The Journey Of Mahatma Gandhi Religion Essay

The Journey Of Mahatma Gandhi Religion Essay Movie: Gandhi (1982) directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Ben Kingsley in the title role. This movie won 9 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. This movie depicts the journey of Mahatma Gandhi from the sole colored (racial discrimination inflicted on him) practicing advocate in South Africa, who is thrown out of a train at Pietermaritzburg on his refusal to shift to a third class coach while holding a valid first class ticket to the leader using the principles of non-violent resistance on behalf of Indian immigrants to his relocation to his mother land, India and inspiring the millions of fellow citizens by his charismatic leadership skills. The movie also portrays his individuality and relationships with his family, close-associates, friends and leaders of Indian Congress Party. Additionally, the principles followed by Mahatma Gandhi are represented fairly with the right blend of external factors including the British policies, poverty prevalent in rural India and discrimination issues affecting his decisions, outlook and strategies adopted together with the building of his Ashram. Who was Gandhi? Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, bestowed with the title of Mahatma  [1]  (Hindi word for great soul), lovingly called Bapu (Hindi word for father) by his followers, is the Father of nation  [2]  of India, who not only raised his voice for Swaraj (home rule for India) and taught his countrymen to fight against the British empire, but led the world to believe and still follow his principles of truth and non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi was a qualified Barrister, studied law in University College of London, lead a simple life with his wife, Kasturbai Makhanji and four sons, Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas and Devdas. Though a Hindu by birth, he believed in spirituality and not strict adherence to religious beliefs. The dialogue from the movie Gandhi clearly reveals the same: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I will begin with the Bible where the words of the Lord are, Love thy neighbor as thyself and then our beloved Gita which says, The world is a garment worn by God, thy neighbor is in truth thyself and finally the Holy Koran, We shall remove all hatred from our hearts and recline on couches face to face, a band of brothers  [3]  . It is easier to explain the austerity of this great leader by borrowing the condolences of Edward R. Murrow from the 1982 movie Gandhi: ..Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies nor ruler of vast lands, he could boast no scientific achievements, no artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom Guiding principles and followers: Mahatma Gandhi followed the following 11 vows  [4]  throughout his life: non-violence, truth, non stealing, self discipline, non-possession, Bread labor, control of the palate, Fearlessness, equality of all religions, use of only locally made goods and removal of untouchability. These vows were envisaged in his book Yervada Mandir. He was unperturbed by the consequences that could follow on pursuing these principles, which undoubtedly made him the unique leader of East inspiring leaders across the globe, including Martin Luther King and James Lawson, drew from the writings of Gandhi in the development of their own theories about non-violence. Anti-apartheid activist and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, was inspired by Gandhi. Others include Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Steve Biko, Aung San Suu Kyi and Philippine opposition leader during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, Benigno Aquino, Jr.  [5]  The Time Magazine in December, 1999 edition named The 14th Dalai Lama, Lech WaÅ‚Äâ„ ¢sa, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Aung San Suu Kyi, Benigno Aquino, Jr., Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela as Children of Gandhi and his spiritual heirs to non-violence.  [6]   His journey, from a briefless barrister  [7]  in Bombay to the half naked Indian fakir  [8]  to the champion of the cause of non-violence and equality, was full of thorns in the form of assorted problems faced by him as well as roses as the numerous followers. Innumerable writers and leaders world-over have diverse opinion about the greatest spiritual and political leader of India. Whether people follow the principles of Mahatma Gandhi or they loathe him, his immense work cannot be ignored. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. in the year 1955: Christ gave us the goals and Mahatma Gandhi the tactics.  [9]  The person of the century  [10]  Albert Einstein in his condolence message declared that Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood. Johanna Macgeary, a journalist with Time magazine quoted: His generation knew him as a radical political agitator; ours shrugs off a holy man with romantic notions of a pure, pre-industrial life. Further reporting that even his principal adversary, the Afrikaner leader Jan Smuts, recognized the power of his idea: Men like him redeem us from a sense of commonplace and futility.  [11]   The President of USA, Mr. B. H. Obama at the Wakefield High School speech in September 2009, quickly responded to a question posed on him as who was the one person, dead or alive, that he would choose to dine with? as Gandhi!, who he considers his biggest inspiration.  [12]   Leadership style: Leadership is a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.  [13]  There are diverse opinions and theories regarding definitions and classifications of leadership styles. Nevertheless, in the words of Vance Packard Leadership appears to be the art of getting others to want to do something you are convinced should be done. Leadership style is the summation of manner and approach of a leader in providing direction towards the accomplishment of a common task, implementing plans and motivating people. Kurt Lewin  [14]  led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership and established three major styles of leadership  [15]  as: authoritarian or autocratic; participative or democratic and delegative or laissez-faire. Participative leader: Mahatma Gandhi definitely was a participative or democratic leader, who involved the whole team in planning and goal setting, problem solving and emphasised team building; on the other hand, he retained his decision making authority that could not be challenged. Rather than deciding in an autocratic manner, he involved other people in the process, including his subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. Since the political situation then, was dynamic and changing frequently, the required democratic leadership flowed from Mahatma Gandhi. He brought out the best of experience and skill from the fellow Congress leaders, seniors and followers. He had a strong conviction with the right blend of flexibility and chose the appropriate approach to be followed. The communication channels used were open and transparent; and in case of any changes, the strategy was explained unambiguously. Theories of leadership: Various theories have been propounded on the concept of leadership based on varied attributes of a leader including traits, situational interaction, function, behavior, power, vision and values, charisma, and intelligence among others.  [16]   Transformational Leadership: Transformational leadership  [17]  as defined by Burns, is the process of motivating the team by leader to be effective and efficient and engaging their commitments in the context of the shared values and shared vision. It involves relationship of mutual trust between the leaders and the followers. Mahatma Gandhi beyond doubt was a transformational leader. He utilised his communication skills for facilitating and focusing his peers and followers on the final desired outcome or goal attainment. In consonance with Burns analysis, Mahatma Gandhi was highly visible and used chain of command. He focused on the ideal vision of Swaraj Home rule for India, and was surrounded by numerous other leaders who were responsible and accountable for the interim milestones leading to attaining the target. All the four elements of a transformational leader were evident in Mahatma Gandhis leadership: individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation and idealized influence. He attempted to attend to his followers individual needs, acting as their mentor and addressing their concerns. He unconditionally supported his followers and respected their individual contributions. The followers also had aspirations for self development and were motivated towards accomplishing their responsibilities. He was never averse to taking risks and was open to nurturing associates and followers. He articulated a common vision which inspiring not only his followers, but his peers and other contemporary leaders. Leaders with inspirational motivation challenge followers with high standards, communicate optimism about future goals, and provide meaning for the task at hand. Followers need to have a strong sense of purpose if they are to be motivated to act. Purpose and meaning pro vide the energy that drives a group forward. The visionary aspect of leadership are supported by communication skills that makes it precise and powerful. The followers are willing to invest more effort in their tasks, they are encouraged and optimistic about the future and believe in their abilities. 4. Idealized Influence Provides vision and sense of mission, instills pride, gains respect and trust. It involves having a clear vision and a sense of purpose. Such leaders are able to win the trust and respect of the followers. They build a base for future mission, which enables them to obtain extra efforts from the followers. Charismatic Leader Till now we have read about different types of leaders but some times it happens that we are awed by a leader and follow him/her blindly. The personal charm of the person influences us. These types of leaders are known as charismatic leaders. Mahatma Gandhi was also an example of charismatic leader. The charismatic leaders have the ability to carry the masses the them. They have a great deal of emotional appeal. Swami Vivekanand was another charismatic leader. Some characteristicof charismatic leaders are followers accept the leader unquestioningly. followers obey the leader willingly. followers beleif are similar to the leaders beleifs. followers trust the correctness of the leaders beleif. Servant leadership: Contemporary leaders:

1980: Miami Floridabbegin to Rise as the Crime Capital of the Nation Essay

In the 1980s Miami Florida was just beginning to rise as the crime capital of the nation, but it had been the drug capital for a decade. An estimated 70% of Cocaine imported to the U.S passes through South Florida. When president of Cuba Fidel Castro agreed to allow citizens to leave in response to a tough Cuban economy, many of them departed to the United States and landed in South Florida, unfortunately many of those allowed to leave were convicted criminals. Adding these dubious characters into the mix only served to dilute the population of law-abiding citizens, therefore increasing the crime rate in the city of Miami. Cuba wasn’t the only country that was responsible for the increasing crime rate in Miami throughout the 1980s; Colombia was heavily involved in the Cocaine business. From the movie Cocaine Cowboys, John Roberts, Mickey Munday, Rafa Cardona Salazar, Max Mermestein were all drug smugglers. They were in charge of getting the illegal narcotics into Florida. Jon Roberts flooded Miami with over $2 billion worth of cocaine throughout the ’80s. He was also one of the drug traffickers who turned government informant. Roberts operated in the downtown Miami area and was an associate of Medellà ­n Cartel during the growth phase in cocaine trafficking. Soon after he hooked up with Medellin Cartel he began using his own method to ship cocaine into the United States. He began orchestrating plane shipments of hundreds of kilos of cocaine a week. He was associated with Mickey Munday who is the last Cocaine Cowboys left alive. He too was also involved in the cocaine business during that time. Based on the Movie Jon Roberts was kind of like the thinker and Mickey Munday was like the pilot. Jon would think about where to deliver the drug and how to deliver the drug while Mickey on the other hand was the one who flew the drugs into Miami. In September 1986, FBI and Customs offici als busted the the 38 years old trafficker jon Roberts. Columbia is South America’s fourth largest country. It is about 440,831 square miles long and the capital is Bogota with the population of 27 million people. Columbia greatest agriculture crops are coffee, and coca. â€Å"Columbia is one of the world largest producers of the drugs cocaine, and heroin producing 50,900 hectares of coca that they sold 75% to the United States.† (CIA database) Drug dealers and drugs control Columbia and are the new Mafia and gangsters, who smuggle drugs in the United States, and make millions and millions of dollars a year. Smuggling had its greatest growth in the United States during the Prohibition Era. It became a full-fledged business for organized crime like the Mafia who ran Chicago in the 1920’s. The drug dealers of Columbia are the modern day Mafia who used the power of drug money to control the government. The most famous drug dealers were Pablo Escobar, Jorge Luis Ochoa Valquez and Carlos Lehder Rivas, who controlled the drug trades in Columbia and were, at the time, the new Mafia. â€Å"By the year, 1984 the Medellin cartel had controlled 80 percent of the cocaine in the country.† (Alternatives.com) Pablo Escobar was born in a small village of Rionegro seventeen miles outside Medellin. In 1976, police arrested him for possession of thirty-nine pounds of cocaine, but the officers where soon killed and 9 judges refused to hear the case due to death threats. The record disappeared and he was never tried. Soon he was worth over 2 million dollars that he used to buy himself a huge estate near the Magdalena river that included his own private zoo. Pablo Escobar built low cost housing and a hospital to get the people of Medellin on his side. In 1982, he was elected to the congress, which gave him immunity from arrest. On Nov. 18, 1986 charges where brought against Escobar, on bringing 16 tons of cocaine into the United States. The government of Columbia said they would not deport him because they feared for their lives. On, December 2, 1993, a group of military police shot the drug lord on a rooftop in Medellin, Columbia. Jorge Luis Ochoa Vasguez was the son of Fabio Ocheoa Restrepo whose family was cattle breeders until they began trafficking drugs in the mid 1970. In 1981, guerrillas kidnapped Jorge Vasguez sister for ransom. Ocheoa joined with other drug lords including Escobar to form a vigilante group called Muerte a Secuestadores who kidnapped or killed members of the guerrillas until the girl were set free. This caused these three drug dealers to work together and Escobar and Vaguez made a new pact. Jorge Vasguez and the Ocheoa family provided hitmen, guards and death squads that included high ranked military officers. The Ocheoa family also would handle payoffs to police, judges and politicians. Jorge Luis Ochoa Vasquez was arrested by police on November 15,1984 and was going to be deported to the United States. When this news reached Bogota a car loaded with dynamite exploded in front of the US embassy in Bogota killing one and injuring four Colombians. On Aug. 13, 1986, Ochea Vasquez was released. He was arrested again on Nov. 21, 1987 but he was released again on December 30,1987. Carlos Lehder Rivas was born in Michigan and was a car dealer until he deiced to use his money to start a drug smuggling operation bringing drugs out of Columbia. He found a remote landing strip in the Bahamas where he bribed Bahamian officials where drugs would be unloaded and depatched into the United States in many different types of transportation. Soon Carlos was working with the Medellian cartel and would unload 300 kilograms a day making over 300 million a year. He was worth over 2.5 billion dollars and owned over 15 cars, three helicopters, and property all over Columbia. Finally the United States government caught up with him, but he got away because he killed 11 Supreme Court Justices, two newspaper editors in Columbia and 26 other journalists. Finally in 1997 he was arrested and was brought to a cell at the U.S. Penitary in Marion, IL that had a telephone. From his cell he made contact with FBI, and CIA agents who used to work in the cartel. Leder was sentenced to life in prison plus 135 years but the FBI and CIA gave him a deal to help them convict Noriega and cut down 30 years on his prison term. A few years after he testified he mysteriously disappeared from prison. These three individuals are only a few of the individuals who used the cartel to control all levels of the government including the president. President Ernesto Sampler accepted millions of dollars from the Mafia to finance his campaign. He said that the newspaper he wrote had over 10,900 subscribers instead of the 1,000 original subscribers his wife knew about. Also the government tried to destroy drug fields by eradicating coca and opium fields by spraying herbicide glyphosate. The problem is drug traffickers are paying guerrillas $200,000 for every plane that they shot down three times what they get for destroying the fields for the government. The police and military forces in Columbia are too weak and easily bribed by the cartels. The police in Columbia are armed civilians who don’t have the right to vote and don’t have much power and only a policeman can arrest someone under a warrant in Columbia. But since most policemen don’t have much power they are afraid to arrest someone, so the military forces usefully have to get involved in order to arrest someone. The police in Columbia can’t get anything done without the help of the military and neither really knows what the other is supposed to do which causes nothing to get done. The illegal drugs that are smuggled into the United States from Colombia come by many forms of transportation. Nova Scotia, Canada, has been a major drop-off point for illegal cargo since the early 1970s. Police say that to prepare for one drug smuggling operation, a group of criminals based in Nova Scotia bought a fishing vessel and used it just for fishing until long-ti me residents took it for granted. It would make runs in and out for two to three months just for fishing. â€Å"Then it went out on its fishing trip, and instead of bringing back fish, it had hashish and marijuana† (Abadinsky 39). Between 1974 and 1986, police recorded 12 major seizures, including boatloads of hashish and marijuana (Allen 1). Drug smuggling attempts by boat usually involve a â€Å"mother ship,† a cargo vessel lying up to 250 miles off the shore. This vessel will off load a variety of drugs onto smaller fishing vessels, which then transport the drugs to other couriers on shore. Cargo vessels, coming from other countries to the United States have become the newest method in drug smuggling. On June 19, 1992, the captain of the container ship Santa Marta radioed ahead to Jacksonville, Florida, that his ship was experiencing difficulties with its ballast ducts. An alert Customs officer suspected that it was a drug shipment unknown to the captain, and he was right. Forty kilograms of cocaine were discovered by divers in duffel bags secured in the recessed ballast duct by metal wire (Goode 10). The growth of hull attachments has sparked the interest of scientists to design an invention that will detect objects underwater. Drugs are not only smuggled into the country by boats, but are also driven across by cars and trucks. Drug lords sometimes hire one-time â€Å"mules,† or couriers, who pose as vacationers in the Big Bend National Park They hide the drugs in secret compartments in the walls of trailers and motor homes as they camp through the park. Many times the drug dealers will hire or start their own trucking companies. In one incident, cocaine wrapped in grease-smeared plastic had been stuffed into about ten hollow forty-foot steel beams. They were trucked across the country from California to New York. Drugs have been known to be found in hubcaps, spare tires, glove compartments, and in the stuffing of car seats, and ceilings of cars. Also, they have been found packed in metal boxes and hooked by magnets to the underside of the truck without the driver knowing. One of the most recent techniques is through Postal Service Express. Drug dealers will send a certain amount of drugs through the Postal Service Express. They choose the Postal Service Express because it is delivered the next day, it eliminates the middle man, which means that it costs less, it is also very difficult to monitor and harder to stop. After the client receives the drugs, he/she will send money back through Postal Service Express. Although there are many other next day delivery services, Postal Service Express is connected to the United States Post offices. Which means that opening the mail would be a federal offense. Other express package companies do not face the same problem. These companies assume ownership of the parcel as soon as it is handed to them. This means they can open it if they suspect it contains illegal substances. The only way Postal Service Express can detect a drug smuggler is to watch the packages. If the packages are being sent to the same person constantly, and then packages are being sent back to the sender the next day, postal workers might become suspicious and request a warrant. They have to be almost one hundred percent sure that there are drugs inside of the packages to get a warrant. With a warrant they can legally open the package. If the package contains drugs they will deliver it to the person and then make an arrest. Many packages will have probably been sent back and forth carrying drugs and money long before someone suspects something. One of the most risky and dangerous ways drugs are smuggled is through people. Couriers will sometimes carry drugs in false-bottomed suitcases, in the hollowed-out soles of their shoes, taped to their bodies, or sewed into their clothes. Some have even swallowed them. Some people have even swallowed up to two hundred thumb-size latex pellets. T hese carriers are usually desperate people hoping to escape poverty. Others swallow little balls of heroin wrapped in condoms. Each person swallows approximately eighty to one hundred condoms. This method is very dangerous because if the pellet or condom should break open, in most cases it would cause instant death. For example, on May 12, 1993, a thirty year old man from Bolivia was found dead on the plane. When doctors did an autopsy, they discovered seventy eight packages of cocaine. Two of the packages had broken open totaling six hundred and fifty grams in his stomach. Drugs have also been smuggled in electronic components, potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, peppers, coffee, and just about any product. Because of all these techniques, the government has set up the Drug Enforcement Administration. Coastal Watch Programs have been organized around the coast of Nova Scotia. James Parker, head of the program, has been telling the citizens to keep their eyes and ears open for signs of smuggling. On Parker’s wall there is a map of Nova Scotia with clusters of pins showing the locations of two thousand informa nts involved. Each person has a local number to call in case of suspicion. In the case of passengers arriving by air from known drug places, there are customs agents waiting to ask them a few questions at the baggage claim area. Judging by the passenger’s behavior, the tone of their voice, and their actions, the agents decide whether or not they might be carrying drugs. Columbia sends computer passenger lists to Customs agents before aircrafts arrive in Miami. These lists have the names of possible suspects. The police have developed programs that teach officers to stop motorists for small traffic violations and then search legally their cars for drugs. Many innocent people are stopped before one offender is actually caught. Some indicators are an open map on the front seat, a fast-food bag on the floor, or an out-of-state license plate. Police use these as signs because couriers are in a hurry and usually do not know their way around. After all of the efforts to control the drug smuggling, the new North American Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, the United States, and Canada makes things worse. This agreement makes the United States more accessible and convenient for drug traffickers. It will gradually eliminate tariffs on goods traded among the three nations and allow Mexican truckers to drive their rigs anywhere in the United States and Canada with little inspection. The United States and Columbia need to work together instead of blaming each other to stop drug trafficking and the Columbia Mafia. Columbia needs an stronger police force and to use the money the United States is giving them to make busts. Studies have shown that the money has been going to guerrilla forces helping the cortels instead of training the Colombian police. Second both countries have to recognize the supply and demand of the drugs problem. Both countries need to educate their people on the effects of drugs. If the United States lowered the demand on drugs then Columbia would not produce them. Third the Colombian government needs to be tougher on drug dealers and give them harsher sentences. Also Columbia needs new crops to grow and maybe the United States should teach the farms how to gr ow things other then coca. Coca is the major product in Columbia and many farmers do not know what else to plant. Works Cited De Lama, George, â€Å"US. Unable to Take Much of a Bite Out of Drug Traffic from Mexico.† Chicago Tribune. Chicago: Sunday April 17, 1994. Farah, Douglas, â€Å"Columbia Defense Minister Charges Samper with Accepting Drug Money† The Washington Post. Internet: http://thetech.mit.edu/v115/n66/colo.66w.html. Hallihan, Joe. â€Å"Car Searches Latest Tactic in Drug War.† N.S.L.S. Cd-Rom Database Not Given:1991. John, Harvey. â€Å"Cocaine Poisoning.† The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1993. Kirby, Joseph. â€Å"Mail-order Drug Dealers on Fast Track.† Chicago Tribune. Chicago: Thursday March 11, 1993. Moushey, Bill, â€Å"Hunted Down, then Protected.† Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Pittsburgh: May 1996, http:www.gotti.com/pwhunteddown.html. Powell, Morgan. â€Å"The Rifleman.† Chicago Tribune. Chicago: Sunday March 27, 1994. Treaster, Joseph B. â€Å"Nigerian Connection Floods U.S. Airport with Asian Heroine.† New York Times. New York: Feb. 15,1992 â€Å"Drug Production and Transit Countries DEA- Congressional Testimony,† Internet: http:www.alternatives.com/crime/deacert.html#Columbia. â€Å"In Columbia, Jailed Politicians Reveal Power of Trafficking.† CrimeData base, http://www.latinolink.com/news/0612ncol.html. â€Å"Pablo Escobar,† Internet: http://www.alternatives.com/crime/Escobar.html â€Å"Who is the Mob Today,† Internet: http://www.alternatives.com.crime/mobtoday.html. â€Å"Columbia† Internet: http://www.cia.com â€Å"Jorge Vasques†, Crimedata base, Internet: http://www.alternatives.com/crime/cm15.html.

In the Modern World, Image Is Everything

It only takes about seven seconds for a stranger to form a first impression of you. Especially in our modern world, the image we project of ourselves is becoming even more crucial since the increasing openness and inter-connectedness of the world makes it much easier for people to do ‘research’ on who you are. An image is paramount to all levels of society from the individual, to the corporate, to the national. Therefore, image does play a pivotal role in our lives in both the public and private domains. Nowadays, it is rare to find someone who does not have a Facebook profile or a Twitter account.Social networking has become a norm in our world today, with so many people putting up their personal lives on the Internet for anyone to see. What we choose to put on the Internet inevitably forms an image of ourselves that we present to others. This image will be able to make or break you regardless of whether you are in the public spotlight. Almost every celebrity has public ists that help him or her manage their public persona. It is often with their reputations that celebrities are able to land the most well paid jobs.Such employers view the celebrity’s good reputation as one that will be able to most effectively sell a product or a movie. Additionally, the way in which a celebrity manages his or her image when hit with a crisis affects his or her future employment prospects. For example, when Kate Moss was hit the scandal of her being photographed snorting cocaine, she did not do anything that would help fan the flame of the scandal. Alternatively, she continued working hard and producing the beautiful shots that her employers wanted. The scandal did not kill her career, as many would have expected.Moss’ career received a boost instead where she signed lucrative contract with Calvin Klein that effectively doubled her income. Additionally, an increasing number of companies are making use of social networking sites to gather background in formation on prospective employees. Countless people have lost out on amazing job opportunities because they posted pictures of them drunk on their Facebook profiles. This then proves that the image that portray of ourselves has a great impact on our lives in that it can help determine your success or failure in your chosen profession.In the corporate world, many businesses are also starting to realize the importance of the image of the company. Image consultants are being paid thousands of dollars to spruce up a company’s profile, where the company hopes that the better the image it presents the more successful it will become. Marketers and advertisers are also making use of prominent public personalities to help sell their products by making them more attractive to the masses. Given a small business, without a company website can be destroyed as a result of any acerbic comment on the Internet.Potential clients upon doing their research and discovering a bad review of the co mpany’s services will decide to patronize the services of another company instead. The significance of a good public profile is seen clearly in the aforementioned example, whereby a company can falter due to the lack of an image that the fails to showcase to the public. Thus, a positive image presented to the masses can prove to be the deciding factor of whether a company succeeds or fails in the event of a public relations problem, proving that image is indeed everything in the corporate world.On a wider scale, image is also critical to the many nations in the world. Small countries very often want to show the world that it is to be underestimated, while developing countries want to show the world that it is growing into its own and is just as capable. The most explicit examples of this are in the countries that vie to host the Olympic Games. Winning the coveted role of hosting the Olympics is often a great source of national pride for a country whereby it can show the world what it is capable of.The prestige that comes with hosting the Olympics is also immensely substantial thus accounting for the many countries wanting to host the Olympics. Even the first Youth Olympic Games was not spared from the competition between countries to host it. Singapore ultimately won this honour and it was widely celebrated by the government and its people. Almost all of Singapore’s youth were involved in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in one way or another.All were happy to serve their country in any way they could in this grand and prestigious occasion. Another apt example is when China hosted the 2008 Beijing Olympics. China poured billions of dollars into the organization of the Games and spared no expense in ensuring that the Beijing was ready to receive athletes from all around the world. The pride that the Chinese had in the fact that China was hosting the 2008 Olympics was evident in the hundreds of hours of dedicated service that the Chinese selflessly con tributed.Thus, image is of great significance on a national level where countries are able to display what it is made of and can be a source of great national pride. On the other may argue that image is nothing without substance to back it up. Take the example of a customer going to a company for a particular service due to an initial good impression of the company. However, if the company fails to measure up to the image it presents of itself, the customer will be hugely disappointed and will not patronize the services of that company again and might even influence others into avoiding that company.Although one should concede that â€Å"well done is better than well said† as spoken by Benjamin Franklin, the first impression is ultimately one that is more powerful where a good impression often results in good outcomes. Particularly in our modern world where people move so fast that they only have time for first impressions and where the image one presents is one of the most r eliable ways to judge a persons character in such a short time.We have seen in the paragraphs above that image does play a pivotal role in our individual lives, in the corporate world, and on the national level. Despite the fact that actions do speak louder than words and that substance is more important than the image, it cannot be denied that the first impression is often a strong and lasting one. Image is hence essentially everything in our modern world where people are more often than not caught up in flash and superficiality.

The Charities Bill 2005 - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2025 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Law Essay Did you like this example? According to the Charities Bill 2005, s1, which was introduced into the House of Lords on 18 May 2005, the definition of a charity is ‘an institution which is established for charitable purposes only and falls to be subject to the control of the High Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction with respect to charities.’ It goes on to list the a charitable purpose as being for the prevention or relief of poverty, the advancement of education, religion, health or the saving of lives, citizenship or community development, the arts, culture, heritage or science, amateur sport, human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony, environmental protection and improvement, the advancement of animal welfare or the relief of those in need (Charities Bill 2004, s2(1)). A charity, then, is something which seeks to afford some level of aid or assistance to those in need of it through financial means or through action . Despite the long and varied history of the charity, it certainly remains a valid legal concept for the years ahead, all the more so as a result of the clarifying and improving legislation which is going through Parliament currently. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Charities Bill 2005" essay for you Create order The new Charities Bill is the culmination of a rather protracted process of review and consideration of the existing law relating to charities and other not-for-profit organisations. It began in July 2001 when Tony Blair asked his Strategy Unit to carry out a review of the law and regulation of such groups. In September 2002 the SU produced its report which was titled Private Action, Public Benefit. This summarised the current state of the law in relation to such bodies, and made over sixty suggestions to the Government about how the law could be improved. The fact that such a review was seen as being necessary to begin with, and the fact that it identified so many issues requiring attention and change reflects how outmoded the law relating to charities was, and that while charity certainly was still a valid legal concept, with practical ramifications for those institutions granted the title as well as strong public support, large scale review and reform was needed to bring the la w relating to charities up to date. The publication of Private Action, Public Benefit, was followed by a period of public consultation in which a range of interest groups were consulted, for example the Catholic Education Service. This led to the publication, in July 2003, of the Government’s Charities and Not-For-Profits: a Legal Framework. This was a response to the comments of those suggestions and responses the Government had received, as well as an acknowledgement of the fact that they had accepted almost all of the proposals made in Private Action, Public Benefit. It was then that the Government started the process of producing the draft Charities Bill which would later be presented to Parliament. It seems fair to state that the idea of charity is now, perhaps more than ever, a valid legal concept, given new impetus and freedom by the forthcoming legislative changes which will be introduced by the Charities Bill when it becomes law. Charities will be retain many o f the advantages of their charitable status, without the often burdensome aspects of over-regulation. Even a cursory glance at the provisions of the Bill itself, and certainly a more in-depth consideration of the responses of interested parties to the Bill, reveal that the legislation will certainly be adequate in bringing the law of charity into the 21st century. There is nothing new in the concept of charity. Matthews explains that the concept of charity ‘derived from the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, not that of the Chancery.’ He goes on to explain that in order for charity to operate, there is no need for trusts. ‘And many legal systems have well developed laws of charity without recourse to, indeed without any knowledge of, trusts.’[1] Charitable purposes were the subject of statute as long ago as the early seventeenth century. The Charitable Uses Act 1601 listed certain charitable uses, most of which are identifiable in the current definition of cha ritable purposes, or at least are analogous to them. This was adapted by Lord MacNaghten in his four-fold characterisation of what is charitable: ‘Charity in its legal sense comprises four principal divisions: trusts for the relief of poverty; trusts for the advancement of education; trusts for the advancement of religion; and trusts for other purposes beneficial to the community, not falling under any of the preceding heads’ (Income Tax Special Purposes Comrs v Pemsel). This was further amended in 1968, in the case of Scottish Burial Reform and Cremation Society Ltd v Glasgow Corpn, in which Lord Reid stated that the ‘benefit must be of a kind within the spirit and intendment of the [Charitable Uses Act 1601] †¦ Then they [the courts] appear to have gone further, and to have been satisfied if they could find an analogy between an object already held to be charitable and the new object claimed to be charitable.’ This has been, then, an expansion of ‘charity’ by way of analogy. Finally, in the Charity Commissioners Annual Report (1987), the Charity Commissioners state that although bound to follow the route of precedent and analogy, they try to do so constructively and imaginatively’.[2] An earlier attempt to clarify the law relating to charities occurred in 1958 in the Recreational Charities Act. This states that ‘it shall be and be deemed always to have been charitable to provide, or assist in the provision of, facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation, if the facilities are provided in the interest of social welfare.’ Martin describes charitable trusts as being ‘trusts for purposes which benefit the public’, and ‘which on the authority of statute and common law are ‘charitable’.’[3] There are also certain fiscal benefits associated with an institution achieving charitable status. The most significant of these are in relation to tax ation; charities are usually exempt from income tax, capital gains tax, corporation tax, inheritance tax and stamp duty, and can claim an 80% rebate on council tax paid on land they own. The question of whether charity remains a valid legal concept in 2006 turns on the effect of the Charities Bill, which seeks to bring the strands of the development of charities and charitable purposes together. This is a timely piece of legislation, as the development of the charity has been so protracted and piecemeal (the key developments having been highlighted above). Prior to this, the dominant piece of legislation with regard to charities was the Charities Act 1993. While this was a significant piece of legislation, it is the Charities Bill 2005 which will ensure that charity remains a valid legal concept in the years ahead. A significant aspect of the Charities Bill 2005 is that it carries a statement of compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998, made on behalf of Baroness Scotland of Ast hal. This is, of course, mandatory since the passing of the latter Act which gave effect to the European Convention on Human Rights. Another major effect of this Bill is the attention it pays to smaller charities. According to the Directory of Social Change, their principal concern, and something which was addressed in the Bill, was that ‘the legislation should encourage rather than discourage the establishment and success of [smaller] charities.’[4] This is reflected in the fact that prior to this, the Charities Commission over-regulated charities, with the effect that many smaller ones were unable to operate efficiently because of these hindrances. The DSC state give the example of the rule which states that every charity must have an investment policy, even if it has no investments. The new Bill seeks to reduce this inappropriate level of regulation, and will hopefully make smaller charities (of which there are many) easier to operate. The Government, in the new B ill, commissions ‘an independent review of the burden of regulation that grant-making charities face more generally, to ensure that regulation is fair and proportionate.‘ This concern has also been expressed by the Association of Charitable Foundations, the umbrella group responsible for independent grant making charitable trusts and foundations in the UK. In their response to the Standard Information Return Consultation, the group ‘expressed concern about the possible danger of inappropriate over-regulation of grant-making charities.’[5] They go on to register concern that the Charities Commission should ‘act in a way which takes due account of the diversity of the charitable sector, in particular the special position of grant-making charities and small charities.’ in seeking to address these concerns, the new legislation updates the law relating to charities in such a way as to reflect the current state of charitable institutions; that is to s ay, it makes it a less onerous job to establish and run a smaller charity. The Bill is based on the premise that the Commissioner of Charities will have increased powers and responsibilities. It also introduces a new public benefit test for assessing whether an institution is actually a charity. The most significant application of this test will be in relation to independent schools, which have, until now, enjoyed charitable status. In essence, the Bill removes the assumption of public benefit (in particular in relation to independent schools) so that public benefit law will in future be applied to all charities. This is very much a modern addition to the law of charities, and both reflects that charity continues to be a valid legal concept, and that the law relating to charities has been brought into the twenty first century. No longer are people willing to assume that the providers of expensive, exclusive education are deserving of charitable status. According to the Catholi c Education Service, the purpose of the Bill is ‘to provide a more open and accountable regime for all charities and to redefine charities by reference to a more stringent public-benefit test.’ This is confirmed by the Government’s response to the report from the Joint Committee on the Draft Charities Bill. This identifies the Government’s aims for the Charities Bill as being ‘to provide a legal and regulatory framework that will enable all charities †¦ to realise their potential as a force for good in society, to encourage a vibrant and diverse sector, independent of Government, and to sustain high levels of public confidence in charities through effective regulation.’ The aims of the Bill, then, can be seen as a direct response to the concerns of various organisations linked to charities, and as such, the legislation is certainly a positive step in bringing charity legislation up to date. A further development which has been introduc ed in the new Bill is that it recognises, for the first time, the difference between grant-making charities, and other charities that provide services. It also amends the public confidence objective ‘to increase public trust and confidence in charities and to stimulate philanthropy’, a change which the ACF welcomes.[6] The introduction in May 2005 of the new Charities Bill is, then, the culmination of a lengthy review undertaken by this Government of the often confused and inefficient existing law relating to charities and other not-for-profit organisations. The Bill has met with, generally, a good response, and certainly seems to draw together and consolidate the various independent developments of the law in this area. Charities have had an important place in the English legal framework for centuries, and the effect of this new legislation will be to ensure their continued importance and improvement. BIBLIOGRAPHY Statutes Charities Act 1993 Charities Bi ll 2004 Charitable Uses Act 1601 Recreational Charities Act 1958 Cases Income Tax Special Purposes Comrs v Pemsel [1891] AC 531 Scottish Burial Reform and Cremation Society Ltd v Glasgow Corpn [1968] AC 138 Secondary sources Association of Charitable Foundations website Catholic Education Service website Directory of Social Change website Penner, J.E., The Law of Trusts (LexisNexis, 2003) Martin, J.E., Modern Equity (Oxford, 2004) Matthews, P., ‘The New Trust: Obligations Without Rights’, in Oakley (1996) Oakley, A.J., Trends in Contemporary Trust Law (Oxford, 1996) Strategy Unit, Private Action, Public Benefit (2002) Footnotes [1] Matthews, P., ‘The New Trust: Obligations Without Rights’, in Oakley, A.J. (Ed), Trends in Contemporary Trust Law (Oxford, 1996), p1 [2] Quoted in Martin, J.E., The Law of Trusts (LexisNexis, 2003), p495 [3] Martin, p492 [4] DSC website, news archives [5] See Association of Charitable Foundations website [6] See ACF website