Executive Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Executive Summary - Essay Example oxical upon close analysis by paying particular attention to the growth and development of the Smit Company which specialises in a range of ship based services. A brief historical overview of the company, founded in 1842 by Fop Smit, shows that it has a history filled with many remarkable achievements which were mainly inspired by the company’s long-time slogan ‘any job, any sea’. For instance in 1896, Smit was the first company in the world to tow a ship dock overseas, from Rotterdam to Angola, even though there were no suitable ocean-going tugboats available. More recently, it raised the Japanese Vessel which had sunk in deep waters. All these achievements bear testimony that the company has a remarkable success story in its operations. However, what is paradoxical in this case is that those who were responsible for running it had very little interest in doing extensive strategic analysis in their day to day operations. It can be noted that from 1921 to 1980, the period the company was run by two members of the Smit family, first Murk Lels and then Piet Kleyn van Willigen, it witnessed steady, lucrative growth from power to power. Though these had a strong entrepreneurial streak, they did not extensively invest in strategic analyses. In their own view, business was always potentially lucrative when it promised significant sales. They were motivated by the entrepreneurial attitude of ‘get up and go’ which has been the major factor driving the growth of Smith throughout most of the 20th century, leading the company to enter many new foreign markets and new lines of business. This is contrary to the widely held belief during the contemporary times that it is important to first do a strategic analysis of the market to determine if the business would be profitable in the future. A strategic analysis would involve establishing the potential of the business. This would take into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of a new market. After the last

Coup in Honduras of 2009 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Coup in Honduras of 2009 - Research Paper Example At the same time, the 2009 Honduras coup demonstrated the weakness of inter-American system of conflict settlement, as well as the absence of political will on the side of the U.S. to live up to its own commitment to promoting the principle of legitimate elected government in the Western Hemisphere. The presidency of Manuel Zelaya proved to be marred by constant conflicts between the executive branch of government and the Congress and judiciary, with the latter being bitterly opposed to the redistributive economic policies proposed by the president. Even though Zelaya had been known as a relatively conservative politician before his election on 27 November 2005 , the program of reforms his government embarked on from 2006 onwards was roughly modeled on the measures undertaken by Chavez administration in Venezuela. Among the most prominent policy steps taken by Zelaya government, one should include such measures as the increase in minimum wage, the governmental efforts at modernizing the telephone system, and the general attempts at increasing the well-being of the socially disadvantaged strata of population. The populist socioeconomic program undertaken by Zelaya, nonetheless, relied on the growth in bureaucratic apparatus directly controlled by the president, which led to increase in corruption and notable authoritarian tendencies in the conduct of the government. The fact that the implementation of Zelaya’s policies coincided with the first shots of the global economic crisis being experienced as early as the late 2006, did not add efficiency to his government. Moreover, Zelaya’s foreign policy, which was aimed at limiting traditional ties with the U.S. and launching closer partnership with Venezuela and Bolivia within such inter-governmental structures and bodies as ALBA, alienated the wide strata of Honduran population that were opposed to increased entente with Chavez, as well as the traditional political elites that feared further ‘soc ialist’ policies and resented breaking ties with the U.S. The last factor that led to coalescing of anti-Zelaya forces around conservative opposition and the military was the president’s efforts at revising the national constitution that became the source of controversy in March to June 2009. On 23 March Zelaya declared his attention to add the fourth ballot to the future election that was to be held in November 2009. The president’s intention was that of convening the constituent assembly that was to revise the constitution of Honduras. A preliminary poll for ascertaining the desirability of convening the constitutional assembly was due to be held on 28 June 2009, according to Zelaya’s plans. The media controlled by traditional oligarchy launched an anti-Zelaya campaign, while the government made use of its new powers to impose pro-government reporting on some national media3. The resulting controversy pitted the key national political forces – th e Conservatives and Liberals – against each other, while the Liberal Party found itself split

Women and Sexism at Workplace Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Women and Sexism at Workplace - Assignment Example Over the years, there have been a number of different roles that have been followed by men and women and have been considered to be the prehistoric roles of the people. However, when such assumptions are made and the roles for people are limited to a few tasks, then the result often leads to sexism. This paper aims at discussing the effects of sexism on women in two main areas, i.e. entering into a workplace and progress within the workplace. The main aim of the research is to get a better idea of how women are affected due to the existence of sexism in the workplace. The society has set down a various number of rules and roles that are expected to be for women. Women are faced with issues in getting jobs at the workplaces as there are a number of restrictions and reservations on the end of the employers. Employers prefer not to spend on the female employees for training and other purposes as there are very high chances of the women to leave the job so they can take care of their families (About Equal Opportunities, 2010). As seen in the survey, the youth and younger generation today, unlike the previous generations do not consider men’s work to be more important than that of women and there is a constant need for more equality and better understanding among the people.  These issues and difficulties include the possible offensive male chauvinist comments that can be faced by women as well as other questions where the employers demean the women by judging them to be less effective than men.  

Pros and Cons of exercising Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons of exercising Essay Question 3: Do you agree that exercising is the only way to keep fit and healthy? When it comes to the the phrase ‘a healthy lifestyle’, many people often think of the gym as the only way to keep your body in shape. It seems difficult for them to achieve, and is often seen very negatively. However, exercising is not the only way. In fact, there are many ways to keep fit and healthy, such as having a regular diet, having enough rest, and keeping a positive mindset. Having a regular diet is one of the simplest yet hardest way to keep fit. It requires one to adjust the way they eat, and be cautious of their food intake. However, it may not seem as difficult as it may seem to be. For example, fish and chips seems very unhealthy, but there are ways to make it healthier. Baking it instead of deep-frying it, and just adding a few vegetables to go along with your meal would be an easy way to â€Å"neutralize† your unhealthy food. Make a few simple changes to your diet, and you would soon feel much healthier. To make sure your body has abundant energy to do your daily activities, having enough rest is very important. While you rest, your brain stays busy, and prepares you for the next day. Minimal deprivation of sleep takes a toll on your mood, energy, and ability to handle stress. Adults should sleep betweeen 6-7 hours each day. However, if one is not getting average sleep time, it is best to catch up on weekends where there is no work. Sleep should not be deprived of as it can affect your mental state, energy level and ability to focus. Lastly, having a postitive mindset can help boost one’s morale or motivation spirit. When one is postive about his or her life, he or she would be able to solve obstacles they face with ease as they are able to find ways to solve their problems rather than just dwelling over it. This helps keep both the mind and brain healthy. Rather than thinking that life is unfair, one should appreciate the many things that one has.

Running :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this study, I investigate the affects that running has on reducing the risk of some health problems. I am doing this because I run about 40 to 60 miles per week, and my family has a history of health problems. For instance, my grandfather suffered a heart attack, and he also had cancer when he was about the age of 50. Furthermore, my grandfather, on my dad’s side of the family, has also had triple bi-pass heart surgery from a heart attack he has had recently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Here, I present information from some sources that talk about the affects that running has on reducing health risks. My sources agree that running, and some other aerobic exercises, reduce the risk of: Diabetes, diverticular disease, heart decease, several types of cancer, and even common sicknesses like a cold.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One source agrees that running reduces the risk of diabetes. Jim Harmon writes, in Sports Illustrated, about Bruce Leonard, a marathoner with a masters degree in public health. Bruce Leonard went to study the Zuni Indian tribe. This tribe has had a bad history of diabetes until they started to run. Leonard said, After the Zuni tribe started running, â€Å"many Zuni were able to reduce or eliminate their diabetes medication.†(5)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My research also reveled that diverticular disease can be reduced in men that run. For instance, Marty Munson and Teresa Yeykal writes in the article â€Å"Outrun trouble† which says, â€Å"guys who racked up the most ours doing vigorous exercise reduced their risks of diverticular decease by a third.†(38) They also say â€Å"it’s good advice to make your lifestyle to consume high fiber.†(38) I found that running can also reduce the risk of heart disease. The article â€Å"Run for your life† talks about Mitchell H. Whaley, the director of adult physical fitness program at Ball State University. He analyzed data collected from a group of men, which included runners. Mitchell Whaley found that â€Å"individuals with low aerobic capacity have a higher risk of developing premature coronary artery decease that those who were more fit.†(47) The article also talks about Martha L. Slattery, Ph.D., from the University of Utah Medical School. Maria Slattery also found that running is a good preventive measure for heart disease. She says, â€Å"The greatest increase in protection was between those men who were sedentary and those who had some activity.†(48)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another source I found says that running can help prevent many types of cancer. In the article â€Å"Running for your life†, Doctor Leonard Cohen talks about how running helps reduce colon,

Geneva Conventions Essay

Introduction Now we live in relatively peaceful time, but it wasn’t always like that. All those wars were bloody, sometimes even too bloody, so people needed to create some rules. So those rules were created. Four Conventions for One Purpose Not everybody knows that, but there were four treaties, not just one. And even then, they were modified later with three amendment protocols. I will start with a brief overview. First Geneva Convention was adopted in 1864 for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. Second Geneva Convention was adopted in 1906 for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea. Third Geneva Convention was adopted in 1929, and it was related to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Finally, Fourth Geneva Convention was adopted in 1949, and it was related to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. It collected all points of previous one while adding many new points. So, when people say about singular Geneva Convention, they usually mean this one. Later is was modified with two protocols in 1977 when modifications were related to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts and the Pro tection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts. Latest modification was made in 2005 when an Additional Distinctive Emblem was adopted. The Conventions are inextricably linked to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is both the instigator for the inception and enforcer of the articles in these conventions. They changed the world with their aspiration to protect the rights of non-combatants. This quote is a nice example: Protected persons are entitled, in all circumstances, to respect for their persons,  their honour, their family rights, their religious convictions and practices, and their manners and customs. They shall, at all times, be humanely treated, and shall be protected, especially against all acts of violence or threats thereof and against insults and public curiosity. Women shall be especially protected against any attack on their honour, in particular against rape, enforced prostitution, or any form of indecent assault. Without prejudice to the provisions relating to their state of health, age and sex, all protected persons shall be treated with the same consideration by the Party to the conflict in whose power they are, without any adverse distinction based, in particular, on race, religion or political opinion. However, the Parties to the conflict may take such measures of control and security in regard to protected persons as may be necessary as a result of the war. — Article 27, Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) The First Geneva Convention The First Geneva Convention, for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field, defines â€Å"the basis on which rest the rules of international law for the protection of the victims of armed conflicts. It was adopted in 1864 and then updated three times. Back then, it was a very critical period for European history, both military and political. Situation in Western Europe was relatively peaceful between the fall of the first Napoleon (the Battle of Waterloo in 1815) and the rise of Napoleon III (Italian campaign of 1859), but when the conflict in the Crimea took place, powers couldn’t maintain peace anymore. Henri Dunant was a man who gave the world idea of creating an international set of laws governing the treatment and care for the wounded and prisoners of war. He witnessed the Battle of Solferino in 1859, fought between Austrian and French-Piedmontese armies in Northern Italy. Around forty thousands of soldiers were wounded and left on the battlefield. The reason for that was a lack of personnel, facilities, and truces to give the soldiers any kind of medical aid. After witnessing all that Dunant decided to act. So, after his return to Geneva Dunant used his membership in the Geneva Society for Public Welfare to urge the calling together of an international conference to create new rules in terms of war. Other things that Henri Dunant did were publishing his account Un Souvenir de Solferino and helping with foundation of the International Committee of  the Red Cross in 1863. So, this new Red Cross Committee started to work, with best regards to help people, living in zones of war. Even if it was said that safeguarding the health and physical well-being of people is primarily the duty and responsibility of a nation they are related to, still understood that it wasn’t enough and in times of war people would need some â€Å"voluntary agencies to supplement†. Obviously it meant creating official agencies to help people on the battlefields in every country. Last thing that was missing was the list of rules to govern activities of the Red Cross Committee itself and any other agencies or companies which were involved. The big date was August 22, 1864. Several European states gathered in Geneva, Switzerland and signed the First Geneva Convention. List of states included: Baden (nowadays being a part of Germany), Belgium, Denmark, France, Hesse (also being a part of Germany nowadays), Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Prussia (part of Germany now), Spain, Switzerland, and Wà ¼rttemberg (which is also a part of today’s Germany). Later, two more countries joined and signed the Convention, which were Norway and Sweden. . The Second Geneva Convention The Second Geneva Convention was adopted to protect the human rights of wounded, sick, and shipwrecked soldiers that were found at sea. This act was made because of the growing number of battle ship fleets being formed and the mass amounts of war occurring at sea. The First Geneva Convention only covered the wars on land and now it covered international battles at sea. This bill extended all rights that a wounded soldier received from the first convention to soldiers at sea and made it illegal to not take in shipwrecked crewmen. The Second Geneva Convention was an important step considering the First World War was soon to come. The Second Geneva Convention was created because of the new threat of large naval fleets. The only difference between the First and Second Geneva Conventions is that the Second calls for the protection of human rights of soldiers that are at sea. Because of the future battles at sea, this plan proved to be highly necessary in order to make sure no cruelties were occurring over the deep blue sea. This plan was effective but did not cover very many scenarios or occurrences. This addition to the First Convention was necessary and without it, there would have been thousands of more casualties during the two World Wars. So, the  Convention was adopted in 1906, right after Russo-Japanese war, and was later updated two times. The actual document contained 63 articles, covering many aspects related to treating people during the wars, both on the land and on the sea. Now let’s look at the most important provisions: * Articles 12 and 18 require all parties to protect and care for the wounded, sick, and shipwrecked. * Article 21 allows appeals to be made to neutral vessels to help collect and care for the wounded, sick, and shipwrecked. The neutral vessels cannot be captured. * Articles 36 and 37 protect religious and medical personnel serving on a combat ship. * Article 22 states that hospital ships cannot be used for any military purpose, and owing to their humanitarian mission, they cannot be attacked or captured. * Article 14 clarifies that although a warship cannot capture a hospital ship’s medical staff, it can hold the wounded, sick, and shipwrecked as prisoners of war. It was adopted by 33 countries, including China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States. However, at the same time it was rejected by Great Britain, Japan and Korea. The Third Geneva Convention So, the third one of four conventions was mainly related to prisoners of war and their treatment. According to this Geneva Convention no prisoner of war could be forced to disclose to his captor any information other than his identity (i.e., his name and rank, but not his military unit, home town, or address of relatives). Every prisoner of war was entitled to adequate food and medical care and had the right to exchange correspondence and receive parcels. He was required to observe ordinary military discipline and courtesy, but he could attempt to escape at his own risk. Once recaptured, he was not to be punished for his attempt. Officers were to receive pay either according to the pay scale of their own country or to that of their captor, whichever was less; they could not be required to work. Enlisted men might be required to work for pay, but the nature and location of their work were not to expose them to danger, and in no case could they be required to perform work directly rela ted to military operations. Camps were to be open to inspection by authorized representatives of a neutral power (during World War II, Switzerland and Sweden acted as protecting powers). Article 4  defines who could be called prisoner of war. Article 5 specifies that prisoners of war (as defined in article 4) are protected from the time of their capture until their final repatriation. It also specifies that when there is any doubt whether a combatant belongs to the categories in article 4, they should be treated as such until their status has been determined by a competent tribunal. Article 12 states that prisoners of war are the responsibility of the state not the persons who capture them and that they may not be transferred to a state that is not party to the Convention. Articles 13 to 16 state that prisoners of war must be treated humanely without any adverse discrimination and that their medical needs must be met. The Convention was signed by 47 governments. Chief among the nations that did not adhere to the Geneva Convention of 1929 were Japan and the USSR. Japan, however, gave a qualified promise (1942) to abide by the Geneva rules, and the USSR announced (1941) that it would observe the terms of the Hague Convention of 1907, which did not provide (as does the Geneva Convention) for neutral inspection of prison camps, for the exchange of prisoners’ names, and for correspondence with prisoners. So, that could help to change the situation, including time during World War II. The United States and Great Britain mostly honored the Convention and its rules. At the same time, Germany didn’t treat all prisoners equally. While American and British prisoners got good treatment in Germany, people from Poland got probably the worst possible. The International Red Cross at Geneva tried to collect as much information about prisoners as it could, so situation was under control. The Fourth Geneva Convention The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, also known as The Fourth Geneva Convention, was adopted in 1949. Not only it had many new points, but also points from all previous Geneva Conventions were reviewed and expanded. The actual document consists of four parts: Part I. General Provisions. It includes the basic things, like explanation who is a â€Å"protected person†: Persons protected by the Convention are those who, at a given moment and in any manner whatsoever, find themselves, in case of a conflict or occupation, in the hands of a Party to the conflict or  Occupying Power of which they are not nationals. Document also demands a lawful treatment of: noncombatants, soldiers who laid down their arms, or wounded, unable to continue the fight, combatants. Part II. General Protection of Populations Against Certain Consequences of War. Here text says about protection of civilians. Important thing is that no kind of discrimination by nationality, race, religion, or political views is appropriate. Part III. Status and Treatment of Protected Persons. This part includes many different things about actions on occupied territories, like population transfer, care and education of children, destruction of property, medical services, etc. It also includes topic of collective punishment: Article 33. No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited. Pillage is prohibited. Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited. Part IV. Execution of the Convention. This part is almost the same in documents of all four conventions and it says that this part contains â€Å"the formal or diplomatic provisions which it is customary to place at the end of an international Convention to settle the procedure for bringing it into effect are grouped together under this heading†. This time the amount of countries signed was even bigger than before, consisting of 194 countries. However, 16 countries didn’t sign it; those were Aruba, Bouvet Island, Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Heard and Mc Donald Islands, Isle of Man, Jersey, Mayotte, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, National Authority, Reunion Island, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, and Tibet. Even if the Convention included almost everything that was needed, later it was updated with 3 protocols added as amendments: Protocol I (1977) relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts Protocol II (1977) relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts Protocol III (2005) relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem. Protocol I So, in 1977 Geneva Convention was updated with two additional protocols added as amendments. It was necessary because since 1949 worldwide weaponry and conditions have changed. Logically, it’s related to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts. By the moment Protocol I was  ratified by governments of 170 countries. The actual document consists of 102 articles. Mostly it just rephrases statements from original Geneva Conventions, but it also includes many new interesting things: Articles 51 and 54 outlaw indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations, and destruction of food, water, and other materials needed for survival. Indiscriminate attacks include directly attacking civilian (non-military) targets, but also using technology such as biological weapons, nuclear weapons and land mines, whose scope of destruction cannot be limited. A total war that does not distinguish between civilian and military targets is considered a war crime. Articles 56 and 53 outlaw attacks on dams, dikes, nuclear generating stations, and places of worship. The first three are â€Å"works and installations containing dangerous forces† and may be attacked but only in ways that do not threaten to release the dangerous forces (i.e., it is permissible to attempt to capture them but not to try to destroy them). Articles 76 and 77, 15 and 79 provide special protections for women, children, and civilian medical personnel, and provide measures of protection for journalists. Article 77 forbids conscription of children under age 15 into the armed forces. It does allow, however, for persons under the age of 15 to participate voluntarily. Articles 43 and 44 clarify the military status of members of guerrilla forces. Combatant and prisoner of war status is granted to members of dissident forces when under the command of a central authority. Such combatants cannot conceal their allegiance; they must be recognizable as combatants while preparing for or during an attack. Article 35 bans weapons that â€Å"cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering,† as well as means of warfare that â€Å"cause widespread, long-term, and severe damage to the natural environment.† Article 85 states that it is a war crime to use one of the protective emblems recognized by the Geneva Conventions to deceive the opposing forces (perfidy). Articles 17 and 81 authorize the ICRC, national societies, or other impartial humanitarian organizations to provide assistance to the victims of war. Protocol II While Protocol I was related to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts, Protocol II, also added in 1977, was related to the  protection of non-international armed conflicts. After all those Conventions many rules existed, related to international warfare, but somehow, before the Protocol II was added, nobody thought much about internal conflicts even though many countries had them. So, even since the last Geneva Convention, some delegates wanted to make laws and set a new bar for minimal humanitarian standards in cases when the situation had all the properties and characteristics of war whilst not being an international conflict. Even before the addition of Protocol II Geneva Conventions of 1949 had Article 3 related to non-international conflicts taking place in bounds of a single country. However, it wasn’t enough. Article 3 had only few basic things to protect victims of non-international conflicts, like: * Persons taking no active part in hostilities should be treated humanely (including military persons who have ceased to be active as a result of sickness, injury, or detention). * The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for. Since Article 3 was too brief and didn’t cover many important aspects, many diplomats wanted to clarify it all in a new Protocol and to extend the scope of international law to cover additional humanitarian rights in the context of internal conflicts. However, the debate around this new protocol had two totally different ideas: 1) First said that for victim of a conflict there is no difference if that conflict is international or not, so all the distinction for those people can only be artificial. 2) And another one said that in case of internal conflict international laws should not apply, meaning that country had all rights to do whatever it wants inside its boundaries. As for now, Protocol 3 had been ratified by governments of 165 countries. Even though The United States was among few countries who just signed the protocol with the intention of ratifying it, the International Committee of the Red Cross made an appeal in 1997, saying that a number of the articles contained in both protocols are recognized as rules of customary international law valid for all states, whether or not they have ratified them. Protocol III The third and the last additional protocol of Geneva Conventions was added in 2005. It was devoted to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem. It was really needed in cases of war for soldiers to know who they should not attack. Actually, the emblem itself was established much earlier, during the first Geneva Convention of 1864. It was really needed, because weapons at those times already were quite deadly, and often medics and people of other supporting professions were shot right on the battlefield while trying to help wounded soldiers. So a part of the first Geneva Convention was just right about creating a distinctive emblem for people of those professions. However, it wasn’t easy. The first symbol was just a red cross on the white background, but it looked very similar to the Christian Cross. That was the reason why Muslim nations totally rejected it. But in 1876 the Ottoman Empire introduced another symbol – the Red Crescent, as more neutral and less Christian emblem. After that additional emblems were proposed by the Red Cross Society of Eritrea, such as sun of Persia or the red lion. At the same time Magen David Adom of Israel proposed the Red Shield of David as another alternative emblem. After all, the world needed the new symbol for medics to be: * Neutral and free of religious, cultural or political connotations. Otherwise it would conflict with the whole idea of giving the medical personnel neutral humanitarian status in armed conflicts. * Officially acclaimed. Even if the Red Shield of David was used in some places after Magen David Adom’s efforts, it wasn’t officially acclaimed by the National Societies. And without membership in one of those people were not eligible for certain protections under the Geneva Conventions. Fortunately a comprehensive solution was found at last with the adoption of Protocol III in 2005. For Magen David Adom there was a nice alternative – the Red Crystal, so they should’ve just displayed it in the context of international conflict to have all protection needed. All three emblems are appointed the same legal status, which means they are totally equal. Emblems can have a protective use, as well as an indicative use. Medical and religious personnel may mark themselves, their vehicles, ships and buildings as a sign of their humanitarian mission and protected status under the Geneva Conventions. Members of armed forces can also use it to show that  they are protected by Geneva Conventions. However, the misuse of the emblem may be considered as a war crime. Conclusion Thanks to all these conventions and their protocols, world is safer and more civilized nowadays, even I the times of war. People feel themselves protected, which means better future for all of us! Bibliography Books: Bernett, Angela. The Geneva Convention: The Hidden Origins of the Red Cross. The History Press, Stroud, 2006. Borch, Fred L., and Solis, Gary. Geneva Conventions. Kaplan Publishing, New York City, 2010. Grossman, Dave. On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. Back Bay Books, New York City, 2009. Byers, Michael. War Law: Understanding International Law and Armed Conflict. Grove Press, New York City, 2007. Web Sites: http://supportgenevaconventions.org/. â€Å"Citizens Interfaith Coalition to Reaffirm and Extend the Geneva Conventions†. Dennis Rivers. 11/11/2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/. â€Å"Geneva Conventions†. Multiple authors. 11/23/2011. http://www.icrc.org/. â€Å"The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols†. International Committee of the Red Cross. 11/12/2011.

Biography †Aryabhata, the Indian mathematician Essay

Aryabhata (476 CE – 550 CE) was the first Hindu mathematician and astronomers from India. He wrote couple of treatise about mathematics and astronomy. Some of them were lost. His most famous works Aryabhatiya completed in 499 CE and the Arya-Siddhanta. Aryabhatiya consists of 108 verses, in which Aryabhata wrote about the mathematics and astronomy at the age of 23 in 499 CE. He was born in India at Asmaka or Kusumapura in 476 CE. There is no clear evidence of the place of birth (Indian Streams Research General, September 2012). Aryabhata studied in Kusumapura and stayed there for some time. The evidences from Hindu, Buddhist tradition, and Bhaskara I (629 CE) recognize Kusumapura as Pataliputra, currently known as Patna. Aryabhata was the head of an institution at Kusumapura. The University of Nalanda was in Pataliputra at the time. This university had an astronomical observatory that forces the belief that Aryabhata was the head of the Nalanda University. Aryabhata set up an observatory at the Sun temple in Taregana, Bihar (Aryabhata – Indian Mathematician). Aryabhatiya deals with mathematics and astronomy. That consists of an introduction containing astronomical tables and Aryabhata’s system of phonemic number notation. This work consists of three sections: Ganita (means mathematics), Kala-kriya (means Time calculations), and Gola (means Sphere). Ganita covers decimal number system, algorithms for square and cubic roots, geometric measurements, the algorithm for Pi, tables of sines using Pythagorean Theorem, quadratic equations, proportions, and the solution of linear equations. This discusses the Aryabhata’s method to solve the mathematical problem, Kuttaka (means pulverizer) also known as Aryabhata’s algorithm. This algorithm suggests breaking a problem in smaller fractions. Kala-kriya speaks about astronomy. It is about treating planetary motion and include the definition of various units for time, eccentric, epicyclic planetary motion modes, longitude, and latitude. Gola discusses the plane trigonometry to spherical geometry. It also has prediction of solar and lunar eclipses and explicit statement about westward motion of stars because of the  spherical rotation of the Earth about its axis (Indian Streams Research General, September 2012). The Arya-siddhanta was the work on astronomical computations. Surya Siddhanta was the base of this work and considered the start of the day at the midnight, as opposed to sunrise according to Aryabhatiya. It also contained a description of several astronomical instruments: the gnomon (shanku-yantra), a shadow instrument (chhAyA-yantra), possibly angle-measuring devices, semicircular, and circular (dhanur-yantra/chakra-yantra), a cylindrical stick yasti-yantra, an umbrella-shaped device called the chhatra-yantra, and water clocks of at least two types, bow-shaped and cylindrical. Bakhshali Manuscript discussed the place-value system first in the 3rd century. Georges Ifrah, the mathematician from France, acknowledged that awareness of zero by Aryabhata in place-value system because of a place holder for the powers of 10 with null coefficients. Instead of using Brahmi numerals Aryabhata continued the tradition from Vedic times by using letters of the alphabet for denoting numbers, expressing quantities, such as the table of sines in a mnemonic form (Indian Streams Research General, September 2012). The Surya Siddhanta laid foundational rules to determine the true motions of the luminaries and introduced the sine, cosine trigonometric functions. Aryabhata devised the formulae for calculating the area of triangle and circle. He also devised the same for pyramid and sphere. Formulae for triangle and circle were correct. Most historians claimed that formulae for sphere and pyramid were incorrect. He created a table of sines and versine with formula sin (n+1) x – sin nx = sin (n-1) x – (1/225) sin nx versin= 1 – cosine Aryabhata’s definition of jya (sine), kojya (cosine), urkrama-jya (versine), and otkram-jya (inverse sine) influence the trigonometry (Indian Streams Research General, September 2012). Aryabhata concluded that the approximation for pi ([pic]) is irrational. In Ganitapada he gave the formula for the ratio of circumference to the diameter as ((4 + 100) Ãâ€" 8 + 62000)/20000 = 62832/20000 = 3.1416, which is accurate to five significant figures (Aryabhata – Indian Mathematician). The speculation was that Aryabhata used ‘Ä sanna’ (means approaching), to mean that not only is this approximation but also that the value is irrational. This shows quite a sophisticated insight from him because Lambert proved the irrationality of pi in Europe only in 1761. Bhaskara’s commentary on Aryabhatiya discusses the topic known as Diophantine equations, e.g., integer solutions to the equations that have the form ax+by = c. That formula to find value of N stated as N = 8x+5 = 9y+4 = 7z+1. It turns out that the smallest value for N is 85. Vedic text Sulba Sutras discussed these notoriously difficult diophantine equations. Aryabhata provided rules of algebra in the Aryabhatia and those are as follows: and  13 + 23 +†¦+n3= (1+2+†¦+n) 2 In some texts, Aryabhata seems to ascribe the apparent motions of the heavens to the Earth’s rotation. He believed that the planet’s orbits as elliptical rather than circular. Aryabhata correctly insisted that the earth rotates about its axis daily and that the apparent movement of the stars is a relative motion caused by the rotation of the earth, contrary to the then-prevailing view in other parts of the world that the sky rotated. The first chapter of the Aryabhatiya indicated this, where he gives the number of rotations of the earth in a yuga, and made more explicit in his gola chapter (A He used analogy of movement of boat going forward. During this movement person feels an unmoving object going in opposite direction than the boat. With this analogy he discussed the appearance of unmoving stars going uniformly westward. The cause of rising and setting is that the sphere of the stars together with the planets apparently turns due west at the equator, constantly push ed by the cosmic wind. Aryabhata described a geocentric model of the solar system, in which he mentioned that the Sun and Moon in turn revolve around the Earth. He calculated the positions and periods of the planets with respect to uniformly moving points. He stated that speed at which Mercury, Venus, and Sun move around the Earth is identical and is different from the specific speed of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. He represented each planet’s motion through the zodiac. Most historians of astronomy expressed that this two-epicycle model reflects elements of pre-Ptolemaic Greek astronomy. Historians saw another element in Aryabhata’s model, the Å›Ä «ghrocca, the basic planetary period in relation to the Sun as a sign of an underlying heliocentric model. He explained  solar and lunar eclipses. He stated that the Moon and planets shine by reflected sunlight and explained eclipses in terms of shadows cast by and falling on Earth. His theory explained the lunar eclipse occurs when the moon ent ers into the Earth’s shadow and discussed the length the size and extent of the Earth’s shadow. He provided the computation and the size of the eclipsed part during an eclipse. Later Indian astronomers improved on the calculations, but Aryabhata’s methods provided the core. Aryabhata calculated the sidereal rotation as 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.1 seconds; the modern value is 23:56:4.091. Similarly, his value for the length of the sidereal year at 365 days, six hours, 12 minutes, and 30 seconds is an error of three minutes and 20 seconds over the length of a year (Indian Streams Research General, September 2012). Aryabhata’s work influenced the Indian astronomical tradition and several neighboring cultures through translations. His work as translated in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age (c. 820 CE). Al-Khwarizmi cited some of his results and in the 10th century Al-Biruni stated that Aryabhata’s followers believed that the Earth rotated on its axis. Aryabhata’s astronomical calculation methods were also very influential. Islamic world widely used the trigonometric tables to compute many Arabic astronomical tables (zijes). Calendric calculations devised by Aryabhata and his followers contributed the practical purposes of fixing the Panchangam (the Hindu calendar). Other cultures used this for forming the calendar systems. India honored Aryabhata by naming India’s first satellite as Aryabhata. An Institute for conducting research in astronomy, astrophysics, and atmospheric sciences is the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIOS) near Nainital, India. Indian authorities named the inter-school math competition as ‘Aryabhata Maths Competition’, as is Bacillus Aryabhata, a species of bacteria discovered by ISRO scientists in 2009. References Indian Streams Research General: Avhale, P. S; Waghmare, R. V.; Kolhe, S. B. Indian Streams Research Journal. Sep2012, Vol. 2 Issue 8, Special section p1-5. 5p. Retrieved from https://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?vid=2&hid=117&sid=d84c9078-6d85-4131-9209-e44cdb4cba58%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=a9h&AN=82351338