Protection of Motherboards and More Pty Ltd’s Assets †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Protection of Motherboards and More Pty Ltd.s Assets. Answer: Overview of the Revenue Cycle The revenue cycle is initiated by the receipt of a customers order via the companys website, email, or telephone; after which, a picking ticket is generated. Goods are then picked against the picking ticket and customers order and packed while generating a packing slip. Its after this step that the goods are ready for delivery and a sales order is generated. The delivery goes along with a bill of lading. Invoicing then proceeds after the shipment of goods to the customer and according to the shipment details after which the firm recognizes a liability for the goods sold on credit. From here on, the cash collection begins where the customer may pay in cash or bank and according to the terms of trade where a discount of 2% is offered for any payment made within three days. Amount received in cash is then deposited to the bank. While all this is happening, the shipping department also receives incoming deliveries from suppliers. Internal Control Weaknesses, their Impact, and Possible Solutions Internal controls weaknesses Impact of the weaknesses Possible solution Lack of segregation of duties: Use of the loading dock for both the outgoing shipment to customers as well as incoming deliveries. It increases the risk of fraud, intentional manipulation, unexpected error leading to loss of goods, and delays in delivery of goods to customers. Besides, it weakens other control procedures such as physical checks. The firm should implement different docks for receiving incoming deliveries and issuing outgoing shipment. This will enable a system of checks and balances where the two departments will check against each other and reduce the risk of fraud Placing of orders without the authenticating (supporting) documents Without legally binding source documents its impossible to defend a transaction. This has led to customers denying ordering and receiving goods since there exist no source documents to authenticate the orders. The firm should implement a system where there has to exist physical source documents such as orders, delivery notes, and bills of lading. Such documents are legally binding and make it impossible for customers to deny deliveries made. Delivering goods without an invoice. That is, generating an invoice after shipment. Customers receiving the goods without the delivery note and invoices have led to them denying receiving the goods later which has led to most of the credit sales being written off as uncollectible All deliveries should be accompanied by both the delivery note and an invoice. The invoice should be generated after the packing according to the packing slip and before delivery. Upon receipt of the goods, the customer should sign both the delivery note and the invoice which immediately creates a legally binding liability. Lack of physical controls; Failure to take stock counts for two years Failure to take stock counts have led to the loss of goods witnessed in the firm due to possible fraud and theft by the employees, failed deliveries, and delivery of the incorrect amount. The stock is a very sensitive item must be well guarded (Mary, 2017). The firm should institute a policy where physical stock counts happen on a monthly basis or after a fortnight after which stock, suppliers, and shipping details should be reconciled to check against any loss of stock. Making all sales on credit with no precise credit sale policy Credit terms increase the risk of bad debts. The firm should consider selling some of the items on a cash basis or instituting a policy where a certain percentage of the invoice amount is paid either on order or delivery. Overview of the Ransomware Attack Described by F-Secures' (a cybersecurity company) Chief Research Officer, Mikko Hypponen, as the biggest ransomware outbreak in history, the malware locked computers thus preventing access and demanded ransom from the victim if they were to gain back the access to the computers. The malware which spread to several computers across the world owed to a self-replicating software which took advantage of the vulnerabilities/weaknesses and bugs in the older version of Microsoft Windows and organizations using such widows found themselves the greatest victims (Moore and David, 2017). The most affected organizations were hospitals, large firms, and government agencies. The cyber extortionist duped their potential victims into opening the malware purportedly attached in their spam email as either orders or invoices. Several firms yielded to the trick and the extortionists' ransom demands although it remains unclear on how many firms did so. Appropriate Controls to protect the Firm from a Potential Ransomware Attack. Application controls Validity checks Configurable controls Such controls are defined at the system generation point Completeness and validity checks They check data being entered for validity and completeness (Moore and David, 2017) Authentication controls These controls provide an application system authentication mechanism Input controls They serve to ensure that data integrity feeds into the system only from upstream sources. Forensic controls They ensure scientifically correct data General controls Backup and recovery procedures To ensure the firms operation run continuously Integrity checks Checking that email and other data come from secure sources Encryption Coding of the firms data to ensure they are unreadable by other sources Physical access controls To prevent unauthorized access to both the hardware and software including emails Virus and malware scanning Scanning the computers for malware which might cause loss of data Firewall security To protect the firms internet and data from external threats In-depth white-listing and blacklisting Blocks unknown and unwanted applications and installation of apps from unknown sources Compliance with internal IT policies Such policies may limit usage of application not supported by data loss prevention Conclusion and Recommendations The internal control weaknesses of Motherboards and More Pty Ltd pose a huge risk of fraud and massive loss of revenue for the firm. As such, it is necessary to implement several internal controls to safeguard the firm's assets and deter fraud in the firm. Besides, given the alarming rise of cyber-attacks on organizations, it is advisable for the firm to implement several applications and general controls to prevent loss and corruption of its data in future. References Mary, A. (2017). Impact of effective internal controls in the management of Mother and Child Hospital Akure, Ondo State, Journal of Finance and Accounting 5 (1): 61-73 Moore, T., and David, P. (2017). Special Issue: Strategic Dimensions of Offensive Cyber Operations, Journal of Cybersecurity 3(1): 2057-2093

Whiteman by Tony D’Souza A review Essay Example

Whiteman by Tony D’Souza: A review Essay Tony D’Souza is one of the fresh young writers to have emerged in the American literary scene in the last decade. Born to an Indian father and an American Caucasian mother, his mixed racial identity makes a subtle appearance in his works. In his much acclaimed novel Whiteman, for example, the protagonist Jack Diaz, who is an American, leaves to Africa on a humanitarian mission. Ivory Coast is the place of his deputation and the constant Islamic sectarian conflicts of the country provides the backdrop for his stay there. He is part of a team of American volunteers, who take up this difficult challenge so as to help Ivory Coast lift itself out of poverty and backwardness. Not only has he to contend with the mindset of primitive people steeped in orthodoxy, but also survive regular outbreaks of epidemic diseases in the region. For example, some of his colleagues are set back by malarial infections. But much to his frustration and surprise, it is he who ends up a changed man toward the end of the novel. Written in accessible prose and a simple narrative style, some of the important themes in the novel are moral relativity, role of religion in social organization and the rigidity of cultural norms and customs. This essay will argue that the author’s attempt to ‘unravel the mystery of Africa’ is its most pronounced theme. The chaotic political situation in Ivory Coast provides plenty of material for D’Souza to explore the human condition in the region. The civilians of the African country seemingly take a nonchalant attitude to the grave internal political tensions in the region. This might be difficult for the Western reader (to whom the novel is addressed) to comprehend. But in the stagnant Third World country as Ivory Coast, such a mindset is not unusual. As Tony D’Souza poetically notes in one of the passages, the region has seen political and military conflicts of every sort, including â€Å"bloody coups and bloodless coups and attempted coups and aborted coups and averted coups and rumored coups†. This reality is juxtaposed against the primary mission of his NGO, namely to â€Å"change the world†. How impossible an objective this idea is will be revealed during the course of the novel. We will write a custom essay sample on Whiteman by Tony D’Souza: A review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Whiteman by Tony D’Souza: A review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Whiteman by Tony D’Souza: A review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The established social norms and customs in his place of work is both a source of fascination and despair for Diaz. The society is largely organized as per tribal traditions. So what Diaz experiences in his interactions with the locals is unlike what he had seen in his native country. The exotic elements in this far-off culture fascinate them due to their novelty. But Diaz also knows that tradition has provided a misplaced sense of complacency to the people of Ivory Coast. He believes that they can emancipate themselves by looking beyond their own history and culture. But this project is easier to conceive than to execute. As one reads the novel it becomes increasingly clear that it is Diaz who is changed by his environment and not the other way around. While his failure to accomplish his grand mission of â€Å"change the world† is no surprise, the fact that the local society and politics leave a profound effect on his personality is interesting. This outcome is an aspe ct of the theme of ‘mystery of Africa’ that they novel essays into. At places in the novel, Jack Diaz is at a loss to comprehend the seeming madness of strife and conflict that his hosts were participants in. The Islamic sectarian violence of Ivory Coast has an immediacy and relevance in the post 9/11 context. Even funding for the Potable Water project that Jack is working on dries up in the anti-Islamic posturing of the post 9/11 political climate. This is tragic, for so many babies and children die in Ivory Coast as a result of contaminated water and resultant fatal infections. Though, Jack is on a humanitarian project, he is human too. This is revealed in his numerous affairs with local black women – some of whom are married and others prostitutes. This weakness on part of Jack is further testimony to the theme of the mysterious Africa, in that it shows how his rationality and initial benign intent gets consumed by the lure of exoticism. Jack’s tendency to digress from his mission is a metaphor for the power of Africa to brush aside rationality for more instinctual actions and motives. In other words, Jack Diaz’ initial proclamation that he is in Ivory Coast to â€Å"change the world† comes back to ridicule him, for he ends up assimilated the very instincts and behaviour that he was once critical of. In sum, Whiteman is a fascinating novel by Tony D’Souza that is at once full of exoticism and insight. It is a statement on the power of tradition and instinct over progress and rationality. Jack Diaz’s failure to accomplish his mission and his assimilation into the backward-looking culture of Ivory Coast is a strong testament to the mystical and mysterious qualities of Africa that often escape reason and commonsense. The reader should be careful not to take it as a license for instinctual and irrational behavior. But instead take it as a warning for the dangers posed by this path. For example, the most obvious danger posed by Diaz’ reckless sexual behavior is unwanted pregnancies and abortions. This outcome is in clear contradiction to his original motivation for visiting Ivory Coast, namely, to save black babies for endemics. Reference: D’Souza, Tony, Whiteman, published by Portobello in 2006, 288pp.

The Power of Actions essays

The Power of Actions essays United States of America was attacked on September 11, 2002 by a terrorist organization. The terrorist hijacked Boeing passenger airplanes and crashing two of them into the side of the World Trade Centers in New York City, New York taking the lives of many working citizens and rescuers, and two others. One into a wall of the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and the other into fields outside of Pennsylvania. The organization responsible for these attacks was the al-Qaeda. Members of al-Qaeda lived in the U.S. prior the attacks and were trained how to fly by U.S. schools. They used all of the resources provided by the U.S. for its citizens to plan and plot terrorist attacks on the country that at the time was housing them. The al-Qaeda did what they thought would make the U.S. weak and collapse. Since that day, the U.S. has stood together with more pride in their country and more love for each other since the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. is not afraid to fight for what they believe in and will protect their homes and its people. Americans will continue to fight against the al-Qaeda and any other terrorist organizations that are believed to be plotting against any other countries. The U.S. citizens had nothing but the World Trade Center in mind and all the lives that were taken. Everyday citizens would tune in on the radio or television to listen for updates on missing people. The citizens wanted retaliation on who ever did the horrendous acts of hate. Many were ready for war and many were ready to fight, but before the U.S. engaged in war, the President of the U.S. let the people know it was not going to be a quick and easy war. "Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have seen. It may include dramatic strikes, visible on television, and covert operations, secret even in success. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there...

Post-War Review of Sri Lanka

Post-War Review of Sri Lanka Free Online Research Papers Abstract: On 19 May 2009 the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapakse, declared that the conflict between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was over and that the Government had prevailed. Dramatic military advances since the beginning of 2008 have led to the LTTE’s apparent military defeat and the elimination of most, perhaps all, of its leadership. However, the humanitarian cost has been very high and both parties to the conflict stand accused of war crimes. Sri Lanka now faces the twin challenges of reconstruction and, if peace is to be sustainable, implementing political and constitutional reforms that will provide genuine stability to the north and east, where Tamils are in the majority. This paper provides an account over the violation of International Humanitarian Law during last phase of war. This paper also surveys the humanitarian situation in the internment camps and possible war crimes committed by the government force. It concludes by considering Sri Lanka’s future prospects, including assessing how real the Government’s military victory is and whether genuine political and constitutional reforms are likely to be introduced. Introduction: Sri Lanka, a small island?state in the midst of the Indian Ocean, possesses a deeply conflicted history. Scholars rave about â€Å"the Resplendent Isle† as a rich case study in conflict, economics, and culture. Tourists find themselves enchanted by the temperate climate and colorful customs. But to the inhabitants of this developing country, the island has long been a broken home. Indeed, many Sri Lankans could best describe it as a place of death, devastation, and discrimination. Over the past two decades the people of Sri Lanka have grown accustomed to violence, political instability and economic hardship (Liddick Gagnon, 2009). The majority group today is the Sinhalese, comprising an estimated 74% of the population, who are overwhelmingly Theravada Buddhist in their religious affiliation. The largest minority group is the Tamils, comprising an estimated 18% of the population, who are predominantly Hindu. The other significant minority group is the Sri Lankan Muslims, who make up an estimated 7% of the population. Other minority groups make up 1% of the population (Lunn, Taylor and Townsend, 2009) The violence between the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) began in July of 1983, marked by some of the worst communal rioting in Sri Lanka’s history. Since then both have been involved in war-game. Between 1983 and the end of 2000, a staggering 60,000 Sri Lankans had been killed in the war (Liddick Gagnon, 2009). On the 22nd of February 2002, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) signed a permanent Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), formalizing the unilateral truce declared by the Tigers. The Norwegian peace envoys who facilitated the signing of the agreement were backed by the Co-chairs of the donor countries who were overseeing the Sri Lankan peace process, namely the EU, USA, Japan and Norway (Lunn, Taylor and Townsend, 2009; Permanent People’s Tribunal: Tribunal on Sri Lanka, 2010) Despite the historical significance of the ceasefire, its benefits were short lived as the CFA gradually fell apart. Levels of violence steadily increased between 2004 and 2007. By 2007, five years after the CFA was signed, the situation was described as â€Å"undeclared war† characterized by high casualties, humanitarian strife and large- scale displacement. Following the completion of the eastern offensives, the GoSL announced that its troops would be moved to the northern areas, in order to regain the â€Å"guerrilla- administered territory†. On the 2nd of January 2008, the GoSL officially revealed its withdrawal from the CFA. Both parties accused each other of violating the CFA and thus weakening the mutual confidence that had been achieved. In January 2009 the Sri Lankan armed forces achieved a decisive breakthrough in the north. The Tamil Tigers lost the key town of Kilinochchi and Elephant Pass, the strategic causeway between the Jaffna peninsula and the main body of the island of Sri Lanka. The army then laid siege to Mullaitivu, the last remaining town controlled by the LTTE, and quickly captured it too. Over the following three months the Sri Lankan military gradually reclaimed the last remaining territory. The authorities largely ignored growing international condemnation of its failure to protect the civilians caught up in the fighting. The LTTE was accused of using civilians as ‘human shields’, both parties to the conflict were accused of committing war crimes. The end finally came on 18 May, when the last piece of territory was claimed. Most, if not all, of the LTTE’s leadership, including its commander in chief, Vellupillai Prabhakaran, were killed (Lunn, Taylor and Townsend, 2009). International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Sri Lankan War: The International Humanitarian Law (IHL) was agreed in Geneva, Switzerland in 1949 covers the rules of war; It is also known as part of the Geneva Conventions as it constitutes the rules of war to protect civilians trapped in war (Gasser, 1993; Tamiya, 2009). There were numerous accusations that Sri Lankan security forces were guilty of violating the Geneva Conventions on warfare and of having committed gross war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly during the last five months of the war, between January and May 2009. (U.S. Department of State: Report to Congress on Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka, 2009; Permanent People’s Tribunal: Tribunal on Sri Lanka, 2010) The endgame and aftermath of the armed conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) dominated events in Sri Lanka throughout 2009. During the last months of the war, both sides committed serious violations of international humanitarian law, in what a senior United Nations official described as a â€Å"bloodbath,† while the overall human rights situation in the country continued to deteriorate as the government adopted increasingly repressive policies (Human Rights Watch, Country Summary, 2010). In a research paper, War and peace in Sri Lanka, Lunn, Taylor and Townsend described: As the conflict entered its final days, UN officials said that the â€Å"bloodbath† about which they had warned had become â€Å"a reality†. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) described the situation as an â€Å"unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe.† The UN estimates that at least 7000 civilians have been killed since January. Combatant casualties have also been high on both sides. The Irish Forum for Peace claimed that from the time that the war began in July 2006 through April 2009, according to United Nations internal documents, air raids and the use of heavy weaponry resulted in the death of 116 people per day. British and French mainstream media reported that during the final few weeks 20,000 Tamil people were killed. (Permanent People’s Tribunal: Tribunal on Sri Lanka, 2010) During the final months of the conflict that ended in May, the LTTE continued to forcibly recruit civilians, including children, into its forces, used civilians as human shields, and physically prevented and at times shot at Tamil civilians under their control trying to flee the fighting (Human Rights Watch, Country Summary, 2010). Government forces indiscriminately shelled densely populated areas, including hospitals. Both parties prevented vital humanitarian assistance from reaching the civilian population (Permanent People’s Tribunal: Tribunal on Sri Lanka, 2010). Since March 2008 the government has confined displaced Tamils fleeing the fighting. The population of the detention camps skyrocketed to over a quarter million people after the LTTE’s defeat in May. Security forces also detained, in many cases in violation of domestic and international law, more than 10,000 people suspected of LTTE involvement or sympathies. Threats, physical attacks, and arbitrary arrests against journalists, human rights defenders, and humanitarian workers continued unabated, causing significant numbers to leave the country. As in the past, rights violators enjoyed near-complete impunity. Violations of Laws of War On May 19, 2009, the Sri Lankan government declared victory over the LTTE, marking an end to a 26-year-long armed conflict that had caused between 80,000 and 100,000 deaths (Husain, 2009; Hull and Sirilal, 2009; OConnor,2009a; Human Rights Watch, Country Summary, 2010). During the last months of the war both the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE repeatedly violated the laws of war, causing unnecessary civilian suffering and casualties (Tamiya, 2009; U.S. Department of State : Report to Congress on Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka, 2009). In 2010 Human Rights Watch observes that: Forced to retreat by government offensive operations, the LTTE drove civilians into a narrow strip of land on Sri Lanka’s northeastern coast, effectively using several hundred thousand people as human shields. The LTTE shot at and injured or killed many of those trying to flee from the war zone to government-held territory. LTTE forces also deployed near densely populated areas, placing civilians in increased danger of attack. As the fighting intensified, the LTTE stepped up its practice of forcibly recruiting civilians, including children, into its ranks and, to hazardous forced labor on the battlefield. Government forces repeatedly and indiscriminately shelled densely populated areas, sometimes using heavy artillery and other area weapons incapable of distinguishing between civilians and combatants. As the LTTE-controlled area shrank, the government unilaterally declared â€Å"no-fire zones† or â€Å"safe zones† on three different occasions, calling upon civilians to seek shelter there; nevertheless, government forces continued attacking these areas. In disregard of the laws of war, government forces also fired artillery at or near hospitals on at least 30 occasions. High-level government officials tried to justify attacks on civilians by arguing that people remaining in the war zone were LTTE sympathizers and therefore legitimate targets, indicating possible intent to commit war crimes. Permanent People’s Tribunal described the Atrocities of the last weeks of the war as following: The atrocities carried out by the military relate particularly to civilians, and there is evidence of cluster munitions being dropped by warplanes. Some witnesses reported that white phosphorous was used in violation of international law. Several witnesses had seen burn marks on wounded civilians. Others believed that indications of napalm were apparent, and evidence of other incendiary devices has been confirmed by doctors who had cared for hundreds of Tamil civilians wounded in this manner. Civilians in the war zone also suffered from lack of food, water, shelter, and medicines. The government’s decision in September 2008 to order humanitarian agencies out of the LTTE- controlled area greatly exacerbated their plight. Ongoing fighting, lack of oversight, and the manipulation of aid delivery by government and LTTE forces contributed to the deepening humanitarian crisis. Exact information on the extent of humanitarian law violations by both sides as well as casualty figures remains limited, largely because the government barred all independent observers, including the media and human rights organizations, from operating near the war zone. The UN estimated that at least 7,000 people were killed and 13,000 injured during the last five months of the war. Detention Camps for Internally Displaced Persons Since March 2008 the government has confined virtually all civilians displaced by the war in military-controlled detention camps, euphemistically called â€Å"welfare centers.† In violation of international law, the government denied more than 280,000 displaced their rights to liberty and freedom of movement (Hull and Sirilal, 2009; Swaminathan, 2009; U.S. Department of State: Report to Congress on Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka, 2009; Human Rights Watch: Country Summary, 2010; Permanent People’s Tribunal: Tribunal on Sri Lanka, 2010). As of November 18, 2009, six months after the end of hostilities, the government continued to hold more than 129,000 people (more than half of them women and girls) in the camps. Over 80,000 of these were children (Tamiya, 2009; Human Rights Watch, Country Summary, 2010). Permanent People’s Tribunal described the situation as: In the immediate months after the war attention shifted to the plight of over 280,000 Sri Lankan Tamils forced to live in internment camps in the Vanni region. Densely packed in camps, with inadequate infrastructure to provide safe food, water, sanitation and health facilities, the Government announced that the internally displaced people (IDPs) would be kept there until they had been ‘screened’ for possible LTTE sympathies. The government’s refusal to release displaced persons from the camps contributed to severe overcrowding, with many of the camps holding twice the number recommended by the UN. As a result, access to basic requirements such as food, water, shelter, toilets, and bathing, has been inadequate. These conditions imposed particular hardships on the elderly, children, and pregnant women. No Fire Zone (NFZ) Estimated Population, Food Needs, Food Delivered, and Food Deficit * It has been alleged that the Government of Sri Lanka used low civilian estimates in the NFZ to reduce the amount of food disbursed in an effort to pressure civilians to escape. ** Food needs and deficit estimates are based upon the estimation of several organizations that one MT of food per day is needed for 2000 IDPs. Source: U.S. Department of State: Report to Congress on Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka, 2009 The authorities failed to provide camp residents with sufficient information about the reason for their continued detention, the whereabouts of relatives, or the criteria and procedure for their return home. Families in the detention camps had no access to mechanisms for finding missing relatives who might be in other camps or in unofficial detention centers. The military camp administration prevented humanitarian organizations, including the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), from undertaking effective monitoring and protection in the camps. Arbitrary Detention and Enforced Disappearances The government detained more than 10,000 displaced persons at checkpoints and from the camps on suspicion of LTTE involvement, in many cases citing vague and overbroad emergency laws still in force after the end of the war. Many arrests were carried out in violation of domestic and international law. The authorities failed to inform families of their relatives’ fate and whereabouts, raising fears that some detainees were forcibly disappeared. Permanent People’s Tribunal adds: Following the international outcry resulting from the forcible detention of Tamil people in these camps for more than 5 months, the Government announced that a significant number of them would be resettled. However, it has been reported in the BBC and other news media that a considerable number of those released were simply moved to new satellite camps in remote areas. In one of the bloodiest periods of Sri Lanka’s history, from 1988 to 1994, 20,000 people around the country disappeared, although some believe that the true number may be two to three times higher. Currently there are 5,727 unsolved cases of disappearances registered with the United Nations Human Rights Council, one of the worst records in the world (OConnor, 2009b). The authorities also specifically targeted key witnesses to the final stages of the war. They arrested and held for several months several government doctors who had been working in areas under LTTE control and had reported on government shelling and resulting civilian casualties. While in detention the doctors retracted wartime statements, rising suspicion of undue pressure and ill-treatment. Enforced disappearances and abductions, a longstanding and widespread problem in Sri Lanka, continued, especially in the north and east. From January to June 2009, 16 enforced disappearances were reported in Trincomalee district alone (Human Rights Watch, Country Summary, 2010). Justice and Accountability Despite government promises, including in a May 23, 2009 joint statement by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, no serious steps have been taken to investigate allegations of human rights and laws-of-war violations during the war’s final months (Bouckaert, 2010; Human Rights Watch: Country Summary, 2010). On the contrary, high-ranking government officials, including the president, repeatedly dismissed such allegations, claiming that there had been no violations by the armed forces. A committee of experts established by Rajapaksa in October to look at United States government allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka does not have the mandate, resources, or independence to conduct an adequate investigation. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims (RCT) have documented that violations of fundamental human rights are occurring every day. Extrajudicial killings, kidnappings, torture, forced recruitment and other human rights violations are persistent and widespread. Human rights groups and humanitarian agencies are increasingly alarmed by the scale of violations and abuses, and it is feared that the country may fall into a state of complete lawlessness (Andersen and Fernando, 2009). As Pinto-Jayawardena observes: There is a nationwide pattern of custodial torture in Sri Lanka, and custodial deaths are caused by law enforcement officials as part of an established routine. Prison officials admit that torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CIDTP) occur within prison walls and that there are no regular procedures of inquiry and report. Torture is widely practiced by the military particularly with regard to the armed conflict against the LTTE. The LTTE itself is known for its systematic resort to torture both as a means of punishment of dissenters generally as well as during interrogation. The Government introduced two reprisal regulations called Emergency Regulations in August 2005. In December 2006 these were expanded via the introduction of the Prevention and Prohibition of Terrorism and Specified Terrorist Activities regulations. These regulations allow state authorities to search, detain and arrest without a warrant any person suspected of an offence under the regulations. Detainees can be held up to 12 months without any criminal charge (Andersen and Fernando, 2009; Pinto-Jayawardena, 2009). War Crime Accusations and the findings of Permanent People’s Tribunal: Summing up the facts established before this Tribunal by reports from NGOs, victims’ testimony, eye-witnesses accounts, expert testimony and journalistic reports, the Tribunal is able to distinguish three different kinds of human rights violations committed by the Sri Lankan Government from 2002 (the beginning of the Ceasefire Agreement) to January 2010 (Permanent People’s Tribunal: Tribunal on Sri Lanka, 2010) : Forced â€Å"disappearances† of targeted individuals from the Tamil population; Crimes committed in the re-starting of the war (2006-2009), particularly during the last months of the war: Bombing civilian objectives like hospitals, schools and other non-military targets; Bombing government-proclaimed ‘safety zones’ or ‘no fire zones’; Withholding of food, water, and health facilities in war zones; Use of heavy weaponry, banned weapons and air-raids; Using food and medicine as a weapon of war; The mistreatment, torture and execution of captured or surrendered LTTE combatants, officials and supporters; Torture; Rape and sexual violence against women; Deportations and forcible transfer of individuals and families; Desecrating the dead; Human rights violations in the IDP camps during and after the end of the war: Shooting of Tamil citizens and LTTE supporters; Forced disappearances; Rape; Malnutrition; and Lack of medical supplies. War Crimes The actions included under the second point above clearly constitute â€Å"war crimes† committed by the Sri Lankan Government, its security forces and aligned paramilitary forces, as defined under the Geneva Conventions and in the Rome Statute, with regard to the following sections of Article 8. If this conflict is recognized as international in nature, the following charges would apply: (b) Other serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in international armed conflict, within the established framework of international law, namely, any of the following acts: (i) Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities; (ii) Intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects, that is, objects which are not military objectives; (iv) Intentionally launching an attack in the knowledge that such attack will cause incidental loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects or widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment which would be clearly excessive in relation to the concrete and direct overall military advantage anticipated; (vi) Killing or wounding a combatant who, having laid down his arms or having no longer means of defense, has surrendered at discretion; (ix) Intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not military objectives; (xxi) Committing outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment; (xxii) Committing rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, as defined in article 7, paragraph 2 (f), enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence also constituting a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions; (xxv) Intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supplies as provided for under the Geneva Conventions; If the conflict is of a domestic character, the following charges would apply: (c) In the case of an armed conflict not of an international character, serious violations of article 3 common to the four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, namely, any of the following acts committed against persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention or any other cause: (i) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture; (ii) Committing outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment; (iii) Taking of hostages; (iv) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all judicial guarantees which are generally recognized as indispensable. (e) Other serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in armed conflicts not of an international character, within the established framework of international law, namely, any of the following acts: (i) Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities; (iv) Intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not military objectives; (vi) Committing rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, as defined in article 7, paragraph 2 (f), enforced sterilization, and any other form of sexual violence also constituting a serious violation of article 3 common to the four Geneva Conventions. Crimes against humanity The actions included under the points 1 (forced disappearances) and 3 (violations committed in the IDP camps during and after the war) clearly constitute â€Å"crimes against humanity†, as defined in the Rome Statute, Article 7, specifically in the following sections: Any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack: (a) Murder; (b) Extermination (d) Deportation or forcible transfer of population; (e) Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law; (f) Torture; (g) Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity; (h) Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender as defined in paragraph 3, or other grounds that are universally recognized as impermissible under international law, in connection with any act referred to in this paragraph or any crime within the jurisdiction of the Court; (i) Enforced disappearance of persons; (k) Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health. Post-war situation: After the decisive military victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), there has been little progress in reconstructing Sri Lanka’s battered democratic institutions or establishing conditions for a stable peace (International crisis Group, 2010). On 26 January 2010, Mahinda Rajapaksa was re-elected president of Sri Lanka after a campaign marked by violence and conducted in an environment where the rule of law has largely collapsed. Rights groups and the Election Commissioner raised concerns about the widespread misuse of state resources by the Rajapaksa campaign, biased media coverage favouring the incumbent and physical intimidation of the opposition (Havilland, 2010). Although Haviland thought a number of factors helped Rajapaksa to sweep victory on 26 January 2010: his fiery rhetoric and sure popular touch; his emphasis on his role in last years war victory; and ordinary peoples sense that their streets are simply safer than they have been for the past 30 years because of the defeat of the Tamil Tigers (Havilland, 2010). The 8 February arrest of Rajapaksa’s main presidential challenger, the retired General Sarath Fonseka, has increased levels of political tension and provoked street protests and criticism from both the Buddhist and Christian clergy. Fonseka is due to be court martialed for having conspired against the government while still a member of the military. The government is also considering charging him in a civilian court with corruption and other crimes. During the campaign, Fonseka accused the Rajapaksa family of corruption and raised the issue of war crimes during the final months the war. On the day of his arrest, Fonseka announced he would be willing to provide evidence to a future international inquiry into war crimes charges against the state (International crisis Group, 2010). The government has maintained that there is no political motivation behind the arrest of Fonseka. We have repeatedly said that there is no political motive behind this. The law of the nation has been f ollowed, media minister Lakshman Yapa Aberyawardena told the press on Feb. 17(Perera, 2010). The brutal nature of the conflict, especially in its closing months, has undermined Sri Lanka’s democratic institutions and governance. All ethnic communities are suffering from the collapse of the rule of law. Disappearances and political killings associated with the government’s counter-insurgency campaign have dropped considerably since the end of the war. Impunity for abuses by state officials continues, however, and fear and self-censorship among civil society activists and political dissidents has grown stronger in the wake of the government’s post-election crackdown on its critics in the media and opposition party activists. The government continues to maintain and use the Prevention of Terrorism Act and Emergency Regulations to weaken its political opposition. The military defeat will not bring lasting peace: The very probable military crushing of the last Tigers in the strip of 10 km ² where they have fallen back will not resolve a political conflict which is more than 60 years old. No lasting peace will be possible without the recognition of the right to self-determination of the Tamil people. (Sabaà ¯, 2009). With separatist extremism conquered, it is necessary to change the ethnic and ideological profile of the police and military, currently almost totally Sinhalese, and make them and the judiciary more sensitive to multi-ethnic issues. Constitutional moves must be made, such as devolving powers to all the provinces, as the constitutions 13th Amendment calls for something many Tamils see as indispensable. (Haviland, 2010) Rajapksa’s election victory seems unlikely to move Sri Lanka in the direction of a sustainable peace. Despite vague promises about the need for reconciliation, Rajapaksa’s post-war policies have deepened rather than resolved the grievances that generated and sustained LTTE militancy. While the LTTE’s defeat and the end of its control over Tamil political life are historic and welcome changes, the victory over Tamil militancy will remain fragile unless Sinhalese-dominated political parties make strong moves towards a more inclusive and democratic state. International crisis Group in 2010 adds: The Rajapaksa government has initiated no political reforms to address the concerns of Tamils and other minorities. The government-sponsored All Party Representative Committee (APRC) designed to craft constitutional reforms has stopped meeting with no sign of an alternative process. Tamil and Muslim parties remain weak and divided, although recent encouraging initiatives to develop a common platform and build trust among Tamil-speaking parties deserve support. Inside and outside Sri Lanka, many Tamils remain angry at the lack of accounting or justice for the thousands of civilians killed in the final months of the war. Most of the million-strong diaspora is still committed to a separate state and many would be willing to support renewed violence. R. Swaminathan observes: President Rajapaksa and the armed forces of Sri Lanka are justifiably happy and proud of having â€Å"eliminated† (in mid-May 2009) the capabilities of LTTE to mount conventional military operations. I would, however, sound a note of caution that, while the militant leaders of a major terrorist group have been neutralized, terrorism as such cannot be eliminated till the basic grievances and deprivations of the Tamils are addressed and resolved. As long as the basic causes exist, there can be no guarantee that other similar groups/leaders may not emerge. It can be said without fear of contradiction that rehabilitation, reconciliation, development and restoration (of democracy) are the most essential measures to be taken. It is my view that there should be no rigidity in attempting these measures sequentially, and that efforts need to be made to attempt them almost simultaneously. War consists of a series of actions by the parties involved in the confrontation, but peace is a combination of a state of mind and harmony between all the different ethnic groups that populate Sri Lanka (Swaminathan, 2009). Conclusion: Almost one year passed since the war has been over but no significant moves have been noticed from the government of Sri Lanka to ease the situation and to bring peace. Moreover there are allegations of manipulation in the presidential election and also some quarters alleged that Rajapakse is trying to weaken his political rivals by various means. And it is quite evident that nepotism is in full swing after the parliamentary election and relatives of Rajapakse are getting important portfolios which signal the detrimental consequences over democracy. Military victory is not enough to bring peace until and unless the grievances of Tamils are addressed. The Sri Lankan government should take steps to normalize life in war-affected this would include reestablishing the primacy of the civilian administration over the military in the north, reducing high security zones, establishing a meaningful process of consultation with Tamil and Muslim leaders on development plans for the north and east, enforcing the language equality provisions of the constitution and maximizing the devolution of powers already granted to provincial councils under the thirteenth amendment. Meaningful steps should be taken to reestablish the rule of law for all Sri Lankans. Particular measures would include ending emergency rule and abolishing the Prevention of Terrorism Act, establishing the Constitutional Council and independent commissions (especially for police and human rights), depoliticizing the judiciary, ending the routine practice of police torture and prosecuting members of the security forces and paramilitaries against whom there is credible evidence o f human rights violations. References: Andersen, Morten Koch and Fernando, Basil (2009), The Phantom Limb: Failing Judicial Systems, Torture and Human Rights Work in Sri Lanka, Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and The Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims (RCT), ahrchk.net/pub/pdf/ThePhantomLimb.pdf Bouckaert, Peter (2010), â€Å"Uncovering Sri Lankas war crimes†, hrw.org/en/news/2010/01/22/uncovering-sri-lankas-war-crimes Gasser, Hans-Peter (1993), International Humanitarian Law: An Introduction, Henry Dunant Institute, Haupt Haviland, Charles (2010), â€Å"Where now for post-election Sri Lanka?† newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south-asia/8487405stm?ad=1 Hull, Bryson and Sirilal, Ranga (2009), â€Å"Last phase of Sri Lanka war killed 6,200 troop – govt†, reuters.com/article/idUSSP463682 Human Rights Watch (2010), Country Summary: Sri Lanka, hrw.org/en/asia/sri-lanka Husain,Irfan (2009), â€Å"Sri Lanka’s post-war scenario†, dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/columnists /14-irfan-husain-sri-lankas-postwar-scenario-zj-02 International crisis Group (2010), â€Å"Sri Lanka: After the war†, crisisgroup.org/en/key-issues/sri-lanka-after-the-war.aspx Liddick, Eric Michael Gagnon, John T. (2009), â€Å"Striving for Peace and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka: A Creative Solution to Conflict†, War Crimes, Genocide Crimes against Humanity, Volume 3 (2009): 39-88, aa.psu.edu/journals/war-crimes/articles/V3/vol3art2.pdf Lunn, Jon; Taylor, Claire and Townsend, Ian (2009), War and peace in Sri Lanka, Research Paper 09/51, parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2009/rp09-051.pdf OConnor, Maura R. (2009a), â€Å"How Sri Lanka governs through detentions†, globalpost.com/dispatch/asia/090909/sri-lanka-emergency-regulations OConnor, Maura R. (2009b), â€Å"In peace, Sri Lankans still disappear†, globalpost.com/dispatch/asia/090430/peace-does-not-stop-sri-lanka-disappearances Patten, Chris (2010), â€Å"Sri Lankas Choice, and the Worlds Responsibility†, crisisgroup.org/en/regions/asia/south-asia/sri-lanka/sri-lankas-choice-and-the-worlds-responsibility.aspx Perera, Amantha (2010), â€Å"SRI LANKA: Post-Election Protests Fail to Get Wide Support†, ipsnews.net/news.asp Permanent People’s Tribunal (2010), Tribunal on Sri Lanka, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, 14-16 January 2010, ifpsl.org/images/files/peoples_tribunal_on_srilanka.pdf Pinto-Jayawardena, Kishali (2009), The Rule of Law in Decline:Study on Prevalence, Determinants and Causes of Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in Sri Lanka uk.rct.dk/sitecore/shell/Controls/Rich%20Text%20Editor/~/media/Files/Sri_Lanka_study_printver270409%20pdf.ashx Sabaà ¯, Danielle (2009), â€Å"No future without a political solution†, internationalviewpoint.org/ spip.php? auteur467 Suryanarayan, V. (1999), â€Å"Devolution Proposal in Sri Lanka: A Critique†, in Nancy Jetly (ed.), Regional Security in South Asia: The Ethno-Sectarian Dimensions, The University Press Limited, Dhaka Swaminathan, R. (2009), â€Å"Post-War Sri Lanka- Concerns and Reservations†, Paper no. 3299, southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers33%5Cpaper3299.html Tamiya (2009), â€Å"International Humanitarian Law Sri Lankas Inhumane War still†, nowpublic.com/world/international-humanitarian-law-sri-lankas-inhumane-war-still U.S. Department of State (2009), Report to Congress on Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka, state.gov/documents/organization/131025.pdf Research Papers on Post-War Review of Sri LankaQuebec and CanadaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBringing Democracy to AfricaAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Marketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraTwilight of the UAWCapital Punishment

The Concept of Home and Its Evolution or Expression in Design Essay

The Concept of Home and Its Evolution or Expression in Design - Essay Example The importance of home cannot be overrated. Even those whom we consider as homeless does in fact, contrived home to whatever means available to them with that their resource and circumstance could provide. In fact, home can be better understood in their deficiency and somewhat desperate condition which is a tremendous irony. In their plain conditions, it is easier to contrast what is their motivation of a home that we may easily discern what constitutes a home. These city dwellers which did not have the means to have their own homes were of course thrown out the street amid the frosting cold and the vagaries of the season. Sure it followed that the city government will provide shelter to its destitute citizen either for welfare and electoral purpose. But it is here we will understand that home is not structure, nor size, nor edifice, nor the sufficiency of provision. It is more than that which this paper will explore. But for the moment, suffice that we will identify what it is not. These putative homeless of New York could not have been homeless had it chosen to stay in government facilities. They left the facilities and chose to be homeless because these; â€Å"City-run shelters-though they provide food and respite from the elements-are dangerous and unfriendly places that impose a dehumanizing, even prisonlike, regimentation on residents. Guards routinely treat clients as inmates, allegedly denying them food for the violation of rules. Some shelter residents are abused from place to place for food, showers, and sleep. Charges of violence by shelter security guards and clients are common† (Lurie and Wodiczko 2009:54). In effect, these city dwellers were really â€Å"exiles in their own city† and only became homeless by choice opting to have â€Å"gaily decorated carts† as a means of transport and home than the established facility of the city due to the harsh condition impose to them by the institution that made it a penitentiary. They pr eferred to get by through the uncertainty of scavenging than putting up with city run shelters where foods are used as a carrot stick. This is not to glorify homelessness nor scavenging, nor the running away from government facilities but rather to stress that a meagre cart that can barely accommodate a person and absent of facility and provision can become a home compared to an imposing edifice that treat its inhabitants as inmates where violence and abuses are common. Perhaps, the inclemency of the streets and season or the precarious nature of getting provision of an unwelcoming street can become more tolerable than an unfriendly and dehumanizing institution. The homeless of New York only proved that home is not a place, but rather where the heart is or where you are comfortable with. Home does not have to be diminutive as what the cart dwellers of New York opted. It can also be functional and as elaborate as Heidegger’s Building Dwelling Thinking (1971) that can feed the soul. Unlike the homeless of New York who has to make do with make shift carts, home for Heidegger is not just a place to sleep and rest but also a

Yellow wall paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Yellow wall paper - Essay Example He impulsively yelled at Mary asking her why she had to tear up the paint, and an argument picked up. Mary was surprised as to why removing paint picture from the wall could get the man so worked up and shaken to the extent of fainting. It did not take long before Jane came in the room, alarmed by the noise. She banged the door shouting while asking, â€Å"May I know what is going on here?† The two just gazed at her; no one gave her an answer. She then turned to Mary whose eyes were already filled up with tears and was reluctant to answer but turned around her head and pointed at the tattered papers of the drawing. Little did Jane; Mary’s sister in-law, started to resolve the situation than they heard Mary scream, â€Å"My baby†¦No...No†¦ No, it cannot be†, and blood was all overfilling the floor. Mary lost her infant, and she was so much in despair not knowing what to do. John, who was astounded, came back into senses and immediately rushed to his wives’ rescue. He hastily called a taxi, sobbing and looking so confused. They slowly took her outside the compound to meet the taxi, and after a short while, it was already there. John, being a doctor, he still could not do anything. He was baffled and could not believe that it was a miscarriage, and he still had hopes that his baby was alive. After the doctor had checked up the wife, the terrible news was delivered; Mary had lost the baby. The report was too much for John to take, and he had to sit down on a bench at the hospital, tears undulating down the cheeks. Jane was left with nothing else to do, but comfort he r brother. The narrator had to spend two nights in the hospital to receive further treatment, and her husband stood up with her, spending all day and night watching over for his beloved wife. It is at this moment that Mary realized that her husband truly loved her. At the same time, John thought of hoe he sometimes mistreated the

Performance Management at Bolts Convenience Stores Essay Example for Free

Performance Management at Bolts Convenience Stores Essay Subject area – The case throws light on performance management in general and performance appraisal in a specific Indian context, its linkages with various other HR systems in an organization and the various issues and challenges attached with it. The case is especially suited for understanding people management in small organizations and organizations in emerging markets. Study level/applicability – This case has been tried and tested in the classroom setting with management students pursuing a post graduate diploma in business management (PGDBM). The case has been administered to students in Chennai Business School, Chennai in their core course human resource management (first year PGDBM) and to second year students specializing in HR in their course â€Å"Performance management and compensation management† in G D Goenka World Institute, Sohna. Case overview – The case is set in the southern part of India in a retailing organization which grew from a small retail store catering to the daily needs of the student community to a four store retail store (Bolts). Mr Andrew (Head, HR), introduced performance management and appraisal at Bolts. Since the appraisal was interrelated with various other HR systems like motivation, compensation, training and development and promotions, it generated a lot of excitement among the employees. After implementation of performance appraisal, the organization seems to experience one problem after another. There were complaints from customers, followed by a range of challenges such as discontented employees, unprofessional behavior, low motivation in the organization and loss of profit. Expected learning outcomes – Understand and analyze the performance management in general and performance appraisal in a specific Indian context, its linkages with various other HR systems in organization and the various issues and challenges attached with it. Understand people management in small organizations and organizations in emerging markets. Assess and identify HR practitioners problems in studying SMEs HR related problems in an Indian context.