Geoengineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Geoengineering - Essay Example On the other hand, it can be characterized more specifically as inherent incorporated engineering schemes to improve climate. The name geo-engineering is distinctive with ecological harm and unplanned existence environment alteration; that are outcomes of mechanized human world, instead of being an anticipated result. The worldwide withdrawal of hydro-carbons and the chains of it from the under-surface via incorporated geological discipline and engineering expertise have been named as petroleum or gasoline geo-engineering. The ground of geo engineering is at present passing through a course of interest and discussion, as it has at the moment turned out to be generally established that global warming is jointly truthful and perilous. A level of necessity, in labors to investigate and execute possible solution, is founded on the momentous disappointment in managing emissions, and the likelihood that extreme spots in the global environment organization are just around the corner. In spe cific concern, the Arctic contraction is resulting in speeding up of warming. Speedy attempts with geo-engineering may be crucial. Other sensitive spots might be evaded by tumbling the rage of global warming so as to achieve constructive destiny and stop the consequential climatic transformation. 1. Approaches for Geo Engineering Expected approaches for geo engineering can be enumerated as: solar radiation organization, Greenhouse gas treatment, Arctic geo-engineering, Heat carrying. Solar radiation organization schemes meant for lessening the quantity of sunbeams striking the globe and thus neutralize global warming. Through this approach of geo engineering; greenhouse gas amount in the ambiance do not diminish, and therefore this technique does not tackle troubles for example marine acidification originated by these gases. The occurrence of global diffusion as a by-product of plant or animal fuel utilization is extensively recognized, and is not basically a geo-engineering practic e. Also it is happening by nature as an outcome of volcanoes and chief forest fire spread. On the other hand its purposeful exploitation is an instrument of the geo-engineering. Solar radiation organization schemes regularly have the improvement of condition. While greenhouse gas treatment presents an ample prospective solution to climate amendment, it does not provide immediate consequences; for the same reason, solar radiation organization is mandatory. Practices that are part of this group comprise of: stratospheric sulfur aerosols, Ocean foams, Cool roof, Cloud reflectivity development, increase cloud reflectivity, Space sunshade and Cloud seeding of cirrus clouds. Cool roof is made by means of whitish-colored roofing and concrete paving materials, Cloud reflectivity development can be acquired by means of fine and excellent sea water spray to whiten clouds and boost cloud reflectivity. Space sunshade is done by hindering solar emission with space oriented reflectors or other ar rangements. Cloud seeding of cirrus clouds is achieved most likely by utilizing airliners. Greenhouse gas treatment schemes appeal to eradicate greenhouse gases from the environment, and thus deal with the core foundation of global warming. These schemes either openly eliminate greenhouse gases, or otherwise meant to manipulate usual progressions to eliminate greenhouse gases obliquely. These schemes present a wide-ranging resolution to the

Gendering the Mythic World - Greek myth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gendering the Mythic World - Greek myth - Essay Example It gives the information about the origin of all natural phenomena and mostly reflects the lives of ancient gods and heroes. The predominance of mythological consciousness refers mainly to the archaic era, associated primarily with its cultural life in the system of sense organization, where myth played a dominant role. In myths, people consider the events in a particular time sequence. However, the most important place takes not the frames of time, but starting point and essence of the story. Later Greek poets of early antiquity refused to use irony in relation to the myths, but exposed them to strong recycling, elevated by the laws of morality. In the mythological world, authors represent peace as the tribal community that unites its members. It forms a common model of life and behavior. â€Å"Classical Greek culture was strongly marked by gender segregation. Generally, the public sphere was associated with men, the domestic, with women. This segregation arises from Greek ideas ab out the human body and the biological differences between males and females. Although women’s bodies and voices were strictly controlled or semi-secluded in most areas of ancient Greek public life, women did have important public roles in one area: religious ritual. While women worshipped both male and female divinities and acted as priestesses in cult even as men acted as priests, performing many of the same activities, Greek ideas about the body affected ritual aspects of nonverbal behavior, especially regarding clothing, voice, and gesture† (Calef, S., 2009). The gender relationships in ancient Greek are one of the most interesting issues for the modern scientists. They predetermined the main peculiarities of coexistence of mortals and gods in the ancient world. The aim of this work is to analyze gender relationships in ancient Greek and their valuable features on the basis of myths. In ancient

Boyle Heights Los Angeles Community Needs Assessment

Boyle Heights Los Angeles Community Needs Assessment Boyle Heights is a neighborhood located on the east side of Los Angeles (Healthy City, 2010). An initial assessment of the community revealed issues of poverty and crime. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Hollenbeck Division (2011), the majority of crimes committed in the Boyle Heights community are property crimes such as auto theft and burglary, however there are also violent crimes such as robbery and aggravated assaults (Los Angeles Police Department COMPSTAT, 2011). According to detective Antonio Macklin of the Hollenbeck police station in Boyle Heights, the majority of crimes are motivated by economic factors as Boyle Heights is a poor community (A. Macklin, personal communication, February 10, 2011). An initial drive and walk through the residential areas of the community of Boyle Heights revealed homes in various states of disrepair. The majority of houses are old. As one walks further along through the streets graffiti is visible. However, this is also a community rich in cultural history. A further walk through the community reveals a historical museum, Mariachi Plaza, Murals depicting Mexican American Culture, Catholic Churches, and family-owned markets, restaurants and clothing stores. Despite crime in the area, children are observed playing in the streets, in the local parks and in their backyards. The community does have various parks and recreation centers as well as community centers. Community Characteristics Physical/Geographical Boyle Heights is located in East Los Angeles and its geographical boundaries are demarcated by the City of Vernon to the South, East Los Angeles to the east, Lincoln Heights and El Sereno to the north, Los Angeles River and Downtown Los Angeles to the West (City of Los Angeles, 2005). For the purpose of this needs assessment, the boundaries of Boyle Heights were narrowed to boundaries as defined by the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council website (2011) consisting of Marengo Street to the North, 25th street to the South, Indiana street to the East and the Los Angeles River to the West (Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council, n.d.). Boyle Heights is a mixture of residential areas, commercial areas, open space and public facilities (City of Los Angeles, 2005). According to data obtained from HealthyCity.org (2010), there are 12 Parks and Recreational Centers within a one mile radius of the Boyle Heights community. Additionally, Boyle Heights has a variety of small businesses punctuated by as sets in the community such as White Memorial Medical Center, the extension of the Metro Gold Line and Los Angeles USC Medical Center, which according to the President of the Boyle Heights Chamber of Commerce, Alicia Maldonado, these assets have brought improvements to the community, jobs for the residents, customers to the retail establishments and better health care (Boyle Heights Chamber of Commerce, 2011, p. 1). Former resident of Boyle Heights, Geneva Garcia, who resided in the area from the 1950s until 2009, stated that independent of the presence of gangs and crime in the area, she has fond memories of her childhood and her life in Boyle Heights because of the many parks, recreational activities, sports and other community activities available to her (G. Garcia, personal communication, February 10, 2011). Ms. Garcia also confirmed that the majority of the community is Latino. This has further been confirmed through data obtained from the HealthyCity.org website and observation of the community. Historical Background According to the Boyle Heights Historical Society Website (2011), Boyle Heights was originally founded in the late 1800s. However, the neighborhood became recognized in the early 20th century as a neighborhood of immigrants (Boyle Heights Historical Society, 2011). During this period of time, Boyle Heights became a gateway for immigrants who could not live in downtown Los Angeles because of the racial segregation of Jews, Mexicans, Japanese and some Russians (Los Angeles Times Magazine, 2009). Although currently, Jewish, Japanese and Russian immigrants are not part of the make-up of this community, they are an important part of its history. According to The Boyle Height Project (2003), the Boyle Heights community has been a melting-pot of diverse cultures which need to be preserved and understood. Interviews conducted by the project in 2003 with previous residents of the area from Japanese, Jewish and Russian descent, indicate that these former residents of the area all bonded over b eing immigrants and victims of racial discrimination. This history of discrimination and disenfranchisement has carried over to the current population of the community which is Mexican-American, Latino and working class (The Boyle Heights Project: A Power of Place, 2003). Population/Economic/Political According to the HealthyCity.org (2010), the total population living in Boyle Heights is 50,155 with 91.66% of the population being Hispanic, 2.87% White and 1.58% Black or African American, which makes Boyle Heights a predominantly Latino community. Economically, Boyle Heights is an under-privileged community compared to similar neighborhoods in the area. According to HealthyCity.org (2011), families living below the poverty level in Boyle Heights is 28.40%. This is compared to a rate of 16.02% in El Sereno, 19.44% in Chinatown and 24.15% in Lincoln Heights, all of which are neighboring communities to Boyle Heights. This data indicates that Boyle Heights is the poorest of all the communities in the East Los Angeles Area comprised of zip codes, 90012, 90031, and 90032. According to the California Endowment website (2011), politically, Boyle Heights encompasses city council district 14 represented by Councilman Jose Huizar. Other political representatives at the local level include Co unty Supervisor, district 1, Gloria Molina and Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa (California Endowment, 2011). At the State level, Boyle Heights is represented by senators Gil Cedillo and Gloria Romero and State assemblymen, Kevin De Leon and John Perez (California Endowment, 2011). All elected officials representing Boyle Heights are part of the Democratic Party however, Boyle Heights political life is said to be dominated by a mixture of both, conservative and progressive politicians (California Endowment, 2011). Community Resources/Strengths and Needs Boyle Heights is a community with many different resources and strengths. This is a community with several service providers as identified through the Healthy City website (2010). A survey of the services and programs available indicates that there are at least 16 programs in the community for youth and families. Resources include various parks and recreational centers, community events such as summer lights in the park, museums, community centers, sports facilities, schools, a learning collaborative, commercial facilities, restaurants, and catholic churches each of which are a source of strength in the community. Also among the strengths in this community is HomeBoy Industries, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing services free of charge to youth and adults who no longer wish to engage in gang activity. Their services include but are not limited to school, job training and placement, counseling, and legal services (HomeBoy Industries, n.d.). Additionally, Projecto Pastor al at Dolores Mission focuses on underprivileged youth in the area and provides after school programs during the school year and a program called IMPACTO which provides outreach services, tutoring, personal development and a safe place for youth (Projecto Pastoral, n.d.). These two programs highlight the availability of programs and resources in this community. However, despite the availability of resources in the community, there is a prevalent need for economic development in the form of more jobs and economic opportunities for the residents of the area in order ameliorate the high poverty and unemployment rate. Furthermore, although there are an abundance of service providers in the area, there is no consistent collaboration between service providers, which is a need that should be strengthened in order to increase the effectiveness of services provided. Interview Section Interviews were conducted with several members of the community including a law enforcement officer, a service provider, a former resident who lived in the community in the 1950s and a mother currently living in the community with teenage children. Quotes and excerpts from the interviews are incorporated throughout the paper however, it is important to note that all of the individuals interviewed share common experiences, all of which take place in the neighborhood of Boyle Heights. The interviewees believe that young adults can prevent themselves from making unsafe choices by obtaining the following qualities: a good support system, recognizing and acceptance of their problems and participation in intervention programs to help them achieve a positive and healthier lifestyle. The interviewees believe that the presence of violence is evident in any community however, with awareness and appropriate prevention and intervention efforts, each individual has the power to make positive choi ces that lead to a lifespan of good outcomes as opposed to a lifespan of constant struggle with destructive behavior and engagement in violent crime. The Social Problem Boyle Heights is a diverse community with a rich history that includes a long legacy of gang activity as a community concern. These concerns have been highly publicized for decades (Los Angeles Times Magazine, 2009; Urban Institute, 2010; Advancement Project, 2006). According to LAPD Hollenbeck Division gang detectives, Boyle Heights has a higher gang population than any other neighborhood in the Los Angeles Area (Urban Institute 2010). The city of Los Angeles is considered the gang capital of the world (Urban Institute, 2010; Advancement Project 2006; R. Hernandez, classroom lecture, February 8, 2011). When Los Angeles Mayo Antonio Villaraigosa took office, a priority of his was to address the gang problem in Los Angeles (R. Hernandez, 2011). In order to accomplish this task, the Mayors office instituted the Gang Reduction and Youth Development Program or GRYD (Urban Institute, 2010; Advancement Project; 2006; R. Hernandez, 2011). The GRYD program is a targeted prevention and interv ention program aimed at reducing the gang problem in Los Angeles (Urban Institute, 2010; R. Hernandez, 2011). In order to accomplish this task, the advancement project divided gang impacted communities into GRYD zones (Advancement Project 2006; Urban Institute, 2010; R Hernandez, 2011). The neighborhood of Boyle Heights is GRYD zone and according to the Urban Institute GRYD Boyle Heights evaluation report (2010), in the mid 2000s there were an estimated 2,000 documented and suspected gang members from the major gangs in Boyle Heights including: Barrio Nuevo Estrada, Opal Street, Indiana Dukes, White Fence and 8th street (Urban Institute, 2010). The prevalence of gangs in the area was further confirmed by qualitative interviews with key informants in the area. These informants include Detective Antonio Macklin of the Hollenbeck Division who stated during an interview that gang related crime and violence has been an issue in the community although less recently than in previous years (A. Macklin, 2011). Geneva Garcia, former resident of the area stated that she recalls the presence of gangs in the neighborhood growing up and I also recall shootings, crime and violence (G. Garcia, 2011). Although she also stated that gangs were just part of the neighborhood and that for the most part they left residents of the area alone if you did not interfere with their activities. (G. Garcia, 2011). Geneva also stated that, in her opinion, gangs not only sources of crime and violence as publicized in the media but also sources of safety for the community. (G. Garcia, 2011). The perspective of Ms. Garcia seems to contradict most public opinion or official reports however, it is important to consider that Ms. Garcia was a resident of the area from 1950 until 2009 and therefore she represents an important perspective in this community. Furthermore, Ms. Garcias opinion correlates with findings expressed in the professional literature, namely, that gang concerns are multi-faceted with poverty being one of the main contributing factors (The Advancement Project, 2006; Urban Institute, 2010; Zimmerman et al., 2004; Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, 2004; Coughlin Venkatesh, 2003). According to research conducted by the Advancement Project (2006), massive job losses in East Los Angeles during the mid 1970s to the 1980s along with policies such as proposition 13, which cut property tax revenue, had an economic impact in the community that led to an increase in gang activity for economic reasons. Law enforcement officer Detective Antonio Macklin of the Hollenbeck police department further corroborated this impact, as did Rolando Cruz from Home Boy Industries, since both individuals were interviewed as part of this assessment. Each of these key informants advised that economic downturns correlate to an increase in gang activity. In fact, HomeBoy Industries, a non-profit organization in the area has a motto of Nothing stops a bullet like a job. During the personal interview, Rolando Cruz, the curriculum coordinator for said organization states that If someone is earning a decent paycheck in an honest way, there is no reason for them to be out there in the streets ( R. Cruz, personal communication, February 5, 2011). Although the gang concerns should not be oversimplified by reducing them to only economic terms, it is important to recognize that poverty is deeply interconnected with social issues such as gang involvement. Impact Gang involvement has negatively impacted the community of Boyle Heights. (The Advancement Project, 2006; Urban Institute, 2010; A. Macklin, 2011; R. Hernandez, 2011). In 2006, 14.3% of deaths in the Boyle Heights community were attributed to firearms (Healthy City, 2010). Additionally, there was a high percentage, 42.46% ,of non-fatal firearms incidents in Boyle Heights in 2007 (Healthy City, 2010). These statistics are augmented by recent crime statistics available for this community. According to the Los Angeles Times crime mapping system, during the past six months, from July 2010 to January of 2011, the rate of violent crimes in the Boyle Heights area continues to be higher than in neighboring communities such as El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, Downtown and Chinatown (Los Angeles Times, n.d.). The impact of violence and crime is significant in any community, however, the impact of violence and crime is greater in a community like Boyle Heights, which is a community with a high propor tion of youth, 32.87 % (Healthy City, 2010), low educational attainment as 42.25% of the population has less than a 9th grade education (Healthy City, 2010), a 46.36% unemployment rate (Healthy City, 2010), and a high percentage of families living below poverty level at 28.40% (Healthy City, 2010). All of these risk factors contribute to a community in which violence and crime are part of a way of life that takes young people away from more positive activities such as being engaged in school, seeking skills for employment and becoming involved in community activities which might lead to a decrease in gang involvement. The prevalence of risk factors in this community with its connection to gang activity is perhaps must poignantly described by Rolando Cruz of Home Boy Industries, who grew up in Boyle Heights when he stated that gang crimes, the evidence of high poverty rates, the low educational status, and the unemployment rates are familiar community issues from my past and scenes o f the present struggle in attempting to transform the troubling youth of the community into productive citizens. (R. Cruz, personal communication, February 10, 2011). Community efforts to address a reduction in gang activity include non-profit organizations such as HomeBoy Industries, The GRYD program through the Mayors office, which works on prevention and intervention with local service providers in the area, programs such as Boys and Girls Club, recreational programs through the many parks in the area, the Boyle Heights learning collaborative, and community events such as summer lights in the park (Healthy City, 2010; A. Macklin, 2011; R. Cruz, 2011; R. Hernandez, 2011). However, despite the progress made toward reducing gang activity and youth violence in the community, the question remains, how can this social problem be mitigated? Although there is no clear answer to this question, there is a theoretical lens that when applied to this social problem provides insight into the many components of this complex issue. Ecosystems theory provides this theoretical lens. Theory Ecosystems theory focuses on the interaction between the individual and his or her environment (Salkind, 2005; Miley, OMelia, DuBois, 2009). As such, ecosystems theory describes the behaviors of individuals, families, groups, organizations, local communities, and international societies as interconnected (Miley et al., p. 30). This is a helpful lens when analyzing a social problem since it conceptualizes behavior from the point of view that human behavior and interaction develops overtime and it is a response to external factors and sees behavior as adaptive given its context (Miley et al., p. 30). When applying this lens to gang activity and youth violence, one can see how gang involvement makes sense in a community where youth are raised with poverty, low educational attainment, few resources, violence as a way of life, labeling by law enforcement, abuse or neglect at home, immigration factors and multi-generational gang involvement. This has been corroborated by the professional knowledge base. In 2004, Zimmerman et.al published a study in which they interviewed adolescent middle school children about their beliefs and experiences surrounding gang involvement and gang violence. One of the most significant findings of the study is that childrens exposure to violence at home and in their community provided for a normative experience associated with violence and a tendency to lose sympathy for victims of violence (Zimmerman et al., 2004). Furthermore, Zimmerman et.al (2004) found that with regard to individuals who feel powerless within their social structure, the lure of violence and aggressive peer groups (i.e. gangs) might prove to provide a sense of personal security and power as one youth wrote Violence, is in a way, is power the power to rule people, if people are afraid of you, you have power over them, you can make them do what you want. (Zimmerman et al. 2004). Additionally, Coughlin and Venkatesh (2003), indicate that immigration factors are likely relevant to an increase in inner city gang affiliation and patterns of local gang activity may be mediated by cultural and social organizational processes such as segregation (Coughlin Venkatesh, 2003). This is true in the Boyle Heights community, a community historically made up of immigrants that were not allowed to live in downtown Los Angeles due to racial segregation. Upon the proliferation of gangs and violence in the area, violence as a normative factor along with other risk factors such as poverty, have continually interacted to sustain gang activity as a community concern. Given the complexity of gang involvement, the question of how to eliminate this problem remains largely unsolved. It remains to be seen what long-term positive outcomes prevention and intervention approaches such as GRYD will have on this important and relevant problem. One thing remains clear, prevention and intervention efforts must be targeted not just toward the individual but also toward the multipl e environments in which the individual functions. It further stands to reason that, through ecosystems theory, if community youth are exposed to more positive peer and community interactions, embracing a more positive approach to problem solving is possible. Approaches need to be targeted to the individual, the family, the schools, the community, and of course, national, state, and local officials in charge of making policies that can address the risk factors closely associated with gang involvement and institute protective factors that mitigate those risk factors associated with this social problem. Rationale for Action The prevalence of violent crime in Boyle Heights is correlated with the high degree of gang involvement in the area. Research by the advancement project (2006) and the Urban Policy Center (2010) Indicate that gangs are very much a part of the Boyle Heights Community. This is further validated by qualitative interviews conducted during the needs assessment for this community. Law enforcement official with the Los Angeles Police Department Hollenbeck Division, Deputy Antonio Macklin indicated during his interview that the majority of crimes committed in the Boyle Heights community are committed by Latino youth between the ages of 15 and 25. Furthermore, Rosalia Gonzales, a mother and resident of Boyle Heights since the 1960s indicates that she experiences frequent concern for her teenage son and daughter because of the pressure to be involved in gang activity in the neighborhood and fears her children being the unintended victims of violence in the community. Ms. Gonzales explicitly st ated that the majority of residents in Boyle Height are poor single mothers like herself and that it is sometimes extremely difficult to keep children in school and on a straight path, particularly when the peer pressure of gang involvement and the lure of easy money in a poor neighborhood seem much more appealing. (R.Gonzales, personal communication, 2011). Data from Healthy Cities indicates that 28.40% of the families in Boyle Heights live below the poverty level while 71% of families live at or barely above the poverty level. This is further augmented by the fact 46.36% of the population ages 16 and above are not in the labor force (Healthy Cities, 2010). These statistics mean that the vast majority of the residents in Boyle Heights are poor and unemployed that the low educational attainment in the community compounds this problem further. Given all of these compounding factors, the gang involvement issue cannot be easily addressed. A single point of intervention and prevention or a single level of intervention and prevention is not sufficient. A successful prevention and intervention strategy at multiple levels must be established. Although existing programs in the community such as the GRYD project, and community agencies such as HomeBoy Industries provide successful models of intervention, these models are primarily directed toward individuals who are already involved in gangs. A new model that integrates services at multiple levels and involves all members of the community must be integrated. A new approach would involve targeting youth in the community regardless of gang involvement and addressing the multiple compounding problems that contribute the gang involvement and violence. Services must be provided to families, individuals and the communities that help build a stronger, healthier community. Job opportunities, educational opportunities, music, arts, youth activities, family activities, community organizing, and counseling services, are all but a few of the many services that need to be integrated and coordinated in to a healthy community. Framework for Intervention Many of the city, county, and local government officials that service the Boyle Heights area are prominent Latin American individuals with a stated commitment to improving life among their constituents by ensuring access to government, education, employment and public safety. One of the most prominent stakeholders and a former resident of the Boyle Heights community is Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa who was born in Boyle Heights in 1953. Mayor Villaraigosa is a proponent of a strong police force in Los Angeles County and for the reduction of crime, which includes gang-related crime. A key part of the Mayors strategy to combat the Citys gang epidemic is to establish GRYD zones in the communities most affected by gangs. In addition to an increased deployment of police, the GRYD zones will receive additional resources focused on prevention, intervention and re-entry programs for those involved or otherwise affected by gangs. This holistic approach is seen by experts as key to re ducing not only the crime rates, but also the membership of young people in gangs (Antonio Villaraigosa Mayor of Los Angeles website, 2007). The mayors GRYD program in the Boyle Heights area includes a prevention model that utilizes the support of the Hollenbeck Police Department. Since youth in gang-infested areas might be prone to mistrust of police authority, having a personal experience with a police officer that is supportive and enriching is one path to introducing youth to a positive adult mentor. The Hollenbeck Police Activities League (PAL) was established in 1992 and boasts that 85% of the youth in the PAL program attend college (Hollenbeck PAL, 2011). PAL youth also engage in enriching experiences with their peers. Walker and Mason (2001) stated that much of the research on youth delinquency has focused on community-level risk factors such as poverty and social disorganization (Walker-Barnes Mason, 2001, p. 1815). However, they proposed that youth were at higher risk for gang involvement if there was a lack of effective parenting coupled with a high exposure to delinquent peers. Walker and Mason discovered that youth who reported gang involvement often did not include their mothers as one of the most influential people in their lives. Further, they found that authoritarian parenting styles were less effective in reducing youth gang involvement but parents who practice higher levels of behavioral control and warmth were related to lower initial levels of gang involvement and gang delinquency (Walker-Barnes Mason, 2001, p. 1826). In addition, lack of parental involvement also indicated increased risk for gang involvement. Therefore, positive parenting approaches are an essential component to an effective prevention strategy. Evidence based research such as Positive Peer Culture (PPC) proposes that troubled youth need more than technique; they need transformative experiences with other people (Laursen, 2010, p. 38). Participation in a PPC model of prevention could primarily be targeted toward at-risk youth although one could argue that all of the youth in the Boyle Heights community could be at risk because of the high incidence of gang involved youth. The PPC model proposes to provide youth with opportunities for empowerment and altruism, which increases self worth and connections with others and with their communities. The PPC model further indicates that youth need to feel that they are in a supportive and safe environment therefore this model should be used in conjunction with therapy and not as a replacement for therapy (Laursen, 2010, p. 41). PPC could be offered as an extracurricular after school activity and if successful could be integrated into the school curriculum as an elective course for jun ior high or high school students. There are two additional models of intervention that could be used in conjunction with the PPC program depending on the specific needs of the youth involved. First, the Equipping Youth to Help One Another (EQUIP) model is a derived from the PPC program in which individuals turn from antisocial and self-destructive behavior to behavior that helps others and themselves (Leeman, Gibbs, Fuller, 1993, p. 282). Leeman et al indicate that the EQUIP model is more effective with youth who often lack the helping skills and moral maturity that they need to help others and who might also benefit from learning appropriate ways of self-control since this model incorporates elements of anger management training (Leeman, Gibbs, Fuller, 1993, p. 282). Secondly, Aggression Replacement Therapy (ART) is an evidence-based intervention that utilizes a parental component that entices parental involvement with the agreement that the affected youth will be suspended or disciplined for a shorter duration (McGinnis, 2003, p. 164). The premise for utilizing programs targeted at pre-delinquent youth and including their families is to prevent the draw of social inclusion toward negative peer influences. The PAL program boasts success by providing at risk youth with positive adult mentors and peer interaction and is one of only two prevention initiatives identified in the Boyle Heights GRYD program. For a community that has such a high incidence of gang involvement, this is insufficient. Therefore, it is reasonable to enlist the inclusion of family members so that a parent or caregiver could also provide youth with a positive and nurturing adult role model. This in conjunction with a culture of positive peer influences in the school setting might prove to provide a positive trajectory for youth to attain a healthy, educated and successful start toward a safer and more productive future for them and for their community.

acters and actresses Essay -- essays research papers

Actors and Actress   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Actors and Actresses are some of the most driven, courageous people on the face of the earth. They deal with more day-to-day rejection in one year than most people do in a lifetime. Each day, actors/actress face the financial challenge of living a freelance lifestyle, the disrespect of people who think they should get 'real' jobs, and their own fear that they'll never work again. Every day they have to ignore the possibility that the vision to which they have dedicated their lives is a pipe dream. With every passing year, many of them watch as the other people their age achieve the predictable milestones of normal life-the car, the family, and the house. Though to become an actor or actress one must follow a certain guideline (an education) as any other career does.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin with, to become an actor or an actress a person must start with their education young. In High School a student should put their minds in the fields of Performing Arts in other words Drama (Crafton 32). There they would learn the basic terms and history of Acting. There are two clear avenues to turn to while becoming a professional actor. One is just as trivial and nearly futile as the other, but someone who truly wants to pursue the field will tolerate the hardships. The first path is, logically enough, is go to drama school. Formal training is not a must, but it helps if one wants to be a professional actor (Harrop 147). If you have studied the craft it gives you a leg up over anyone else looking for the same job. To enter a school solely for acting, not just the drama department of a larger university, SAT scores and high school record aren’t always looked at. For some drama schools, a complete high school education isn’t even needed. How ever, the more prestigious the school, the higher the standards are. If you were to try to get into the Performing Arts College at, say, Columbia University in New York, the requirements are much higher at the testing level. At any school, no matter Ivy League or community college, to enter the performing arts department one has to audition. In continuance, some drama students may sometimes require a singing audition as well as monologues. After all, the most popular form of stage drama is the musical. Naturally, entrance essays are needed as well as recommendation lette... ..., you must get a formal training at an acting school as well as staying involved with as many shows as possible building up your rà ©sumà ©. Being an Actor/Actress is a hard career to pursue and if pursued a lot of talent as well as patience is needed in order to accomplish. Although an education is not needed to be an actor or actress, you should never escape it. Education is an essential part of our lives and the world we live in and forever it always will remain important for whatever career you choose to enter including acting. Work Cited Crafton, Allen. Acting; a Book for the Beginner. New York: F. S.Crofts, 1928. Haase, Cathy. Acting for Film. New York: Allworth Press, 2003. Harrop, John. Acting. New York: Routledge, 1992. Occupational Outlook Handbook.21 Mar. 2004. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.27 Nov. 2004. â€Å"Oprah Winfrey Biography.† About Oprah. 2004. Harpo Productions. 18 Nov. 2004. â€Å"Oprah Winfrey Entertainment Executive.† Academy of Achievement, A Museum of Living History. 3 Mar. 2003. Academy of Achievement. 19 Nov. 2004. Moore, Dick. Opportunities in Acting Careers. Lincolnwood (Chicago), Ill: VGM Career Horizons, 1999.

5 Common Issus Encountered in Downloading Electronic

SPECIAL FORCES UNITS 1 Special Forces Units Brian M. Farrell Everest College SPECIAL FORCES UNITS 2 Special Forces are â€Å"military or police units specially trained, equipped, and organized to combat terrorism† (Coombs, 2006, pg. 251).The Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) â€Å"is a battalion-sized high-readiness special operations unit and is capable of conducting and enabling a broad range of missions, including direct action, defense diplomacy, and military assistance, and special reconnaissance† (Special Forces of Canada, N. D. ) CSOR began its recruitment in 2006, with 175 candidates. Its formal initiation took place in August of 2006 with 250 soldiers. These soldiers were trained in rappelling from â€Å"helicopters as well as static and free fall parachuting† (Special Forces of Canada, N. D. This unit has been in Afghanistan since 2006 supporting Canadian coalition forces. This group also helps with the training of its international relation s. This regiment is highly moveable, expertly trained making them a special operation force that can handle a multitude of conflicts at home and abroad. Special Air Services or SAS, is a corps of the British Army. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF). The UK limits its information about its special forces so there is little â€Å"publicly verifiable information† on the SAS (D Squadron 23 SAS (R), Ministry of Defense, N.D. ). What is known is that SAS Regiment is comprised of 4 operational squadrons designated as A, B, C, and D. Each group has 60 men and a leader, these squadrons are further divided into 4 smaller groups consisting of 15 members each. Each of the 4 members of the group has a special skill in addition to the skills acquired during training. These special skills include such things as signals, demolition, medic, and linguist. The areas these groups focus on are boat troop, air troop, mobility troop and mountain troop.SPECIAL FORCES UNITS 3 Members of the UK armed forces can apply for Special Forces, but the recruitment usually targets those with air force background. Recruitments are held twice a year. Training selections takes about 5 weeks and usually start out with around 200 candidates. The training is grueling consisting of such things are personal and combat fitness tests. Next is marching cross country increasing their distance each day, ending with what is known as the hill phase which is completing 40 miles with all equipment in 20 hours.Additionally they must be able to â€Å"run 4 miles in 30 minutes, and swim 2 miles in 90 minutes (D Squadron 23 SAS (R), Ministry of Defense, N. D. ). There is also jungle training where candidates are taught various techniques including survival skills. Once this is achieved candidates go on to â€Å"battle plans and foreign weapons and take part in combat survival, escape and evasion† (D Squadron 23 SAS (R), Ministry of Defense). Probably the most intense of all th e testing is the final test resistance to interrogation which lasts for 36 hours.By the end of all testing of the 200 candidates there are about 30 who successfully finish. Most candidates drop out after the first several days. United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG) DEVGRU for short was formerly known as SEAL Team Six (ST6) â€Å"is one of the United States four secretive counter terrorism and Special Mission Units† (The iron will of Seal Team 6, 2011, May). Like the UK there is very little public information, because DEVGRU is highly classified. The White House and the Department of Defense offers little or no information on its activities.ST6 was formed after the American hostages at the US Embassy in Iran in 1980 were unable to be rescued. The team came into existence in October of 1980 and an intense effort was made to have it operational within 6 months. ST6 was the Navy’s first counter-terrorism unit. Prior to ST6 existing, SEAL Teams were already training to combat terrorism. â€Å"SEAL Team 6 started SPECIAL FORCES UNITS 4 with 75 shooters†.ST6 had unlimited resources and its funding surpassed the â€Å"entire US Marine Corps† (The iron Will of Seal Team 6, 2011, May). In 1987 ST6 was replaced with DEVGRU, the reason is unknown; however ST6 is still used when referring to DEVGRU. During the development of ST6 time was limited so recruits were hand-picked from their existing Navy Record and a personal interview. The main criteria in this recruiting were combat experience, language skills to communicate with the population where they are placed, the ability to â€Å"blend in as a civilian during an operation; and finally SEAL skills† (The iron will of Seal Team 6, 2011, May).The training was intense with emphasis on â€Å"shooting skills, range firing, close quarters battle (CQB) and stress shooting in a variety of conditions† (The iron will of Seal Team 6, 2011, May). Information concerni ng SEAL units is highly classified and little is known about the recruitment and selection process. Among the things that are known is that all applicants come from regular SEAL teams. It would be safe to assume that again like the UK applicants must be in top physical condition, be well respected within the Naval Warfare Community and have completed multiple deployments.Candidates must be interviewed by a review board to determine if they are suitable. Those who pass this process must attend a six to eight month training course. This course usually starts out with approximately 20 candidates per session, but by the end of the course this number is drastically diminished. During the training candidates are carefully observed to ascertain whether they are â€Å"suitable to join individual squadrons, while â€Å"unsuccessful candidates are returned to their previous assignments† with no possibility of applying again (The iron will of Seal Team 6,2011,May).SPECIAL FORCES UNITS 5 References Combs, C. (2011). Terrorism in the twenty-first century (7th ed. ). Boston, MA: Pearson Publishing D Squadron, 23 Special Air Service Regiment (R). Ministry of Defense. Retrieved from: http://www. armyjobs. mod. uk The iron will of Seal Team 6 – CBS News Video, Cbsnews. com. 6 May 2011 Retrieved from: http://www. cbsnews. com

Learning Agreement Essay

In R Tours, I was assigned in the Inbound Department and I learned a lot from there. One of the main duties in the department is the inbound operation. The inbound operation consists of several tasks. First to create interesting and excellent tour packages, then, promote them locally and internationally and finally handling them. We may receive request or booking by telephone, fax, letter or email from individuals, local and international groups. Most of the time a normal booking will have information on the type of tour package chosen, the length of stay, the number of people and additional services required such as a buffet set up instead of an a la carte menu or providing the welcome drink in the airport instead of the hotel. Normally we reply by thanking the person or the foreign company involves and we include all the necessary information such as the detailed itinerary, the cost of the tour and most important our confirmation for handling the tour. Then we will wait to get a confirmation from them before starting to make all arrangements and preparations. The confirmation includes the date and time of arrival, the flight number if they are arriving by airplane, names plus passport numbers of clients and the rooming list. It is only after receiving the confirmation that we begin to work on arranging and preparing the booking of hotels, restaurants, transportation vehicles, museum tickets and sometimes airlines tickets if they are intend to fly to the south of the country. We also, arrange the visas and prepare the travel insurance. We assign people who are going to take care of the group such as tour leader, tour guide and driver. Then we prepare the reservation forms and we send them to our suppliers. The reservation form includes the services requested and the number of pax and sometimes more information according to the kind of supplier. In a case of a hotel for example, the reservation form will include extra information such as the date of checking in and out, the number and what type of room and type of payment. Suppliers may be hotel, resort, motel, museum, restaurant, theme park, car rental, motor-coach company, a marina, a diving center or anything else. During peak season we have difficulties in getting the right accommodation or some other services that was mentioned in the tour package, in this kind of situation we, must think of an alternative and inform the client about the changes and finally when both of us agree we proceed with the arrangement. The next task is to handle the group from the first day to the last day. The most important rule with the western group is being punctual because they are used to it and they do not like to wait for anything or anybody even from their own group. Make sure everything goes according to the itinerary timing. All the employees and suppliers involve must take this into consideration. In case of lateness they may complaint and even ask for refund for that particular service. All the time make sure that everything is ready in advance. For example, during the arrival day, the tour guide and the motor coach must be present at the airport at least one hour before the plane lands and provide the tour guide with a small board having the name of the group to make it easier for the group to find him. We need to monitor the group every single day and keep in touch with the tour leader. All the international groups have their tour leader and building an excellent communication or relation with him or her is really important because the tour leader is the one in charge of the entire group and he or she plays a very important role to insure that the tour is conducted as planned. Carrying daily briefing with him or her helps to find out what happened the day before and if any change has to be done for the next day. In the department we need to carry meetings to resolve any kind of problem during the tour. I learned to build strong relation with our suppliers to minimize the problem and complications. In the beginning I was facing many problems of getting what I wanted and it used to take days of negotiation before getting it. I realized that certain suppliers such as five star hotels or dine dining restaurants were not responding positively to our request because they were preferring to deal directly with the customers or with reputed tour operator company. According to their opinion, we were not qualified or capable of bringing much business and I was really disappointed by their discrimination and behavior but my personal and communication skills helped me to accomplish whatever I wanted from them. It is sad to realize that they are used to work this way, they don’t easily cooperate with small companies and I needed to win their trust. Finally they decided to really do business with me and everything was working smoothly after that. I think and believe that these hotels or any other suppliers should cooperate and build a better relationship with the small tour operators in order to benefit from each other. I definitely agree that we were not in the same level as those large tour operators such as Z Tours but we proved to these hotels income as well. However, I was pleased that after many months of hard work, we were able to increase the number of bookings with them month after month. During my time spent in R Tours, I learned to better understand the procedure of handling tour packages. Now I am more confident of myself and well prepared due to all the experience that I had acquired while working there. I would like to conclude by saying that inbound operation is about using your capabilities, trying your strength in all the different tasks involves and be able to solve any problem happening during the tour by relating to your learning experience at the work place.