. They denied comfort and pleasure to themselves and despised laziness and hedonism. They made money for its own sake. Weber emphasizes that the spirit of capitalism is the values and attitude behind making money. Weber concludes that religion could cause economic change. Pietism is closely connected with Calvinism and gets influences by Lutheran Protestantism. However according to Weber it has an uncertain basis for asceticism and is therefore less consistent than Calvinism. Methodism has a simi lar uncertain foundation similar to Pietism and is also has some key differences from Calvinisms doctrinal basis. And finally the Baptist sects had quite a different foundation than Calvinism. Finally, Weber wants to figure out the relationships between ascetic Protestantism and the spirit of capitalism. Overall, Webers intent was to prove the positive correlation between capitalist spirit and Protestant religion. B. Choose one article from the list at the end of this exam In the article, Ethnic Differences in Endorsement of the Protestant Work Ethic: The Role of Ethnic Identity and Perceptions of Social Class by Kevin Cokley, Komarraju, Pickett, Shen, Patel, Belur, and Rosales, examined ethnic differences in endorsement of the Protestant work ethic (PWE) among Black and White college students and differences in ethnic identity and perceptions of social class mediated the relationship between ethnicity and the endorsement of PWE values. The Protestant Work Ethic (PWE) is an important aspect of U.S and authors mentions the traditional American values which have been associated with White culture, includes individualism, competition, orientation, and the PWE. Authors mention the PWE is a value system that stresses the moral value of work, self-discipline, and individual responsibility in forming a way to improve ones economic well-being (Cokley et al 2007: 76). They found that the PWE is related to attributions of greater personal obligation. However, Niles stated that there seems to be a stronger commitment to a Protestant work ethic among non-Protestant cultures. They found that the PWE is now more a reflection of culture than of religious values or nationality. Authors examined multi cultural differences in the PWE within the United States and their goal was to find which ethnicity might affect endorsement of the PWE. According to Cokley et al, differences in the importance of ethnic identity arise among ethnic minorities and Whites and ethnic identity caries in importance and strength among ethnic group members. They say we believed that cultural values like the PWE that promote individual responsibility while minimizing the impact of societal oppression on ethnic minorities such as Blacks would be negatively related to ethnic identity they also found that well- educated individuals are less likely to endorse PWE values due to the fact that well- educated individuals are more likely to be aware of systems of oppression, such as racism, sexism, homophobia. In addition, the PWE is also related to social class. They figure out Blacks face more negative perceptions about their work ethic from employers than do Whites and that employer see inner-city poor Blacks as especially problematic (Cokley et al 2007:79). Authors used three measures which are Protestant Ethic Scale (PES), Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (NEIM), and Demographic sheet. After they examined, they found that Black students the PWE was not significantly correlated with ethnic identity. Blacks were higher in ethnic identity than were Whites, but the relationship between ethnic identity and PWE was not significant. However, they found that ethnic identity and perceptions of social class can count for ethnic differences in endorsement of the PWE. Black students had a significantly lower PWE compared with White students. This indicates that they were less likely to believe that works hard will succeed. They mention the Black students or their close friends and family members may have had experiences that led them to believe that an individuals life outcomes are influences by much more than simply hard work because there ae other external, uncontrollable social forces( racism, sexism, discrimination) that can influence outcomes more than does ones own individual effort. On the other hand, whites are opposite. They tend to believe a strong positive relationship between working hard and achieving success. It indicates that White students were more likely to endorse PWE beliefs than were Black students. They mention the most significant result of this study was the emergence of perceptions of social class as the only significant mediator (Cokley et al 2007: 85). It shows that upper middle class and upper class had a significantly stronger PWE than working class or middle class among Whites, but not Blacks. They argue that social class in an important because they believe that social class might influence the cultural psychology of different ethnic groups. They mention the Blacks in the present study, regardless of perceived social class, were less likely to endorse the PWE, perhaps because they may have experienced first hand that the application of the PWE does not always result in meritocratic economic outcomes (Cokley et al 2007: 87). 2. A. Basic elements of bureaucracy that Weber describes. In the article, Bureaucracy, Weber believes that bureaucracy is a particular type of administrative structure developed through authority. Weber attributes the development of bureaucracy to the increase in rationalization in modern societies. Weber says Bureaucracy, thus understood, is fully developed in political and ecclesiastical communities only in the modern state, and, in the private economy, only in the most advanced institutions of capitalism (Weber 1946:196). Weber argues that bureaucracies have existed in places such as Egypt, the Roman Catholic Church, and China. Weber mentions a certain measure of a developed money economy is the normal precondition for the unchanged and continued existence, if not for the establishment, of pure bureaucratic administrations (Weber 1946:205). Bureaucracy is organized as a hierarchical system of offices that are governed by rules. For Weber the term bureaucracy are inseparable from the term rationality. According to Weber, there are ways of developing bureaucracies rational which are functional specialization, clear lines of hierarchical authority, expert training of managers, and decision making based on rules. Weber argues that such specialization is essential to a rational bureaucracy. His idea of functional specialization applies to persons within an organization and to relations between larger units or divisions of the organization. For example, work was broken down into many special tasks and employees were assigned few such tasks. Divisions of large organizations require clear lines of authority organized in a hierarchy. And division of labour is more fundamental that the others because it initiates and orders other divisions of labour. In addition, hierarchical authority is required in bureaucracies so that highly trained experts can he properly used as managers. He argues that managers at all levels have to be trained for their specific jobs. He mentions the demand for administration by trained experts is considerable, and the party followings have to recognize an intellectually developed, educated, and freely moving public opinion, the use of unqualified officials falls back upon the party in power at the next election(Weber 1946:201). Development is greatly furthered by the social prestige of the educational certificates acquired through such specialized examinations. This is all the more the case at the educational patent is turned to economic advantage (Weber 1946:241). Weber mentions the importance of education which can develop economic. Lastly, Weber makes a point that rational bureaucracies must be managed in accordance with carefully developed rules and principles that can be learned and applied and that transactions and decisions must be recorded so that rules can be reviewed. He mentions the management of the office follows general rules, which are more or less stable, more or less exhaustive, and which can be learned (Weber, 1946:198). Weber sees bureaucracy as one of the most important causes of the development of capitalism specifically. B. The strengths and dangers of bureaucracy that Weber describes. According to Max Weber, that bureaucracy are the most efficient form of administration and inevitable in the modern society. Weber offers a positive of bureaucracy through his ideal description of the administrative system as a rational and efficient type of organization. Bureaucracy is an administrative structure through hierarchical relations and pre-established spheres of competence. the large corporation as a type of bureaucratic organization that rivaled the state bureaucracy in achieving rational efficiency and calculated results (Rubenstein 1978:55). One of the strengths of bureaucracy is conduct of official business in strict accordance with the duty of every member, chosen through impersonal criteria to perform designated tasks subject to strict rules of practice. He mentions Precision, speed, unambiguity, knowledge of the files, continuity, discretion, unity, strict, subordination, reduction of friction and of material and personal costs, these are raised to the optimum points in the strictly bureaucratic administration. (Weber1946: 214). Also, Weber says that the organizations structuring into a vertical hierarchy to be governed by the rights to supervision and appeal. The military is an example of bureaucratic organization. Weber says Specifically, military discipline and technical training can be normally and fully developed, at least to its modern high level, only in the bureaucratic army (Weber 1946:222). Its specific nature, which is welcomed by capitalism, develops the more perfectly the more the bureaucracy is dehumani zed, the more completely it succeeded, in eliminating form official business love, hatred, and all purely personal, irrational, and emotional elements which escape calculation( Weber 1946:216). However, Weber also fears that people would become too controlled by people who are superior and too much rules and regulations deprive of peoples freedom. Weber argues about the consequences of bureaucracies in modern societies. He feels they represented a grave threat to individual liberty. Also, bureaucracy provides structure of domination. Governance in a class-based society resulted to abuse of power of the tope leadership resulting to corruption, and political infighting. A bureaucracy is organized as a hierarchical system of offices that are governed by rules. Each office has a sphere of tasks, and the offices operate and interact according to an explicit se of procedures. Power resides in offices. Office holders merely act out the responsibilities of their offices. furthermore, He notes No machinery in the world functions so precisely as this apparatus of men and, moreover, so cheaplyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦rational calculation, reduces every worker to a cog in this bureaucratic mach ine and, seeing himself in this light, he will merely ask how to transform himself into a somewhat bigger cog..The passion for bureaucratization drives us to despair (Weber). Power is exercise by bureaucrats whose interest is in regulation rather than principles. Individual are lost in the vast machinery of the bureaucratic organization. These bureaucracies become structures of domination. They govern social action on a regular basis, and they establish and sustain patterns of inequality. Weber mentions the bureaucratic tendency has chiefly been influenced by needs arising from the creation of standing armies as determined by power politics and by the development of public finance connected with the military establishment (Weber 1946:212). Weber implies that the decisive reason for the advance of bureaucratic organization has always been its purely technical superiority over any other form of organization (Weber 1946:214). the fully developed bureaucratic mechanism he was aware of the fact that actual bureaucracies seldom achieve the level of efficiency of the ideal type he had constructed( Rubenstein 1978:23). Webers writings on bureaucracy are part of a larger attempt to understand the social and political structure and the values of modern Western civilization (Rubenstein 1978:27). 3. According to Marx, the class struggle under capitalism is between those who own the means of production, the ruling class or bourgeoisie and those who labor for a wage, the working class or proletariat. the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of call struggles( Marx, Engels 1848,3). The worker is as part of the machinery. a class of laborers, who live only so long as they find work, and who find work only so long as their labor increases capital( Marx, Engels 1848,8). Weber also describes that the ruling class makes the rules that structure society. Marx made a set of demands which are 10points programs. He believes that the implementation of those policies would lead to a classless and stateless society. A. The Cunning of History by Rubenstein mentions as uprooted men and women were forced to move from the countryside to the cities, they had little choice but to accept the subsistence wages offered to them in the mills and factories. The alternative was starvation. There was an abundant labor supply and its cost was kept at a minimum (Rubenstein 1978:55). Even though there are criticisms, bureaucracy remains an important administrative system. Weber recognizes the ideal benefits of bureaucracy. http://www.dailyfinance.com/article/gates-says-urgent-need-to-cut-defense/1052189/ http://www.paperarticles.com/2009/06/singapore-at-50-managing-change.html According to the newspaper, Singapore at 50: Managing change gives a good example of efficient bureaucracy which helps to increase economic. http://www.uow.edu.au/~bmartin/pubs/90uw/uw08.html it provides the possibility for government to function effectively and efficiently, leading the larger and larger societies, with increasingly complex and diverse ways of life for its citizens. Beyond government, numerous other social organizations, both in the public and private sectors have developed bureaucratic forms of leadership, which have succeeded in advancing the goals of their organizations. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bureaucracy( good thing, bad thing)

The National Rural Health Mission Health And Social Care Essay

The National Rural Health Mission Health And Social Care Essay The project as a pilot has been introduced in 9 states of the country including Rajasthan where Prayas has been selected as the nodal agency for the implementation of the program. Currently, the pilot project in the state covers 180 villages from the four districts, namely, Alwar, Chittorgarh, Jodhpur and Udaipur (45 villages per district). Three blocks from each district have been identified and from each block three PHCs have been selected. From each PHC 5 villages have been identified, making it 15 villages per block. There are 5 Levels of monitoring committees: Village health and sanitation committee PHC Health monitoring and planning committee Block Health monitoring and planning committee District Health monitoring and planning committee State Health monitoring and planning committee The Composition of monitoring committees is as follows: One-third PRI representatives, One-third health officials, One-third CBO / NGO representatives including non-official delegates from lower committees , Chairperson from Panchayat Executive chairperson Health official Convener from CBO / NGO The main objective of the program is to develop synergy and partnership between the public health service providers and community for regular communication and coordination between them to enable better delivery and utilization of health services. The role of PRAYAS was to mobilize the communities and prepare them to come together, take responsibility and influence decisions. State Nodal Agency assists in implementing the decisions taken at the Community Monitoring Mentoring Team. Arrange for technical and resource support to district/block level NGOs. Support the process of adaptation, translation and publication state level materials/manuals. Supervise community level documentation processes, Maintain documentation of state level processes. Provide progress, process and financial reports and documents to the National Secretariat on a regular basis. Financial support and disbursement to district level and block level processes. Maintain state level accounts. Supervise progress and s upport processes/activities at the district, block and community levels. The role was challenging because of various reasons. Firstly it involved a decisive change in the balance of power, likely to be resisted at various levels of the public health system. Secondly, health officials had to be an active participant in the process but may not be assumed to be its sole and prime mover. Thirdly, it was important that genuine voices from the community get represented in the process. Fourthly, panchayats are major stakeholders but at the same time they often represent the elites of the village. To bring voices of the disadvantaged and marginalized in the forefront was a challenge. Fifthly, community may be disinterested in the beginning due to continuing disappointments from the status quo. The implementation was carried out in various phases: Preparatory phase : Distributing pamphlets to literate people Putting up poster in the common meeting place (e.g. near temples, wells, market place, etc.) , Informal meeting with key people (leaders of CBOs, women leaders, Pradhan, in the village) to get an idea about General layout of the village Different social groups in the village and where they stay, key health problems of the community , key service providers of the area, expense related to health problems, Communities opinion of the existing services and use of government health facilities and service providers. Village meeting to share findings, share NRHM information and facilitate information of VHSC. Sharing the Village health services profile in the village and informing community of NRHM and community monitoring in NRHM Pamphlets and posters and leaving multiple sets behind in the community. Elicit interest from members of the community about formation of village health and sanitation committee. formation and strengthening of Village Health and Sanitation Committees (VHSCs), primary health centers (PHCs), and district and block committees; community level investigation and monitoring involving village health report cards and facility score cards; and Sharing of reports (through public hearings) and planning at the PHC, village, and block levels. The very act of including a local NGO explains the importance of familiarity and identification for community action. The civil society organizations and NGOs for participation in various committees were selected by examining them on their response to a questionnaire which assessed their experience of monitoring public services, organizing public dialogues or public hearings. The selection could also be facilitated by the mentoring team of the respective level, with guidance from the mentoring team of the higher level. The volunteers working with the NGO are usually locals. They know the people, their aspirations and needs. Villagers identify with them and trust the information they give. To bring people together there should be some incentive. Also, there should be both short term and long term benefits to keep the action alive. In this case the short term benefit was the improvement in infrastructure as the government was pouring in money and the long term benefits were many. Impro ved health of the people, increase in power to influence government policies, platform for discussing other developmental issues and so on. They approached it by making it a non zero sum game wherein there is ample for everyone and one person will benefit from the involvement of other. Also everyone was affected by the concerned issue in one way or the other. May be poorest of poor, women and children were affected more due to vulnerability and discrimination but lack of ample heath services creates disadvantage for everyone. For example, snake bites are quite common in villages and non- availability of the required medicine in the nearest PHC may prove fatal. In this case risk is same for everyone. So, it was tried to communicate the need for community monitoring rapidly through meetings, posters and workshops. PRAYAS attempted to spread awareness in a village by flooding their minds with the goodness of the new program. It was a strategy to keep the time period for mobilization ju st 3 days to avoid slackness in the process. This was done to produce a contagion effect, so that people develop an urge to move out of the current situation and take charge. People were given assurances that their participation will be sought in planning of health services, they should help in solving problems faced by health machinery but, at the same time, the villagers would point out any negligence or mistake made by health employees while providing health service, Villagers should also be given information about what action has been taken to avert mistakes pointed out by the villagers to Medical Officer. Since the monitoring will not be efficient without perspective of women and coming into picture, it has been ensured that two out of four members of Block Community Monitoring Facilitation Team will be women. Women are the ones who are most seriously affected by quality of health care due to their reproductive capacity. Strategy: People were made partners in managing public health institutions. If certain infrastructure or services were not properly functional, community representatives were involved in finding solutions. Community representatives were significant role in the day-today functioning of the health services at the local level. People were given clearly defined rights -People should be able to expect and demand basic services in keeping with their needs and expectations. If these rights are not fulfilled, it should be a matter of concern and concerted action for improvement by the public health system and community members. People were given responsibility to regularize health services provided at the village level. People in the village, were encouraged take up responsibility to support activities for vaccination in the village, etc. Community members were provided training to be able to fulfill their responsibilities and realize their rights. Ostrom claims that all efforts to organize collective action, whether by an external ruler, an entrepreneur, or a set of principals who wish to gain collective benefits, must address a common set of problems. These problems are coping with free-riding, solving commitment problems, arranging for the supply of new institutions, and monitoring individual compliance with sets of rules. So, in this case we see government itself wishes to enthuse people to reflect on the quality of health care making government officials, doctors and ASHA workers more committed to their work. Jan Samwad Mobilization capacity building Encouraged participation of stakeholders to express their experiences and concerns. To sustain a collective action it is important to share the information. This was successfully done under this programme. PHC and block level community monitoring exercises included a public dialogue (Jan Samvad) or public hearing (Jan Sunwai) where individual testimonies and assessments by lo cal CBOs/NGOs were presented. These meetings take place once in six months, here individual cases of denial of services are also addressed. In Jan Samvad Chief Medical Officer of the District or her/his representative , Block Medical Officer Member of District Community Monitoring and Planning Committee Members of PRIs in the block , Members of VHSCs , Member of CBOs in the block are present. The monitoring reports are shared at all levels. Once in every 3 months the village health report card is made in a span of 2 days. One member from the VHSC and one panchayat member is nominated for this purpose. Leadership: leadership plays a very important role in gearing up any community action. Good leaders can not only increase the probability of success but can also attract people to join the movement. People take up leadership responsibilities in the initial process of community action to reap leadership benefits like social and political recognition and so on. This is because in initial phase input costs are higher and the probability of success is quite low. Keeping this in mind, the arrangement was such that CBOs/NGOs and Panchayat representatives who had shown leading initiative in organizing community monitoring activities at any level were given representation in the next high-level committees. The committees were created from village to higher levels in sequential order. This was an innovative way to go about implementation of a program. Being leader at the village level came as an alluring option to the people. Capacity building: to ensure effective monitoring it has to be ensured that people are ready for change. For this a lot of measures were taken. Training and enhancing the capacity of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to own, control and manage public health services, promoting access to improved healthcare at household level through the female health activist (ASHA), Health Plan for each village through Village Health Committee of the Panchayat, Strengthening existing PHCs and CHCs, and provision of 30-50 bedded CHC per lakh population. Strengthening capacities for data collection, assessment and review for evidence based planning, monitoring and supervision, formulation of transparent policies ,developing capacities for preventive health care at all levels for promoting healthy life styles, reduction in consumption of tobacco and alcohol etc , promoting non-profit sector particularly in under served areas. Another important step was to make people realize that access to good health is their constitutional right and they pay for it. It is the responsibility of the government to give a good life to them. Through the VHSCs, communities also have become empowered to voice their concerns and take action. Communities have become aware about their rights and entitlements .In a number of cases, local health departments responded to problems raised at public hearings and made appropriate changes in their functioning. There has been a change in the way people perceive health services. Earlier, they saw it as a zero sum game , now they are beginning to see it as a public good. This change will help in reducing disadvantages faced by certain sections of the community , which would eventually result in improvements in health and nutrition outcomes. Previously excluded and marginalized groups have started coming in front. An affirmative approach was used to ensure that Dalits(scheduled castes), scheduled tribes, and women were involved and headed the VHSCs. Community monitoring has built stronger relationships between communities and health service providers, as well. Communities have become mor e accommodating and have started understanding constraints of health workers. Overall , this program has lead to decentralization of power. Prayas has played a commendable role acting as a liaison between people and government. Sources: http://www.prayas.org http://www.nrhmcommunityaction.org/pages/states/rajasthan.php   http://www.nagahealth.nic.in

Oppression Of People Of Color Essay -- essays research papers

The myth that â€Å"all men are equal† has created false hopes for the people of color, who continually seek opportunities to excel, that just aren’t there. They have been led to believe that intelligence and ambitions are key contributors to one’s success. Even if they do possess ambition and intelligence, the dominant majority of the white population oppresses them. This type of oppression points out that new methods of struggle are needed, such as whose employed by Martin Luther King, Jr., Franz Fanon and W.E.B. Du Bois. Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated nonviolence to suppress oppression in his essay, â€Å"The Power of Nonviolent Action.† King's factual and reasoned approach is intended to win his adversaries over by appealing to their consciences. King realized that the best strategy to liberate African-Americans and gain them justice was to use nonviolent forms of resistance. He wanted to eliminate the use of violence as a means to manage and establish cooperative ways of interacting. Moreover, King states that the â€Å"oppressed people must organize themselves into a militant and nonviolent mass movement† in order to achieve the goal of integration. The oppressed must â€Å"convince the oppressors that all he seeks is justice, for both himself and the white man† (King, 345). Furthermore, King agreed with Gandhi that if a law is unjust, it is the duty of the oppressed to break the law, and do what they believe to be right. Once a law is broken, the person must be willing to accept the ...

Choreographer Busby Berkeley’s Contributions to Film Essays -- Arts Mo

Choreographer Busby Berkeley’s Contributions to Film Berkeley’s creations were not meant to focus on dance. He envisioned an overall moving pattern, which he created by using moving bodies. He made the art of choreography a technique of design and visual mathematics, and combined this with his knowledge of film to bring his vision to life on the big screen. The skill of this multi-talented man brought Hollywood musicals to their full potential, creating a high demand for dance in films. William Berkeley Enos was born November 29, 1895, in Los Angeles. He began his career as a choreographer in 1918 as a lieutenant in the army. Conducting and directing parades. He gained the ability to work with large masses of moving bodies to create a moving picture. He also worked as a choreographer to stage camp shows for the troops. It was not until his collaboration with producer Florence Ziegfeld that Berkeley began choreographing for films. When Ziegfeld decided to turn his production of Whoopee into a film, he asked Berkeley, who had become one of the top Broadway dance directors, to choreograph the dance routines. Berkeley, unhappy with the restrictions of his job, raised the bar for film choreographers by taking on decisions about camera angles and editing. Before Berkeley, these decisions had all been made by the director or the producer. One of Berkeley’s signature choices was to use only one camera. He also chose to use close-ups of the dancers in the chorus. He would say: â€Å"Well, we’ve got all these beautiful girls in the picture, why not let the public see them?† This approach showed that Berkeley understood that innovative filmmakers possess the ability to use the camera to show audiences what their normal sight does ... ... 1976. Although his death was tragic, Busby Berkeley will be remembered for his visionary talent. He has also been considered the creator of the formulaic marketing approaches you see today in music videos. As Larry Billman points out,â€Å"Berkeley’s ever-unfolding kaleidoscopic patterns and complete montage/ scenarios certainly had commercial advantage† (15). Berkeley embraced the possibility that the relationship between a camera and a moving body could bring a song to life. After his extravagant musical numbers, there was no doubt that the entire audience would leave the theater knowing the songs by heart. And so Berkeley was way ahead of his time. He could see within film a very important image, not the individual dancers themselves, but the dancing image. And with that he created sequences that remain some of the most beautiful spectacles on the screen.   

Abraham :: essays research papers

Abraham Abraham, also known as Abram is most commonly known for being the Father of the Jewish people. The majority of the information found on Abraham is located in the Old Testament's Book of Genesis. Other than that, there are no real historical records on the life of Abraham, so the history of his life was passed by word of mouth, and were there after made into biblical stories. There is also the question if Abraham really lived, do to the little information available on his life. Abraham is most famous for making his Covenant with God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abraham would have lived somewhere between the years of 2000 and 1500 BC. He was born in the city of Ur. Abraham's real name was Abram. The father of Abram , Terach, had two other sons , Haran and Nachor. While living in the city of Ur , Abram married his half-sister, Sarai who later took on the name of Sarah. The newlyweds later learned that Sarai was sterile. They then traveled north to Charan, accompanied by Abraham's father Terach. While in Charan Terach died. It was in Charan where God made his first of a series of revelations to Abram. God spoke to Abram, and told him that he would promise to bless him and make a great nation of him. Abram willingly decided to follow God to the city of Canaan. Abram not only traveled with his wife on this journey, but he also picked up his nephew, Lot. He lived his life in Canaan as a Nomad. Famine eventually struck the land of Canaan , forcing Abram and his family to move on to Egypt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Egypt, Abram was fearful that the Egyptians would kill him and take his wife Sarai if they were to discover that the two were married. Abram attempted to cover this up by telling everyone that he and Sarai were just brother and sister. The Pharaoh demanded that Sarai be brought to his palace, and as result, God sent down plagues which devastated all of Egypt. In a desperate attempt to save his kingdom, Pharaoh decided it would be best to send Abram and Sarai away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abram and his family returned to Canaan after the Famine had ended. Both Lot and Abraham had great wealth in Canaan. The two both owned livestock, and large quantities of silver and gold. Eventually Abram and Lot found that the land could no longer provide the resources that the two men required of it. The two went their separate ways, Lot going to the Jordan Plain, and Abram staying