Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Reading response - Essay Example In the second pathway, he attempts to analyse and predict the manipulation of behaviour and emotions through the use of pharmacology. The third pathway explores ways in which biotechnology will influence the politics of the future by prolongation of life. The fourth pathway focuses on genetic engineering, which explores the introduction of â€Å"designer babies†, which could bring a number of ethical and technical issues. This paper however makes an analysis of Our Posthuman Future and seeks to explain the implications of Fukuyama’s post-apocalyptic prophecies, their relationship with scenarios presented in (2003, p.556) and their plausibility. Fukuyama makes a consideration of the association of totalitarian states and eugenics and further addresses considerations in religion and finally makes an inspection of utilitarian concerns, his alternative for economic considerations. In the production of designer babies, we are likely to encounter the danger that biotechnology will aid in enforcement of politically correct methods of thinking and feeling. There will also be a surplus of â€Å"zero sum† engineering whereby for instance a person designed to be a faster runner will have no competitive advantage against other designs of faster runners in a race. A progress in the field of genomics leading to the creation of drugs that could alter the generic profile of individuals with minimal side effects(if any at all).This scenario is more likely to happen since as we speak, pharmacologists have come up with energy and pleasure enhancing drugs that are altering the way people behave. Steroids for example are known to enhance performance and change one’s moods. They may cause depression and to others they would feel extremely high, whereas others can feel so down for no apparent reason. In second scenario of stem cell research, we realize that stem cell research is alive and vibrant in places like California

Existentialism Essay Essay Example for Free

Existentialism Essay Essay Ever wonder why we have the term â€Å"free will† or where it originated? People believe that an individual can discover themselves as a person and choose how to live by the decisions they make; well this is where the word existentialism comes into play. Existentialism has been around since the early nineteenth century with Soren Kierkegaard’s philosophical and theological writings which, in the twentieth century, would be recognized as existentialism. The term was first coined by Gabriel Marcel, the French philosopher and later adopted by Jean-Paul Sartre, Friedrich Nietzsche and other philosophers for whom human existence were key philosophical topics; but Kierkegaard is known as the â€Å"Father of Existentialism†. Existentialism proposes that man is full of anxiety and despair with no meaning in his life, simply existing, until he made a decisive choice about the future. That is the way to achieve dignity as a human being. Existentialists felt that adopting a social or political cause was one way of giving purpose to life. Since then, existentialism has been used by writers such as Hamlet, Voltaire, Henry David Thoreau, in Buddha’s teachings, and more. Throughout the years, existentialism has been viewed from various lenses to express different ideas, emotions, as well as to expand the thought process of readers, movie go’ers, and theater lovers everywhere and has been excessively used in Kurt Vonnegut’s anti-war novel Slaughterhouse Five, Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot, and in the movie Inception. Existentialism is a concept that became popular during the Second World War in France, and just after it. French playwrights have often used the stage to express their views about anything going on in the world. There were hidden meanings that were common throughout the period so that plays would be able to pass without being banned or censored. One who wrote best-selling novels, plays and widely read journalism as well as theoretical texts during this period was Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre had been imprisoned in Germany in 1940 but managed to escape and become one of the leaders of the Existential movement in France. Sartre dealt with existentialist themes in his 1938 novel Nausea and the short stories in his 1939 collection The Wall, and had published his treatise on existentialism, Being and Nothingness in 1943, but it was in the two years following the liberation of Paris from the German occupying forces that he and his close associate became internationally famous as the leading figures of a movement known as existentialism. A major theme throughout his writings was freedom and responsibility. One other extremely popular writer and playwright during the same time as Sartre, as well as a close friend, was Albert Camus. In a short amount of time, Camus and Sartre became the leading public intellectuals of post-war France achieving, by the end of 1945, a fame that reached across all audiences. (Existential Primer: Albert Camus) Camus rejected the existentialist label and considered his works to be concerned with facing the absurd. In the Titular book, Camus uses the analogy of the Greek myth of Sisyphus to demonstrate the futility of existence. In the myth, Sisyphus is condemned for eternity by the gods to roll a rock up a hill; when he reaches the summit, the rock will roll to the bottom again. Camus believes that this existence is pointless yet Sisyphus ultimately finds meaning and purpose in his task, simply by continually applying himself to it. For Camus, this related heavily to everyday life, and he saw Sisyphus an absurd hero, with a pointless existence. Camus felt that it was necessary to wonder what the meaning of life was and that the human being longed for some sense of clarity in the world, since if the world were clear, art would not exist. (Existential Primer: Albert Camus) The Myth of Sisyphus became a prototype for existentialism in the theatre and eventually inspired Beckett to write Waiting for Godot. In Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, existentialism manifests itself in a few ways; the frustration of trying to understand the meaning in life, the continued repetition seen throughout the play, and the inability to act. What remains archetypal in Waiting for Godot, concerning the absurdist metaphor is the way in which each character relies on the other for comfort, support, and most of all, meaning. Vladimir and Estragon desperately need one another in order to avoid living a lonely and meaningless life. The two together functions as a metaphor for survival, like the characters that proceed and follow them, they feel compelled to leave one another, but at the same time compelled to stay together. They consider parting, but, in the end, never actually part. Andrew Kennedy explains these rituals of parting saying, each is like a rehearsed ceremony, acted out to lessen the distance between time present and the ending of the relationship, which is both dreaded and desired(57). Therefore, Vladimir and Estragons inability to leave each other is just another example of the uncertainty and frustration they feel as they wait for an explanation of their existence. One of the most prevalent themes in Waiting for Godot is Estragon and Vladimir’s inability to act. When Estragon says â€Å"Let’s go†, Vladimir says â€Å"We can’t†¦ We’re waiting for Godot† (page 7). They are not even sure that Godot will come, or that they are waiting at the right place. Even if he doesn’t come, they plan to wait indefinitely. Even if he doesn’t come, they plan to wait indefinitely. After witnessing Pozzo’s cruelty to Lucky, Vladimir and Estragon are outraged. Yet they are still unable to do anything to improve Lucky’s situation. Pozzo lets Estragon and Vladimir know that they do not have control over their immediate future or even their distant future. When talking about the mysterious twilight, Estragon and Vladimir relate to waiting for Godot. So long as they know what to expect, waiting is their only course of action. Since Estragon and Vladimir can never make a decisive choice about what they want to do or about their future, their life seems to have no meaning.

Implementation of international human rights treaties

Implementation of international human rights treaties I. INTRODUCTION Historically human rights have been seen to hold essentially against the State and society of which one is a member.[1] The implementation and compliance with international human rights treaties and obligations are eventually national issues, and it is the States that are under an obligation under the international human rights treaties to safeguard, uphold, protect, and promote the human rights of individuals within their respective territories. National and domestic mechanisms to protect the human rights of the citizens can take various forms. They primarily consist of the courts, ombudsmen, and the National Human Rights Institutions[2]. The concept of National Human Rights Institutions is a recent development among the mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights[3]. A National Human Rights Institution(hereinafter NHRIs) has been described as â€Å"a body, which is established by a government under the Constitution, or by law or decree, the functions of, which are specially defined in terms of the promotion, and protection of human rights.†[4] Though these institutions are especially intended to protect and promote human rights, they do not take over the role of the courts and the judiciary, legislative bodies, government agencies, political parties or NGOs[5]. They mainly monitor the human rights situation, audit laws, make recommendations, train personnel, educate the public, report to international bodies, hold inquiries. NHRIs can be of various forms, namely Ombudsmen, Hybrid Human Rights Ombudsmen, or Human Rights Commissions.[6] Since the effective protection of human rights necessitates flexible mechanisms that cannot ordinarily be provided within the traditional court system, national human rights institutions, â€Å"with their â€Å"complimentary mechanisms,† have become the much needed â€Å"third force† for the protection and promotion of human rights at the national level.†[7] Further since not all human rights violations are of such degree so as to attract international attention the NHRIs could perform these functions at the national level.[8] In India, the institutional framework for protection of human rights was enhanced when the Parliament enacted the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. It was under the mandate of this Act, that the National Human Rights Commission (hereinafter NHRC) was set up in India on 12 October 1993[9]. This Commission is among one of the first NHRIs established in the South Asian countries and also few among the NHRIs, which were established in the early 1990s.[10] This paper is an attempt to evaluate and assess the role of the NHRCs in protecting and promoting human rights of citizens. The paper begins with a brief history of the events which led to the formation of the National Human Rights Commission. The Paris Principles will be discussed and highlighted in this regard. The second part of the paper will deal with workings of NHRC and how in the recent years, the NHRC has gradually extended its jurisdiction, and have dealt with a wide variety of cases ranging from suggestions for police reforms to rights of disabled, health, rights of mentally challenged, food security, education, rights of minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and internally displaced persons, etc.[11] The next part of the paper will deal with two specific issues the disappearance cases in Punjab and the right to food issue in Kalahandi, which has been successfully tackled by the NHRC. Finally the researcher will probe into the question as to how to further str engthen and increase the effectiveness of the NHRC. II. RESEACRH QUESTIONS What were the background events which led to the creation of the NHRC in India? How the has the jurisdiction of NHRC been expanded over the recent years? How has the NHRC dealt with the cases of ‘disappearance in Punjab and the ‘Right to Food case in Kalahandi? III. CREATION OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN HIGHTS COMMISSION IN INDIA For several years, the United Nations (hereinafter UN) has been vigorously trying to promote independent and effective human rights institutions, after recognizing that this may be the best way to ensure respect for human rights within the domestic sphere.[12] In the 1990s the UN strongly advocated the establishment of NHRIs, and encouraged the strengthening of the existing NHRIs. In 1991, the first major international meeting on this issue, took place in the Workshop on National Human Rights Institutions held in Paris[13], where the Principles relating to the Status of National Institutions (or the Paris Principles)[14] were adopted. The Paris Principles, subsequently endorsed by the UN Commission on Human Rights[15] and the UN General Assembly,[16] sets out the minimum criteria for the effective functioning of the NHRIs.[17] It calls for the establishment of independent commissions to protect human rights, and it has become the benchmark against which national human rights institut ions are measured. [18] The Paris Principles prescribe seven important principles which aim at creating independent and credible NHRIs. According to the Paris Principles, a NHRI must be: independent of the Government, with such independence guaranteed either by statutory law or constitutional provisions; be pluralistic in their roles and membership; have a broad mandate, which could collectively protect and monitor the implementation of human rights through various means, including recommendations and proposals concerning existing and proposed laws and policies; have adequate powers of investigation, capacity to hear complaints and transmit them to the competent authorities; be characterized by regular and effective functioning; be adequately funded and not subject to financial control, which might affect their independence; and be easily accessible to the general public.[19] Discussions surrounding the establishment of a NHRI in India dates back to 1991 India. Throughout the late 1980s India faced politically turbulent times, for the nation, especially Kashmir, Punjab and Assam was engulfed in a powerful wave of foreign-funded terrorist violence, which resulted in a severe loss of human life and property.[20] In order to combat these insurgency and secessionist movements which were gaining ground, the Indian Government deployed the army, the paramilitary, and the Border Security Forces, and enacted the draconian Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987, that vested vast powers in the police.[21] The giving of sweeping powers to the police resulted in the rise of state-sponsored terrorism. The police flagrantly caused grave violations of human rights, indiscriminately, victimizing innocent persons.[22] This resulted in international outcry and ‘scathing reports were submitted by the Amnesty International and Asia Watch manifesting that abuses including torture, rape, custodial deaths, and disappearances committed by state security agents were actual and endemic[23]. The Government of India was heavily criticized for failing to punish the guilty and establishing a credible mechanism to monitor the situation and punish the guilty. [24] BILL CLINTON Apprehending indictment from the international community and a resultant fall-out with international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the Congress government, led by Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao, and initiated discussions on establishing a National Human Rights Commission[25]. On 16 March 1992, the then Home Minister, Mr. S. B. Chaban stated that the goal of the proposed human rights commission was to â€Å"counter the false and politically motivated propaganda by foreign and Indian civil rights agencies†[26]. Further, Mr. V.N. Gadgil, the then official spokesperson of Congress (I) added, that the findings of the NHRC â€Å"will act as correctives to the biased and one-sided reports of the NGOs. It will also be an effective answer to politically motivated international criticism.†[27] Hence it is evident that prior to the formation of the NHRC the government had sought to utilize it to deter the criticisms by international community, instead of trying to create a mechanism for better protection of human rights. Many commentators labeled this initiative as an endeavor to counter the criticisms over Indias refusal to give access to international human rights groups for conducting research missions in various parts of India.[28]. It is in the midst of these criticisms that the President of India promulgated an Ordinance on September 28, 1993 providing for the creation of a National Human Rights Commission, human rights commissions in Indian states, and human rights courts. The NHRC came into effect on 12 October 1993 by virtue of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. [29] IV. EXPANSION OF THE JURISDICTION OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS The National Human Rights Commission of India was constituted â€Å"for the better promotion of human rights and for matters connected therewith or thereto.†[30] It is a statutory body, having an independent and autonomous character, and is vested with powers, duties, and functions. Indeed over the past 17 years the Commission has endeavored to give a positive meaning and a content to the objectives set out in the Protection of Human Rights Act. It has moved vigorously and effectively to use the opportunities provided to it by the Act to promote and protect human rights in the country.[31] The Protection of Human Rights Act is divided into 8 chapters consisting of 43 Sections. Special powers are conferred to the NHRC under Section 10(2), according to which the Commission shall regulate its own procedure.[32]According to Section 3 the Commission shall consist of five members, three of whom should be from the judiciary and two from amongst persons having knowledge of, or practical experience in, matters concerning human rights. Selection of chairperson and members of the Commission is made on the recommendations of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Speaker and leader of the opposition in the House of the People and Deputy Chairman and leader of opposition in the Council of States. The Commission has various powers like inquiring suo motu against any public servant[33], intervening in any court proceedings involving allegations of a human rights violation provided the court approves of the intervention[34], monitoring prison or custodial practice and visiting any jail or any other similar institution[35] and making recommendations to State governments based on such visits. The Commission has the power to review the safeguards provided under the Constitution or any law relating to the protection of human rights[36], and review cases pertaining to terrorism, as well as to recommend appropriate remedial measures[37]. Section 12(f) empowers the commission to make recommendations for their effective implementation of international human rights treaties. While Section 12(g) provides for the promotion of research in the human rights field, Section 12(h) empowers the Commission to spread human rights literacy amongst various sections of the society, and to promote awar eness through publications, the media, seminars and other available means; It can also encourage efforts of NGOs working in the field of human rights[38], and can perform any other functions which are deemed necessary for the promotion of human rights. The role of the Commission is complementary to that of judiciary. On various occasions the Supreme Court has referred important matters to the Commission, while on the other hand the Commission has also taken specific cases of violation of human rights to the Courts. This complementary role of the National Human Rights Commission and the judiciary in India is an illustration of ‘best practice†.[39] Section 2 (d) of the Act defines â€Å"human rights† as â€Å"rights relating to life, equality, and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India†. Thus it is evident that the law requires the NHRC to give more importance to civil and political than on social and economic rights.[40] However, the Commission has not limited its jurisdiction to only civil and political rights, but has expanded its jurisdiction and has dealt with wide variety of cases. Initially the efficacy of NHRC and the force of its recommendations within the limitations of its jurisdiction were doubted. It was thought that the Commission could make recommendations only with respect to matters within its jurisdictions. However, after 17 years of the functioning of NHRC belied these apprehensions[41]. The Commission has acquired high visibility and it has been identified as the major institution preserving the huma n rights culture in the country. It has constantly sought to interpret its powers and functions under the Act as expansively as possible keeping in mind its over-arching responsibility to protect the human rights of the people.[42] Since its inception, the Commission had started receiving numerous complaints with respect to violation of human rights by the police. The commission has intervened in cases on police reforms pending before the Supreme Court. It has dealt with cases regarding police administration and has set up a Police Complaint Authority in the office of the Director General of Police in each state in order to have a general oversight of the conduct of the police officials.[43] It has also given serious attention to improving the prevailing conditions in the jails, and about the conditions of the under trials, and mentally ill persons in prisons. With respect to the issue of custodial violence and urged people to report cases of custodial deaths, rapes etc, including those involved in the army and para-military forces should be reported to the Commission immediately.[44] The Commission is of the view that only realizing that political freedom would not be purposeful for the teaming millions of people who suffer from poverty and social evils unless economic, social and cultural rights are assured to them, the Commission, during the past few years has made serious efforts towards realization of economic social and cultural rights.[45] Since 1994, the Commission has been advocating for the right to free and compulsory education to all children until they complete the age of 14 years. The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, which was passed in 2002, mandates that ‘the State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine. It has also been actively involved in the drafting of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and soon after its adoption by the UN General Assembly, the Commission commended it to the Government of India for ratification, which has since been done. According to Article 33 of that Convention the Commission has initiated follow up action, and held regional workshops to spread awareness to various stakeholders about the provisions of the Convention. [46] Further, the Commission has also dealt with the right to Health and the need for Quality assurance in Mental Hospitals and prote ction of the rights of mentally ill. The Commission recommended compulsory rural attachment for the doctors and having nurse practitioners to resolve the issue of manpower.[47] On the direction of the Supreme Court, the Commission has been also supervising the enforcement of administration of laws against bonded laborers in various States. This involvement of the commission at the instance of the Supreme Court is an illustration of strategic alliance between the two institutions in securing human rights of the vulnerable.[48] Further, it has also taken care of the rights of those who are affected adversely by natural calamities. For example in the aftermath of the Orissa Super-cyclone, in 1999, the Commission had suo-motu taken cognizance of the situation, and made recommendations to the State Governments to ensure that the human rights of the marginalized groups -widows, orphans, tribals, destitutes are protected[49]. Commission took suo-motu cognizance of the communal violence which broke out broke out in the State of Gujarat on February 27, 2002 and has been seized of the issue since then. In 2003, the Commission filed a Special Leave Petition in the Sup reme Court to enforce â€Å"the right of fair trial† for all and a petition for transfer of nine serious cases for trial outside the State of Gujarat. [50]The intervention of the Commission has resulted in the transfer of some serious cases to outside Gujarat, reopening and retrial in significant cases and conviction of the guilty persons in ‘Best Bakery and Bilkis Bano cases[51]. Based on the Commissions efforts and advice, India has signed the Torture Convention, and has also signed and ratified two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It has been advocating for the ratification of the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Torture Convention. Further it has also been advocating for a National Law on Refugees.[52] The Commission has also constituted a Working Group and an Advisory Committee including representatives of various departments of the Government, NGOs, and eminent lawyers to prepare a National Action Plan for Human Rights in 2006. The Working Group is focusing on areas like education; criminal justice system including police, prosecution court etc.; rights of vulnerable groups like women, children, bonded labourers, dalits, tribals, minorities, disabled and the elderly. Issues like right to food, water, health and environment, and righ t to social security globalization and human rights are also being dealt with by the Commission.[53] There has hardly been any aspect of economic, social and cultural rights which has not been dealt with by the Commission be it right to food, right to clean drinking water, right to shelter, right to health, right against discrimination, right to clean drinking water, right to shelter, right to against discrimination, right to health, right to a clean environment. Again they have dealt with rights of women, children, bonded labour, displaced persons, denotified and nomadic tribes, members of minorities group and those challenged with disability. V. DISAPPEARANCE CASES IN PUNJAB AND THE RIGHT TO FOOD CASE IN KALAHANDI: Since its inception in 1993, the Commission has dealt with various cases, some of which has been referred to by the Supreme Court, while some others, which the Commission has taken up suo motu. It has acted effectively to use the opportunities provided to it by the Protection of Human Rights Act to promote and protect human rights in the country. Among the important cases which were dealt by the Commission, the disappearance cases in Punjab and the right to food case in Kalahandi, Orissa are discussed below. A. PUNJAB MASS CREMATION AND THE DISAPPEARANCE CASES IN PUNJAB: During the 1980s, Punjab experienced a long insurgency marked by routine battles between insurgents and state forces[54]. From 1984 to 1994, thousands of persons in Punjab â€Å"disappeared† and were believed illegally ‘cremated as part of a brutal police crackdown to suppress insurgency outbreaks in the state.[55] Police counter-insurgency efforts involved cruelty, torture, forced disappearances, and a system of cash rewards for the summary execution of alleged Sikh militants. There were numerous instances of police abuses and there was no absolutely effort to account for these of forced disappearances and summary killings. The disappearance of young men suspected of being either being terrorists, or having links with terrorists, became persistent and incidents like enforced disappearances and mass cremations in Punjab continued to take place, resulting in the death of many innocent and ordinary civilians.[56] It is to be noted that international law requires that State s investigate all cases of forced disappearances in which State liability is at issue, and obliges the state to conduct thorough investigations of all allegations of forced disappearances and to provide a remedy to the victims. Hence, India was obligated under international law to investigate all cases of alleged disappearances across Punjab.[57] In 1994, Jaswant S. Khalra, Chairman of the Human Rights Wing of the Akali Dal, and Jaspal S. Dhillon, then General Secretary of the Wing, responding to the reports of mass disappearances took initiatives to investigate the alleged illegal cremations conducted by the Punjab Police between 1984 and 1994 in three crematoria in Amritsar district.[58] After publicizing their findings, Khalra, filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Khalra to investigate these mass cremations. However, since the High Court dismissed his petition on grounds of vagueness, and absence of sufficient proof, Khalra moved to the Supreme Court[59]. Two writ petitions[60] were filed before the Supreme Court, which prayed that the State should be held liable for the flagrant violation of human rights and the mass secret cremations. The Supreme Court after examining a report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pointed out that the report stated that almost 585 dead bodies were fully identified, 274 were partially identified, and 1238 were unidentified.[61] On 12 December 1996 the Court requested the NHRC to examine the matter in accordance with law and determine all issues relating to the case.[62] While the case was pending before the Supreme Court, the police abducted Khalra. The Supreme Court ordered the CBI to investigate the abduction and under Article 32 of the Constitution, gave the NHRC an open order to investigate disappearances the NHRC to investigate allegations of mass illegal cremations in Punjab on 12th December 1996[63]. Though the case is still pending before the Commission for final consideration, the Commission has recommended compensation of Rs. Two lakh fifty thousand to each of the next of kin of 195 deceased identified to be in the custody of police and Rs. One lakh seventy-five thousand to each of next of kin of 1103 identified persons whose dead bodies were cremated by the police, amounting to Rs. 24,27,25,000.[64] Compensation is granted based on the jurisprudence developed by Indian courts relating to legal standards for remedial, reparatory, punitive, and exemplary damages for human rights violation.[65] It further acknowledges that monetary or pecuniary compensation is a proper, effective and sometimes maybe the only remedy for redressing the infringement the basic human rights of a citizen by public servants and the State. [66] According to the Commission, the claim of citizens who are affected is based on the principle of strict liability, where the citizen must invariably receive comp ensation, and the defense of sovereign immunity is not available[67]. B. KALAHANDI AND RIGHT TO FOOD CASE IN ORISSA: The NHRC has since long maintained that right to food is inherent to living a life with dignity. It has also expressed that right to food includes nutrition at an appropriate level. [68] Since December 1996, the Commission has been dealing with complaints alleging starvation deaths in Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi districts of Orissa. The case started in 1996 when the when the Commission took cognizance of a letter from Mr., Chaturanan Mishra, the then Union Minister of Agriculture, with respect to deaths caused by starvation after the drought in the Bolangir district of Orissa.[69] On December 23rd, 1996, under Article 32 a writ petition was filed by the Indian Council of Legal Aid and Advice and others, before the Supreme Court. In the petition deaths by starvation was alleged and that it continued to occur in certain districts of Orissa. [70]On 26th July 1997, it was pointed out by the Supreme Court, that since the matter had been seized with the NHRC and the NHRC was likely to deliver a direction in this case, the petitioner should approach the Commission.[71] The Commission acted immediately and prepared interim measures for a two-year period. Further it requested the State Government of Orissa to constitute a Committee for inspection of all aspects of the land reform question in the affected districts.[72] For monitoring the progress of implementation of its directions, a Special Rapporteur was also appointed. The Commission came to the conclusion that starvation deaths reported from some pockets of the country were most certainly as a result of the consequence of mis-governance resulting from acts of omission or commission on the part of public servants. [73] It was firmly stated that ‘to be free from hunger is not only a fundamental right of the citizens of India, but is also a basic human right[74]. Starvation, hence, results in a gross denial and violation of this right. In order to ensure quality execution of Right to Food, the Commission has recommended setting up of Committees which would monitor the access and availability of food grains to the most vulnerable sections of the society.[75] After organizing a meeting with the leading experts on the issue of right to food, in January 2004, Commission approved the constitution of a Core Group on Right to Food. [76] This Core Group will have the power to advice on issues referred to it and also suggest appropriate measures, which can be undertaken by the Commission.[77] It has also issued the guidelines on the constitution and functioning of such committees to all the State governments and the Central Ministries.[78] If these committees are implemented in a proper manner, they can act as Watch Committees, paving the way for a ‘hunger free India. Further the Commission has also drafted a National Action Plan on Right to Food, and is also seriously monitoring malnutrition in Maharashtra.[79] The manner in which the Commission has dealt with the above two cases, has firmly established that in India, both the courts and the Commission are beginning to treat the economic, social and cultural rights are being treated at par with civil and political rights. India is the few countries in the world to have accorded justiciability of economic, social, and cultural rights.[80] VI. CONCLUSION Though every nation has its own priorities and goals to achieve, there are certain minimum standards which they are expected to fulfill, in order to meet their international human rights obligations and the larger world order. The Paris Principles, adopted by the General Assembly is the edifice on which national human rights institutions have been set up. A free and fully autonomous national institution is the best guarantor for the protection of human rights within the domestic sphere and the National Human Rights Commission of India is fully conscious of the same. It is evident from the preceding sections that with the advent of National Human Rights Commission, human rights protection has taken a leap in India. Inspite doubts about the Commissions independent functioning, it has surprised both the domestic and international community with its decisive and credible actions. The Commission, ever since its inception, has always tried to expand the reach of its jurisdiction, and has b een seriously engaged in the protection of economic and social rights. It has dealt with number of issues like right to food, right to clean drinking water, right to shelter, right to health, right against discrimination etc. However, there are areas where there are avenues for improvisation. The Commission must be able to provide concrete remedies to the hapless victims, and must be vested with explicit powers of prosecuting delinquent public servants in case it finds sufficient evidence of violation human rights. Further it must also be empowered to refer any person for prosecution who for no reason obstructs the functioning of the Commission. This will provide teeth to the system.[81] It is only then that the Commission will be able to investigate cases in a proper manner. Given the fact that the task of protecting and preserving the human rights in the India is task of huge magnitude, the Commission needs to prioritize its work if it seeks to be an effective institution. Hence the Commission needs to identify concrete goals, methodologies which could help them in attaining and accomplishing their goals. Also there is a need to set time-frames within which the goals are to be met. Further, since the implementation of the recommendations of the Commissions by the government is vital to the Commissions success, there should be a â€Å"statutory ensurement† that the NHRCs recommendations will be faithfully considered by the government[82]. Hence the Commission should be vested with enforceable powers to ensure that its decisions and recommendations are implemented. It is only then that the Commission can truly become and remain an effective agent for promoting and protecting human rights of teeming millions. V. BIBLIOGRAPHY PRIMARY SOURCES Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 Principles Relating to the Status of National Institutions (or the Paris Principles) Punjab Mass Cremation Order, 19 April 2005 National Human Rights Commission of India, Report from Forum Members presented by Dr. Justice Shivaraj V. Patil, 1st August 2006 Amnesty International Report, India: Torture, Rape, and Deaths in Custody, AI Index: ASA 20/006/1992, 1992. SECONDARY SOURCES BOOKS AND JOURNALS Abul Hasnat Monjurul Kabir, Establishing National Human Rights Commissions In South Asia: A Critical Analysis Of The Processes And The Prospects, Asia-Pacific Journal On Human Rights And The Law, 2001, Volume 2, Number 1, 1-53. Anne Smith, The Unique Position of National Human Rights Institutions: A Mixed Blessing?, Human Rights Quarterly 28 (2006) 904-946. B.P. Singh Sehgal, Human Rights in India: Problems and Perspectives, New Delhi, 1st ed., 1999. C. Raj Kumar, National Human Rights Institutions: Good Governance Perspectives on Institutionalization of Human Rights, 19 Am. U. Intl L. Rev. 259, 2003 C.J. Nirmal, Human Rights in India: Historical, Social, and Political Perspectives, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 3rd ed., 2004. Dr. Ashwini and Kataria, Law Relating to the Protection of Human Rights, Orient Publishing Company, 2nd ed., New Delhi, 2005. Jaskaran Kaur, A Judicial Blackout: Judicial Impunity for Disappearances in Punjab, India, 15 Harv. Hum. Rts. J. 269. Justice J.S. Verma, The New Universe of Human Rights, Universal Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd, Delhi, 2004. M. Kumar Sinha, Implementation of Basic Human Rights, Manak Publications, New Delhi, 1999. Mohd. Shabbir, Quest for Human Rights, Rawat Publications, New Delhi, 1st ed., 2005. Performance Legitimacy: National Human Rights Institutions, SSRN BOOK Sankar Sen, Human Rights and Law and Enforcement, Concept Publishing Co., New Delhi, 1st ed., 2002. Vijayashri Sripati, Indias National Human Rights Commission: A Shackled Commission?, 18 B.U. Intl L.J. 1, 2000. INTERNET SOURCES: Andrew Byrnes, Andrea Durbach and Catherine Renshaw, Joining the club: the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, the Paris Principles, and the advancement of human rights protection in the region, http://ssrn.com/abstract=1397466. Dr Subhash C Jain, The Commonwealth and Human Rights: An Indian Perspective, Commonwealth Law Bulletin, 1999 available at www.rcs.ca/colloquium/Jain.doc (Last visited on March 31, 2010) Excerpts from NHRC India Paper for Universal Periodic Review, available at, http:/

Neo Nazi Skinheads :: essays research papers

Skinheads are a subdivision group of Neo-Nazis. During the late 1960s, skinhead groups organized in Britain. By the 1970s, the British National Front (NF)-the Nation Socialist Party- began to infiltrate skinhead groups. They espoused nationalism, and often staged protests against nonwhite immigration. The trend spread to other countries including the United States, and Canada. Today, skinhead groups in North America are known by such names as Hammerskins, Fourth Reich Skins, League of Aryan Warriors, and American Front.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These racist skinheads, who are known for their shaved heads and membership in hate groups, have been responsible for many violent acts. According to Merton’s anomie theory, they exhibit the fifth adaptive strategy, which is rebellion. They reject society’s goals and replace them with their own deviant goals and means.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The skinheads subscribe to Nazi beliefs, as outlined in the 1920s by the German dictator Adolf Hitler. The new Nazis (or Neo-Nazi skinheads) have formed groups or alliances with other â€Å"radical far-right people†. Radical far-right people refer to those who favor a society with one language, religion and way of life. They are often antigovernment, and usually oppose a pluralistic society. A pluralistic society is a society with people from many different language backgrounds, religions and lifestyles. Neo-Nazi groups are made up of people who despise those different from themselves. However, they often claim that those who oppose them are the ones full of hate. They also say their critics will not listen to reasonable arguments about Nazi views. Yet, their so-called reasonable arguments are usually based on partial truths or outright falsehoods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their philosophy is to hate everybody else that is not of the â€Å"Aryan race†. They believe that they are doing nothing wrong and they are just proud of their race and their culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The normal thing for a skinhead to do is drive down the street, and look for â€Å"anybody that was different†; blacks Hispanics, etc. They would then throw things such as beer bottles, and yell at the person, and if the person yelled back, it gave them a right to brutally beat them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Members of the white supremacy movement look for young, angry kids who need a family. Since the early 1990s, neo-Nazi skinheads have attempted to lure new members through music. There are people who recruit people, mostly teenagers into the Neo-Nazi movement. They mainly target junior high schools in particular and instigate fights between white and non-white kids. Neo Nazi Skinheads :: essays research papers Skinheads are a subdivision group of Neo-Nazis. During the late 1960s, skinhead groups organized in Britain. By the 1970s, the British National Front (NF)-the Nation Socialist Party- began to infiltrate skinhead groups. They espoused nationalism, and often staged protests against nonwhite immigration. The trend spread to other countries including the United States, and Canada. Today, skinhead groups in North America are known by such names as Hammerskins, Fourth Reich Skins, League of Aryan Warriors, and American Front.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These racist skinheads, who are known for their shaved heads and membership in hate groups, have been responsible for many violent acts. According to Merton’s anomie theory, they exhibit the fifth adaptive strategy, which is rebellion. They reject society’s goals and replace them with their own deviant goals and means.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The skinheads subscribe to Nazi beliefs, as outlined in the 1920s by the German dictator Adolf Hitler. The new Nazis (or Neo-Nazi skinheads) have formed groups or alliances with other â€Å"radical far-right people†. Radical far-right people refer to those who favor a society with one language, religion and way of life. They are often antigovernment, and usually oppose a pluralistic society. A pluralistic society is a society with people from many different language backgrounds, religions and lifestyles. Neo-Nazi groups are made up of people who despise those different from themselves. However, they often claim that those who oppose them are the ones full of hate. They also say their critics will not listen to reasonable arguments about Nazi views. Yet, their so-called reasonable arguments are usually based on partial truths or outright falsehoods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their philosophy is to hate everybody else that is not of the â€Å"Aryan race†. They believe that they are doing nothing wrong and they are just proud of their race and their culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The normal thing for a skinhead to do is drive down the street, and look for â€Å"anybody that was different†; blacks Hispanics, etc. They would then throw things such as beer bottles, and yell at the person, and if the person yelled back, it gave them a right to brutally beat them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Members of the white supremacy movement look for young, angry kids who need a family. Since the early 1990s, neo-Nazi skinheads have attempted to lure new members through music. There are people who recruit people, mostly teenagers into the Neo-Nazi movement. They mainly target junior high schools in particular and instigate fights between white and non-white kids.

Food Street Reaction Paper Essay

I. Introduction Serving different kind of foods all around the Asia is what the food street is in ISHRM. Students with culinary subject prepare different kinds of food which different countries specialized. Arranging different stalls depending on what country they have been assigned and being like from that country from their clothes is what they do next. And then ofcourse they will serve it to all the students and faculty of the school. This tradition made culinary students prepared cooking and serving different dishes with different plating which will attract people to eat their foods. This made students be competitive in cooking their best. Sharing is the meaning of the food street as for what I see. Having people walking around the place and seeing what the foods are in other country shared some information to everyone. Giving knowledge, being competitive, giving foods, be fair, and to give enjoyment is what food street for me is. II. Reaction A great food street, that’s what came in my mind for my first intramural in ISHRM. Though I have been experience having sport fest as part of the intramural from my last school, it’s my first time to attend in some organize celebration like a food street. Actually I never wanted to attend in it from the first; I thought that it will be such a waste of time for I can eat at home. But since I needed it for my subject I decided to go. As I came I was surprised that people are really that busy. They are all competitive. Though students are being everywhere, it is not easy for it to be organized. I am disappointed that it takes too long for it to be started. It’s good that my friends were there. I enjoyed talking to them as we wait for the food serving. Since I wanted to eat early the business administration students in first year level was perfect having their small stall and selling gulaman and melon which taste so good. From my sister and brother who are student of ISHRM from 2010 I heard that food street is giving foods which came from the culinary students, other that I don’t have any idea about what will happen. I don’t expect that the school is really paying attention and prepared for the celebration, though time is not part of it. From 4:00 pm which they said that it will be started, for me it starts at 6:00 pm, I didn’t recognize the judging of the foods which I didn’t saw. And I even didn’t hear the opening speech of the school administrator. I also didn’t saw the theatro dancing because of overcrowded place. Being in the hallway before the canteen we are really surprise about the fireworks which we enjoy. I don’t expect that the school have a lot of fireworks for the intramural celebration. But for me, it’s good that they do the fireworks first before serving foods. It made the students who are waiting for too long have their good moods again. After the fireworks we didn’t know where we should go next and what we should do. Since we are already in the hallway going to the stalls my friends and I decided to divide ourselves for us to save time. Some of us wait for the line for the drinks and some of us look for the line which we should be going for our food. As we saw the right line, we get our foods together with the foods of our other friends. And as we went to the pavilion our drinks were already there and we gave the other foods for them as change for our dinks. III. Recommendation Time management is really what I wanted to recommend first. Let their students know what the time it will start and don’t let their students waiting there for too long. They should also try to look for other bigger place for the celebration. It will be nicer if there are tables and chairs for the next venue of the food street. They should still have the foods prepared in a box so that it will be easier to distribute. They should write to the stub the name of the country so that students will not going to walk and walk all around looking for their line. The foods were not that so good but maybe I am not that type of person who likes to eat foods of other countries. I also saw that serving foods are not fair because two of our friends told us that there dot have rice in their box. And since there is only one food to be assigned for every student, we didn’t know which will be best. I think they should put one food for each country in one box. And if there will be rice, all the box should also have the same contain.

The Effects of Neuromarketing in Consumer Behavior

Neuromarketing helps many companies and academics to understand how the neurons in our brains behave in such a way that stimulates and influences our desire to consume products from a particular brand. The purpose of my research was to find out what influences my buying decisions referencing the book Buy-ology by Martin Lindstrom, which talks a about a Neuromarketing study that used 2,000 volunteers from around the world and related to the concepts learned in Consumer Behavior class. A personal consumption Journal is an excellent source of information that describes in detail my personal consumption experiences helping me to be more attentive of my consumer habits when marketers try to influence my judgment towards a product. The journal of Stephen J Gould states that â€Å"introspection involves the provision of verbal data about one’s own experiences that are consciously available only to oneself†. The data I collected with my journal was important and useful because it gave me the opportunity to compare the findings of Lindstrom with my personal experiences as an active consumer of a capitalist society. The journal was a challenging task for me because it took me a long time to be adapted to maintain up to date the log, eventually it became a routine. My consumer journal revealed that I was constantly seduced by companies to buy more products of their brand using my sensory receptors to attract my attention. An example was Victoria secret, my favorite lingerie and beauty store that seduce me to enter the store with an appealing smell and a mannequin wearing beautiful lingerie. Once you walk into the store there is a feeling of privacy and comfort. A quote from my Journal says â€Å"the lovely smell and texture of the Victoria secret cream increase my desire to come back and buy more products†. I immediately related my experience with the concept learned in class about sensation which is the instant reaction of the sensory organs to a stimulus. Companies try to create unique scents for their products in order to remain in the mind of the shoppers. One example is the Johnson and Johnson’s baby cream that just by a quick smell of the product; you will be immediately transported to your childhood memories. Lindstrom states that these kinds of associations are why companies use the mell of vanilla which is found in breast milk. An experiment carried out by a clothing store revealed that when the vanilla scents were sprayed across the women’s department, sales of the female merchandising increase in high numbers. Today companies are more frequently adopting the Sensory branding because if the consumer perceives a enjoyable scent with an attractive and seductive product, we are more likely to remember the product making it easy to the company to stay in your subconscious. Many companies around the world are using Neuromarketing to meet success in launching their new product. One example is Christian Dior, which scanned its new perfume J’adore to a series of FMRI studies to determine its ad placements in the market. As a result, they gathered a great success in selling their perfume J’adore and coincidentally having me as one of their loyal consumer. Neuroscience is so powerful that can even determine by brain scans how much a consumer is willing to pay for a good or service. Lindstrom conducted a series of studies on how a consumer perceives prices and if it had an influence on the decision of buying the product. He says â€Å"When subjects view luxury products such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci being sold at full price, both the nucleus accumbens and the anterior cingulated light up, showing the pleasure of anticipatory reward mixed with the conflict about buying such an expensive doodad. But when consumers are shown the same products at a significant discount, the â€Å"conflict† signal decreases as the reward activation simultaneously goes up† (Lindstrom, 2008, 197). In my log, I wrote my experience when buying a dress for a special dinner I had in October. I went to the Guess store to try to find the perfect outfit for my special occasion, all the merchandise I liked was at retail price so I decided to go to Macys and look in the guess section for my surprise the dress I wanted in guess was priced at 25% off at Macys. In my mind the price of the dress persuade me to buy the item thinking that I was getting a good deal. The study of Lindstrom and my personal experience was a clearly example of reference prices which is the price a consumer utilize as a source for comparison in judging another price. Lindstrom recalls an interesting study in his book performed by researches from Stanford University and the California Institute of Technology in which they asked twenty volunteers to position their pleasure and delight of different priced wines under an FMRI. The trap was that two of the wines were presented twice, one with a high price and the other with a low price. The findings of the researches state â€Å"When the expensive wine was presented, there was a flurry of activity in subjects’ medial orbitofrontal cortices, where they perceive pleasantness-indicating that the higher price of a product enhances our enjoyment of it†. In my opinion, the use an expensive product makes us feel pleased because in our minds we relate quality with expensive prices which is not always true. In Colombia the prices of low quality clothing are very high compared with the income of the population. Every time I go back home I complain about the market and their prices, entrepreneurs tend to take advantage of the people by buying merchandise at a low price in the U. S and china and selling in Colombia for five times the wholesale price. I understand that is a business and profit need to be made but an extremely high price in products limits the consumer capacity to consume. The book Buy-ology by Martin Lindstrom explains how his recent research in Neuroscience reveals revolutionary concepts about how people are influence by various advertisements strategies. Lindstrom through a detail study of the brain evaluates the effectiveness of the subconscious ads and is able to determine that they are actually more effective than the traditional advertisement logos. In his book he explains the effectiveness of subliminal advertisement campaigns and depicts real life scenarios of the marketing world. Lindstrom in his three year study, with a cost of seven million, engaged some of the top Neuroscientists – Dr Gemma Calvert current chair in applied Neuroimaging at the University of Warwick, England and founder of Neurosense in Oxford was in charge of overseeing the research team for this study. One of the conducted case studies was to discover if subliminal messages would produce cravings similar to the ones generated by the traditional logos. They picked the tobacco industry for this experiment since it is one of the industries which have been forced to adopt new marketing strategies due to the global tobacco advertisement ban effort. Tobacco companies such as Marlboro and Camel have implemented subliminal messages in response to this ban which have now, after this research, proven to be more effective. Lindstrom writes â€Å" More fascinating still, when Dr Calvert compared the brains’ responses to the two different types of images, she found even more activity in the reward and craving centers when ubjects viewed the subliminal images than when they viewed the overt images. In other words, the logo-free images associated with cigarettes, like Ferrari and the sunset, triggered more cravings among smokers than the logos or images of the cigarette pack themselves† ( Lindstrom, 2008,84). Formula one being one of the top most watched sports in the world created an association between the competing teams and tob acco brands. Prior to the tobacco bans Formula one teams’ were sponsored primarily by cigarette companies such as Marlboro, Camel, Lucky Brand, etc and their logos were decaled all over the cars. For all those who were acquainted with the sport, this long-lasting relationship between teams and tobacco brands created an association in people’s perceptions that still exist today even when the tobacco logos have been removed form the cars. A clear example of this is Ferrari with Marlboro, their cars, drivers and mechanics jumpsuits are red just like the Marlboro original brand logo, but more interesting that this long lasting partnership with Phillip Morris was the barcode logo that they had been using up until the beginning of this year, which according to the experts, resembles the bottom of a Marlboro cigarette pack. John Britton, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and director of its tobacco advisory group, states, â€Å"according to the Times: â€Å"The bar code looks like the bottom half of a packet of Marlboro cigarettes. I was stunned when I saw it. This is pushing at the limits. If you look at how the bar code has evolved over the last four years, it looks like creeping branding. † (Pitpass. com). As being a Formula One fan myself, I experienced similar results to those conducted by Lindstrom. In my Journal, I noticed that my friends and I were always purchasing Marlboro cigarettes after watching a race. Unconsciously, I was having a desire to smoke without having being exposed to a Marlboro logo but instead having watched a red Ferrari car race around a circuit for two hours. This indicates that Marlboro has used subliminal message campaigns effectively through their partners creating a greater desire in consumers to purchase their product. This notion contradicts some of the findings of the effectiveness of subliminal persuasion in the book Consumer behavior (chapter 6). The book consumer behavior says â€Å"There is no evidence that subliminal advertising persuades people to buy goods and services. A comprehensive review of the literature indicates that subliminal perception has no effects on attitudes toward products and consumption behavior and that most of its effects were discovered in highly artificial situations†. In my research, I learned a lot about the mirror neurons which are accountable for why we imitate other individual’s behavior. The mirror neurons are responsible for when we try to lower our voices when someone is whispering. In terms of consumer behavior we can relate this concept to when we go to the mall and see a mannequin with an amazing dress with the matching shoes and purse that make her look elegant and slim. The consumer immediately buys the dress thinking that we as consumers are going to look the same if we acquiring the style and image that the store wants to sell us. In my journal, I found many scenarios where the mirror neurons influenced my rational thinking and caused me to unconsciously purchase what the store was displaying. In my visit to Hollister, one of the top 10 US clothing brands, I saw a female model at the entrance of the store wearing ultra casual red sweeter that immediately caught my attention because the color was perfect for the Christmas season, which then lead me to go inside the store to purchase the sweeter. The mirror neurons triggered my desire to buy the cool-looking sweeter I saw at Hollister. In conclusion, I was overwhelmed by the responsibility that our neurons and subconscious plays in our consumer behavior and how we attach to certain brands. In my opinion, Neuromarketing will soon be an essential source of information for marketers in terms of predicting the future of a new product in the market. The book Buy-ology explains the latest findings involving brains scans and successfully related to sales and purchases. Overall, Buy-ology gave me the opportunity to compare the statements of the book consumer behavior with the findings of Lindstrom and Dr. Calvert. After the consumer behavior class, I have come to acknowledge my consumer habits and be aware of the marketing strategies that influence my decision-making process.